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TO 
 
 JOHN JORDAN, Jr., Esq. 
 
 OF 
 
 RESPECT AND ESTEEM. 
 
 (iii) 
 
 -* 
 
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 # 
 
w^^ 
 
 AMONG 
 
 THE INDIANS. 
 
 EIGHT YEAllS IN THE FAR WEST: 
 
 1858— 18SS 
 
 EMBRACING SKETCHES OF 
 
 MONTANA AND SALT LAKE, 
 
 BY 
 
 HENRY A. BOLLER. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 T. ELLWOOD ZELL. 
 
 1868. 
 
i''S'^4- 
 
 ^Lp "•>-/■ 
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1867, by 
 T. ELLWOOD ZELL, 
 
 in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the 
 Eastern Distri^ct of Pennsylvania. 
 
 
 
 rf. "^ > i 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 rilHE following pages have been written from a jour- 
 1 nal and notes kept during my residence of eight 
 years in the Far West. I have endeavored to narrate 
 truthfully, and without exaggeration, only such inci- 
 dents as fell under my personal observation, and also 
 to portray faithfully Indian life in its home aspect. 
 
 At the present time, when the Indian is being held 
 up before the world as an incarnate fiend, it is but fair 
 that his redeeming qualities should likcAvise be recorded. 
 
 I shall ever look back upon the years spent in the 
 Indian country as among the pleasantest of my life, 
 and if in all my dealings with white men I had found 
 the same sense of honor that characterized my " savage '^ 
 friends, my appreciation of human nature would be 
 much higher. 
 
 Philadelphia, July^ 1867. 
 
 (yii) 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PAGB 
 
 The Great West — Fur Trade — Navigation of the Missouri — 
 
 The First Steamboat, 17 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 St. Louis — Scenes at Starting — Arrival among the Sioux — 
 Council — More Indians — Fort Pierre — Stopped by Yanc- 
 tohwahs — Village of the Riccarees, ..... 22 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Old Mandan Village — A Speck of War — Minnetarees or Gros 
 Ventres — Scenery — A Hunting-Camp — Meet with Assin- 
 niboines — Indian and Squaw on their Bridal Trip — Elk 
 Shot — Tortuous Course of the Missouri — Fort William — 
 Mouth of the Yellowstone — Fort Union — Return to Fort 
 Atkinson, . . ' 36 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Every-day Life in the Indian Country — Supper — Sleeping — 
 "Voices of the Night " — Morning in the Indian Camp — 
 Gros Ventres Celebrities — An Indian Politician, . . 48 
 
 (ix) 
 
CONTENTS . 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Evening — Sports and Pastimes — A Practical Joke — An 
 Indian Warrior — Indian Dandies — Novel Equitation — 
 Horse-Race — Dogs — Bewailing the Dead — A Love-Ditty — 
 Splendor of a Midsummer's Night, . . . . .60 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Description of a Trading-Post — Domestic Economy — BuflFalo ! — 
 Bull-Boats — Departure of the Indian Hunters — The 
 " Surround " — " Making Medicine," . . . .72 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Return of a War-Party — Songs of Triumph — Dances — Ad- 
 ventures of the War-Party — Chivalry in Ambush — An 
 Indian Medico — Doctor E-ten-ah-pen-ah — Black Mail, . 82 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Going to <<Nickaway" — A Prudent General — Affairs at the 
 Village — Sioux About — Ludicrous Rage of a Fat Indian — 
 The Panic — Retreat — The Dry-Pumpkin's Harangue — 
 His Warlike Antecedents — Cause of the Alarm Explained, 91 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 The Mandans make their Great Bull-Medicine — The Invoca- 
 tion—The Medicine Lodge — The Bull-Dance— The Tor- 
 tures — Diversions of the Villagers — Indian Religion, . 100 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 War's Alarums — Panic among the Squaws — The Fort In- 
 vaded—A Mixed-up State of Affairs —"All's Well," . 112 
 
CONTENTS. XI 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Hunting — Harvesting Corn — Drudgery of the Squaws — As- 
 sinniboines Arrive — Journey to their Camp — Incidents 
 by the Way — Gambling — Troubles of a Lame Assinni- 
 boine — Squaw murders her Child — Buffalo Bull killed — 
 Prairie Delicacies — Wild Fowl — A Fairy Dell — Camp 
 Discovered — Arrival, ....... 117 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Scenes in Camp — Feast — Council — Trade — On the Home- 
 ward Trail — Desolate Country — Hostile "Signs" — In- 
 dian Craft — The Comet — Return to the Post — Battle 
 with the Sioux — The Doctor carried in a Blanket, . . 133 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Goose-Medicine — Gros Ventres return from the Rees — Ar- 
 rival of Oncpapas and Blackfeet Sioux — Jealousies — 
 Scarcity of Meat in Camp — Changing Face of Nature, . 147 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 First Snow — Poor Living — Trading-Party of Sioux — Bil- 
 liards — Death of the Four-Bear's Squaw — Preparations 
 for the Sioux Trade — Building Houses — Conflicting Ru- 
 mors — Final Departure of the Sioux — Rest, . . . 157 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Indian Summer — Going to Winter-Quarters — Magnificent 
 Scenery — The Camp Moving — Incidents on the Way — A 
 Fat Equestrian — A Jovial Party, 170 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Pierre Garreau — L'eau-qui-mont — Building Winter-Houses — 
 Return to the Fort, 181 
 
Xll CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Return to Camp — A "Pouderie" — Life in the Winter Camp — 
 Severe Toil of the Squaws — Firewood — Billiards — 
 Dances — Cottonwood Bark for Horse-Feed, . . . 189 
 
 * CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Wolf-Trapping at the Fort — A New Invention — Ludicrous 
 Incident — Sports in Winter — A "Sell" — Hunting Adven- 
 ture — Starvation Among the Sioux — Origin of the Feud 
 between the Gros Ventres and Sioux — Elk Medicine, . 200 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Indians make "Medicine to bring the Buffalo" — Potency of 
 Dreams — Orders of the Soldiers — A Large Family — 
 White-Cow Band — Strong Medicine — A Bull in Camp! — 
 Triumphant Dance of the White-Cows — "Plenty of 
 Buffalo ! " 212 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Buffalo Hunt in the Snow — Butchering — Feasting — Delica- 
 cies — Deadly Effects of the Indian Arrow — Accidents — 
 Sweat-Houses — Curing Tongues, . . . . . 224 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 My Abode in the Winter Camp — Making Meat — My Com- 
 rade, the Bobtail-Wolf — His Lessons in the Language — 
 Honesty of the Gros Ventres — Their Past History — Mat- 
 rimonial — Ravages of the Small-Pox — Affecting Incident, 238 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 Startling News! — The three G^rreaus killed — Bodies Re- 
 covered — Dangerous Trip — Christmas in Camp — Grand 
 Feast — Approach a Bull — Narrow Escape, . . . 245 
 
CONTENTS. Xlll 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Eclipse of the Moon — Indian Ideas — Thunder, Lightning, 
 and Rain — Primitive Ways — Express Arrives — Travel in 
 a "Pouderie" — Tedious Trip — Lame Horse — Return to 
 Post, 254 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 BufiFalo Hamstrung by Wolves — Camp begins to Break Up — 
 Horses Stolen — Mandan killed in Camp by the Sioux — 
 Daring Escape — An Indian Heroine — A Season of Peril, 266 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 Skin Lodges— Narrow Escape from a War-Party — Final 
 Breaking Up of the Winter Camp — Scenes on the Road — 
 Home Again — End of the Winter Hunt, .... 274 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 Spring — ''Making Packs" — Dancing — Buffalo Everywhere — 
 Medicine Pictures — Assinniboines on the War-Path — A 
 Successful Partisan — Kindling the War-Spirit — Grim 
 Meeting of Hostile Indians — Wild Fowl — Breaking Up 
 of the Ice — Exciting Scenes, 281 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 Arrival of the Spring Express — Cold Swim — Windg^ — On the 
 War-Path — Horses Stolen — Dressing Robes — Competi- 
 tion — Blackfoot Chieftain — Prairies on Fire — Dense 
 Smoke — Dance of the Calumet, 296 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 • 
 
 The Sioux Trade — Return of a Defeated War-Party — More 
 
 Reverses — Fortitude — Indian Belief — Arrival of Crows, 309 
 
 2 
 
XIV CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The Fort Completed — Raise the American Flag — Warriors 
 
 Return in Triumph — Rejoicings — Scalp Dance, . . 316 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 June Rise — Indian Talk — "Medicine" — The Hermit of the 
 Black Hills — Mandans leave for their Old Village — Wolf 
 Hunt — Crows Arrive — Their Thieving Propensities — Our 
 Horses lost — Crows depart for the Wind River Moun- 
 tains, .320 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 330 
 
 An Indian Musician — Trip to the Rees — Chased by a War- 
 Party — Close Quarters — A Ride for Life — Indian Strat- 
 egy, 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 False Alarms — "The Steamboat" — Annual Carnival — Quiet 
 
 Once More — Father De Smet, 337 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 Winter- Quarters — No Traders in Camp — A Friend in Need — 
 Serious DiflBculty with the Riccarees — Almost a Mas- 
 sacre — Homoeopathy vs. Strychnine — Bad Influence of 
 an Unprincipled White Man, 344 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 Off for the "Mountains" — The Border — Condition of Af- 
 fairs — Indian Troubles — Murder of Friendly Indians — 
 Deserted Village — Old Memories — Among the Gros Ven- 
 tres — Old Friends — Horses Stolen by the Sioux, . . 354 
 
CONTENTS. XV 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Trouble Ahead — The Steamboats Attacked by Sioux — Strange 
 Proceedings — Deck-Hands Massacred — Burial — Avenged — 
 Old Fort William — Fort Union, 363 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 Fort Union as it was — Scenery — A Social Circle — Danger- 
 ous Hunting-Grounds — Grizzly Bears — Indians Around — 
 Horses Stolen — In a Bad Predicament — Afoot! . . 870 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 Caught Napping — The Fort Surprised — Narrow Escape — 
 Gros Ventres of the Prairie — Annuities Demanded — In- 
 dian Agents — Obtain Horses — Leave the Indian Coun- 
 try — Arrive at the Gold Mines of Montana, . . . 379 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 Mining Camps — "Road Agents"— A Convivial Gathering — 
 Innocent Pastimes — The Climax — The Vigilance Com- 
 mittee — The Finale — Prosperous Times — Salt Lake 
 City, 388 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX 
 
 The Mormons — Brigham Young — A Profitable Religion — • 
 The Salt Lake House — Getting over a Difficulty — The 
 Gentile Club — Evidences of Increasing Prosperity, . . 395 
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 Appearance of Salt Lake City -^Commercial Advantages — 
 Mormon Poetry — Grand Temple — Mormon Sermons — 
 Brigham Young — Geo. A. Smith — Heber C. Kimball — 
 A Specimen of Mormon Preaching, ..... 399 
 
Xvi CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XLI. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The "Presidency" on their Travels — The Prophet's Barber — 
 An Evening with Presidents Young and Kimball — Future 
 of Mormonism — "What the Mormons have done — They 
 are entitled to Great Praise — Overland Stage — Drivers 
 and Attaches — Comforts of "Home Stations"— Driving 
 Mules — Chain Whips — Mustang Horses — Wonderful En- 
 durance of a Colt, . .404 
 
 CHAPTER XLII. 
 
 Past and Present — Changes — Palmy Days of Alder-Gulch — 
 Fort Benton — Fort Union — Among the Gros Ventres once 
 More — Sad Changes — Farewell to the Indian Country — 
 Down the River — Glimpses of Civilization — Arrival at 
 Saint Louis — End of my Wanderings, . . . .411 
 
 CHAPTER XLIII. 
 The Indian Question, 418 
 
AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE GREAT WEST — FUR TRADE — NAVIGATION OF THE MIS- 
 SOURI — THE FIRST STEAMBOAT. 
 
 AT no period in its history has the Great West at- 
 tracted such universal interest as the present. 
 From the discoveiy of gold on the Pacific coast to 
 the magnificent enterprises which are now being 
 inaugurated, the changes have succeeded each other 
 with wonderful rapidity. The daring of the Pio- 
 neers who first explored the fastnesses of the Rocky 
 Mountains, the toilsome emigration to Oregon and 
 California, the constantly increasing commerce of 
 the plains, the telegraph, the daily mail stage, and 
 now, last and greatest, the Pacific Railroad; — all 
 these changes in an ordinary lifetime ! 
 
 Of the various great fur companies that formerly 
 thrived and flourished, with their wild array of re- 
 tainers, the Hudson's P)ay alone remains, and is 
 2* B (17) 
 
18 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 every year becoming more and more circumscribed 
 in its sphere of action. It is also the oldest, having 
 been chartered in 1670 by Charles the Second, and 
 granted almost unlimited powers. The Northwest 
 Company, established in 1783, was for a time a most 
 formidable rival. !N^ext came the Mackinaw Com- 
 pany, who claimed the trade of the country watered 
 by the Mississippi and its tributary streams; the 
 E-ocky Mountain Fur Company in 1808, with its 
 headquarters at St. Louis ; and the American Fur 
 Company in 1809, under the auspices of John 
 Jacob Astor. 
 
 Besides these, there were minor associations and 
 numerous individual traders. 
 
 St. Louis, formerly a frontier village, inhabited 
 principally by French Creoles, and a general ren- 
 dezvous for traders and trappers, whence they started 
 on their long and perilous journeys, is now the lead- 
 ing city in the Mississippi Valley. The Mackinaw 
 boat has given place to the steamboat ; the cordelle, 
 or towing-line, has been superseded by the steam- 
 engine. 
 
 There are yet voyageurs living who have been on 
 the cordelle from Independence, Missouri, to Fort 
 Benton, a distance of nearly three thousand miles. 
 The most incessant and persevering toil was neces- 
 sary to stem the turbulent current, and the hardy 
 
THE FIRST STEAMBOAT. 19 
 
 voyageurs never hesitated for a moment to plunge 
 into the water, reckless of heat or cold, when the 
 shifting channel made it necessary to cross from 
 point to point. In 1832 the American Fur Com- 
 pany ascended with a steamboat as high as Fort 
 Union, six miles above the mouth of the Yellow- 
 stone. This was the second grand link in the chain 
 of events. The cordelle was now reduced to seven 
 hundred miles, that being the distance between Fort 
 Union and the Blackfoot Post. For a number of 
 years the Fur Company's steamboat regularly made 
 its annual trip, and the subject of navigating the 
 upper river was as often talked of. 
 
 In 1850 the El Paso ascended without difficulty 
 as high as the ''Round Butte," a distance of perhaps 
 three hundred miles. In the summer of 1859 the 
 Fur Company sent up, in addition to their annual 
 steamer, a small stern-wheel boat, called the Chip- 
 pewa, drawing very little water, expressly to make 
 the attempt,* which was entirely successful ; and to 
 Mr. Charles P. Chouteau, of the American Fur Com- 
 pany, and Captain John B. La Barge, of the Chip- 
 pewa, belongs the credit of proving that the Mis- 
 souri Elver was navigable by steam to within a few 
 miles of the Great Falls. 
 
 The cordelle was a memory of the past ; a new 
 era in the history of the Great "West had been in- 
 
20 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 augurated, whose effects were not apparent, how- 
 ever, until several years later. 
 
 The American Fur Company (Upper Missouri 
 Outfit) held their sway for many years. During most 
 of the time they had more or less opposition, prin- 
 cipally from traders who had been at some time or 
 other in their employ. These traders were usually 
 well sustained by the Indians, who fully appreciated 
 the advantages to be gained from competition. In 
 1860 this competing interest was bought out by the 
 American Fur Company, with the expectation of 
 monopolizing the entire trade of the Missouri, as in 
 the early days. 
 
 In 1866 they retired from the field they had so 
 long occupied, and in which such striking changes 
 were going on. Up to 1864 the Fur Company's 
 steamers were the only ones that ascended the river. 
 In that year Montana became the grand centre of 
 attraction, and a number of steamboats went up, 
 under individual auspices, loaded with passengers 
 and freight. Each succeeding year this number 
 increased, until, in 1867, over forty steamboats 
 ascended the Missouri. 
 
 Military Posts have been established at various 
 points on the river; the Indian tribes are in a state 
 of anarchy, the quiet seclusion of the Indian country 
 is forever destroyed, and the reign of the fur trader 
 virtually at an end. 
 
CHANGES GOING ON. 21 
 
 When the toils and sufferings of the pioneer ex- 
 plorers of the Missouri River and the trackless wil- 
 derness are compared with the steady progress of 
 improvement, sometimes scarcely perceptible at first, 
 but increasing with giant strides as the years roll 
 round, who will not unhesitatingly admit that 
 
 " Westward the star of empire takes its way " ? 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 ST. LOUIS — SCENES AT STARTING — ARRIVAL AMONG THE 
 
 SIOUX COUNCIL MORE INDIANS — FORT PIERRE 
 
 STOPPED BY YANCTOHWAHS — VILLAGE OF THE RICCAREES. 
 
 ri^HE annual departure of tlie Fur Company's 
 JL steamboat from St. Louis, with supplies for the 
 various trading-posts on the Upper Missouri and its 
 tributaries, was an event that formerly excited great 
 interest. Crowds thronged the levee, watching the 
 bustle to and fro, and the last hurried preparations 
 for starting. Black volumes of smoke pour from 
 the tall chimneys, the waste steam escapes with a 
 hoarse roar, and a few preliminary turns of the 
 wheels add to the fast increasing excitement. Cu- 
 riosity-seekers crowd the cabin, peering into every 
 nook and corner, as if they expected to discover 
 some phantom of the wilderness, and listen eagerly 
 to the conversation between the members of the 
 Fur Company and their friends. 
 
 Here is the well-known Col. Ilobert Campbell, 
 himself a ''mountaineer" in the early days of the 
 Fur Trade; and although he has not taken an 
 
 (22) 
 
SCENES AT STARTING. 23 
 
 active part for many years, he still feels that inter- 
 est in seeing the Expedition off, which is natural to 
 any one who has shared in the perils and excite- 
 ment of frontier life. The Colonel is talking to 
 Indian Agent Vanghan and Malcolm Clark, the 
 latter a veteran of over twenty years' experience, 
 and thoroughly versed in all the wiles and mysteries 
 of Indian trading. Clark wears a blue blanket 
 capote, and displays a tobacco-sack of scarlet cloth 
 beautifully garnished with beads, the handiwork of 
 his Blackfoot wife. 
 
 At length the order is given in sharp, decided 
 tones, to '' clear the boat." The rush and confu- 
 sion are at their height ; farewells are heartily ex- 
 changed, and the deck-hands haul in the heavy 
 stages. On the hurricane-deck the Captain is call- 
 ing the roll of his voyageurs, who are singing, or 
 rather shouting, their Canadian boat-songs with 
 greater energy than music. Some few stragglers 
 hurry aboard at the last moment, fearful of beino- 
 left, carrying a "shooting-iron " in one hand, and a 
 mysterious black bottle in the other. Much amuse- 
 ment is created among the voyageurs by the frmt- 
 less attempts of a couple of landlords to find delin- 
 quent boarders who have been snugly hid away by 
 their comrades, and intend to remain so until under 
 weigh, leaving their too confiding hosts to mourn 
 over hopes departed. 
 
24 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 The last hawser is at length cast loose, and the 
 last plank drawn in, thereby compelling the luckless 
 Bonifaces to leap ashore, up to their knees in water, 
 to the delight and amusement of the lookers-on; 
 and, after slowly swinging out into the stream, on 
 the morning of May 23d, 1858, the good steamboat 
 Twilight^ Captain John Shaw, commenced her long 
 mountain trip. 
 
 The voyage up the river was unmarked by any 
 incident worthy of notice until we had passed be- 
 yond the confines of civilization and entered the 
 borders of the Sioux country, more than twelve 
 hundred miles above St. Louis. Here we met the 
 first large body of Indians, a band of Yanktons, who 
 were encamped, awaiting the arrival of their annui- 
 ties, which were on board of the Twilight, in charge 
 of the Agent, Col. Redfield. 
 
 This band of Yanktons had recently, through a 
 delegation sent to Washington, sold a portion of 
 their beautiful country, Dacotah, to the United 
 States, reserving a tract on which Government 
 bound itself to establish a farm and school for their 
 benefit. > 
 
 The white skin lodges scattered over the broad 
 green prairie, the horses feeding in all directions, 
 and the gay dresses of the Indians, on the river's 
 bank, formed a wild and picturesque scene. As we 
 
ARRIVE AMONG THE SIOUX. 25 
 
 neared the camp, firing salutes meanwhile from the 
 cannon on board, men, women, and children flocked 
 down to the water's edge to witness the landing of 
 the "Fire Canoe." 
 
 The squaws, however, ^nerally remained in the 
 background, although the young and pretty ones, 
 with their cheeks tinged with vermilion, w^ere, like 
 their sisters of a lighter hue, by no means averse to 
 displaying their charms, or displeased with the at- 
 tention, they excited. The old ones, on the con- 
 trary, their scant leathern dresses blackened and 
 greasy with age and dirt, remained completely in 
 the rear, scolding almost incessantly at the dogs and 
 children. 
 
 None of the squaws with this band would have 
 
 stood for types of that female beauty which has its 
 
 existence only in the imagination of the novelist; 
 
 some of the old ones, worn out by age and hard 
 
 work, were surely fit living representations of 
 
 Egyptian mummies. The boys and dogs ran about, 
 
 and, like boys and dogs everywhere else, contrived 
 
 to be constantly in the way. The urchins were 
 
 mostly naked, or at best wore a breechcloth only, 
 
 and carried small bows with blunt arrows. As 
 
 soon as the landing was efifected. Col. Redfield 
 
 stepped ashore, when the chiefs and principal men 
 
 hastened to grasp him by the handj uttering the 
 3 
 
26 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 universal salutation, '^How!" The cabin having 
 been previously arranged, by removing the tables 
 and placing a semicircle of chairs, the chiefs were 
 at once formally invited on board. The Council 
 made slow progress, like most Indian *' talks," 
 during which the pipe was industriously circulated. 
 The Agent, through his interpreter, addressed them 
 at length, urging them to " love their enemies " and 
 obey the wishes of their Great Father, the Presi- 
 dent; and this advice, though well meant, would 
 doubtless be more honored in the breach than the 
 observance. It was difficult to satisfy the Indians 
 about their presents, and they would not consent to 
 receive them until they had gone on shore and 
 counted the bales and boxes. Then, -finding that 
 the number agreed with what their Agent had told 
 them, they returned to continue the Council. 
 
