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  THE PRAIRIE ON FIRE.]

  THE

  AMERICAN FAMILY ROBINSON;

  OR,

  The Adventures of a Family

  LOST IN THE

  GREAT DESERT OF THE WEST.

  BY

  D. W. Belisle

  With Illustrations

  PHILADELPHIA:PORTER & COATES.

  Preface.

  The lofty mountains, mighty forests, rivers and valleys of the West,many portions of which have never been explored, furnish abundantresources for the gratification of the Naturalist, the Lapidary, andthe Antiquarian. It is with the view of directing attention to thesesources of information, that the author has grouped together in thislittle work, many startling incidents in prairie life, and alluded torelics of antiquity, bearing unmistakable indications of a high orderof civilization and science, in regard to which subsequent discoverieshave proved the hypothesis he assumes correct. That this country hasbeen peopled by a civilized race of sentient beings anterior to theexistence of the present tribes of Indians or their ancestors, is nolonger a matter of uncertainty; for everywhere throughout the West, andin many places East of the Mississippi Valley, incontrovertibleevidences attest the high antiquity of monuments and relics of apeople, whose race, name and customs have been lost in the deep gloomthat hangs over the mighty past. In order more successfully to callattention to these ancient reminiscences of our own country, and toincite a spirit of inquiry in the minds of the young, he hasincidentally alluded to them while following the family of Mr. Duncanin their toilsome journey and wanderings through the Great AmericanDesert. To those unacquainted with the antiquarian characteristics ofthis continent, some of the allusions may appear improbable; yetsufficiently competent authority has been consulted in the preparationof this work to give the allusions reliable authenticity. If we shallbe successful in awakening such an inquiry, we shall be content, andfeel that our labors have not been unrewarded.

  Philadelphia 1853.

  Contents.

  CHAPTER I. PAGE

  Mr. Duncan's Discontentment. He starts for the West in search of aplace of Settlement. 9

  CHAPTER II.

  The Journey. Encampment. Buffalo hunt. Anne and Edward lost. Theydiscover an old fort. Fight with a Wolf. Take refuge in a Tree.Rescued by Howe and Lewis. Return to the Camp. 16

  CHAPTER III.

  Howe's Story of a singular piece of Metal, resembling a shield orhelmet, found on Lake Superior. 36

  CHAPTER IV.

  Their journey continued. Finding a Prairie. Encamping for the Night.Singular incident. A Mirage on the Prairie. The Prairie on fire.Flight to the Sand Hills. Their final escape. Finding a stream.Encampment. 49

  CHAPTER V.

  Heavy Storm. Straggling Indians seen. Preparations for defence. Afriendly Indian approaches and warns them of their danger. The CampAttacked. Capture of Five in the Camp. Recovery of some of theCaptured. 62

  CHAPTER VI.

  Strength of the Tabagauches. Attack of their camp. Flight of theWhites. Pursuing the Indians. Desperate Engagement. Taken Prisoners.Carried off captives. Singular Springs of Water. Kind treatment bythe Indians. Discovery of Gold. 81

  CHAPTER VII.

  Their continued Captivity. They are cautiously watched and guarded. Asingular Cave. Preparations to escape into it. Lassoing the Guard.Enter the Cavern and close the Door. They are missed by the Indians.They follow the Cavern. Mysterious discoveries. Discovery of an outlet.They halt for repose. 100

  CHAPTER VIII.

  Entering the unknown Wilds. Their encampment attacked by Panthers. Theysave themselves. The Panthers kill one of their pack. They continuetheir journey. Whirlwind becomes lost. Everything strange about them.Encampment at the base of a mountain. 122

  CHAPTER IX.

  Encounter with a Wolf. Sidney seriously wounded. Whirlwind procuresmedicine. They Build a Cabin. Fears entertained of Sidney's death.Talk of Pow-wowing the disease. Miscellaneous conversation on thematter. Their final consent to the Pow-wow. 137

  CHAPTER X.

  The apparent solemnity of Whirlwind. The Pow-wow. Its effects uponSidney. Favourable turn in his fever. His health improves. They proceedon their way. Encamp for the night. Singular trees discovered.Preparations for spending the winter. 151

  CHAPTER XI.

