About
midday
When there , I hope that Mr Meredith will send notice to headquarters , and that a body of men may be collected to rebuild the fort before the fall , or , if not , early in the spring . It will not do to let the Indians suppose that they can drive us out of the country . '' Notwithstanding the weight we had to carry , consisting of our guns and ammunition , and a change of clothing with the few other articles in our knapsacks , and our saddles and bridles , we walked quickly on . About midday we reached the valley where we expected to find the horses , but not an animal was to be seen . Robin , on examining the ground , declared that Indians had been there lately , and we discovered before long indubitable signs that such was the case . It was too clear , therefore , that after the attack on the fort they had lifted all our cattle . What , however , could have become of our own horses was the question .