 The cabin of the Tvrilight presented an unusual 
 appearance. The group of Indians comprised the 
 dignitaries of the band, dressed and painted after 
 their own wild fashion. A handsome pipe of red 
 stone, filled with "chash-hash-ash," or inner bark 
 of the red willow, passed from one to another almost 
 without interruption, and its fragrant odor pervaded 
 the entire apartment. During the council, a few 
 visitors were permitted 'to come on board; they 
 peered into every nook and corner, and nothing 
 
COUNCIL. 27 
 
 seemed to escape their prying glances. Those on 
 shore indulged freely in remarks upon the deliber- 
 ations of their chiefs; and among other pleasant 
 suggestions, one fellow coolly proposed a general 
 scalping of the whites ! Although this humane 
 project seemed to meet with universal favor, it was 
 deemed inexpedient for the present. At the close 
 of the council the Agent presented the two prin- 
 cipal chiefs with large silver medals, bearing the 
 likeness of their Great Father, President Buchanan, 
 saying, as he did so, " This is made of the real stufi'," 
 which information was doubtless highly gratifying 
 to two such profound judges of the purity of metals 
 in general, and silver in particular, as "He-who- 
 strikes-the-Rees " and the "Little Crow." After- 
 wards he presented the head chief (Strike-the-Rees) 
 with a spy-glass of inferior quality, and a box of 
 India-rubber balls ; the latter '^for his boys," said 
 the Agent, bouncing one. The expression on the 
 Indian's countenance, when he received these muni- 
 ficent gifts, was one of mingled amusement and 
 contempt. 
 
 The Council concluded with a feast, consisting of 
 "black medicine" (coffee) and hard bread. The 
 decks were then cleared, and the expedition once 
 more proceeded on its way. 
 
 The next excitement was caused, a few days later, 
 
28 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 by a party of twenty-five or thirty mounted Sioux, 
 on tlie Dacotah side, who ordered us to stop and 
 land. Their commands not being complied with, 
 they began firing, but without effect, as the distance 
 was too great. Another party now showed them- 
 selves on the ITebraska side, and as the boat kept 
 steadily on her way, they too fired, but with like 
 result. Our Dacotah friends, finding their efforts to 
 stop us unavailing, rode furiously off, with gleaming 
 weapons and fluttering pennons, forming a striking 
 picture as their outlines became sharply defined 
 against the clear, blue sky, while cresting the hills 
 in their wdld gallop. 
 
 A few miles farther on, where the channel ran 
 close in shore, a crackling of branches was heardj 
 and the Indians appeared on the bank, demanding 
 a talk with the Agent. Making a merit of neces- 
 sity, the boat landed, and Col. Eedfield, with Zephyr 
 his interpreter, went ashore. The Indians seemed 
 greatly excited by their chase after the boat, and 
 Medicine Cow, the chief, gave the Agent the com- 
 forting assurance that he would get (as the in- 
 terpreter expressed it) at Fort Pierre, where several 
 thousands of the different bands of the great Sioux 
 nation were encamped, impatiently awaiting their 
 annuities. After a present of tobacco and pro- 
 visions, the boat was permitted to move on. 
 
FORTPIERRE. 29 
 
 The Indians in this party were splendid-looking 
 men, well armed and equipped. 
 
 It was at the close of a beautiful day in June 
 when we laid up in sight of Fort Pierre, the first 
 trading-post on the river. All that night our ears 
 were greeted with the unaccustomed sound of the 
 wolves howling in every direction. Fort Pierre was 
 one of the largest posts in the Indian country, and 
 some years ago was the centre of a flourishing trade 
 with the Sioux, which has since greatly fallen oiF, 
 many of them trading on the Platte and at the posts 
 on the upper Missouri with the Eees and Gros Ven- 
 tres, having patched up a very convenient treaty 
 with their old enemies. The Indians here assem- 
 bled belonged principally to the Minnecongew, Two 
 Kettle, and Yanc-toh-wah bands of the Sioux. 
 Hundreds of lodges were pitched in the vicinity of 
 the fort, and bands of horses were feeding over the 
 prairie. 
 
 Some of the squaws, especiall}^ those belonging 
 to the Two Kettle band, were quite prepossessing in 
 their appearance. One in particular excited uni- 
 versal admiration : she wore a dress made from the 
 skin of the big-horn, tanned soft and white, and 
 lavishly embroidered with beads, and managed the 
 spirited American horse upon which she was 
 mounted with a dashing grace worthy of a Di 
 Vernon. 
 
 3* 
 
30 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 The presents for each band were placed in sepa- 
 rate piles ; and immediately upon the termination 
 of the council, most of the Indians hurried off to 
 their respective camps, whence they quickly re- 
 turned, leading horses harnessed to travees, and 
 upon these primitive vehicles the goods were speed- 
 ily dragged away to be distributed by the chiefs at 
 their leisure. These travees are of the simplest 
 possible construction, being merely two poles tied 
 together at one end and fastened to the pack-saddle, 
 the remaining ends being left to trail on either side. 
 A couple of stretchers are lashed behind the horse 
 at suitable distances, to which is secured a network 
 of raw hide, and it is then ready for use. A horse 
 will draw from two hundred and fifty to three hun- 
 dred pounds weight upon one of them, and the 
 lodge, household utensils, dried meat, children, and 
 puppies are usually transported in this way. Smaller 
 ones are made for the benefit of the dogs, who are 
 thus unwillingly compelled to make themselves 
 useful. 
 
 After leaving Fort Pierre no incident occurred 
 worthy of notice until the afternoon of the fourth 
 day, when several horsemen appeared on a high 
 bluff, close under which the boat would have to pass. 
 Warrior after warrior came dashing up at full speed, 
 until fifteen or twenty dark forms stood out against 
 the sky. 
 
STOPPED BY YANCTOHWAHS. 31 
 
 Preparations were made to land, seeing which, the 
 Indians turned their ponies loose, and remained quiet 
 and impassive. This was a portion of Big Head's 
 band of Yanc-toh-wahs ; the camp itself was out of 
 sight beyond a distant range of hills. A long, dark 
 line of warriors, riding abreast, emerged from an 
 intervening roll of the prairie, and with full pomp 
 and panoply advanced to meet us, headed by the 
 famous chieftain Big Head in person. All were 
 dressed in shirts of deerskin, profusely decorated 
 with scalp-locks, stained horsehair, and devices 
 worked in porcupine-quills and beads. War eagle- 
 feathers were fastened in their hair, and pennons of 
 scarlet cloth fluttered from the lances. They were 
 armed cap-a-pie with shields, bows and arrows, and 
 firearms, while the tomahawk and scalping-knife 
 were indispensable accompaniments. Some wore 
 necklaces formed of the claws of the grizzly bear, 
 highly prized as trophies and ornaments. Onward 
 they came, firing their guns into the air, with whoops 
 and yells, and finally halted about fifty yards from 
 where the Agent and his interpreter stood. Then 
 dismounting, they seated themselves in a line, hold- 
 ing their horses behind them by their lariats. Big 
 Head and his principal chiefs advancing, shook 
 hands haughtily with the Agent, and conducted 
 themselves in an insolent and overbearing manner. 
 
32 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 In reply to the question, why they had fired off their 
 guns as they approached, the chief said that when 
 they met friends on the prairie they met them with 
 empty guns. As they had carefully reloaded, the 
 only inference to be drawn from this remark was, 
 that they considered us in the light of possible foes. 
 "We all breathed more freely when the good Twi- 
 light was once more breasting the swift current of 
 the Missouri, and we had left Big Head and his 
 grim warriors far in our rear. 
 
 IN^one of the old mountaineers went ashore on this 
 occasion, but had their rifles ready for instant use, 
 well knowing the treacherous nature of this band. 
 Malcolm Clark remarked to me that we were very 
 fortunate in getting off without a difficulty, as they 
 were evidently ripe for mischief. 
 
 Early in the morning of the 19th of June we 
 arrived at the village of the Riccarees. Unlike the 
 Sioux, who are always roaming, the Rees have a 
 permanent settlement, which they occupy during the 
 spring and summer, moving away in the fall to some 
 well timbered point where there are good indica- 
 tions of game and abundance of grass for their 
 horses. Here, securely sheltered from the fierce 
 wintry winds, they devote themselves to the chase, 
 dressing furs, and drying meat to serve them when 
 hunting becomes dangerous and difficult from the 
 
VILLAGE OF THE RICCAREES. 33 
 
 breaking up of the rivers and the forays of their 
 enemies. They cultivate large fields of corn, and 
 also pumpkins and squashes, which agreeably vary 
 their diet of bufiklo-meat. These summer lodges 
 are large and covered with dirt, forming a great con- 
 trast to the white conical ones of the Sioux. 
 
 Both the trading-posts presented rather a dilapi- 
 dated appearance, owing to the great scarcity of 
 timber and the danger of sending their men to 
 secure a supply from a distance. Fort Clark, (so 
 named after the renowned explorer of the Missouri,) 
 the post of the American Fur Company, was built 
 on the lower side of the village ; and about three 
 hundred yards from it. Fort Primeau, the post of 
 the Opposition Company. This fort took its name 
 from Mr. Charles Primeau, one of the oldest and 
 best of the mountain traders. Both the forts, as 
 well as the village itself, were completely infested 
 with rats, to the discomfort and annoyance of all the 
 inhabitants, both white and red. These pests had 
 been an importation from one of the Company's 
 steamboats years before, and had multiplied to such 
 an alarming extent that the Indians, who at first 
 felt themselves particularly favored above their 
 n-eighbors by the acquisition, had abundant reason 
 to change their opinion. 
 
 The Piccarees were savage-looking Indians, and 
 
34 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 more sullen and insolent than any we had yet met. 
 The men had villanous countenances, which, in 
 many cases, were disfigured by the loss of an eye, 
 either from accident or disease. Sore and inflamed 
 eyes are very common among them, owing to their 
 filthy habits and smoky lodges. 
 
 Out on the prairie, beyond the village, were circles 
 of human skulls, with two medicine poles in the 
 centre of each, bearing propitiatory oflerings to the 
 Great Spirit. 
 
 The dead, dressed in their best garments, are laid 
 on scafifolds in the open air, and after they decay 
 and fall to pieces, the skulls are arranged in circles, 
 the bones collected and buried, and the mounds sur- 
 mounted with a bufifalo skull. 
 
 While strolling about with several of the party, 
 we heard shooting in the direction of the boat, and 
 rapidly retraced our steps. We found, upon reach- 
 ing the landing, that the Indians had attempted to 
 come on board in numbers, and upon being re- 
 pulsed, fired their guns into the air in token of their 
 anger, and sullenly retired to the village, where they 
 held an excited talk among themselves. The Agent 
 having some business at Fort Clark, was proceeding 
 thither, alone and unarmed, when a well-known 
 rascal — the White-faced Bear — ran up to him and 
 discharged his gun into the ground, close by his 
 
VILLAGE OF THE RICCAREES. 35 
 
 feet. The only notice taken of this outrage was an 
 involuntary jump, and the Agent continued his 
 walk without further molestation. 
 
 After a tedious delay the Council finally came off. 
 The chief White Parflesh was the principal speaker, 
 and for a long time refused, in the name of his tribe, 
 to take the annuities. The necessities of his people, 
 however, and the tempting display of presents, over- 
 came his scruples. The goods were soon put ashore, 
 and speedily transported by the Indians to their 
 village. 
 
 Quite an addition was here made to our party in 
 the shape of some eighteen Mandans, men, women, 
 and children, who were desirous of rejoining their 
 people at the Gros Ventres village, some sixty miles 
 higher up. 
 
 The various delays had consumed so much time 
 that it was noon before we were ready to continue 
 our voyage. 
 
 As the boat would have to pass close under the 
 high promontory upon which the village was built, 
 some apprehension was felt as to the probability of 
 our being attacked ; for an armed band of Riccarees 
 was gathered there. The pilot-house had been pro- 
 tected by heavy plankings before starting, but, hap- 
 pily, the precaution was unnecessary: the Tvnlight 
 swept majestically through the bend, and all thoughts 
 of danger passed away. 
 
CHAPTEE III. 
 
 OLD MANDAN VILLAGE — A SPECK OF WAR — MINNETAREES, 
 
 OR GROS VENTRES — SCENERY A HUNTING-CAMP MEET 
 
 WITH ASSINNIBOINES INDIAN AND SQUAW ON THEIR 
 
 BRIDAL TRIP — ELK SHOT TORTUOUS COURSE OF THE 
 
 MISSOURI — FORT WILLIAM — MOUTH OF THE YELLOW- 
 STONE FORT UNION — RETURN TO FORT ATKINSON. 
 
 NINE miles above the Eiccarees, at the mouth of 
 Little Knife Eiver, was a small village of Man- 
 dans. Most of the survivors of this nearly extinct 
 tribe live with the Eees and Gros Ventres, but a few 
 families still remained here to cultivate their old corn- 
 fields, which, from present appearances, promised 
 an abundant yield. 
 
 At sundown, when we stopped to cut wood as 
 usual, our Indians went out to look for game, but 
 hastily returned, saying that they had discovered 
 Sioux on horseback. This intelligence caused con- 
 siderable alarm among them, and the whole party 
 ascended to the hurricane deck, and were soon in 
 battle-array. I was greatly amused at watching one 
 of the Indians load his fusee. After a double hand- 
 
 (36) 
 
MINNETAREES. 37 
 
 ful of powder, he put in nine half-ounce balls, one 
 upon another, with a large wad of red flannel be- 
 tween each. The gun was literally loaded halfway 
 up to the muzzle, and it seemed to me as if the 
 safest place when fired off would have been directly 
 in front. While the warriors kept watch on deck, 
 the squaws voluntarily assisted the voyageurs in 
 carrying heavy logs of wood on board, which had 
 been previously chopped down and cut into con- 
 venient lengths for transportation. 
 
 The following morning witnessed our arrival at 
 the village of the Minnetarees, or, as they are com- 
 monly called, but without the slightest reason, Gros 
 Ventres. 
 
 The lodges were precisely like those of the Eees, 
 and the village was similarly built upon a command- 
 ing bluff, surrounded by a fine expanse of prairie, 
 while the windings of the river could be traced for 
 many miles. One side of the village was protected 
 by the swift current of the Missouri, and the re- 
 mainder by pickets, which made it perfectly secure 
 against attack. 
 
 Fort Atkinson, on the lower side, and Fort 
 Berthold, on the upper, were the rival trading es- 
 tablishments. As it was at the former of these that 
 I made my home for several years, a full description 
 will be reserved for another chapter. 
 
38 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 We found but very few Indians here ; in fact, 
 scarcely any but the old people and children, the 
 rest being away hunting, under the lead of IToc-pitts- 
 ee-toh-pish, or Four-Bears, their principal chief. To 
 land the supplies, and give Col. Redfield an oppor- 
 tunity to hold the inevitable Council with his " red 
 children," detained us several hours, but by after- 
 noon we were again en route, and about dusk passed 
 the mouth of the Little Missouri, at this season a 
 stream of considerable magnitude. The next day 
 we entered upon the Grand Detour, or Big Bend of 
 the Missouri. This bend is nearly seventy miles 
 around, and not more than eighteen across at the 
 narrowest part ; it commences at Shell Creek and 
 terminates at Knife River. Buffalo are usually 
 found in great numbers in this region ; but as the 
 "running" season had not yet commenced, none 
 of the vast herds were on the river, and up to this 
 time we had only seen a few bulls. The scenery 
 from this point grows bolder and more imposing; 
 ranges of towering clay bluff's of the most fantastic 
 shapes, often resembling gigantic ruins, meet the 
 eye. All colors are here depicted, from the darkest 
 blue to a bright vermilion ; and when the rays of the 
 sun light up their walls and towers, the effect is pic- 
 turesque in the extreme, reminding one of castles 
 in the old world. Many of these bluffs are hun- 
 
ADUSKYBRIDE. 39 
 
 dreds of feet high, and so steep as to be inaccessible 
 save to the big-horn or Eocky Mountain goat. 
 
 About the middle of the bend we met the hunt- 
 ing-band of Gros Ventres, who had not found any 
 buffalo yet, and were in a starving condition, their 
 main subsistence being upon roots and berries. 
 
 The same evening we stopped a few minutes with 
 a party of Assinniboines; their village of a hun- 
 dred and fifty lodges was encamped close at hand. 
 They were on their way to the Yellowstone to meet 
 the rest of the nation and, receive their annuities. 
 
 These Assinniboines seemed to be very poor, 
 having but few horses, and depending almost 
 entirely upon their dogs, which were very numerous, 
 as their beasts of burden. Of course we had to stop 
 with them a short time, after which we continued 
 on, and, as it was a bright clear night, kept running 
 until the moon went down. We gained here an 
 accession to our party in the persons of an Indian 
 and his squaw, evidently on their bridal trip, and 
 most devoted in their attentions to each other, to the 
 great amusement of the spectators. 
 
 The following morning a gang of elk was discov- 
 ered crossing the river ahead of the boat, but before 
 we neared them they had disappeared in the forest, 
 with the exception of a doe, which came trotting 
 along utterly regardless of our proximity. The 
 
40 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 cause of her apparent boldness was soon explained 
 by the fact that a fawn was seen swimming rapidly 
 down stream, unable to climb the steep bank with 
 the rest, and its mother was keeping up with it and 
 guiding it until they should come to a place low 
 enough for it to scramble out. The boat's course 
 was altered so as to bring her close in shore, and our 
 Indian, fitting an arrow to his bow, crouched down 
 on the guards watching his opportunity. The elk, 
 in its anxiety for its young one, had lost its usual 
 timidity, and, instead of fleeing to the forest, came 
 hesitatingly within a few 3'ards of us. The Indian's 
 shaft now struck it deep in the shoulder, too far 
 back, however, to take immediate effect, and the 
 stricken animal, giving two or three convulsive 
 bounds, dashed through the underbrush and was 
 lost to view. The yawl, in the meantime, had been 
 sent in pursuit of the fawn, and shortly returning 
 with the little captive, comfortable quarters were 
 provided for it on board. After this exciting little 
 incident, a band of buffalo, the first we had seen on 
 the trip, was discovered, barely distinguishable in 
 the dim distance. 
 
 Our Indian, who rejoiced in the title of the Son 
 of the Pipe, was unremitting in his attentions to his 
 little squaw, and never was lover more devoted to 
 his fair mistress than was this dusky warrior to his 
 
SPLBNDIDSCENE. 41 
 
 prairie bird. Their favorite haunt was in the shade 
 of the pilot's house ; here they enjoyed themselves 
 to their heart's content, and derived inexhaustible 
 amusement from painting their swarthy counten- 
 ances with vermilion in all the variations their vivid 
 imaginations could devise. After one coat of paint 
 had been laid on, they would mutually admire each 
 other; then, upon due deliberation, would rub it off 
 and try another fashion. 
 
 A delightfully refreshing shower at the close of 
 the hot and sultry day drove the lovers from their 
 trysting-place, and soon after the boat stopped to 
 
 wood 
 
 Could a painter have transferred that scene to 
 canvas, he would have made a glorious picture. 
 The storm had passed over behind the forest, the 
 heavy clouds formed a background, as if a sable cur- 
 tain had been drawn across, while the golden beams 
 of the setting sun threw into strong relief the figures 
 of the men cutting down trees, forming a magnifi- 
 cent contrast of light and shade. 
 
 We were now on the confines of the Assinniboine 
 country, and our expectations of meeting some of 
 that nation were soon realized. A party of five 
 Indians was discovered scrambling over the bluffs, 
 evidently with the intention of intercepting the 
 boat. When taken on board they proved to be 
 4* 
 
42 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Assinniboines on the war-path against the Oncpa- 
 pahs ; each one carried a bundle of dry meat slung 
 on his back, so as to obviate the dangerous necessity 
 of hunting in an enemy's country. All were armed 
 with fusees and bows and arrows, and carried, in 
 addition, lariats to bring back the horses they 
 expected to steal. 
 
 The Missouri had now become very narrow and 
 remarkably crooked, curving repeatedly upon itself; 
 but the channel was better and more easily navi- 
 gated than in the lower river. In the afternoon we 
 came in sight of Fort William, three miles below 
 the mouth of the Yellowstone, where we landed. 
 Many Assinniboines were encamped around the fort, 
 awaiting their annuities. "While discharging the 
 supplies for this post, it was determined by Major 
 Clark, the principal Bourgeois of the company, to 
 abandon it and establish a new one some eighty 
 miles up the river. 'No sooner said than done. All 
 the materiel of the fort was in an incredibly short 
 time shipped aboard the Twilight, leaving the robes 
 and peltries to be taken on the return voyage. 
 
 For several years past the country around the 
 Yellowstone had been completely overrun by strong 
 war parties of Sioux, bound against the Crows and 
 Assinniboines, who, if they fell in with white men, 
 did not hesitate to rob and often kill. So daring 
 
FORTUNION. 43 
 
 had they become of late that it was almost impos- 
 sible for the hunters to go out after game; the 
 horses were run off in broad daylight under the very 
 guns of the fort, a-nd during certain seasons of the 
 year the most untiring vigilance was necessary to 
 avoid surprise. In consequence, the Assinniboines 
 were afraid to come down to trade, and, under these 
 circumstances, the removal of Fort William to the 
 heart of their hunting-grounds could hardly fail to 
 be advantageous in every point of view. 
 
 Everything having been received on board, we left 
 for Fort Union, the post of the American Fur Com- 
 pany, distant by water nine miles, though by land 
 only three. On the way we passed the mouth of the 
 far-famed Yellowstone, the largest tributary of the 
 Missouri River, and whose waters flow through the 
 finest hunting-grounds of the "West. We remained 
 at Fort Union all night to land Col. Redfield and 
 the Government annuities. The fort presented a 
 very imposing appearance, and being one of the 
 oldest of the American Fur Company's posts, was 
 admirably equipped in every respect. From here 
 were annually dispatched the outfits for the Crow 
 Lidians on the Yellowstone, and the Blackfeet on 
 the head waters of the Missouri. Captain James 
 Kipp, the Bourgeois in charge, welcomed us with 
 true mountain hospitality. We remained there all 
 
44 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 night, and by the next evening had arrived at tlie 
 proposed site for the new fort and the terminus of 
 our voyage, more than twenty-three hundred miles 
 from St. Louis. 
 
 Very beautiful, in its primeval solitude, was the 
 spot whose tranquillity was soon to be rudely broken 
 by the echoing axe of the woodsman, the rifle of 
 the mountaineer, and the varied bustle of the trading- 
 post. The startled deer sped away over the hills, 
 the antelope halted afar off, and the gaunt gray wolf 
 sneaked from the presence of man. Timber was 
 abundant and close at hand, the Missouri's waters 
 rolled at our feet, and the grassy prairies were liter- 
 ally stocked with game. With all these natural 
 advantages, and the greatly diminished danger of 
 incursions from the Sioux, the new post seemed 
 established under the most favorable auspices. 
 