  Search for winter quarters. Strange Discoveries. Works of the lostpeople. Their search among the Ruins. Walls, roads, and buildingsfound. Their state of Preservation. They prepare to locate themselves.A salt spring. Their joy at their discoveries. 163

  CHAPTER XII.

  Astonishment of the Children. The Antiquity of the Ruins. The Chief'scontentment. Strange discoveries. Discovery of wild horses. The chiefcaptures a colt. The winter sets in. A series of storms prevail. Theydiscover an Indian woman and her papoose. 174

  CHAPTER XIII.

  Jane's reception of the Indian woman. Condition of the party. Theycannot calculate the day nor month. The chief imagines he has foundthe Arapahoes' hunting grounds. Deer chased by a wild man. Thechief lassoes him. A desperate struggle. The wild man captured andtaken into camp. 193

  CHAPTER XIV.

  The return of spring. Their thoughts of home. Preparations to continuetheir journey. Escape of the Wild Man. They suffer from want of water.A party of Indians. A beautiful Landscape. A terrific storm. The chiefrendered insensible by a stroke of lightning. He recovers and returnsto the camp. 214

  CHAPTER XV.

  They endeavour to conceal themselves from the Indians. They arediscovered. A frightful encounter. Escape of Mahnewe. They pursuetheir journey in the night. Discovery of a river over which theycross. Come to a prairie. Approach a sandy desert. They providethemselves with ample provisions and set out over the cheerlesswaste. 231

  CHAPTER XVI.

  Encampment in the sand. An island discovered. Singular appearance ofrocks. Human skeletons found. Dreary prospects. They arrive at anoasis. They come to a lake. They discover a cavern in which they findmysterious implements. The cavern supposed to have been an ancientmine. Its remarkable features. 240

  CHAPTER XVII.

  Recovery, and continuance of their journey. A joyous prospect. Itchanges to gloom. Discovered and followed by Indians. They finallyescape. They wander on unconscious of their way. They meet withfriendly Indians who give them cheering intelligence. They restwith them a few days. 263

  CHAPTER XVIII.

  They proceed on their journey. Jane bitten by a rattlesnake. Takenback to the village. It causes a violent fever to set in. She becomesdelirious, but finally recovers. A war party returns having two whiteprisoners. Minawanda assists them to escape by a sound imitating thatof a whippoorwill. They proceed on their flight unmolested. 281

  CHAPTER XIX.

  They arrive at a stream of considerable magnitude over which theycross. They ride in the water to elude their pursuers. Jones and Colegive them information relative to their friends. The joyful receptionof the news. Arrival at the base of the Sierra Nevada. Fear o
fcrossing the mountains in the snow. They construct themselves winterquarters. 298

  CHAPTER XX.

  The cold increases. Abundant supplies of game. Jones and Cole tellsome of their adventures in the gold regions. Comfortable conditionof the children. Howe describes an adventure he experienced near LakeSuperior. Whirlwind relates a circumstance that occurred to himselfand Shognaw. 309

  CHAPTER XXI.

  Departure of winter. Joy at the fact of knowing which way they weretravelling. They reach the first ranges of the Sierra Nevada mountains.Discovery of gold. Discovery of singular ancient walls. An engravedslab of granite. They reach the foot of the Sierra in safety. Theyarrive at the residence of a Spanish Curate. They tarry awhile at hishouse. 319

  CHAPTER XXII.

  Return to the family of Mr. Duncan. Lewis and his father succeed ingetting back to camp. Cole and the chief reach the camp of theArapahoes. They continue their course to Mr. Duncan's camp. Joy at thenews they bring. They start again for the west. Thirty Arapahoesaccompany them. They arrive at the Sierra Nevada. 335

  CHAPTER XXIII.

  The Curate becomes much attached to the Wanderers. Arrival of Mr. andMrs. Duncan and family. Whirlwind demands Jane in marriage. Janerefuses, and the Indians take their departure. The curate gives anaccount of the discoveries he made of a singular road, city andpyramid. Prosperous condition of Mr. Duncan's family. The lapse oftwelve years. Change of their condition. Conclusion. 342

  THE WANDERERS:

  OR,

  LIFE IN THE WESTERN WILDS.