 By early dawn the work of discharging freight 
 was commenced ; the goods were piled into a " bag- 
 gage " and covered with tarpaulins to protect them 
 from the weather until suitable storehouses could be 
 erected. Besides these, Mackinaw boats must also 
 be built to carry the outfit intended for Fort Camp- 
 bell, the Blackfoot post, a distance by water of not 
 less than seven hundred miles. 
 
 These boats have to be cordelled, or drawn by 
 men the entire distance, and the toils and difficulties 
 
DESCEND THE RIVER. 45 
 
 of the undertaking can only be appreciated by those 
 who have experienced them. The men chiefly em- 
 ployed by the Fur Companies were French Cana- 
 dians — tough, hardy fellows, who assimilate readily 
 to the mode of life they are compelled to adopt in 
 the Indian country. Several of the mountaineers 
 who had come up from Fort "William had brought 
 their squaws and families along. These at once pro- 
 ceeded to pitch their lodges, camp-fires were kin- 
 dled, and a new home in the wilderness, with its 
 few simple comforts, soon established. 
 
 By dint of hard work, all the freight was dis- 
 charged by noon, and the steamboat was ready to 
 commence her homeward voyage. The voyageurs 
 drank a parting health with each other, and the Twi- 
 light slowly swung out into the stream amid the 
 cheers of those on shore, which were answered by 
 her cannon. A bend of the river soon hid from our 
 view the friends we had left behind, standing on the 
 green prairie's edge to take their last look at us. 
 [N'early twelve moons would wax and wane before 
 they would be greeted by the arrival of another 
 steamboat, and in that time what changes might not 
 occur, subjected as they would be to the crafty hos- 
 tility of the Indian, and the numberless perils of 
 mountain life. 
 
 Swiftly down stream sped the good Twilight, 
 
46 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 past headland and prairie, until, as the setting sun 
 was casting its lengthening rays on the whitewashed 
 bastions of Fort Union, she rounded to under the 
 bluff'. A short stay and we were off" again, passing 
 the mouth of the Yellowstone to Fort William, 
 where a huge beacon-fire was blazing on the bank, 
 surrounded by a group of wild-looking mountain- 
 eers, eagerly awaiting our return. Morning at 
 length dawned upon the dismantled fort, where but 
 a short time before all had been life and animation. 
 It now had a deserted and forlorn appearance, and 
 in a little while the crumbling adobe walls would be 
 all that remained of what had once been a bustling 
 post. We took on board the proceeds of the last 
 year's trade, consisting of over a thousand packs of 
 robes and peltries, and with a farewell salute, our 
 prow was again turned toward the *' settlements." 
 
 While passing through the Big Bend we ran into 
 a small band of buffalo crossing the river, and Cap- 
 tain Shaw, going out in his yawl, succeeded in kill- 
 ing three, which were towed alongside and hoisted 
 on board to be butchered. The following afternoon 
 we came in sight of the dirt-covered lodges of the 
 Minnetarees, and soon after the Twilight landed in 
 the eddy below the village. The robes and peltries 
 in Fort Atkinson were shipped aboard, and after my 
 personal baggage had been carried on shore, I bade 
 
ARRIVEATMYPOST. 47 
 
 farewell to my late associates and walked up to the 
 fort in company with my friend McBride. Before 
 entering the stockade I looked back in time to catch 
 a parting glimpse of the tall chimneys of the Twi- 
 light disappearing behind the forest that skirted the 
 southern bend of the river, and realized for the first 
 time how completely I was isolated from civilization 
 and thrown upon my own resources. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 EVERY-DAY LIFE IN THE INDIAN COUNTRY — SUPPER — 
 
 SLEEPING — "VOICES OF THE NIGHT " MORNING IN THE 
 
 INDIAN CAMP — GROS VENTRE CELEBRITIES — AN INDIAN 
 POLITICIAN. 
 
 AT length I had arrived at my destination in the 
 Indian country. For years it had been a cher- 
 ished project to penetrate the heart of the wilder- 
 ness and see the Indians as they really were ; those 
 too far beyond the pale of civilization to have felt 
 the corrupting influences of its overflow. As the 
 steamboat that had brought me here rapidly pursued 
 her course down stream, I realized my complete 
 separation from all former associations, placed as I 
 now was among new and strange scenes, and depen- 
 dent upon the uncertain friendship of wild and often 
 treacherous savages. Still it was my own free choice 
 to dwell among them, and, as my baggage was carted 
 up to the fort, the novelty of the situation and spec- 
 ulation as to what would come next gave me no 
 time to feel lonely. A crowd of Indians, chiefly 
 women, followed, darkening the doors and windows, 
 
 (48) 
 
SUPPER — SLEEPING. 49 
 
 and peering into the room, eager, with the usual 
 curiosity of their sex, to behold the " itch-u-manny " 
 or new arrival, and exchanging comments, highly 
 amusing, doubtless, judging from the boisterous 
 mirth they elicited, but, happily, totally unintelli- 
 gible to the object thereof. 
 
 As evening approached, the gates of the fort were 
 closed and barred to keep out intruders, and supper 
 being announced, we proceeded to the kitchen, or 
 mess-room, where it w^as served. The appearance 
 of the edibles, it must be confessed, was anything 
 but inviting ; but stimulated by a keen appetite, I 
 fell to and ate heartily. The meal consisted of 
 bacon, coffee, and bread. Bourgeois McBride apol- 
 ogized for the absence of fresh buffalo-meat, for the 
 reason that the Indians, having been much harassed 
 lately by war-parties of the Sioux, were afraid to go 
 any distance to hunt. The repast was, however, 
 greatly enjoyed by the long-haired, wild-looking set 
 that graced the board, all of whom had been on 
 short allowance for several weeks preceding the 
 arrival of the steamboat. 
 
 !N^ight coming on, arrangements were made for my 
 sleeping. A rough bunk of cottonwood plank was 
 hastily knocked together, and half a dozen buffalo- 
 robes made a comfortable bed. Before "turning 
 in," McBride's squaw cooked some dried buffalo 
 
 6 D 
 
50 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 meat and pomme hlanche^ which I found, with my 
 improved appetite, very palatable. I was tired 
 enough to wish for a good night's rest ; the hope 
 was vain. The robes composing my bedding were 
 old, having been well worn by their previous owners 
 the Indians, and, as a matter of course, were thickly 
 populated by those minute specimens of animated 
 nature with which savages are so bountifully pro- 
 vided. The active little creatures kept up their 
 attacks most vigorously, and in such numbers, that, 
 after vainly battling with them for several hours, I 
 was fain to give up the unequal contest and retreat 
 to the floor, where I spread my blankets and hoped 
 to snatch a little sleep. But very soon my torment- 
 ors discovered my new location and renewed their 
 assaults, until completely worn out and irritated, I 
 began to think that the romance of Indian life was 
 one thing but its reality another. However, after a 
 few weeks I became in a measure invulnerable to 
 these pests, and paid but little attention to them, 
 regarding them in the light of an unavoidable nui- 
 sance. Finding sleep impossible under these cir- 
 cumstances, I went out into the area of the fort, and 
 climbing to the roof of one of the houses, contem- 
 plated the unaccustomed scene. The surrounding 
 prairies were wrapt in uncertain darkness, and not a 
 sound escaped from the Indian village close by. 
 
"voices of the night." 51 
 
 The morning-star shone brightly, high in the hea- 
 vens, and I felt the freshness of approaching dawn. 
 Soon a faint reddish streak became visible in the 
 east, brightening even as the eye gazed upon it, and 
 long rays of light shot upwards. Hazy and indis- 
 tinct the outlines of the village appeared, and gleams 
 of rosy light illumined the prairies, bringing into 
 strong relief the scaffolds supporting the bodies of 
 those now sleeping their everlasting sleep. The 
 mournful howl of a dog, mounted on the top of one 
 of the lodges, breaks the almost deathlike stillness. 
 The notes are instantly caught up by others, and 
 directly every cur in the village is taking his part 
 with commendable energy. Commencing soft and 
 low, the noise grows louder and deeper until it 
 finally dies away in a prolonged wail ; modulated by 
 distance, the sound is not unmusical. 
 
 This canine matinee rouses up the sleepers ; a stir is 
 evident in the village, and soon the curling smoke 
 from the lodges floats in the morning air. The 
 squaws, old and young, follow^ed by the usual retinue 
 of dogs, hasten down to the river to fill their kettles, 
 while the warriors from the tops of the lodges anx- 
 iously scan the prairies to discover " signs " of ene- 
 mies. Everything appearing quiet, the horses are 
 driven forth, each band guarded by a young brave, 
 who takes them where the best pasture is to be found, 
 
52 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 and brings them back at sundown. As the horses 
 in the course of the day often stray to a distance of 
 -^ve or six miles from the village, the guards act also 
 as scouts, and ranging over the surrounding hills, 
 serve not only to discover game, [i. e. buffalo,) but 
 also the approach of a war party. Timely alarm can 
 thus be given, and the horses hurried in, while the 
 warriors prepare for battle. As horses constitute 
 the principal wealth of an Indian, and are the chief 
 incentives to depredations by one tribe upon another, 
 the untiring vigilance used in guarding them is an 
 imperative necessity. An Indian without horses is 
 reduced to a pitiful strait indeed : crippled in hunt- 
 ing, and unable often to carry home the meat he may 
 kill, or to move his family when the camp travels. 
 
 When thus situated, he will usually act as hunter 
 for some relative rich in horses, who by giving him 
 a few robes now and then, in payment as it were for 
 his services, affords him an opportunity of regaining 
 his former position. Horseflesh is uncertain prop- 
 erty in any part of the world, and nowhere more 
 so than in the Indian country. A fine horse is an 
 overpowering temptation to a redskin, and if the 
 possessor of one to-day, to-morrow may find him 
 many miles away, having changed owners quite 
 unceremoniously. 
 
 The idlers, the gentlemen of the village, having 
 
OUR INDIAN "SOLDIER." 53 
 
 taken their morning bath in the river and made their 
 toilets, which at this season seemed to consist simply 
 in readjusting the breechcloth, wend their way to 
 the fort, loitering around and peering into the dif- 
 ferent houses, in hopes of being asked to '' eat," an 
 invitation which they never consider amiss, and 
 always cheerfully accept. Conspicuous in the van 
 is old Mi-rantah-nour-eesh, or Raising-Heart, a tall 
 war-worn veteran, bearing in the scars with which 
 he is covered the traces of many a hard-fought 
 battle, besides being lamed and badly crippled in his 
 hands. He is our " soldier," chosen on account of 
 his friendly feelings towards the traders, and his 
 influence and ability to protect them from the many 
 annoyances to which they are often subjected. He 
 is, of course, a regular habitue, and is dressed and 
 fed at the expense of the post. But although .of a 
 pleasant and smiling disposition, any injury done to 
 the property or persons of the whites under his care 
 is instantly resented. More than once have I seen 
 him punish a young buck by striking him with the 
 flat side of his tomahawk, as a gentle reminder that 
 he cannot play the same pranks in the " white men's 
 lodge" that he can in his own village, while the 
 Raising-Heart is their soldier. The old man was 
 not a chief, although his many dashing exploits 
 when he trod the war-path richly entitled him to 
 
 5* 
 
54 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 that distinction. He preferred to keep a large band 
 of fine horses, " make plenty of robes," and provide 
 well for his family, instead of giving away nearly 
 everything he possessed, although he would thereby 
 gain the much-coveted distinction of being a " big 
 man," which distinction is too often acquired at the 
 sacrifice of wealth and comfort, compelling the 
 family to live in a straitened way, and in a great 
 measure shift for themselves. But the Eaising- 
 Heart, though not a chief, was very rich, and had 
 an extensive circle of influential relatives, who, 
 according to Indian custom, were obliged to make 
 common cause in protecting one another, and in 
 taking up any quarrel which concerned one of their 
 number. Without a "soldier" it would be almost 
 impossible to conduct trade or to transact business 
 in this country. 
 
 All the wild Indian tribes look upon the whites 
 as an inferior race, pretty much in the same 
 light that we formerly regarded plantation negroes. 
 They have the idea that the earth is one vast 
 plain resting upon four huge turtles, and that the 
 "whites" occupy a very small corner of it, while 
 the rest is the exclusive and illimitable domain of 
 the Indians. One might talk to them for hours on 
 this subject without being able to convince them one 
 iota to the contrary ; but would infallibly gain for 
 
IDEAS ABOUT THE WHITES. 65 
 
 himself the reputation of being an unmitigated liar 
 if he persisted in asserting that the whites were as 
 numerous as the leaves in the forest, and cunning 
 and skilful beyond all expression. The poorest 
 vagabond of a redskin that roams over the prairies, 
 with little else than a breechcloth to hide his naked- 
 ness, thinks himself infinitely richer and better in 
 every respect than his "Great Father" the Presi^ 
 dent of the United States, supposing him to have 
 some definite idea of such a personage. The Indians 
 look upon all Americans, or "Long-Knives," as a 
 nation of traders, who get their goods from " a cun- 
 ning people beyond the big water ; " and entertain- 
 ing such a coutemptuous opinion of them, it follows 
 naturally that they will take every opportunity of 
 showing by petty annoyances their much-vaunted 
 superiority. The knowledge that an influential 
 man, with a host of relatives, is " soldier '' for the 
 whites, renders the young bucks disposed to conduct 
 themselves usually in an orderly and quiet manner, 
 being well aware that any imbroglio that might 
 arise from misconduct on their part, would end in 
 Indian beijg arrayed against Indian, and not the 
 whole tribe against a handful of whites. Thus it 
 will be seen how the prosperity and success of a 
 trading-post is dependent upon the efficient and con- 
 ciliatory measures of the Bourgeois or commander, 
 
56 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 and the friendship and support of a powerful interest 
 in the tribe. 
 
 Another of our regular visitors Avas ]N'oc-pitts-ee- 
 topish, or Four-Bears, one of the shrewdest men, all 
 things considered, that I have ever encountered. 
 Had he been a white man, he would have made a 
 consummate politician, for while keeping in good 
 favor with both the rival companies, he never failed 
 to enrich himself greatly by so doing. Four-Bears 
 was a tall, noble-looking man, with long black hair 
 trailing nearly to the ground, an ornamental append- 
 age valued almost beyond price. He was usually 
 accompanied in his visits by his favorite son, a hope- 
 ful boy of seven summers, who had, when only four 
 years old, shot his mother with a gun, killing her 
 instantly. This exploit was regarded as an evidence 
 of indomitable spirit in the youth, who, it was 
 expected, when old enough, would greatly distin- 
 guish himself on the war-path. The chief invariably 
 entered the Bourgeois' house with a bland smile 
 upon his countenance, and seating himself upon a 
 chair, proceeded to retail the news of the day: how 
 badly his people talked against their traders, and 
 how disinterestedl}^ he took the part of the latter, 
 and pointed out to his young men that the traders 
 were not only a convenience to them, but in reality 
 a necessity. They were dependent upon them for 
 
AN INDIAN POLITICIAN. 67 
 
 gUDS and ammunition to hunt with, and to defend 
 themselves against their many enemies; for blan- 
 kets and scarlet cloth to dress their women and 
 children ; and reminded them of the trouble the 
 women had in the olden time to boil a piece of meat. 
 Unsupplied then with camp-kettles, they were 
 obliged to dig a hole in the ground, and after lining 
 it with a raw skin, throw in heated stones to make 
 the water boil. 
 
 Having thus succeeded, as he says, in convincing 
 his young men, he expatiates at length upon the 
 great advantages derived by the tribe from having 
 two trading-houses, and the necessity of dividing 
 their patronage between them for the support of 
 both. He takes occasion carelessly to remark, that 
 from his position as head-chief, any acknowledged 
 leaning to one side or the other would exert an 
 undue influence over his people ; yet in his heart he 
 favored the Opposition Company, because they had 
 not been so long established, and their presence pre- 
 vented the American Fur Company from charging 
 the exorbitant prices that prevailed before there was 
 competition. After talking in this strain, a cup of 
 coffee is given him, to get which has been the prin- 
 cipal object of his visit. Then wrapping himself in 
 his handsome buffalo-robe, on which were painted 
 the head-dresses of war-eagle feathers he had given 
 
68 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 away in the course of his life, the chief stalks over 
 to Fort Berthold, there to repeat his remarks with 
 modifications to suit the change of locality. He 
 expresses his great attachment to the American Fur 
 Company because of its long establishment in the 
 country, and its ability to reciprocate substantially 
 any influence which he, the Four-Bears, might exert 
 in its behalf. Thus both "-whites*' are assured to 
 his own satisfaction of his disinterested friendship, 
 and the chief returns to his lodge to gather a circle 
 of his political cronies around him. Here the social 
 pipe passes from hand to hand, and the conversation 
 turning on public affairs, they discuss the expediency 
 of inducing the traders, if possible, without pushing 
 them too hard, to pay higher prices for their robes 
 and peltries. After his horses were brought up for 
 the night, he would pay us another visit, incidentally 
 remarking that the cup of coffee given him at Fort 
 Berthold in the morning was sweeter and stronger, 
 and the biscuit larger than those he received from 
 us, expecting us, of course, to improve upon the 
 hint. If not too late, he usually wended his way to 
 Fort Berthold to try his diplomacy there again. 
 
 The heat gradually grows more intense, and the 
 bright July sun beats down from a cloudless sky 
 with an almost tropical fervor. The Indian idlers 
 
NOONTIDE. 59 
 
 have all disappeared, and stillness reigns supreme 
 where a short time since resounded the stir and hum 
 of busy life. The very -dogs are quietly sleeping in 
 the shade of the lodges. On the prairie not one of 
 the many hundreds of horses that were driven forth 
 at the break of day can now be seen; they have 
 wandered off to shady dells where the grass is always 
 fresh, watered by never-failing springs. The parched 
 and smoking prairie fairly radiates under the intense 
 heat of the noonday sun, and the deathlike silence 
 that reigns is broken only by the sound of the rush- 
 ing waters of the Missouri. 
 
CHAPTER Y 
 
 EVENING — SPORTS AND PASTIMES — A PRACTICAL JOKE — 
 AN INDIAN WARRIOR — INDIAN DANDIES NOVEL EQUI- 
 TATION HORSE-RACE DOGS BEWAILING THE DEAD 
 
 A LOVE DITTY SPLENDOR OP A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHT. 
 
 WHE!N" the noontide heat is over, the village 
 rouses into full activity, and the idlers resume 
 their seats and pass their accustomed criticisms. 
 ]N"othing escapes their notice^, and many and hearty 
 are the laughs they enjoy at the expense of some 
 ""wah-see-chu " or "little Frenchman." 
 
 Sundown approaches and the day's work is over. 
 In the eddy at the base of the bluff quite a number 
 of Indians of both sexes and all ages are indulging 
 in an evening swim, and a variety of aquatic sports 
 extremely amusing to the lookers-on, if their hilari- 
 ous mirth be any evidence. Crowds gather on the 
 bank to watch the gambols of these water-sprites, 
 and a line of squawks is constantly passing and 
 repassing to and from the river, with their kettles 
 for w^ater to cook the evening meal. Droves of 
 horses cover the prairie, slowly driven towards the 
 
 (60) 
 
SPORTS AND PASTIMES. 61 
 
 river; when they approach, the bathers leave the 
 water, and their places are quickly filled by the rest- 
 less, half-wild horses, who, urged by the yells and 
 cries of their drivers, rush pell-mell in. After 
 drinking and swimming about, they scramble out, 
 and forcing their way through the incoming droves, 
 quickly rejoin their companions. When each band 
 is collected again, they are driven up to their own- 
 er's lodge and secured for the night. 
 
 Further down the bank several men are fishing. 
 The one that appears to have the best luck among 
 them is a blind Mandan, who goes regularly twice a 
 day, following the path along the edge of the bank, 
 and avoiding with wonderful skill all unsafe places. 
 I have never known him to miss his favorite spot, 
 and he always found with unerring accuracy the rod 
 which he had hid in the bushes after using it. The 
 Indians claimed that he was gifted with supernatural 
 powers — that he was "Medicine." 
 
 Warriors who have completed their evening toilet 
 now make their appearance on the roofs of the 
 lodges. With paint and feathers, bright blankets, 
 and tinkling hawk-bells, they stand, their gaze 
 apparently fixed on some far-distant object, but in 
 reality fully alive to the interest they excite among 
 the young squaws, who eye them with ill-concealed 
 admiration. 
 6 
 
62 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Tall forms stalk through the area of the fort with 
 proud and measured tread, or leaning carelessly 
 against an open door, observe all^ that passes, with 
 seeming indifference. But let them catch sight of 
 any preparations for cooking, and they will quickly 
 enter and seat themselves upon the floor ; a pipe is 
 sure to be forthcoming and passed around, while 
 they converse with one another with great anima- 
 tion upon the ever-fresh topics of war and hunting. 
 Thus they sit and talk and smoke, and are sure to 
 remain until the cooking is done, when, after eating 
 the portion given to them, they rise, uttering a satis- 
 fied " how ! " and take their departure, usually turn- 
 ing their steps toward the village to tell their com- 
 rades, without loss of time, of the feast they have 
 just eaten in the "white man's lodge." 
 
 On one occasion, during the long and seemingly 
 interminable days that always preceded the arrival 
 of the annual steamboat, my house was filled with 
 Indians, as usual; being, in fact, the headquarters 
 of the elite of the Gros Ventres village. Meat was 
 plenty in camp, so there was no immediate* necessity 
 to hunt; no enemies had been seen around for 
 several weeks, and besides, the mah-ti-she-sheesh 
 (steamboat) was daily looked for. It was a season 
 of absolute repose, of masterly inactivity, for both 
 traders and Indians ; and lounging from the trading- 
 
A PRACTICAL JOKE. 63 
 
 post to the village, and the village to the trading- 
 post, was the only business to be thought of. I had 
 become completely tired of the incessant loafing 
 that never gave me a quiet hour during the day ; 
 and for a little diversion to kill time, filled a large 
 cofl^ee-boiler with water and set it on the hearth close 
 to the embers of the fire. My friends soon began 
 to drop in, and before long the house was uncom- 
 fortably crowded. In the anticipation, however, of 
 a cup of coffee, they did not mind it in the least, 
 but cheerfull}^, and with well-timed remarks, made 
 room for every one that entered. Pipe after pipe 
 was smoked, and an animated conversation kept up 
 all the while. An hour passed, but no one left the 
 room, being afraid to lose the expected treat, and I 
 was ostensibly too busy with some writing to pay 
 any attention to the thirsty souls. They waited with 
 unfailing good-humor, attributing the delay to my 
 being occupied, and indulged in a brisk conversa- 
 tion about engaging in a general war with the Sioux 
 after the departure of the steamboat. Time wore 
 on, my circle of guests was still there, and had not 
 manifested any inclination to diminish. I now pur- 
 posely left the room for a few moments, and on 
 returning found them drawn as close around the 
 fireplace as they could possibly crowd. One gen- 
 tleman, known among us by the sobriquet of the 
 
64 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 " Gambler," was just setting the boiler down, having 
 evidently been testing by its weight, for his own 
 satisfaction and that of his comrades, whether it was 
 full or empty. That it was full of coffee was the 
 only inference they could draw. One, unable to 
 remain any longer, and not wishing to forego the 
 pleasure of tasting it, drew my attention to the 
 boiler, and plainly hinted at what was expected. I 
 cheerfully assented ; tin cups were quickly pro- 
 duced, and the ^'Gambler" was deputed to do the 
 honors, which he undertook with great alacrity. 
 The peculiar clearness of the liquid drew forth a 
 remark from some one of the party, and the cup 
 already drawn was poured back, while the supposed 
 grounds were vigorously stirred with a stick, but 
 with no improvement in the result. A brief con- 
 sultation ensued, and they were unwillingly forced 
 to conclude that they had been '* sold ;" but without 
 manifesting the slightest displeasure, quietly left the 
 room. It was soon noised through the village, and 
 ever afterwards the Gros Ventres were satisfied to 
 see a coffee-pot standing near my fire without wait- 
 ing half a day to investigate its contents. The joke 
 had a lasting effect. 
 
 Young bucks parade about on their fancy horses, 
 some of which are spotted in a remarkable manner. 
 
AN INDIAN WARRIOR. 65 
 
 War-eao^le feathers float from the forelock or tail of 
 many of the steeds, denoting speed and the high esti- 
 mation of the owner. Those who are so fortunate 
 as to possess one, use the heavy Spanish bit with its 
 long iron fringes, jingling with the slightest move- 
 ment of the horse. Shrinking and fretting under 
 its cruel pressure, he arches his neck, curvets and 
 prances to the great delight of his savage rider. 
 Preeminently conspicuous among the chivalry of the 
 Minnetarees was the second chief Chae-shah-hor-a- 
 hish, the Poor (or lean) Wolf, mounted on his mag- 
 nificent charger, black as a raven and adorned with 
 gay barbaric trappings ; the chief himself clothed 
 with the insignia of his rank and exploits as a 
 warrior. Horse and rider would stan€ motionless 
 as a statue before the gates of the Fort, and it was 
 next to impossible not to admire'this perfect living 
 picture. 
 
 The Poor Wolf was an Indian to the backbone ; 
 he scorned the dress, food, and merchandise of the 
 traders, as much as he felt himself their superior. 
 At all the public dances and ceremonies of his tribe 
 he was invariably present, and entered into them with 
 his whole heart. Like the Four-Bears, he ranked 
 high in the estimation of his people ; but unlike 
 him, though poor, he neither courted the traders 
 
 nor feared their power. 
 
 6* E 
 
66 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 The crowd gathering on the prairie close to the 
 pickets of the village, shows that something unusual 
 is going on. A horse-race must be the cause of the 
 excitement, since five or six young men are gallop- 
 ing away in the direction of the creek, fully half a 
 mile distant. They are naked, with the scanty ex- 
 ception of a breechcloth, and control their spirited 
 ponies with a lariat tied around the lower jaw. 
 From the tops of the lodges eager eyes are directed 
 towards the starting-point, and a few brief sentences 
 announce to the expectant throng that the riders are 
 *' coming this way." In one moment the competitors 
 are spread out in line ; the next they are hid from 
 view by an intervening roll of the prairie, but the 
 quick stroke of their horses' hoofs grow rapidly 
 more distinct — ISTow they are close at hand — the 
 excitement is at its height ; for the horses are neck 
 and neck : so closely is the race contested that it is 
 impossible to tell who will be the victor. 
 
 The friends of the competitors yield to the im- 
 pulse of the moment, and make bets ; throwing 
 down robes, blankets, and guns in the most reckless 
 manner. The riders lean forward until they lie 
 almost flat upon their horses; yelling, thumping 
 their heels into their sides, and using the heavy In- 
 dian whip with a will. Fifty yards more will decide 
 the race, and a breathless suspense prevails. Gath- 
 
HORSE RACE — INDIAN GIRLS 67 
 
 ering all his energies for the decisive moment, the 
 Crow-that-Flies shoots far ahead of the rest, amid 
 the wildest exultations of his friends, and careers on 
 at full speed, until within a few feet of the edge of 
 the precipitous bank of the river. Then checking 
 his horse so suddenly as to throw him back upon his 
 haunches, he wheels sharply around, and canters 
 back to receive the congratulations of his friends, 
 who are loud in their praises of his black and white 
 spotted steed. 
 
 The young squaws are playing a game of ball, 
 resembling shinny or football, inasmuch as curved 
 sticks and feet are called into service. The girls are 
 generally dressed in a metuJcee (petticoat) of blue or 
 scarlet cloth, some being trimmed with rows of 
 elk's teeth, a scarce and highly prized ornament, 
 smce it is only the two tushes of an elk that are 
 used. On account of the difficulty of obtaining 
 them, the value of a dress ornamented with several 
 hundred of these teeth is at once apparent. The 
 crease of the hair is painted with vermilion, as is 
 also a round spot on each cheek. The little boys 
 amuse themselves in shooting at different objects 
 with blunt arrows. 
 
 In another direction we see three young Indian 
 dandies dressed and painted in the height of fashion, 
 with bunches of shells surmounted with small scarlet 
 
 I 
 
68 AMONGTHEINDIANS. 
 
 feathers fastened to a lock of hair on each side of their 
 foreheads. They wear false hair ornamented with 
 spots of red and white clay and ingeniously glued to 
 their own, and sport bright scarlet blankets lavishly 
 garnished with white and black or white and blue 
 beads. The long fringes of their deerskin leggings 
 trail their whole length, and a foxtail dragging from 
 the heel of each moccasin, completes the costume. 
 
 This trio of worthies is mounted upon a stout 
 pony, whose plaited tail is adorned with eagle-feath- 
 ers and the impress of a hand stamped with white 
 clay upon his flanks. 
 
 In this style they wend their way slowly through 
 the village, the first one guiding and urging on the 
 steed, who by his sluggish gait plainly shows his 
 disapproval of this style of equitation. The middle 
 one is singing at the top of his lungs, assisted by 
 the third, whenever he is not obliged to give his 
 whole attention to avoid sliding over the horse's tail. 
 
 Those invaluable but greatly abused members of 
 the community, the dogs, take advantage of the 
 temporary inattention of the women to prowl among 
 the lodges, in hopes of being able to steal something 
 edible. One has found a slice of meat, and is bear- 
 ing it off, foolishly thinking to enjoy it by himself. 
 In an instant a hundred hungry, wolfish curs seize 
 upon it, and there is a prodigious uproar, a grand 
 
 I 
 
DARKNESS COMINa ON. 69 
 
 flourisli of tails, and miicli snapping though but 
 little biting. In the confusion, some cunning old 
 dog, watching his chance, picks up the coveted 
 morsel and bolts it down while the rest are blindly 
 fighting for it. The disturbance, however slight, is 
 sufficient to draw the attention of one of the squaws, 
 who picks up whatever comes first to hand, be it a 
 billet of wood, a kettle, or an axe, and hurls it at 
 the assembly with the complimentary remark "I^ar- 
 har-ah-suk-kuk," (Go away, you fools,) which advice 
 is promptly heeded. 
 
 When meat is plenty in camp, the dogs get fat 
 and look well, but in times of scarcity they have to 
 pick up whatever they can find, and are often driven 
 to the most revolting means of satisfying their 
 hunger. 
 
 The sun has long since gone down, but the rays 
 of his departing splendor illumine everything with 
 a soft golden light. The tall cottonwoods across the 
 river look fresh and green as in early spring-time. 
 The prairie is deserted ; the last band of horses has 
 disappeared within the picketed enclosure of the 
 village ; the gates of the fort are closed and locked, 
 and the sounds of life in the Indian camp grow 
 fainter and fewer. Will night and darkness ever 
 come? It is late, quite late, yet so pure is the 
 
 (k 
 
70 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 atmosphere that one is still able to read by the light 
 of the stars glittering in the calm, clear sky. 
 
 A woman is wailing by the dead body of her hus- 
 band on one of the scaflblds. The sound is mournful 
 in the extreme, as if her heart was broken with a 
 grief that could not be comforted. 
 
 Her husband had fallen in a battle with the Sioux. 
 More than twelve moons have waxed and waned 
 since he started with his warriors on that fatal war- 
 path. Her eyes are tearless, and there is little real 
 sorrow in her lamentation. When she has cried 
 long enough she will return to her lodge and enter 
 into any domestic occupation or amusement that 
 may be going on. Should there be a dance in the 
 village, she will quickly rub a little vermilion on her 
 cheeks and join in the revelry, to all appearances as 
 gay as the gayest. 
 
 As the sounds of grief die away, the voice of a 
 young buck is heard singing a love-ditty, which an 
 inexperienced ear might find difficult to distinguish 
 from a lament for the dead. 
 
 The night advances, and even these sounds are at 
 length hushed. The perfect stillness that reigns 
 over everything is broken only by the sullen, cease- 
 less roar of the Missouri, or the occasional whistle 
 of an elk, borne faintly on the evening breeze. 
 Now and then a crash tells of some portion of the 
 
 A 
 
A midsummer's night. 71 
 
 river's bank, undermined by the rushing of the cur- 
 rent, crumbling in, often bringing with it some 
 noble forest- tree, which is swept into the whirl of 
 angry waters to be carried along until, stripped of 
 its fair proportions, it is cast a shapeless log on some 
 distant sand-bar. 
 
 The scene varies ; bright and dazzling the N'orth- 
 ern Lights flash up high into the starlit sky, dim- 
 ming the evening's early glories by their greater 
 splendor. 
 
 Gradually they too fade away, but the stars still 
 glitter in the heavens, and the full beams of the 
 rising ''harvest moon" shed their soft, silvery light 
 over forest and prairie. Insensibly 
 
 "Sleep and oblivion reign over all." 
 
 Such were the scenes and such often the routine 
 of a midsummer's day and night in the far-off wil- 
 derness of the Northwest. » 
 
 t 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF A TRADING-POST — DOMESTIC ECONOMY — 
 buffalo! — BULL-BOATS — DEPARTURE OF THE INDIAN 
 HUNTERS — THE "SURROUND" — "MAKING MEDICINE." 
 
 FORT Atkinson was, at the time I speak of, a 
 new erection and but partially finished. The 
 buildings formerly occupied by the Company had 
 been put up some years previously and had become 
 so dilapidated with age and neglect, as to be almost 
 unfit for use ; making their renewal an imperative 
 necessity. The new Fort was one hundred and 
 twenty feet square, which was sufficiently spacious 
 for all the requirements of the trade. It was built 
 on the lower end of the high blufiF bank, about two 
 hundre'd feet from the river, and nearly the same 
 distance from the Indian village. 
 
 A row of four houses of hewn timber, one story 
 high, was already completely finished. The first 
 house was used as an "Indian room." Here the 
 "pipe" was kept, and here the two interpreters, 
 Paquenode and Malnouri, dwelt, with their Indian 
 wives and half-breed progeny. Eude benches were 
 
 (72) 
 
MY QUARTERS. 73 
 
 placed around the sides to accommodate the Indian 
 visitors, who constantly dropped in at all times to 
 smoke and gossip. It was in short a kind of Ex- 
 change, where the news of the day was retailed 
 from one to another. The building adjoining was 
 intended for the men's quarter, but at present was 
 used as a storehouse. The one next above was the 
 Bourgeois' house or headquarters. Here McBride 
 and I dwelt in glorious independence. The interior 
 arrangements of this abode were in a style suited 
 to the place, and very cosy and comfortable. Two 
 rough bedsteads of cottonwood slabs stood in oppo- 
 site corners. The bedding consisted of buffalo 
 robes, and the rough frames of the bedsteads were 
 partially concealed by curtains of gaudy calico, 
 which gave a certain finish to the interior. The 
 wide-spreading horns of an elk occupied a conspicu- 
 ous position on the wall, from the antlers of which 
 hung powder-horns and bullet-pouches, with shoul- 
 der-straps of scarlet cloth elaborately worked with 
 beads. Bridles, "■ mountain " saddles, apishamores, 
 lariats, and other equipments decorated the walls; 
 from which were also suspended rifies and shot-guns, 
 always loaded and ready for use, protected by fringed 
 deerskin covers. There were also a few rou2:h 
 chairs, the seats being formed of raw-hide cords ; 
 these, with a clumsy table completed the furniture. 
 7 
 
74 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 A barrel of water stood by the door, and a tin pan 
 hanging from a nail close by, afforded a convenient 
 substitute for a wash-bowl and appurtenances. The 
 appearance of all the houses was greatly improved 
 by being washed, both inside and out, with the 
 white clay that abounds in this region, and is gen- 
 erally used by the Indians to clean their robes and 
 dresses from grease and dirt, also rendering them 
 soft and pliable. 
 
 Adjoining the Bourgeois' house was the kitchen 
 and mess-room, the presiding genius of which 
 seemed to take greater delight in declaiming against 
 the Indians and waging war upon the innumerable 
 flies, than in the discharge of his duties, about 
 which, if the truth must be told, his knowledge was 
 not over-extensive. On the opposite side of the 
 area a row, of similar length, was building, intended 
 as a storehouse for goods and furs. Material suf- 
 ficient was on the ground to finish all these improve- 
 ments before cold weather set in. Three sides of 
 the fort were enclosed with a substantial stockade 
 of hewn timbers, sixteen feet in height. Each 
 picket had a face of about twelve inches by six in 
 thickness, and was strongly set three feet in the 
 ground, secured at the top by a heavy wooden plate 
 or sill. The unenclosed side was occupied by the 
 remaining buildings of the old fort, which eventually 
 
buffalo! — BULL-BOATS. 75 
 
 would all be removed and rebuilt to correspond with 
 the new part. The work was pushed on vigorously, 
 exciting great interest among the crowd of idlers, 
 who watched the proceedings with the untiring 
 patience of the Indian. 
 
 An Indian riding in hot haste towards the village 
 one morning created a great excitement, while the 
 guards at the same time could be seen hurrying in 
 the horses from every direction. "The enemy! the 
 enemy! " was the cry, and a general rush to arms 
 followed. Whoops and yells resounded on all sides, 
 and the alarm was fast spreading ; when the scout, 
 dashing up on his foaming steed, announced that a 
 laro-e band of buffalo had been discovered at some 
 distance across the river. Preparations for the chase 
 were at once actively begun, and in high glee at the 
 anticipated feast of fresh meat, the squaws carried 
 down to the water's edge the bull-boats in which to 
 ferry the hunters over. These boats, which are neces- 
 sary adjuncts to every Gros Ventre lodge, are made 
 of the fresh hide of a buffalo-bull stretched over a 
 framework of willow. As the hide dries, it shrinks, 
 binding the whole together with great strength. In 
 shape they resemble large wash-tubs, and will bear 
 astonishing loads, considering the frail manner of 
 their construction. 
 
 With proper care in keeping the hide dry and free 
 
76 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 from holes, a well-made bull-boat will last a couple 
 of years. They are ticklish craft to navigate, how- 
 ever, and unless the voyager is extremely careful to 
 preserve an equilibrium, he will suddenly and most 
 unexpectedly find himself treated to a cold plunge. 
 These bull-boats are always paddled by the squaws, 
 and very laborious work it is, since the paddle is 
 thrust into the water only about two feet in advance 
 and drawn towards the boat, thus impelling it slowly 
 forwards. 
 
 In embarking in one of these frail canoes, the 
 saddles, guns, and other equipments are carefully 
 placed in the bottom ; the hunter next steps in, 
 holding the ends of his horses' lariats, which are 
 fastened with a double running noose around their 
 lower jaws. 
 
 The squaw then pushes the boat off, and wades 
 out with it until the water becomes sufficiently deep, 
 when, steadying herself with her paddle, she care- 
 fully takes her place, and the horses, two or three 
 of which are usually crossed at once, being urged 
 into the river by the shouts and cries of the by- 
 standers, slowly and reluctantly yield themselves to 
 the guidance of their master. For a while, although 
 the squaw paddles with all her might, the boat 
 makes no headway, but whirls around like a top. 
 The struggles and plunges of the unwilling and 
 
DEPARTURE OF THE HUNTERS. 77 
 
 refractory horses retard its progress and momentarily 
 threaten to upset the frail vessel, until the very vio- 
 lence of their exertions carries them out into deep 
 water. The strong current bears them swiftly along, 
 and the horses, guided and supported by their master, 
 swim after, only their heads and elevated tails being 
 visible. 
 
 The boats always start from the upper end of the 
 village and strike directly across, but as soon as they 
 get into the current are drifted down some distance 
 before they can make the opposite shore. After 
 effecting a landing, the squaw drags her boat out of 
 the water and helps her hunter to saddle. 
 
 He canters off on one of the pack-horses, leading 
 his " runner" to keep him fresh for the chase; and 
 striking through the timber, halts at a convenient 
 rendezvous previously agreed upon. When all are 
 assembled, the leader of the hunt takes command, 
 and arranges the details. 
 
 The squaws, inverting the bull-boats over their 
 heads, carry them to a point above the village, and 
 then set out on their return, reaching the shore con- 
 siderably below the starting-place. The women with 
 their boats over their heads resemble huge black 
 beetles crawling along the sand-bar. 
 
 An animated sight it was as the hunters cantered 
 on their dripping steeds through the forest-glades, 
 7* 
 
78 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 their bright-colored blankets and glittering equip- 
 ments forming a strong contrast to the dark-green 
 foliage of the cottonwoods and brighter hues of the 
 red willows. The buffalo were in plain sight, feed- 
 ing quietly, unconscious of the impending danger. 
 They had divided into two bands, the smaller of 
 which was much nearer than the other. Some were 
 lying down, others were rolling and pawing the 
 ground with their hoofs, causing a thin cloud of 
 dust to float over the herds, while their deep bel- 
 lowing sounded like distant thunder. Many of the 
 bulls were butting and fighting each other. 
 
 The band of hunters emerged from the timber, 
 and after riding a few hundred yards out on the 
 prairie, came to a halt. A party was now detached 
 and sent against the wind, keeping parallel with the 
 forest. These were mounted on the fastest horses : 
 those able to " catch " buffalo under any circum- 
 ^ stances. The main body continued cautiously on, 
 having two scouts in advance, so as to be instantly 
 notified of any change in the position of the buffalo. 
 A second party now made a flank movement on the 
 small band and halted. The rest of the hunters 
 rode on, and soon disappeared behind a heavy roll 
 of the prairie. They then made a semicircular 
 movement, which brought them close to the rear of 
 the large herd. 
 
THE "SUKROUND." 79 
 
 The pack-horses were now hobbled and left; 
 blankets and every superfluous article laid aside, and 
 all being ready, at a given signal the three parties 
 dashed forwards at the top of their horses' speed. 
 
 In an instant the buffalo appeared strung out in a 
 long line, while the hunters, in an irregular body, 
 dealt destruction everywhere. The fast horses soon 
 distanced the others and brought their riders along- 
 side of the ^'fattest meat." The dust raised by 
 hundreds of hoofs hung in a thick, suffocating 
 cloud, while the booming of guns, whizzing of 
 arrows, and rush of the maddened herd, with the 
 reckless riding of the excited Indians, formed a 
 thrilling spectacle. 
 
 The cloud rolled away, but many of that band of 
 buffalo were lying dead upon the prairie, and the 
 hunters busily engaged in butchering, their horses 
 quietly feeding near with trailing lariats. A few 
 survivors were fleeing rapidly over the hills, and 
 here and there a wounded cow stood at bay, sav- 
 agely charging at .her pursuer, while the well-trained 
 horse skilfully avoided the shock. 
 
 In a little while the pack-horses were loaded, and 
 the hunters set out on their return. The close of the 
 day saw them gathered on the sand bar, preparing 
 to cross back to the village. Masses of reeking 
 flesh were flung into the boats ; the saddles, apisha- 
 
80 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 mores (old buffalo rugs used under the saddles, 
 soiled with blood and sweat) thrown on top with the 
 rest of the equipments, and the hunters taking their 
 places, recrossed ; the exhausted horses swimming 
 passively behind. At the landing the squaws again 
 saddle the horses and pack the meat, leaving the 
 hunters to pick up their weapons, without giving 
 themselves further concern. The shrill cries of 
 the women scolding at one another, and driving 
 away the dogs that are hovering around to snap at 
 the meat hanging from the pack-saddles, add to 
 the general confusion and excitement. When the 
 returning hunters were first seen on the hills, fires 
 were kindled in the lodges, over which the squaws 
 hung kettles of water. Ko unnecessary time was 
 therefore lost before a general feasting was in pro- 
 gress throughout the entire camp. 
 
 The very opportune supply of meat, which this 
 hunt afforded, would however last but a few days, 
 and another was therefore proposed, as soon as a 
 war-party should return, which had been out for a 
 long time, and for whose safety great apprehensions 
 were felt. 
 
 The next morning two white medicine flags were 
 flying on the prairie, each bearing a rude painting 
 in vermilion of the sun and moon, to which they 
 were offerings. An Indian walked in a circle around 
 
"MAKING MEDICINE." 81 
 
 them all day long, crying and praying to the Great 
 Spirit, to grant him success in war and the chase. 
 IsTear him was a small pile of human skulls, around 
 each of which was bound a strip of scarlet cloth. 
 His lance, thrust into the ground beside them, sup- 
 ported his shield and medicine bag. During the 
 time that he was making this "medicine " he durst 
 not eat, nor speak to any one, for fear of breaking 
 the spell, and thereby displeasing the Great Spirit. 
 
 F 
 
CHAPTEEYIL 
 
 RETURN OF A WAR-PARTY SONGS OP TRIUMPH — DANCES — 
 
 ADVENTURES OF THE WAR-PARTY — CHIVALRY IN AM- 
 BUSH — AN INDIAN MEDICO — DOCTOR E-TEN-AH-PEN-AH — 
 BLACK MAIL. 
 
 WE were enjoying the usual noontide siesta; 
 the day was warm, and the village had quieted 
 down to a state of general repose. A sudden dis- 
 charge of firearms across the river changed the scene. 
 In an instant all is excitement — warriors seize their 
 weapons, and rush to the edge of the hluff, eagerly 
 seeking the cause of alarm. Thirteen Indians have 
 just made their appearance on the sand-bar opposite 
 — it is the long looked-for war-party, — they are re- 
 turning in triumph ! 
 
 Their faces are painted black, and one carries a 
 scalp on the end of his lance, while another leads a 
 fine horse. They form a single rank, and march up 
 and down the bar, singing and firing off" their fusees. 
 Bull-boats are quickly sent across, in. one of which 
 is the. Long-Hair, who, as soon as he hears the news, 
 announces it across the river, and is heard without 
 
 (82) 
 
REJOICINGS — DANCES. 83 
 
 difficulty. Soon the whole party are brought over, 
 and receive the warm congratulations of the old 
 men, as well as the smiles of the squaws, and are 
 objects of envy to the bannerets and boys who have 
 not yet had or sought an opportunity of distinguish- 
 ing themselves on the war-path. For the rest of 
 the day, and all night, nothing else was thought of 
 but singing and dancing the scalp. Towards sun- 
 down the Long-Hair (so called from the length of 
 his natural hair which trailed on the ground as he 
 walked), celebrated as a haranguer, came into the 
 fort at the head of a party of young squaws, to 
 entertain us with the scalp- song and dance. All had 
 painted their cheeks with vermilion and yellow clay, 
 and wore their finest dresses. As they had been 
 singing and dancing before every lodge in the vil- 
 lage, the girls appeared rather tired, and the Long- 
 Hair decidedly out of breath with his exertions. 
 They danced around in a circle, with a jerking 
 shuffling step ; the Long-Hair beating a drum which 
 resembled a very large tambourine, and sino-iuo- 
 "hi, hi, hi-yah, hi-yah," to which the squaws echoed 
 shrilly, "he, he, he-ee, he-ee." 
 
 This war-party had started out several weeks be- 
 fore, in connection with a small band of Rees; 
 making altogether about thirty young and daring 
 braves. Their destination was Fort Pierre, in the 
 
84 AMONGTHEINDIANS. 
 
 neighborhood of which a few lodges of Sioux were 
 usually encamped, and they designed lurking around, 
 until an opportunity offered to " count a coup ; " 
 i. e., steal a horse or take a scalp ; in both of which 
 they had been successful. 
 
 Carefully and stealthily they made their way, sub- 
 sisting upon dry pounded meat or toro, which had 
 been prepared for them before leaving home. 
 Lighting no fires when they camped, lest they 
 should attract the notice of their enemies, they kept 
 on, day by day, until, after a toilsome march, they 
 beheld, from a distant bluff, the long sought Fort 
 Pierre, and near it, eight or ten lodges of Sioux. 
 
 Here they remained concealed until nightfall, 
 quietly awaiting the decisive moment, when success 
 or defeat w^ould attend them. It came at last ; — 
 wdth cautious tread they crept within an arrow's 
 flight of the lodges. 
 
 The gray dawn is breaking, and before the 
 inmates of the trading-post are astir, the Sioux have 
 loosened their horses and are driving them off to 
 pasture. The women take their kettles to the river's 
 brink for water, and one old squaw comes uncon- 
 sciously towards the lurking-place of her deadly 
 foes to pick service-berries, which grew there in 
 abundance. A start, and the hand extended to 
 pluck the berries is motionless for an instant. In- 
 
CHIVALRY IN AMBUSH. 85 
 
 stinctively she turns to flee, but the winged arrow is 
 swifter, and she falls headlong, pierced through the 
 heart. The scalp is torn off with a quick jerk of the 
 knife, and each warrior strikes the body, thereby 
 counting a coup, to be emblazoned on his battle- 
 robe, and placed on the Indian roll of fame. Flushed 
 with success, and heedless of the weary distance to 
 be traversed before they see their own village again, 
 the victors rapidly and warily begin their return. 
 
 Dire will be the consternation that seizes on that 
 little encampment when the mangled corpse shall 
 be discovered. Who can tell but that her increasing 
 age and feebleness would ere long have rendered 
 her unfit to keep up with her people when they 
 travelled, when she would have been abandoned to 
 a fate more horrible. Better for her was instant 
 death than to be deserted by her kin and left to 
 perish miserably, or be torn piecemeal by wolves. 
 
 Continuing their retreat, they found a very fine 
 horse, which had probably been lost from some Indian 
 camp, and was in good order, or as they expressed 
 it, "rolling fat." Highly elated with their success, 
 they returned in safety to their respective villages, 
 where they met with a warm welcome, the more 
 cordial since they had been given up for lost. After 
 leaving the Rees village, every step of their route 
 lay through an enemy's country, whose numerous 
 8 
 
86 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 scouts and hunting-parties could hardly fail to dis- 
 cover them. 
 
 A season of comparative quiet now set in ; the 
 horses were luxuriating upon the rich grass, and 
 rapidly recovering from the fatigues of the last hunt. 
 The squaws were hard at work hoeing their corn- 
 fields, and exulting in the prospect of an abundant 
 crop. Our storehouse was by this time completely 
 finished. It was divided into three compartments; 
 one for storing away the robes and peltries, and 
 which was, of course, at this season nearly empty. 
 The middle part was fitted up as a trade-store, with 
 a high counter set back a few feet from the door, 
 just giving space enough to admit two or three 
 Indians at a time. Rude shelves of rough plank at 
 the rear contained a small assortment of the various 
 goods needed. Blankets, knives, gayly-ornamented 
 bridles, fusees with their stocks profusely studded 
 with brass tacks, blue and scarlet cloth, beads, cali- 
 coes, and all the glittering trifles that please the 
 savage taste. In the remaining apartment were kept 
 the provisions and goods in bulk, from which the 
 trade-store was supplied as its necessities required. 
 
 After storing and arranging the goods, there was 
 but little to do until the winter trade began. The 
 work of enclosing the fort with pickets had been 
 also completed, new and substantial gates hung, 
 
AN INDIAN MEDICO. 87 
 
 and after the haying season was over, it was designed 
 to put up an ice-house and ^' plunder-rooms." These 
 improvements had done away with almost every 
 vestige of the old fort. One magnificent structure 
 alone remained. It was about eight feet by ten, 
 with not space enough between the floor and roof to 
 admit of a middle-sized man standing upright. 
 
 This building was at present occupied by an old 
 Santee (Sioux) named E-teu-ah-pen-ah, (the-Face- 
 that-don't-run,) a highly accomplished sinner, and a 
 worthy inhabitant of the old cabin. He was a 
 boundless liar, but always told his stories with such 
 a serio-comic air, that it was impossible to listen to 
 him without being greatly amused. For many 
 years he had dwelt among the Rees and Gros Ven- 
 tres, and was regarded by them with great awe as a 
 "Medicine-man," or doctor, of extraordinary skill. 
 Besides his squaw, a rather fine-looking young 
 Yancton woman, and his boy, there were four or 
 five old hags, habitual attachees of his establish- 
 ment, who made it their regular headquarters, and 
 lived there with bag and baggage. So it is obvious 
 that, from the very limited size of this dwelling, 
 there could be but little room to spare. All day the 
 old Doctor, as we st^ded him, would sit, surrounded 
 by a coterie of his friends, regaling them with num- 
 berless lies, but all so plausibly told that his delighted 
 auditors listened with gaping attention. 
 
88 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 The kettle was constantly on the fire, for the Doc- 
 tor's hospitality as a host was proverbial, and as long 
 as there was anything in "the cabin" to eat, he 
 entertained plenty of company. 
 
 His son and heir, a hopeful urchin of three sum- 
 mers, rejoiced in the title of the Muskrat, and was 
 usually called in to finish the remains of the feasts, 
 which, with the willing assistance of two or three 
 puppies, his constant companions, he quickly and 
 thoroughly accomplished. The Muskrat ran about 
 with nothing but his own skin for a covering, which 
 was generally spotted in a tasteful manner with 
 white clay ; and after a meal his rotundity would 
 assume such bursting proportions as to most justly 
 entitle him to the enviable distinction of being a 
 " Gros Ventre," regardless of his Dacotah parentage. 
 
 Doctor E-ten-ah-pen-ah came into my room one 
 morning and found me poring over a book. Here 
 was a new idea ! If he could only get one ! Much 
 amused, I presented him with it, and then, at his 
 urgent solicitation, wrote some sentences in Sioux, 
 which he dictated, on one of the pages ; and chuck- 
 ling to himself over his prize, the old rascal hurried 
 back to his abode. 
 
 In the course of the morning, while strolling 
 around, I noticed an unusual crowd in front of his 
 residence, and curious to know what ceremony was 
 
DOCTOR E-TEN-AH-PEN-AH. 89 
 
 in progress, looked in. There was the Doctor, with 
 the book open before him, his eyes intently fixed 
 upon the page, moving his lips as if reading, and 
 occasionally turning over a leaf. He had on a pair 
 of heavy silver-rimmed spectacles, and, as might be 
 expected, looked profoundly wise. With difficulty 
 suppressing my mirth, I was turning to go away, 
 when one of his guests, who was evidently sceptical 
 as to the Doctor's literary attainments, called me 
 back, and asked me if he could read. Prompted by 
 a glance from the Doctor, I nodded affirmatively, 
 whereupon, with consummate adroitness, the old 
 fellow repeated the lines I had written at his dicta- 
 tion, and then pushing his glasses up over his fore- 
 head, handed the book to me. I at once read off the 
 same sentences, and his triumph was complete. 
 After casting a quizzical glance at me, as if to say 
 that we understood each other thoroughly, he closed 
 the book, and looking around with an air of intense 
 self-satisfaction, complacently received the undis- 
 guised plaudits of his friends. So the Doctor con- 
 tinued to flourish until it was necessary to pull down 
 the architectural pile in which he dwelt, when he 
 removed to the village and purchased a lodge, giving 
 one of his two remaining horses for it. He was, 
 however, constantly in the fort, and frequently got 
 medicines from me, with which he performed some 
 wonderful cures. 
 
 8* 
 
90 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 About this time ^ve or six "big men" came into 
 the Bourgeois' house and said that it had been 
 determined in Council not to let the whites make 
 hay this year. An interval of profound silence 
 ensued, which was broken by one of the party asking 
 that a kettle of tea be made for their refreshment. 
 The interpreter was forthwith ordered to tell them 
 that, as we were not to be allowed to cut hay this 
 season, it would be necessary to save our tea to feed 
 our horses on during the winter. This unexpected 
 reply entirely upset their remaining ideas upon the 
 subject, and after a short and awkward pause, they 
 gathered their blankets around them and made a 
 rather undignified exit. A day or so after, the Fat 
 Fox, who was the principal spokesman on that 
 memorable occasion, stopped in to see us in a most 
 friendly way, and casually remarked that what had 
 been said about not allowing us to cut hay, was 
 merely a little fun — only "squaw's talk," and con- 
 sequently nothing more must be thought of it. So 
 this attempt to levy black mail from the luckless 
 whites resulted in a complete failure. 
 
 A drowned buffalo floated past, when some young 
 Indians swam after, and succeeded in landing it 
 about a mile down the river, where it was butchered. 
 "When carried by, the meat was rank and almost 
 putrid, but not too offensive for the delicate palates 
 of the savages. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 GOING TO " NICKAWAY " — A PRUDENT GENERAL — AFFAIRS 
 
 AT THE VILLAGE — SIOUX ABOUT LUDICROUS RAGE OF 
 
 A FAT INDIAN — THE PANIC — RETREAT THE DRY 
 
 pumpkin's HARANGUE HIS WARLIKE ANTECEDENTS — 
 
 CAUSE OF THE ALARM EXPLAINED. 
 
 GOroG to Mckaway* in two nights, near the 
 Square Hills in the big bend." — So the Hawk 
 told us when he came to beg some powder and balls, 
 making the usual promises to pay liberally in meat 
 when he returned. It was to be a general turn-out, 
 he said, of all the able-bodied men, each accom- 
 panied by one or two squaws, to cut up and jerk the 
 meat. The old people, who would be compelled to 
 remain behind, were already in great trepidation lest 
 the Sioux, after reconnoitring and finding nearly all 
 the men away, would devastate the cornfields, and 
 perhaps the village itself. Even the " General," as 
 we called the valiant Paquenaude, asked permission 
 
 * When the Indians go on a single hunt, they call it a "surround;" 
 when they go with their squaws, intending to make a number of 
 surrounds, until they have secured as much dry meat as they want, 
 they call it "going to Nickaway." 
 
 (91) 
 
02 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 to accompany the hunting-party, for the sole pur- 
 pose, as he said, of securing a supply of superior 
 meat for the use of the fort ; but others, less chari- 
 table, said it was simply a strategic move on his part. 
 
 The whole morning resounded with the busy note 
 of preparation. Towards afternoon the horses were 
 driven up, and the work of crossing them com- 
 menced. The confusion and bustle were at their 
 height when Paquenaude began saddling up. He 
 intended taking his squaw and child along, and as 
 many of his effects as could be conveniently packed 
 on his horses, three of which were loaned him from 
 our stud, with the understanding that one half the 
 meat they brought back was to be turned over to 
 the Company. 
 
 The *' General " put on his helmet, in the shape 
 of a black handkerchief tied around his head, and 
 shouldering his gun, when everything was ready, 
 bade us farewell, with a lengthened countenance 
 which was irresistibly ludicrous. No inducement 
 could have been held out sufficient to keep him with 
 us in the fort, while so many of the Indians were 
 away. He took his departure with the settled con- 
 viction that we were doomed men, and would 
 undoubtedly fall victims to the immense war-party 
 of Yanc-toh-wahs, which he knew was lurking near 
 by, only waiting until the hunters got off' to make 
 
OFFTONICKAWAY. 93 
 
 an onslaught upon the village, and expecting when 
 he returned to find nothing but charred timbers and 
 mangled corpses. 
 
 By evening all the hunters were across the river, 
 and everything had settled down into more than its 
 wonted quiet. Our store was filled with Indian 
 valuables temporarily deposited for safe-keeping, 
 while many women and children, as well as old men, 
 asked and obtained permission to share the security 
 of the fort until their friends returned. 
 
 The Mckaway people camped on the edge of the 
 open prairie, where their cheerful fires at nightfall 
 lit up the surrounding gloom. 
 
 But few closed their eyes in the village that night. 
 The slightest sound was anxiously listened for, and 
 when morning broke and revealed no trace of the 
 dreaded foe, the alarmed Indians breathed more 
 freely, and felt as if a respite had been granted them. 
 
 Relieved of the presence of so many idlers, our 
 building was pushed on rapidly, and we congratu- 
 lated ourselves on the prospect of having everything 
 nearly finished before their return. They expected 
 to be gone on this hunt about "one moon." 
 
 The long line of the hunting-party had scarcely 
 disappeared behind the swells of the distant prairie 
 before a small war-party was discovered on the 
 heights beyond the southern bend of the river. 
 
94 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Their boldness in showing themselves in broad day- 
 light led all to suppose that they were merely the 
 scouts of a larger party, so numerous that they did 
 not feel concealment necessary. The alarm w^as 
 therefore great; the horses were hurried up to a safe 
 distance, and every one prepared for the expected 
 conflict. Another night of anxious suspense to the 
 watchers in the village followed, and the morning 
 light discovered three arrows shot into the body of 
 a squaw upon one of the scaffolds. She had been 
 the wife of old Ara-poo-she, the Rotten-Bear, an 
 elderly Indian of immense corporation, and of the 
 mildest and most inoff"ensive disposition possible. 
 
 To the astonishment of every one, the Rotten- 
 Bear appeared in a new character. Naked to the 
 clout, with war-paint and weapons, he waddled 
 around and harangued for all whose hearts were 
 strong to follow him to glory or the grave, and 
 avenge the wrong he had sustained in the insult 
 offered to the body of his old woman. 
 
 His futile rage and impassioned appeal to arms 
 excited only laughter and ridicule ; for the Rotten- 
 Bear was as harmless and far less off'ensive than his 
 namesake could have been. Two or three turns 
 around the village in the hot July sun took all 
 martial spirit out of him, and when rallied about it, 
 he seemed to consider it as rather a good joke than 
 otherwise. 
 
PANIC. 95 
 
 An interval of perfect quiet succeeded ; but it was 
 the calm which precedes the storm. 
 
 In the dead of night, (it was the tenth, I think, 
 since the ISTickaway people had left,) we were all 
 startled by a most unearthly noise and yelling in the 
 village. It seemed as if every old hag and every 
 dog had had their vocal powers strengthened a hun- 
 dred-fold for the occasion, to say nothing of the yells 
 of the men and reports of fire-arms. We concluded, 
 as a matter of course, that our friends had one of 
 their regular paroxysms of fear, when a number of 
 guns were discharged in rapid succession, and amid 
 the most tremendous uproar that I ever heard, we 
 made out to learn that the hunters had been com- 
 pletely routed by an immense war-party of Sioux, 
 and a remnant only had succeeded in effecting their 
 escape. 
 
 Bull-boats were at once put into service, and the 
 exhausted and panic-stricken fugitives were safely 
 brought over. The " General's " eagerness to bring 
 us the news was such that very few crossed before 
 him. The poor fellow looked jaded and haggard, 
 and the black handkerchief was disordered, as if by 
 the sudden uprising of his hair. He was, in fact, 
 completely demoralized. 
 
 McBride, with the slighest possible approach to a 
 smile, asked, ''Are all the horses back safe?" 
 
96 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 "Yes." "Did you bring a pretty good load of 
 meat with you?" "I^one! I had to throw it all 
 away when the Sionx faunced on us ? " "The Sioux 
 faunced on you, did they, — how many did you kill 
 of them? " (Great interest manifested by all of us 
 to hear.) 
 
 "Yesterday afternoon near sundown, we were 
 camped near the Square Hills, when Red-Tail dis- 
 covered the enemy rushing on us. Every Injin 
 yelled and shouted and went on like mad, and some 
 began to throw away their meat and got on their 
 horses and mooshed for the village." "Did you yell 
 any?" "Me! of course I did, — every one around 
 was yell in' and screechin', and there was no use 
 try in' to keep quiet." 
 
 "I want to hear if any were killed." 
 
 " Don't know. I let go my horses as fast as they 
 could run: it was so dark you couldn't see ahead, 
 and me and my woman fell into a deep hole ; it is 
 terrible how my chest Is bruised." 
 
 " Who was at the head of the party ? " 
 
 " The Injins told a squaw to go ahead, as they 
 could better spare a woman than a man if they fell 
 into a trap." 
 
 " You 've played on this hunt, sure," McBride 
 
 remarked, — a conclusion to which we all assented, 
 and left the "General" to take care of his inner 
 man. 
 
THE DRY PUMPKIN HARANGUES. 97 
 
 At early dawn the air resounded with the voice 
 of the old Dry Pumpkin, haranguing, and calling 
 upon every one to prepare to revenge the terrible 
 defeat they had just sustained. 
 
 " Men of the Hee-rae-an-seh, a black cloud covers 
 our village with darkness. The Great Spirit is angry 
 with us ; our hearts are buried deep in the ground. 
 Where are our brave warriors ? Our women and 
 children are crying. Rouse yourselves, sharpen 
 your arrows and seek the enemy ! Strike them so 
 hard with your tomahawks that both hands will 
 hardly pull them out ! Make strong Medicine, and 
 the Great Spirit will grant you a successful return 
 with plenty of scalps and horses. Then will the 
 women dance and not feel ashamed. Men of the 
 Hee-rae-an-seh, if your hearts are strong, hear me ! 
 It is I, the Dry Pumpkin, that speaks ; he is not a 
 child any more ; his head is whitened with many 
 snows. Rouse up, rouse up, young men ! if you are 
 wise, listen to my words. Go and wipe out this dis- 
 grace, or the Sioux will laugh at us and call us dogs 
 and old women ! " 
 
 In this strain the Dry Pumpkin continued ; walk- 
 ing around the village, and occasionally mounting 
 upon the tops of the lodges to make himself better 
 heard. 
 
 But unfortunately, his warlike antecedents were 
 9 G 
 
98 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 by no means calculated to stir up a feeling of fiery- 
 revenge among his people. In truth he might just 
 as well have talked to the winds, for none listened 
 to him. 
 
 Years before, when a young man, as he was return- 
 ing with his squaw and several Gros Ventres from a 
 visit to the Crows on the Yellowstone, they were 
 attacked by a war-party of Assinniboines. At the 
 first sound of the conflict the Dry Pumpkin made 
 off, and his hurry was such that he stopped not until 
 he arrived at his village, where he told how his 
 friends had been attacked by an overwhelming force 
 of the enemy, and after a desperate struggle, he alone 
 had effected his escape. It seems that the Dry 
 Pumpkin ran away with such celerity that no arrow 
 could possibly have flown fast enough to hit him, 
 and his squaw, in attempting to keep him in sight, 
 was overtaken, and ruthlessly butchered and scalped. 
 As he had never ventured upon the war-path after 
 this heroic achievement, his opinions and advice had 
 very little weight. After haranguing until he was 
 wellnigh exhausted, he came into my room complain- 
 ing of feeling unwell, and asked for some medicine. 
 I administered, accordingly, an enormous dose of 
 Epsom salts, and saw nothing of him for several 
 days, when he came crawling into my quarters again, 
 leaning on a stick and looking considerably reduced. 
 
CAUSE OF THEPANIC. 99 
 
 lie remarked simply that tlie medicine I had given 
 him was " very strong." 
 
 By-and-by the Gros Ventres showed signs of 
 returning reason, and upon mustering their forces 
 none were found missing ! All were safe, minus 
 their stock of dry meat, which was lost owing to a 
 senseless panic. They were in a splendid hunting- 
 ground with every prospect of success, when one 
 evening a smoke was discovered and also the form 
 of a man, supposed to be a spy. 
 
 The alarm was given, and the wildest confusion 
 prevailed ; one frightened another, and amid the 
 most heathenish yells and screams it was determined 
 to move camp at once, and the pell-mell retreat com- 
 menced. 
 
 It was now ascertained that the fire had been 
 kindled by one of their own hunters, who had been 
 looking for a stray horse, and stopped to cook some 
 deer's meat that he had killed. The ]N'ickaway was 
 a complete failure ; their horses were run down and 
 would require rest ; they had lost all their meat, and 
 were in a starving condition again. 
 
 U Of U 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE MANDANS MAKE THEIR GREAT BULL-MEDICINE — THE 
 INVOCATION — THE MEDICINE LODGE — THE BULL-DANCE 
 
 THE TORTURES — DIVERSIONS OF THE VILLAGERS 
 
 INDIAN RELIGION. 
 
 TO atone for the past, and in the hopes of pleasing 
 the Great Spirit, so that He would send the 
 buffalo close to their village again, the Indians 
 determined to make their o:reat " Bull Medicine. " 
 
 The necessary preparations for this important 
 ceremony now engrossed the attention of the entire 
 community. The squaws were busy in arranging 
 a large and spacious lodge, and cleaning off the 
 area in the centre of the village, where the princi- 
 pal ceremonies and dances would take place. The 
 making of this medicine occupies four days, during 
 which time all who take part observe a strict fast. 
 
 The first day, the old Mandan medicine man, 
 A-mah-she-kee-ri-pe, the Buck Eagle, came into the 
 fort, and seated himself upon a pile of lumber in the 
 middle, followed by a crowd who arranged them- 
 selves around at a respectful distance, while in a 
 
 (100) 
 
THE MEDICINE LODGE. 101 
 
 subdued and plaintive tone of voice he commenced 
 an invocation to the Great Spirit. 
 
 With the exception of a white wolf-skin over one 
 shoulder, he was entirely naked. A fillet of the 
 same was bound around each ankle, and two wolf's 
 tails drasrsred from the heels of his moccasins. A 
 cap made of a piece of white buftalo robe, trimmed 
 with the claws and tail-feather of an eagle, covered 
 his head; and his withered limbs were painted with 
 red clay. Some trifling presents were placed before 
 him, and after his adjuration was concluded, he 
 gathered them carefully up and took his departure. 
 
 In the afternoon of the second day, I went to the 
 lodge where the ceremonies were going on. It was 
 filled with young men, some of w^hom had passed 
 •through the ordeal before, and w^ere now merely 
 fasting. The others were those who were to undergo 
 the terrible torture, and around the interior were 
 arranged their shields, lances, and medicine bags. 
 The men mostly reclined on their backs; and a few 
 were even asleep. 
 
 The Buck Eagle sat in the centre, near the 
 embers of the fire, smoking a handsome pipe, and 
 occasionally calling upon the Great Spirit. The 
 warriors w^ho were to take part in the dance, w^ere 
 painting their bodies with alternate bars of red and 
 white, and dressing themselves in a piece of shaggy 
 
 9* 
 
102 AMONG THE INDIANS. ' 
 
 buffalo robe, with a large bunch of green willows 
 bound on their backs, and smaller bunches in each 
 hand. They represented the bulls, and were six in 
 number. At regular intervals during the day, they 
 came forth, and danced around the open area, or 
 public square, in the middle of the village. In the 
 centre of this area was a circular structure, resem- 
 bling a very large hogshead. Suddenly the Buck 
 Eagle appeared from the lodge, with his pipe in his 
 hand, and leaning against the tub, commenced 
 crying in a loud voice to the Great Spirit. Rattles 
 sounded from within the lodge, and three men ran 
 out in a crouching position, carrying drums garnished 
 with feathers, and seated themselves on the ground 
 close by him. Two others bearing rattles, followed ; 
 and the signal was given for the dancers to appear, 
 by a prolonged drumming and rattling. 
 
 All the people of the village now congregated to 
 witness this ceremony, which they considered their 
 most important one (after the dance of the Calumet) 
 and covered the tops of the surrounding lodges, 
 from one of which I had an excellent view of the 
 proceedings. The assemblage behaved with the 
 utmost decorum ; there was no jostling or pushing, 
 setting in this respect an example which could be 
 followed with infinite advantage elsewhere. Then, 
 from the medicine lodge, in pairs, with a jarring, 
 
THE BULL DANCE. 103 
 
 shuffling step, in regular cadence, with their fantas- 
 tic dresses of buffalo robes and willow boughs, came 
 the bull-dancers, and commenced to circle slowly 
 around the tub. On the afternoon of the third day, 
 the most thrilling part of the ceremonies occurred. 
 The rattles sounded, the drums beat, and the 
 "bulls" executed their stamping, jarring dance 
 with unwonted energy. The Raising-Heart con- 
 ducted me to a seat upon a log among the dignita- 
 ries of the tribe, and seated himself close by among 
 some of his old cronies, with whom he kept up an 
 animated conversation. All eyes were turned 
 towards the Medicine Lodge, whence came pouring 
 forth, and dispersing in all directions, a band of 
 antelope, fifty or sixty in number. They were men 
 and boys, of all sizes, entirely naked, and painted all 
 over with white clay. Willow twigs were bound on 
 their heads, in the shape of, and to represent horns. 
 There were also frogs and several nondescript animals. 
 After dancing for about twenty minutes, the bulls 
 suddenly broke away in different directions, mostly ,. 
 taking their course through the groups of women 
 and young girls, who scattered upon their approach, 
 with screams of laughter, to lodges, where refresh- 
 ments, consisting chiefly of boiled mush, were pre- 
 pared for them. Buck Eagle and his musicians 
 returned at once to their lodge ; and after eating, the 
 
104 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 bulls followed their example, to repeat the dance 
 within an interval of half an hour. 
 
 The band of antelopes rushed hither and thither, 
 anywhere and everywhere : one moment on the tops 
 of the lodges, the next, dashing through the groups 
 of squaws, and then clustered together, plotting fresh 
 mischief. The frogs kept near the big tub, around 
 which they danced and hopped in a most grotesque 
 manner. An old woman now came forward with a 
 large wooden bowl of mush, which she handed to 
 one of the frogs ; but scarcely has he lifted it to his 
 mouth ere it is snatched from him by an antelope, 
 w^hen the rest of the band dash forward, and in the 
 scuffle that follows, the earth receives most of it, 
 while the old woman retreats with feigned indigna- 
 tion to her lodge. 
 
 In retaliation for this insult, and with more agility 
 than one would suppose them to possess, the frogs 
 pursue the antelopes ; but seldom succeed in over- 
 taking them. Another old woman now comes for- 
 ward with another bowl of mush ; but before she has 
 advanced many steps, an antelope trots up quickly 
 behind her, and suddenly snatching it out of her 
 hands, attempts to swallow it, but is thwarted in 
 this by his companions, and the mush is again spilt. 
 
 Sometimes, however, the old woman, will turn 
 suddenly round, and throw the mush over such 
 
THE TORTURES. 105 
 
 antelopes as happen to be near; which exploit is 
 hailed with intense satisfaction by the squaws. 
 
 So the sports go bravely on ; while the bulls keep 
 up their dance with unabated vigor. But there is a 
 pause — as one by one, in Indian file, with slow and 
 measured tread, forth from the Medicine Lodge 
 come the young men who have been fasting. 
 
 All are naked, with the exception of a scarlet 
 breechcloth ; and their bodies and hmbs are painted 
 with yellow clay. Each one carries a lance decorated 
 with fluttering pennons, and war-eagle feathers, and a 
 faneifully-painted and garnished shield is slung over 
 the shoulder. 
 
 They looked emaciated, but showed no si^ns of 
 weariness, walking with a slow but firm step to the 
 middle of the area, where they prostrated themselves 
 in a regular line, with their faces flat to the ground, 
 and continued thus in silent prayer to the Great 
 Spirit for about a quarter of an hour. The bulls 
 still kept up their dance; but the sports of the ante- 
 lopes had for the time ceased, and they clustered in 
 groups on the tops of the lodges, silent and attentive 
 spectators. Slowly rising from the ground, the 
 young men retraced their steps to the lodge. 
 
 The bulls now exerted themselves vigorously, the 
 antelopes resumed their pranks, and two old war- 
 riors, Chae-shah-ou-ketty (the Bob-Tail Wolf), and 
 
106 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Mush-shuka-hoy-tucky (the White Dog), emerged 
 from the Medicine Lodge, closely followed by a couple 
 of the young men. Going up to two stout poles 
 about twelve feet high and firmly planted in the 
 ground, they disengaged cords of raw hide hanging 
 from them. One of the young men knelt at the foot 
 1 of the pole, resting his thighs on his heels; and 
 throwing his head back, and his breast forward, sup- 
 ported himself in this position by his hands. The 
 old men now, one on either side, with a common 
 butcher-knife cut through the skin and flesh on each 
 breast, and thrusting splints under the sinews, at- 
 tached the thongs to them. The other young man 
 was quickly served in the same way. 'Not a muscle 
 of their countenances changed expression, and not 
 a sound escaped their lips while this painful opera- 
 tion was in progress. Each rose to his feet, and 
 throwing the whole weight of his body upon the 
 cords, with the blood streaming from the wounds, 
 tried to tear himself loose.' One, as soon as he 
 was left alone, sprang wildly to the full length 
 of the cords, and then hanging with his full weight 
 upon the sinews of his breast, swung back, striking 
 the post violently. 
 
 Again and again he swung himself off, and around 
 the pole, calling in the most agonizing tones to the 
 Great Spirit, and praying that he might hereafter be 
 
THE TORTURES. 107 
 
 a successful warrior and hunter, and that his heart 
 might be "made strong" to enable him to bear his 
 present sufferings. After being self-tortured in this 
 way for some time, he fainted, and hung, to all ap- 
 pearances, entirely dead. 
 
 The strain on the splints finally tore them out, and 
 he fell to the ground ; when his relations came for- 
 ward and took him in charge, carrying him off to a 
 lodge, where, after he revived, food would be ready 
 for him, and he might then receive the congratula- 
 tions of his friends. 
 
 The other youth uttered not a word ; he was quite 
 young, not more than seventeen or eighteen, and 
 for some time walked around the pole, shrinking 
 from the fearful test. At last, having nerved him- 
 self up to it, he suddenly swung off with all his 
 strength ; and returning, struck the post with such' 
 violence that he too fainted, and hung, a sickening 
 si^ht, with the blood streaming from his self-inflicted 
 wounds. 
 
 In no instance can the splints be pulled out ; to do 
 so would be fatal to the " medicine." In some 
 ca«es where the sinew is very strong, it is necessary 
 to suspend them entirely off their feet, and even 
 increase the weight by hanging buffalo skulls to their 
 limbs. One Indian was compelled to walk around 
 for nearly an entire day, dragging after him six or 
 
108 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 eight buffalo skulls. All who can pass through 
 this ordeal without flinching, are looked upon as 
 brave men, and strong-hearted warriors and hunters. 
 The Four-Bears himself had gone through it four 
 or five times, as the scars on his breast and limbs 
 testified. 
 
 The fourth and closing day was mostly a repetition 
 of the third. Those of the young men who had not 
 succeeded in tearing themselves loose from the 
 poles, were dragged in a circle by the hands, until 
 the buffalo skulls fastened to their legs were torn 
 out by the violence of the race ; and it has happened 
 more than once, that the tough sinew defying every 
 efibrt to break it, rendered it necessary for the 
 unfortunate sufferer to crawl off on the prairie, and 
 there remain until it had rotted completely out. 
 
 It is not my purpose, beyond a few general 
 remarks, to enter into any speculations or theories 
 as to the origin of this, or other rites and ceremonies. 
 I shall confine myself to narrating simply and accu- 
 rately, such scenes and incidents in Indian life as 
 came under mv notice ; for the reason that all such 
 speculations and theories would be for the most 
 part vague and unsatisfactory. 
 
 There are of course exceptions, but the majority 
 of the interpreters, through whom such information 
 can only be obtained, are usually ignorant, unlettered 
 
INDIAN RELIGION. 109 
 
 men, who have originally been brought into the 
 country as common voyageurs, and after a time, 
 preferring the lazy life of the Indians, they fall into 
 their ways, and thus by degrees pick up enough of 
 the language for ordinary intercourse. It cannot be 
 expected, therefore, that interpreters of such limited 
 intelligence would be able to enter into lengthened 
 and profound explanations of these and kindred 
 observances, however well fitted they may be to 
 act the part of translators. 
 
 When not in the employ of either company they 
 live with the Indians, whose estimation of them is 
 measured only by their ability to make presents, and 
 keep their squaw-wives and their interminable set 
 of " cousins" well dressed and provided for. 
 
 The Bull Medicine is intended to ask the blessing 
 of the Great Spirit upon the tribe, but more espe- 
 cially upon the participants. That they may have ^ 
 plenty of buffalo close to the village, so that they 
 need not go far away and .be in danger from their 
 enemies. Also that success in war and horse- 
 stealing may be granted them, and they may thus 
 become distinguished among their people. 
 
 Their fasts and self-imposed tortures are public 
 
 evidences of the sincerity of their belief, and faith 
 
 in the power of the Great Spirit to support them in 
 
 these terrible trials, and hear their supplications. 
 
 10 
 
110 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 I have always considered the l^orth American In- 
 dians a highly religious people, according to the 
 light they have : they practise as well as preach. 
 
 They all believe in an overruling Power, which 
 they call the Great Spirit, and that He dwells in a 
 beautiful country beyond the skies. To go to this 
 beautiful country, or "Happy Hunting-Ground," is 
 the crowning point of an Indian's hope ; it is his 
 expected reward for the faithful fulfilment of his 
 obligations to the Great Spirit during life, by steal- 
 ing horses, taking scalps, and general success as a 
 warrior and hunter. 
 
 There he will be rewarded for all his trials and 
 privations on earth; there it will be always early 
 summer-time ; the grass will ever be green and fresh, 
 watered by cool mountain springs. Game will abound 
 in the greatest profusion, and the hunter need never 
 fear the whizzing arrow or whistling bullet of 
 his foe. His lodge will always be amply stored, his 
 wives will raise abundant crops of corn and pump- 
 kins, and his children never cry for hunger. All 
 will be contentment and happiness. 
 
 But, on the other hand, if he has excited the dis- 
 pleasure of the Great Spirit by refusing to undergo 
 the " Medicine " ordeal, by laziness in war and the 
 chase, and by his general worthlessness and neglect 
 of all his duties, he will go to a land abounding with 
 enemies, where he will sufter hunger and cold. 
 
INDIAN RELIGION. Ill 
 
 There, it is always night, and snow thickly covers 
 the ground ; and as if to add to the horrors of his 
 condition, he will be tantalized by the sight of the 
 " happy hunting-grounds," whose secure enjoyments 
 might have been his. 
 
 Thus it will be seen that the Indians look to a 
 future existence, either of weal or woe, as their con- 
 duct during life may determine. Their numerous 
 dances and ceremonies are but feasts and fasts to 
 please the Great Spirit, and ask a continuance of 
 blessings. 
 
 Thus their religion is essentially the same as that 
 of more enlightened nations, differing only in the 
 mode of its observance. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 war's ALARUMS — PANIC AMONG THE SQUAWS — THE FORT 
 INVADED — A MIXED-UP STATE OF AFFAIRS — " ALL 'S 
 WELL." 
 
 THE great " Bull Medicine " having been made to 
 the satisfaction of all, it now remained to be 
 seen what effect it would have upon the Great Spirit. 
 Day after day passed, and still there was no sign of 
 the near approach of buffalo. The chiefs and old 
 men were generally of the same opinion : that the 
 "medicine" was sufficiently strong, and the Great 
 Spirit would soon send them an abundance. 
 
 Many, on the other hand, including most of the 
 young and impetuous braves, took an entirely dif- 
 ferent view of it. It was, however, agreed that 
 before any further steps were taken in the matter, a 
 proper amount of patience and self-denial should be 
 exercised, in consequence of which decision there 
 was a brief period of general repose and inactivity. 
 But it did not last long. 
 
 One day, towards the middle of the afternoon, an 
 alarm was raised that a large war-party of Sioux on 
 horseback had been seen lurking among the distant 
 
 fll2) 
 
war's alarums. 113 
 
 bluffs that loomed up beyond the expanse of prairie 
 in the rear of the village. An instant and terrible 
 uproar was the natural consequence of this unex- 
 pected discovery. 
 
 The "medicine" was strong; of that there was 
 no lono^er the slio^htest doubt. The buffalo had been 
 sent; but the approach of this war-party had run 
 them off. Universal consternation arose: the men 
 yelled, the women screamed, and the dogs howled 
 lustily, while the scouts and horse-guards were 
 riding to and fro over the prairie with the utmost 
 activity, collecting the scattered bands of horses, 
 and rushing them at full speed towards the village. 
 
 The clouds of dust raised by the hoofs of the 
 excited horses partially obscured objects on the 
 prairie, and the commotion soon reached the highest 
 pitch. Powder, balls, and flints were in the greatest 
 demand, and as the shades of evening closed around, 
 the frightened squaws came into both forts, bringing 
 their dresses, medicine-bags, and valuables for safe- 
 keeping, looking upon the capture and plunder of 
 their village as a settled thing. 
 
 The Dry Pumpkin, the Snakeskin, and the Long 
 Hair, went about and harangued for the fighting- 
 men to '' strike for their altars and their fires," and 
 teach the rascally Sioux a lesson that they would not 
 forget for many a day. A dilapidated chimney, the 
 10* H 
 
114 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 last remains of the old fort, was torn down by the 
 squaws, by order of the Dry Pumpkin, so that "no 
 enemy could be concealed behind it." 
 
 Our corral was literally packed with as many 
 horses as it could possibly hold. The gates of the 
 fort were shut at the usual hour and strongly barri- 
 caded, and every one looked well to his weapons, 
 and prepared them for immediate service. It was 
 not considered necessary for us to mount a regular 
 guard, as all the Indians would be on the qui vive. 
 Paquenaude got ready for action by tying his favorite 
 black handkerchief round his head and giving his 
 gun a fresh load, after which he took his station, 
 fully prepared for the worst. 
 
 The evening was remarkably beautiful. The soft 
 moonlight fell with striking effect upon the wild 
 figures in the area of the fort, and grim warriors 
 stalked silently about grasping their ready weapons. 
 The half-alarmed horses in the corral crowded rest- 
 lessly together; the squaws and children huddled 
 here and there in groups, with their valuables close 
 by, and a retinue of their favorite dogs sleeping 
 quietly beside them. The women talked in low 
 tones about the expected attack, and expressed great 
 fears lest their cornfields, upon which they had 
 expended so much toil, would be destroyed by the 
 ruthless invaders. 
 
 As the evening wore on, they crowded into the 
 
A MIXED-UP AERANGEMENT. 115 
 
 houses until all vacant nooks and corners were filled 
 with valuables, and every available foot of space on 
 the floors occupied by recumbent forms, too anxious 
 to close their eyes in sleep. 
 
 The Bourgeois' house was manifestly the favorite. 
 " Crowd in " was the order, and it was carried out 
 to the strictest letter, and with such a will that it 
 was almost impossible to move without treading on 
 the graceful proportions of some Indian maiden. 
 
 The night was warm and close, and the effluvia 
 arising from the closely packed bodies of the highly- 
 scented squaws was infinitely stronger than agree- 
 able. 
 
 It was late when I thought of retiring, and found 
 that beyond making my bed a general repository 
 for miscellaneous articles, it was otherwise unen- 
 cumbered. I laid down, after merely removing my 
 pouch and powder-horn, and in trying to stretch out 
 my feet, struck something which I took to be a buf- 
 falo-robe closely folded, and without more cere- 
 mony kicked it on the floor. In falling it struck 
 with some violence the rotund form of an ancient 
 squaw, and commenced crying out with a vigor that 
 fully proved the strength of its lungs and general 
 soundness of constitution. 
 
 A commotion among the females was the natural 
 consequence of my inadvertently kicking a baby out 
 of bed, and all the other infants (of which I thought 
 
116 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 there was a goodly number) added their full quota 
 of music to the concert. By degrees everything 
 quieted down again, but I felt constrained to lie 
 very quietly, not knowing but that the slightest 
 movement on my part might result in a similar 
 catastrophe, and the remaining bundles on my 
 domain (whether living or otherwise) remained 
 undisturbed. 
 
 At midnight, Paquenaude came to the door and 
 hurriedly whispered, "The Sioux are. coming!" 
 An Indian had crept over from the village and 
 reported that the enemy were now cutting and 
 destroying the cornfields. All were immediately 
 on the alert, and a sleepless vigilance was main- 
 tained the rest of the night. The morning dawned 
 bright and clear, and revealed no traces of the rav- 
 ages of the foe. Not till the sun was high, how- 
 ever, were the horses driven forth to feed, and even 
 then they were not allowed to go more than a few 
 hundred yards from the pickets of the village. 
 
 The coi^fields were not disturbed in the least, 
 and when the mounted scouts returned, after an 
 extended reconnoissance, without having discovered 
 the slightest trace of an enemy, it was generally 
 admitted to have been another false alarm. 
 
 A feeling of security being once more restored, 
 the squaws removed their valuables to their lodges, 
 and matters went on as usual. 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 HUNTING — HARVESTING CORN — DRUDGERY OF THE SQUAWS 
 
 ASSINNIBOINES ARRIVE — JOURNEY TO THEIR CAMP — 
 
 INCIDENTS BY THE WAY — GAMBLING — TROUBLES OF A 
 
 LAME ASSINNIBOINE — SQUAW MURDERS HER CHILD 
 
 BUFFALO BULL KILLED — PRAIRIE DELICACIES WILD 
 
 FOWL — A FAIRY DELL — CAMP DISCOVERED — ARRIVAL. 
 
 IT was now the latter end of summer, and I passed 
 a great deal of my time in hunting. It was, 
 however, almost too early in the season, and from 
 the numbers of Indian hunters on the range, game 
 was very scarce and wild. 
 
 About three miles above the village, after passing 
 through a heavy forest of cottonwood, my favorite 
 hunting- trail led out upon a beautiful prairie bottom 
 with a swift watercourse flowing through it, which 
 terminated in a lake. In the spring and fall, wild 
 fowl in great numbers and of every variety, were 
 here to be found, and Paquenaude and I enjoyed 
 excellent sport. The ducks were now in their 
 prime, as fat as butter, and made very acceptable 
 
 additions to our larder. 
 
 (117) 
 
118 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 The Indians went out to surround just often 
 enough to keep from starving ; but the green corn 
 was fast ripening, and, with the quantities of small 
 game daily brought in by the hunters, we fared 
 luxuriously. 
 
 The only wild-prairie Indians that raise corn are 
 the Riccarees, Mandans, and Minnetarees. It is a 
 species of Canada corn, very hardy and of quick 
 growth. It is of all colors ; red, black, blue, yellow, 
 purple, and white ; sometimes a single ear presents 
 a combination of all these hues. When boiled green, 
 with rich buffalo marrow spread on it, (instead of 
 butter,) it is very sweet, and truly delicious. 
 
 The squaws have a busy time harvesting. It is a 
 season of joy and festivity with them, when their 
 long and patient labor is finally rewarded by an 
 abundant crop. In the spring, as soon as the frost 
 is out of the ground, the women break up their 
 patches of land. Every foot must be turned up and 
 loosened with the hoe, a slow and toilsome operation. 
 After the corn is planted and begins to come up, 
 slender fences of willow are necessary to prevent 
 the horses from destroying the tender blades. These 
 willows have to be carried on the backs of the 
 women a long distance, a few at a time, until a suffi- 
 cient quantity for the purpose is collected. While 
 the operation of breaking ground, planting, and 
 
DRUDGERY OF THE SQUAWS. 119 
 
 fencing is going on, wood has also to be carried for 
 the lodges; for those great, round, earth-covered 
 dwellings of the Minnetarees are very chilly during 
 the early damp spring weather, requiring much fuel 
 for warming, as well as cooking. 
 
 Day after day, until it was gathered in, the corn 
 must be regularly hoed, more to counteract the 
 effect of drought than to keep down weeds. For on 
 these dry and elevated plains, rain seldom falls 
 after the spring has passed. 
 
 All these duties devolve upon the women ; hence 
 it will be seen that when an Indian has a plurality 
 of wives he is enabled to live by the distribution of 
 their labor in comparative ease and comfort. From 
 early morn until sunset, the squaws, old and young, 
 may be seen, passing to and from their cornfields, 
 with rudely woven willow baskets slung on their 
 backs, in which they carry the corn to their lodges. 
 
 Fires are blazing in all directions ; around which 
 gather merry groups to feast on boiled and roasted 
 ears. When the harvest is gathered in, the ears of 
 corn are plaited into a "trace " (like a rope of onions) 
 and hung upon scaffolds to dry. The variegated 
 hues of the often tastefully arranged " traces " hang- 
 ing from the scaffolds, give the village a gay and 
 holiday appearance. 
 
 Each family reserves a number of the choicest 
 
120 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 ears to make sweet corn for winter use. It is first 
 parboiled ; the grains are then carefully picked off 
 the cob and dried in the sun upon a piece of lodge 
 skin. Prepared thus, it retains all its juices and 
 flavor, and will keep unimpaired almost any length 
 of time. It is then put away in skin bags, and care- 
 fully hoarded for use on special occasions, or in 
 times of scarcity. The "trace" corn is cdched — a 
 hole is dug in the ground usually near the lodge, 
 some six or eight feet in depth ; small at the top, 
 but widening as it deepens, much resembling a jug 
 in shape. Hay is next strewn over the bottom and 
 sides, and when the corn is thoroughly dried, it is 
 taken down from the scaffolds and packed aw^ay. 
 The cdche is filled up with hay, dirt is then thrown 
 on and firmlj^ trodden down, and every sign care- 
 fully obliterated. Each family has one or more of 
 these eddies, and as they leave their summer vil- 
 lage early in the fall for winter quarters, the corn 
 remains undiscovered and undisturbed until their 
 return in the spring. They also raise black beans, 
 pumpkins, and squashes ; but in spite of these vege- 
 table resources, hemmed in as they often are by 
 enemies, and consequently unable to obtain by 
 hunting a full supply of buffalo meat, they some- 
 times suffer greatly for food. Well may the season 
 of green corn be one of festivity and gladness, for it 
 
ASSINNIBOINES ARRIVE. 121 
 
 is then only that the women enjoy a brief respite 
 from their severe toil. 
 
 About the middle of September, a party of thirty 
 Assinniboines arrived to visit the Gros Ventres. 
 The new-comers had been sent from a camp known 
 as "the band of Canoes," by the chief, "Broken 
 Arm," to beg a "little tobacco," (i. e. a handsome 
 present) from the traders, and induce them, if pos- 
 sible, to send to their camp on the River of Lakes, 
 about three days travel, to traffic for such robes 
 and skins as they had on hand at present, of which 
 they declared of course that they had a great plenty. 
 Quite a number of Gros Ventres decided to embrace 
 this opportunity of visiting the Assinniboine camp, 
 to smoke the pipe of peace and friendship, and 
 exchange horses. Our Bourgeois thinking it would 
 be profitable, determined also to send an expedition. 
 
 That night, after closing the gates, we began pre- 
 paring a small but well-assorted outfit, and drew 
 rations for a ten days' journey, the length of time 
 we expected to be gone. Roasting cofiee comprised 
 most of this preparation, and we soon had every- 
 thing in readiness to leave at daybreak. 
 
 Bright and early we were up, the wagon loaded, 
 
 and our horses harnessed and saddled, so that before 
 
 the sun had fairly risen, we were several miles on 
 
 our journey, taking a northerly direction. I had 
 
 11 
 
122 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 charge of the party, which consisted of Paquenaude 
 for interpreter, and a long-haired mountaineer named 
 Bostwick. We soon overtook some of the Assinni- 
 boines, who were all on foot, and travelled along 
 together in the best possible humor. 
 
 One old fellow took the lead, dragging a broken- 
 down bay horse heavily packed with corn, the gift 
 of his Gros Ventres friends. He kept up a measured 
 jog the livelong day, with his eyes steadily fixed on 
 a distant butte or pile of stones, landmarks by which 
 he shaped his course, seemingly oblivious of the ex- 
 istence of any beings beside himself and his forlorn 
 steed. At noon we halted by a little spring of clear 
 water, and turned the horses loose to graze at will, 
 while we regaled ourselves with some cold meat, and 
 after a short rest proceeded on our way. 
 
 Our route led us through a rather uninteresting 
 country, chiefly high rolling prairie, totally destitute 
 of timber. 
 
 Early in the afternoon, we crossed a fork of a creek 
 called Rising Water, and encamped to await the 
 arrival of the rest of our fellow-travellers, who had 
 been detained by some dancing and other ceremonies 
 at the village. 
 
 Our horses were hobbled and turned loose-^with 
 trailing lariats, so that they could be caught up at a 
 moment's warning ; and resting our guns against the 
 
PREPARINGSUPPER. 123 
 
 wagons, with powder-horns and bullet-pouches hang- 
 ing from the muzzles, we began our preparations for 
 supper. 
 
 The Assinniboines who were in company had but 
 the one forlorn steed to look after, and all of us were 
 Boon busied in collecting dry buffalo chips for our 
 camp-fire, there being no wood within miles. Before 
 long it was blazing cheerily, and Paquenaude leav- 
 ing Bostwick to pile on the chips, took the coffee 
 pot and filled it with brackish water from the creek. 
 Our coffee having been roasted before leaving the 
 fort, I put a little into a leathern bag, and pounded 
 it with an axe on the tire of a wheel, until it was 
 crushed sufiSciently fine for our purpose. By our 
 united exertions, our supper, consisting of co^ee 
 and dry buffalo meat slightly warmed through, was 
 soon ready, and as quickly dispatched. The Assinni- 
 boines built a separate fire, and as they had no coffee 
 to make, finished their meal before we did. At dusk 
 the rest of our party joined us, consisting of sixty 
 Gros Ventres, and the remaining Assinniboines, all 
 well mounted, and leading extra pack-horses. 
 
 The Four-Bears with his favorite squaw, the 
 Hawk, and several other principal men, rode up. 
 The^rst eager inquiry of the Four-Bears before un- 
 saddling, was, "Have you made coffee yet? " 
 
 The horses were driven up, and secured for the 
 
124 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 night by being either hobbled or picketed, our 
 arms examined, and enough bufialo chips collected 
 to keep a little fire throughout the night. The 
 Assinniboines gathered around, and commenced 
 playing a game of hand, while the Gros Ventres 
 boiled a kettle of sweet corn, of which, after it was 
 cooked, the whole party were invited to partake. 
 Two of the Assinniboines were so absorbed in their 
 game that they kept on playing in preference to in- 
 dulging in the (to them) unwonted luxury of green 
 corn. After the feast was over, we wrapped our- 
 selves in our blankets ; and the last sounds I heard 
 before losing consciousness were those made by the 
 horses cropping the short rich grass, and the monot- 
 onous chant "heh-ah-heh" of the gamblers. 
 
 Toward morning we were roused up by a cold 
 driving rain, and throwing fresh chips on the fire, 
 prepared our breakfast of coffee and meat, so that 
 by daylight we ^vere en route again. 
 
 The morning was bitterly cold and raw; and we 
 rode with our robes and blankets wrapped closely 
 around us. We travelled at a rapid pace, and an 
 old lame Assinniboine, who had been residing with 
 his family among the Gros Ventres during the win- 
 ter, and had embraced this opportunity of returning 
 to his people, found it exceedingly difficult to hobble 
 along fast enough. 
 
A CHILD MURDERED. 125 
 
 He had one horse and a travee, upon which his 
 three children and all his worldly goods were trans- 
 ported. His squaw led the wretched animal, and 
 old "Lousey," as the matter-of-fact Bostwick styled 
 the unfortunate Assinniboine, toiled painfully along 
 in the rear, using such exertions to keep up that the 
 perspiration rolled in streams down his rueful coun- 
 tenance, notwithstanding the chilliness of the morn- 
 ing. All his efforts, however, were in vain, and he 
 was finally left behind, loudly protesting against 
 being abandoned in such a dangerous country, and 
 so far from his people's camp. 
 
 A squaw with three small children was also left; 
 she carried one on her back, and another in her 
 arms, while the eldest trotted along by her side. 
 Some time after, a young Indian who had loitered 
 behind came up and reported that the squaw had 
 just killed the youngest *^ because it was too small 
 to travel." 
 
 A grizzly bear was discovered a short distance 
 
 from the line of march, but the whole party were in 
 
 too much of a hurry to run the risk of delay by 
 
 attacking him, so he was not disturbed. Our course 
 
 took us through a most barren and uninteresting 
 
 country, abounding in rugged hills and dales, 
 
 making it very laborious for the wagon-team. Our 
 
 advance roused two lean old buffalo bulls, and the 
 11* 
 
126 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 partisan or leader of the Assinniboines, the Eed 
 Snow, gave chase, and killed one after a short and 
 spirited dash. When we reached the place w^here 
 the animal had fallen, only a few hundred yards off, 
 he was already butchered, and half a dozen hungry 
 savages stood over the carcass, greedily devouring 
 the warm and quivering flesh. A halt was made, 
 the horses turned loose, a fire of dried bufiklo dung 
 kindled, and in almost the twinkling of an eye the 
 kettle was boiling. The meat was so warm and 
 fresh as to require very little cooking ; it was too 
 fresh, in fact, to be good. 
 
 As a titbit, the Four-Bears' squaw made a 
 " houdin,*' i. e. an intestine filled with chopped meat 
 like a sausage, but without seasoning of any kind. 
 In the preparation of this dainty morceau, economy 
 both of time and labor was well studied ; for, as the 
 intestine was gradually filled up at one end, the 
 original contents were forced out at the other. A 
 few moments' immersion in the kettle sufficed to 
 cook it, and a much shorter time was required for 
 the surrounding epicures to discuss it, which they 
 did with indescribable gusto. 
 
 This delectable meal over, we were off again, 
 leaving a fine feast for the wolves, whose forms could 
 everywhere be seen sneaking over the adjacent hills. 
 The whole affair — the run, the butchering, cooking, 
 and eating — did not occupy an hour. 
 
CHEERLESS CAMP. 1^7 
 
 We toiled on until afternoon, when a cold, driving 
 storm of sleet and rain set in. At one time it was 
 so severe that the horses turned their tails to it and 
 refused to proceed; whereupon, wrapping our robes 
 and blankets around us for protection, we patiently 
 waited until it should abate a little. The Indians 
 lit their pipes and enjoyed a social smoke, and as 
 soon as the storm moderated we hastened on as 
 quickly as possible to make up for lost time. When 
 evening came, cold, tired, and hungry, we made our 
 camp at the head of Shell Creek, the scanty fire of 
 buffalo chips not warming us, but merely serving to 
 boil some of the bull-meat and coffee. Quickly 
 dispatching our supper, we turned in and slept 
 soundly, with the exception of several of the 
 Indians, whose fears led them to expect being 
 rushed upon during the night by a war-party. My 
 slumbers were not the less sound for having such 
 vigilant sentinels 
 
 We started early the next morning as usual, but 
 in crossing Shell Creek one of the wagon-horses 
 mired and fell, and was only extricated after much 
 trouble and delay. The country still continued bad 
 for wagons; it abounded in innumerable lakes or 
 ponds of stagnant water, and all more or less highly 
 flavored with buffalo urine. Wild fowl were present 
 in countless numbers, and as they were very fat at 
 
128 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 this season, we enjoyed rare sport, and feasted in 
 true hunter style. So plenty were they, and so 
 tame, that it was like shooting into a flock of barn- 
 yard fowls ; but no more were killed than we act- 
 ually wanted. 
 
 Buffalo were plenty about the head of Knife 
 River, but no stop was made for hunting, as they 
 were yet poor and thin, and plenty of ducks could 
 be obtained with but little trouble. 
 
 The sun, which had been hidden behind dark 
 and threatening clouds all the morning, adding to 
 the indescribable dreariness and desolation of the 
 wild and barren landscape, suddenly shone out in 
 all his splendor, just as we were about to leave the 
 ridge and descend the sloping prairie to the crossing 
 of the river, at this place not more than fifty feet 
 wide. The grass looked greener and fresher than 
 on the sterile plains we had quitted, and a few 
 stunted trees growing on the margin of the little 
 stream, the first which had been seen since leaving 
 the Missouri, and the towering bluffs by which the 
 valley was surrounded on all sides, added greatly to 
 the extreme beauty of this fairy dell. I reined in 
 my horse to admire its quiet and seclusion. Bands 
 of buffalo were scattered here and there ; some 
 grazing, others rolling, and evidently enjoying them- 
 selves, while many were indolently lying down 
 
TOILET OF THE FOUR- BEARS. 129 
 
 ruminating. A large band of antelopes started up 
 and fled swiftly away. 
 
 The wind was blowing from us, and the buffalo 
 sniffing the tainted air, sprang to their feet, and 
 rapidly disappeared over the distant bluffs. As we 
 climbed the steep heights after crossing the river, I 
 looked back. The scene was changed. The fairy 
 dell was deserted, and had relapsed into its former 
 stillness without sight or sound of animal life. Con- 
 tinuing on, this enchanting scene was shut out from 
 my sight, but not from my memory, by the rugged 
 defiles through which our course lay. After wind- 
 ing around lakes, and passing through gloomy 
 ravines, we made our noon halt beside a pond of 
 water, so brackish and stinking that our thirsty 
 horses refused to drink. From here the Red- 
 Snow said we ought soon to see the Assiuniboine 
 camp, and the Indians busied themselves in making 
 their toilets. Four-Bears painted the face of his 
 favorite squaw (the only one that had accompanied 
 him on this trip) with vermilion, and then his own in 
 true warrior style. His long hair, which had been 
 clubbed up behind for convenience, was loosened 
 and carefully combed out. He then dressed him- 
 self in his splendid shirt ornamented with long 
 scalp-locks and dyed horse-hair. When all these 
 preparations were completed, we resumed our jour- 
 
130 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 ney, and after some hard scrambling got clear of 
 the "mauvaises terreSy" and stood upon the ^'coteau 
 de prairie^'" the great dividing ridge that separates 
 the tributaries of the Missouri from those of the 
 Red River of the I^orth. 
 
 Here the Red-Snow called a halt and consulted 
 with his comrades as to where the camp was likely 
 to be. A butte was pointed out a few hundred 
 yards off*, near to which the chief expected to find 
 it, but not a sign was visible. In vain our eyes 
 swept the prairie, until dimmed with the intensity 
 of our gaze we could no longer distinguish in the 
 distance the faint line that marked the meeting of 
 earth and sky. A pipe was lit and smoked ; after 
 which we climbed to the top of the highest butte, 
 whence by the aid of my spy-glass we had the 
 satisfaction of discovering a number of barely dis- 
 tinguishable points against the sky, which the 
 Indians unhesitatingly pronounced to be the lodges 
 of the Assinniboines. Whether we could reach 
 them by nightfall was the question. They were a 
 long distance off^ and our horses were jaded, but it 
 was determined to make the attempt. The whole 
 party pushed forward vigorously ; some of the 
 Indians singing, and all rejoiced at the approaching 
 termination of our trip. I was riding alongside of 
 the Red-Snow, when he called up one of his young 
 
ARRIVE AT THE CAMP. 131 
 
 men, and ordered him to precede 'us, and announce 
 our coming at the camp. The fellow was on foot 
 (like most of his party) and had been trotting along 
 for the last hour at a brisk gait, but he immediately 
 quickened his step and went on ahead. A dark 
 line of trees marked our approach to a running 
 stream, the River of Lakes ; it was a fork of Mouse 
 River, and for a wonder in this part of the country, 
 had a hard rocky bottom making a very good crossing. 
 Toiling up the steep and stony bluffs on the opposite 
 shore, we reached the Inroad plateau that stretches 
 away to Mouse River, about half a day's further 
 travel. Our party, instead of keeping in a compact 
 body, was strung out over the prairie, the footmen 
 well in advance and the special messenger far ahead 
 of all. 
 
 The conical skin lodges were now plainly in 
 sight, not more than five miles off, and Indians 
 galloped out from the camp to meet us and escort us 
 in. Buffalo, they said, were plenty ; nearly all the 
 hunters were away surrounding, and had not yet 
 returned. Crowds of women and children rushed out, 
 attracted by the novelty and rattling of the wagon 
 as we drove up to the chief's lodge. The old man 
 was out with the hunters, but his squaw stirred 
 around and soon carried everything inside, so that 
 when we returned from watering and picketing our 
 
132 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 horses near by, the kettle was already on the fire, 
 and a delicious hos (or hump ribs) cooking. 
 
 By the time supper was eaten the hunters returned, 
 and the squaws were busy unloading the meat and 
 taking care of the horses. The dogs, which were 
 very numerous, as is particularly the case in an 
 Assinniboine camp, hailed the arrival of so much 
 meat with a series of prolonged howls. 
 
 After smoking a pipe with our host, and briefly 
 detailing to him the principal news, we rolled our- 
 selves in our blankets ancj slept soundly, without 
 being troubled by the abundant insect life with 
 which an Assinniboine lodge is especially favored, 
 or by the proximity of several squaws, members of 
 the chief's family. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 SCENES IN CAMP — FEAST — COUNCIL — TRADE — ON THE 
 HOMEWARD TRAIL — DESOLATE COUNTRY — HOSTILE 
 
 "signs" INDIAN CRAFT ^ THE COMET RETURN TO 
 
 THE POST BATTLE WITH THE SIOUX — THE DOCTOR 
 
 CARRIED IN A BLANKET. 
 
 THE sun was high when we rose next morning, 
 and after inspecting our horses (which were 
 under the chiefs care), returned to the lodge for 
 hreakfast. Large bands of bufialo were in plain 
 sight from the encampment, and the hunters went 
 out to surround again. The squaws were cutting 
 up the meat which had been brought in, the day 
 before, in thin sheets, and drying it on poles resting 
 on crotches. Two or three of them would sit down 
 with a piece of skin between them, upon which the 
 meat was placed. They wore the usual elegant 
 style of dress which appeared to be the mode with 
 the ladies of the Canoe band of Assinniboines ; viz., 
 a garment of skin originally ample, but from being 
 frequently taxed to furnish material for patching 
 moccasins, it had become very low in the neck, 
 
 12 (133) 
 
134 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 very short in the sleeves, and of so scant a pattern 
 that it was in many instances a mere apology for a 
 covering. 
 
 Chatting and laughing all the time, they cut the 
 masses of meat with wonderful quickness and skill, 
 into large and thin sheets, with the fat judiciously 
 mixed, and then hung it over the poles to dry. 
 After exposure for a couple of days to the sun and 
 pure air of the prairies, the meat turns black and 
 hard, and in this condition will keep for a long time 
 perfectly good. The best meat is made in the win- 
 ter; it is then fatter, and is partially dried in the 
 smoke of the lodges, which greatly improves its 
 flavor. 
 
 The encampment was in the middle of an open 
 plain, without a stick of timber in sight, and the 
 superannuated squaws sat in the shade of the lodges, 
 nursing the children and scolding at the dogs, who 
 kept prowling around watching their chances to 
 steal. Other squaws were scraping the hair from 
 the buflfalo skins, and dressing them to make new 
 lodges, of which by the way very many families 
 were sadly in need. Some had cut down their 
 lodges little by little to supply pressing demands, 
 until there was barely enough lijft for a shelter. 
 Sixteen skins sewed together with sinews, somewhat 
 in the form of a cloak, and stretched over a frame- 
 
FEAST. 135 
 
 work of poles, form a very fair-sized lodge, sufficiently 
 large to accommodate eight or ten persons with 
 their effects. But, owing to the scarcity of horses 
 among this bandof Assinniboines, and the necessity 
 of using dogs as their beasts of burden, most of the 
 lodges consisted of from six to ten skins only. 
 
 At this time they were comparatively rich, having 
 recently concluded a treaty of peace with their old 
 enemies the Gros Ventres of the Prairie, (a band of 
 Blackfeet,) and obtained a number of horses from 
 them in exchange for the annuities which they had 
 received from Government. 
 
 While strolling around, I caught a glimpse of 
 Bostwick eating in one of the lodges, and trying to 
 make himself agreeable to a rather fine-looking 
 squaw. In the '' Broken Arm's " lodge, Paquenaude 
 was preparing a "feast," to be given at the Council 
 which we intended to hold with the principal men 
 in the evening, after their return from the surround. 
 
 When the feast was ready, the camp was ha- 
 rangued, to call the " soldiers " to it. In a little while 
 they came, each one bringing his bowl and cup, and 
 the lodge was soon crowded to its utmost capacity. 
 All sat with their knees huddled up to their chins, 
 and deep in communion with their own thoughts. 
 
 The feast, consisting of Indian sweet corn and tea, 
 was set before them, and Paquenaude addressed 
 
136 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 •them, urging them to winter with the Gros Ventres, 
 which they had some idea of doing ; telling them 
 to give us all the trade they could, and concluded 
 by laying before them half a dozen large plugs of 
 tobacco. 
 
 They all responded with hearty emphasis, "How- 
 ow; " and then lifting their pans of tea to their lips, 
 commenced sucking it in with a loud noise, more 
 like a herd of swine feeding than anything else. 
 After the tea had been drunk, the Broken Arm 
 brought out his pipe, made of a soft black clay, and 
 after carefully cleaning and charging it with a mix- 
 ture of tobacco and a weed which grows plentifully 
 on the northern prairies, and is used by the Assinni- 
 boines and Blackfeet instead of the red willow, 
 drew a few whiffs through it, and then handed it 
 around. 
 
 •When it had circulated a few times, the chief 
 gave the signal that the feast was ended by smoking 
 with the bowl of his pipe to the ground, and each 
 one taking his pan of corn, quickly and quietly left 
 the lodge. There were over thirty men crowded in 
 that lodge during the feast, where there seemed 
 barely room for four or five to move about comfort- 
 ably. 
 
 Large bands of buffalo were in sight next morning, 
 and the hunters went out again. The whole country 
 
WOUNDED BULL. 13T 
 
 seemed fairly alive with the moving herds. The 
 squaws were kept very busy in consequence, and the 
 dogs, gorged to repletion, lay sleepily basking in the 
 sun, and, contrary to their usual custom, took not 
 the slightest notice of me as I sauntered about. 
 
 The old lame Assinniboine and his family, whom 
 we left on the way hither, reached camp during the 
 forenoon, all looking as if they had found it a very 
 hard road to travel. Old "Lousey's" temper was 
 not improved by the danger to which he had been 
 subjected, by being abandoned on the prairie to 
 shift for himself, and as soon as he gained the middle 
 of the encampment, he commenced loudly exclaiming 
 against those who had left him, and for w^hom, when 
 they were young, and before he was an almost help- 
 less cripple, he had hunted and assisted in defending 
 against the enemy. Very little attention was paid 
 to this harangue, and he was suffered to vent his 
 indignation upon the four winds. 
 
 A buffalo bull, furious with his wounds, was 
 driven close to the camp, and his dying struggles 
 attracted all the idlers to witness them. Weakened 
 by the loss of blood streaming from several arrow 
 wounds in his side and from his mouth, (a sure sign 
 that he had received a vital shot,) he tottered feebly, 
 and as his pursuer rode up to within a few paces, 
 made a desperate lunge upon him, which was easily 
 12 * 
 
138 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 avoided by the activity of the well-trained " huffalo " 
 horse. Recovering himself with difficulty, the bull 
 stood at bay, trembling with rage and maddened 
 with pain. In a moment he fell gasping and strug- 
 gling, but before the breath had fairly left his body 
 the hide was torn off and the quivering flesh cut 
 away with astonishing rapidity. The choice bits 
 only were taken ; the proximity of the herds and 
 the abundance of meat in camp making the savages 
 dainty in their selections. A splendid feast was left 
 for the dogs, numbers of which were skulking 
 around eagerly waiting their turn. 
 
 It came ; there was for an instant a prodigious 
 uproar, a snapping of jaws and flourishing of tails, 
 and the pack dispersed, leaving only the skull and 
 some of the larger bones, and a patch of prairie 
 clotted with gore to mark the place where the noble 
 animal met his fate. 
 
 The next morning the squaws picked out the 
 dryest pieces of meat, and the trading began. The 
 lodge was entirely cleared of Indians, except the 
 chiefs and a couple of "soldiers," who sat at the 
 entrance, as much to preserve order by preventing 
 the squaws from rushing en masse, as for anything 
 else. For the next three hours we had a lively time : 
 powder, balls, knives, looking-glasses, hawk-bells, 
 brass tacks, vermilion, awls, and other trifles, were 
 
EXCHANGE OF COUllTESIES. 139 
 
 in demand ; and when we stopped trading, having 
 obtained as much meat as the wagon could trans- 
 port, the pressure became very great, the squaws 
 fearing that our stock of goods would become 
 exhausted before all were supplied. Many of the 
 women were exceedingly angry when they found 
 we would trade no more, and one old virago even 
 went so far as to talk of cutting up our goods to 
 shreds in revenge. A few trifles judiciously given, 
 aided by the determined effort of the soldiers, 
 finally quieted her down. The customary present 
 to the chief for the use of his lodge was* made, to 
 which were added a few trifles for his squaw, which 
 pleased her immensely. 
 
 The Gros Ventres were getting ready to return, 
 and we then set about loading up the wagon and 
 saddling our horses. When everything was ready, 
 the Four-Bears and several others were called in to 
 the Broken-Arm's lodge to eat and smoke before 
 leaving. The Four-Bears and Broken- Arm ex- 
 changed horses, the latter giving a fine one and 
 receiving an indifferent animal in return. 
 
 Making our way through the dense crowd, com- 
 prising both sexes and all ages, we left the Assinni- 
 boine camp, and struck out over the broad and 
 sloping plain between the camp and the Riviere au 
 'Lacs, when the conical lodges, with their wild popu- 
 
140 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 lation, were lost in the distance. Descending the 
 rugged and stony bluffs, we recrossed the river and 
 travelled on until sundown, when we encamped by 
 1 a pool of brackish water so strongly flavored and 
 discolored by buffalo urine, that it exceeded anything 
 we had hitherto met with, and our coffee was, in 
 consequence, scarcely drinkable. 
 
 A beautiful starlit night succeeded, and I was 
 glad to sleep in the fresh free air of the prairie, in 
 exchange for the smoky and crowded lodge of the 
 Assinniboine chief. The following day we plodded 
 steadily on through an uninteresting country ; not a 
 tree was visible ; no limpid, cooling streams, with 
 their verdure-clad banks, gladdened the eye. We 
 saw only innumerable sedgy lakes of stagnant rain- 
 water, the edges muddy and trampled inio a quag- 
 mire by the buffalo. 
 
 'NesiY sundown we struck the pebbly shore of a 
 very large lake of clear water, (the only one I had 
 seen on this expedition,) and after proceeding some 
 miles further, halted on Shell Creek, not very far 
 from our old camping-place. After passing a quiet 
 niglit, free from any alarm, we started again at early 
 dawn, and soon leaving the rugged and desolate 
 counby of lakes and hills, were once more on the 
 broad rolling prairie. Buffalo had recently roamed 
 here in great numbers, for the grass was eaten quite 
 
HOSTILE "SIGNS." 141 
 
 short, and other traces were everywhere visible. 
 Large flocks of swans and pelicans were continually 
 passing over our heads in graceful, undulating flight, 
 together with immense numbers of ducks and geese, 
 all taking their departure for more southern climes. 
 A few bulls lazily walked along the base of the dis- 
 tant blufis, and sneaking wolves, roused from their 
 lairs by our approach, trotted sulkily ofl* after stop- 
 ping an instant to look at us. Animal life abounded ; 
 it would have been delightful to have stopped and 
 hunted for a few days, but the country was extremely 
 dangerous, being constantly overrun by war-parties 
 of Sioux, Assinniboines, and Chippeways, one of 
 which might cross our path at any moment. 
 
 Our Indians hurried on, and the Four-Bears would 
 not allow a gun to be fired, since the sound could 
 be heard a long distance in these still regions, and 
 might be the means of discovering us to the enemy. 
 The recent hoof-prints of a band of buffalo in full 
 run were plainly distinguishable, which the Indians 
 closely examined in great concern, and called a coun- 
 cil of war. Buffalo never " raise " without cause ; 
 therefore they must undoubtedly have been disturbed 
 by a roving band of Indians, but whether friends 
 or foes we could not tell ; most probably the latter, 
 A young Gros Ventre crawled to the top of the 
 next roll of the prairie, and took a long and careful 
 
142 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 survey. [N'othing was discovered, so we kept on, 
 well together and ready for any emergency. At 
 sundown we recrossed Rising- Water and bivouacked. 
 "No fire was kindled, and each man looked well to 
 his weapons. 'Not a sound, except the gentle ripple 
 of the stream, broke the silence of the night. Bost- 
 wick and I made our beds together, and laid down 
 with our guns in our arms. Paquenaude spread his 
 blankets close by, and we found much amusement 
 in watching his preparations for the terrible conflict 
 which he was sure was impending. His famous 
 black handkerchief was tied tightly around his head, 
 and his naturally sallow countenance looked ghastly 
 enough by the light of the stars. He carefully re- 
 loaded his gun, putting a half-ounce bullet in one 
 barrel and nine buckshot in the other ; the latter he 
 dropped in, one at a time, and as each rolled slowly 
 down, it sounded ominous of danger. Woe to the 
 "Injin"that should chance (by accident only) to 
 get that charge into his "lights." The General's 
 martial spirit was now aroused, and he was fully 
 determined on counting such a " coup " as would 
 make him glorious for the rest of his existence. 
 Four-Bears crawled off quietly, and was quickly 
 lost to view in the surrounding gloom. The Hawk, 
 by command of his chief, sat a little apart, gun in 
 hand, on the alert to detect any signs of enemies. 
 
THE COMET. 143 
 
 The rest of the party lay scattered around, in seem- 
 ingly careless groups of twos and threes. 
 
 The Northern Lights flashed up and glowed until 
 the prairies were almost as bright as iiay, and re- 
 vealed the figure of a man seated upon the edge of 
 the bank, guarding against surprise in that quarter. 
 It was not the Hawk, for he was close by us ; could 
 it be the Four-Bears ? It must be, for he had gone 
 off in that direction early in the evening. 
 
 But why is there such uneasiness among the In- 
 dians ? Wherefore are they gazing so earnestly at 
 the skies, and talking to one another in subdued 
 whispers ? 
 
 In the E'orth-East a comet, with its tail spreading 
 over a vast arc of the heavens, was distinctly visible, 
 and with all the surroundings, the bivouac on the 
 lonely prairie, the startled groups of Indians, and 
 the consciousness of impending danger, caused all 
 that I had read of comets being the heralds of wars 
 and tumults to flash through my mind, until I could 
 not help sharing in the superstitious fears of the 
 Indians, and wondering what it boded. 
 
 Morning came at last, and roused us all into ac- 
 tivity. A fire of buffalo chips was soon kindled, 
 and we commenced preparing our breakfast, which, 
 as it consisted of a piece of jerked meat, simply 
 warmed, was not a tedious operation. 
 
144 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 I went down to the creek for a cup of water, and 
 saw, as I thought, the Four-Bears still keeping guard 
 upon the hank. 
 
 On my return I passed close by, and was amused 
 to find the supposed sentinel nothing more nor less 
 than the robe and headdress of the chief, cunningly 
 placed upon a stick, and so arranged that in an un- 
 certain light it presented an admirable counterfeit 
 of a human figure, well calculated to deceive and 
 hold in check the advance of any foe from that direc- 
 tion. The comet was the universal theme of con- 
 versation, and the Indians expressed the liveliest 
 apprehensions as to what might happen. Some even 
 predicted an attack upon the village, and all showed 
 anxiety to get back as soon as possible, which we 
 hoped to do by afternoon. We travelled all the 
 morning, and when within six or seven miles of the 
 village, were discovered by some of the advance 
 horse-guards, who, after signalling our approach to 
 the rear, came riding toward us at their highest 
 speed, dashing recklessly up and down hill. We 
 drew up in a body to meet them, as they charged 
 headlong towards us, without attempting to slacken 
 their speed, until within a few paces, when they 
 checked their horses so suddenly, as to throw them 
 back on their haunches. 
 
 A few hurried words to the Four-Bears, and an 
 
BATTLE WITH THE SIOUX. 145 
 
 intense excitement was immediately visible through- 
 out our party. All dismounted ; the pipe was lit and 
 passed around, and the following news elicited. — 
 The hunters had crossed the river the day before to 
 surround, and after a very successful run, were re- 
 turning in scattered parties heavily laden with meat. 
 While passing through the belt of timber before 
 coming out on the sand-bar, they were fired upon by 
 a war-party of Sioux, in ambush, and several slightly 
 wounded. The reports of the guns roused those 
 who had remained in the village, and seizing their 
 weapons they hurried across the river. Here they 
 were strongly reinforced by the rest of the hunters 
 who had hastened up at the first sounds of the fray, 
 when the Gros Ventres became in their turn the 
 assailants, and tracked the enemy through the woods 
 to where they had intrenched themselves behind a 
 rude breastwork of logs. 
 
 Contrary to their usual customof advancing warily, 
 the Minnetarees, maddened by the presence of their 
 hated foes, and conscious that they had them in 
 their power, rushed forward to the attack. After a 
 short but desperate struggle, during which the 
 forest rang with the rattling of arms and the whoops 
 of the combatants, the assailants charged up to the 
 breastwork and carried it, killing almost instantly 
 
 its'brave defenders only nine in number. 
 
 13 K >. 
 
^ 
 
 146 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Several Gros Ventres lost their lives, and a num- 
 ber were wounded, — some mortally. While this 
 information was being received, mounted Indians 
 continued to arrive every moment, all riding as if 
 their lives depended upon it. We kept on after a 
 brief delay, leaving the Indians smoking, and relat- 
 ing the particulars of the fight. Upon reaching the 
 fort the reports we had heard were confirmed. 
 
 The whole party of Yanctons, nine in all, were 
 killed, and their bodies hacked to pieces. Each of 
 the victors brought as trophies fragments of the 
 bodies; fingers, ears, and scalps. A hand mounted 
 on a pole was set up on the prairie, as a thank-ofi:er- 
 ing to the Great Spirit. But the Gros Ventres paid 
 dearly for their success; four were killed on the 
 field of battle, and many wounded, some fatally. 
 My esteemed friend Doctor E-ten-ah-pen-ah had 
 sufifered severely. Although a Sioux, he had lived 
 among the Gros Ventres many years, and was there- 
 fore anxious, not only to prove the sincerity of his 
 friendship for them, but also to display his prowess 
 as a warrior. So he boldly sought the thickest of 
 the fray. His left arm was badly shattered in two 
 places, and he was so weakened by the loss of blood 
 that he had to be carried in a blanket from the land- 
 ing to his lodge by four sympathizing squaws. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 GOOSE MEDICINE GROS VENTRES RETURN FROM THE REES 
 
 — ARRIVAL OF ONCPAPAS AND BLACKFEET SIOUX 
 
 JEALOUSIES SCARCITY OF MEAT IN CAMP — CHANGING 
 
 FACE OF NATURE. 
 
 AFTER the corn had all been gathered in, the 
 Mandan and Minnetaree squaws made their 
 Goose Medicine on the level prairie behind the 
 village. This dance is to remind the wild geese, 
 now beginning their southward flight, that they 
 have had plenty of good food all summer, and to 
 entreat their return in the spring, when the rains 
 come and the green grass begins to grow. 
 
 The charms of most of the squaws in this " Goose 
 Band " appeared to have faded long ago : they were 
 evidently past the bloom of youth, and their voices 
 and tempers had not improved in consequence. 
 However, on this occasion they endeavored to look 
 their best with the aid of paint and finery, in which 
 respect they are not far behind their white sisters of 
 more civilized climes. A row of poles resting upon 
 forked sticks is put up, over which are hung in pro- 
 
 (147) 
 
148 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 fusion pieces of fine, fat, dry meat, which have been 
 carefully saved for this occasion. A band of four or 
 ■Q.ve drummers take their seats close to one end, and 
 a double row of squaws next to them facing each 
 other. Each woman carries a bunch of long seed- 
 grass, the favorite food of the wild goose, and at 
 intervals all get up and dance in a circle with a 
 peculiar shuffling step, singing and keeping time to 
 the taps of the drum. 
 
 The spectators keep at a respectful distance and 
 enjoy the fun, which consists in the attempts of 
 some of the young men to steal the meat from the 
 poles, in which however they are often thwarted by 
 the vigilance of a few wise old ^' geese" who are 
 constantly on the alert to prevent theft. If suc- 
 cessful, the meat is carried off in great glee to some 
 lodge, where they cook and eat it at their leisure. 
 These exquisites are elaborately g(>tten up with 
 bunches of raven plumes fluttering from their scalp- 
 locks, and stripes of white and yellow clay upon 
 their bodies, comprise their only covering. 
 
 Finally, one of the old men (who have been 
 thumping assiduously on the drums all the while) 
 takes his place a few hundred yards off on the 
 prairie, and a grand race by the whole goose band 
 follows. All form in line together, and run around 
 the old gander before returning to the starting-point. 
 
THE DOCTOR RECOVERS. 149 
 
 The race over, tlie scaiFolds are taken down, a 
 feast prepared, and the meat remaining on hand 
 cooked and eaten. For the rest of the day the hand 
 danced around among the different lodges, and of 
 course paid a visit to the fort before concluding. 
 On these occasions a few yards of calico or some 
 trifling gifts are always expected to be thrown to 
 the " Medicine " by the traders. 
 
 Two more Indians died of their wounds, making 
 the total loss by the fight six. The rest of the 
 wounded were doing well, and in a fair way to re- 
 cover. Doctor E-ten-ah-pen-ah made his appearance 
 for the first time since the battle. His arm looked 
 very badly, being broken in two places and poorly 
 splintered. It was greatly discolored and smelt 
 offensively, with every prospect of mortification 
 speedily setting in. But this did not appear to 
 trouble him in the least : his countenance wore an 
 expression of the utmost self-satisfaction at the part 
 he had taken in the fray, and he used his powers of 
 romancing so judiciously, that, coupled with the 
 appearance of the comet, which he claimed to know 
 all about, many of the Gros Ventres began to look 
 upon him with awe as one who w^as really gifted 
 with supernatural powers. 
 
 A large party of Gros Ventres had gone down to 
 the Riccaree village, and their return was anxiously 
 
 13* 
 
150 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 anticipated, as they were expected to bring tidings 
 of the whereabouts of the Blackfoot and Onc-pa-pa 
 bands of Sioux, Avho, being just now on friendly 
 terms, were likely, since the corn was gathered in, 
 to visit the Rees and Gros Ventres to maintain the 
 entente cordiale. These two bands are very powerful 
 and warlike, rich in everything that constitutes In- 
 dian wealth ; and conscious of their superior strength, 
 roam where they will, trespassing almost constantly 
 on the hunting-grounds of the Riccarees, Minneta- 
 rees, and Mandans, and sometimes even penetrating 
 to the rich game country of their bitter enemies, 
 the Crows, on the borders of the Yellowstone. 
 
 The Gros Ventres returned from their visit to the 
 Rees, and reported the Onc-pa-pas and Blackfeet 
 camped on the head of Knife River, loaded down 
 with meat and robes. It was expected, as they were 
 distant only about two days' travel, that they would 
 be in very shortly to trade. A " begging " party 
 headed by the notorious partisan, the Black Moon, 
 had already arrived at the Ree Village, and a simi- 
 lar party might be looked for at our Post at any 
 
 time. 
 
 The next morning dawned bright and clear, and 
 the sun had nearly reached the zenith when the In- 
 dians discovered objects moving at a distance across 
 the river, evidently rapidly coming towards it. 
 
BLACKFEET SIOUX. 151 
 
 There was some speculation at first whether it was 
 a herd of bufialo, which had been raised by the 
 hunters from the Sioux camp, or the expected vis- 
 itors. As they approached, the gleaming of their 
 polished lances and the glitter of the small mirrors, 
 which in true Indian fashion they carried suspended 
 from their necks, proclaimed them the party of 
 Sioux. 
 
 While they boldly galloped down the bluffs that 
 separated the high rolling prairie from the timbered 
 bottom, and were hidden from view by the inter- 
 vening forest, there was great activity in the village. 
 Bull-boats were carried down to the water's edo-e. 
 and the squaws prepared to cross over at a moment's 
 notice. Soon the Sioux emerged at a gentle canter 
 from the timber, upon the broad and smooth sand- 
 bar ; and leisurely dismounting, unsaddled their 
 horses, and shouted to their individual friends or 
 comrades, declaring who they were, and asking to 
 be crossed over. The Gros Ventres eagerly re- 
 sponded to the call, and in a few minutes the sinewy 
 arms of the squaws were urging their unwieldy 
 boats over the turbulent Missouri. The saddles and 
 equipments w^ere loaded in, and the guests, carefully 
 taking their places in the frail vessels, were ferried 
 over to the village. They were at once conducted 
 to the lodges of their friends and something to eat 
 
152 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 set before them ; generally corn, of which they par- 
 took eagerly, esteeming it a great luxury. 
 
 Their horses were carefully crossed over by the 
 Gros Ventres, and driven out to pasture, while all 
 united in extending to their guests every hospitality 
 which fear of a possible breach of friendship and 
 the consequent evils of war could suggest. Ko 
 sooner were the Sioux feasted in one lodg^e than 
 they were called to another, and so it continued all 
 day long. 
 
 There were about thirty in this party, all warriors, 
 tall, noble-looking men of symmetrical form. Their 
 long black hair was carefully combed and gathered 
 into a plait on each side of the head, bound with 
 scarlet cloth, while the neatly-braided scalp-lock was 
 adorned with a strip of otterskin. They were clothed 
 in finely-dressed deerskin shirts, beautifully worked 
 with stained porcupine quills of various colors, and 
 fringed with scalp-locks and dyed horsehair. 
 
 In form and feature these Indians seemed cast in 
 one mould, and had a wild and game appearance, 
 that told of a lordly spirit unsubdued, and the con- 
 sciousness of superiority to the smaller tribes, who 
 might be said to exist only by their sufferance, and 
 to the "poor whites," to whom they traded those 
 robes and peltries which they could neither " eat nor 
 wear," and would otherwise throw away. Each one 
 wore a white blanket, and was completely armed 
 
THE SIOUX FEASTED. 153 
 
 with bow and arrows, fusee, tomahawk, and scalp, 
 ing-knife; many also had lances in addition. The 
 war-eagle feathers in their heads danced and flut- 
 tered in the wind, and the hawk-hells and dried 
 antelope-hoofs, with which their shirts and legc^ings 
 were lavishly hung, tinkled and rattled with Ivery 
 motion as they stalked proudly about, literally mon- 
 archs of all they surveyed. 
 
 Several wore the curiously striped and woven 
 blankets of the Navajoes, obtained most probably 
 m some freebooting excursion against the tribes 
 south of the Platte. 
 
 Our usual Gros Ventre levee was but slimly 
 attended, the elegant and dashing strangers being 
 the centres of attraction. The cook was able to per- 
 form his regular duties without having the kitchen- 
 windows darkened by the women curiously peering 
 in, or the apartment invaded (if by chance the door 
 was left open) by a crowd of impudent idlers, who 
 m defiance of all the rules and regulations of the 
 post, encamped around the fireplace until ordered 
 out by the interpreter. 
 
 Late in the- afternoon we called the Sioux to a 
 "feast," and as it was politic to keep them in good- 
 humor, in order to obtain as much of their trade as 
 possible, McBride determined that the repast should 
 be a substantial one. When they were all seated 
 around the room, the cook set before' the chief -i 
 
154 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 large kettle of coffee, hard bread, and pans of corn 
 and meat. A present was also added, consisting of 
 blue and scarlet cloth, and a mirror and knife for 
 each one. These liberal gifts caused the liveliest 
 satisfaction, which they expressed by emphatically 
 grunting "How!" The pipe was lit and passed 
 around, and a brisk conversation followed. 
 
 Running- Antelope (the partisan) said the Sioux 
 camp was on the forks of Knife Kiver, about two 
 days' travel from the post, and numbered over a 
 thousand lodges. There were some Minne-con-gews 
 and Yanc-toh-wahs with them. He also reported 
 the buffalo very plenty, and added, " It is terrible 
 how fat they are !" 
 
 Our improvements in building excited their sur- 
 prise and admiration, and the Crow's-Feather thus 
 figuratively expressed himself: "These whites used 
 to dwell in a dirty brown lodge, full of holes," (the 
 old fort,) "but now they have a fine, large white one." 
 
 They had noticed the comet, and were greatly 
 concerned thereat, believing it to be a forerunner of 
 wars and troubles. 
 
 This party disclaimed all knowledge of the nine 
 Sioux who had been recently killed by the Gros 
 Ventres. The supposition was that they must have 
 belonged either to the Two-Bears or Big-Head's 
 bands, now camped somewhere on the Moreau. 
 
 After the feast was ended, the majority of our 
 
DISSATISFACTION. 155 
 
 guests returned to the village, but several of the 
 principal men remained with us all night. The 
 third day after their arrival the Sioux left for their 
 camp, making the most extravagant promises as to 
 how they would act in the coming trade. 
 
 Two or three of our regular visitors commenced 
 grumbling and finding fault, alleging that we 
 "■ looked at the Sioux " (^. e. paid them unusual 
 attention) more than at the Gros Ventres. A jealous 
 feeling was evidently springing up, when the old 
 Raising-Heart struck a blow upon the floor with his 
 tomahawk to arrest attention, and declared "that 
 the whites acted perfectly right in treating the Sioux 
 well ; that they came only once, or at most, twice a 
 year to see them, whereas the Gros Ventres were 
 with them all the time, and begged and received 
 presents far greater in the aggregate than the Sioux 
 ever had." This matter-of-fact statement, made the 
 more impressive by the emphatic flourish of the 
 tomahawk, speedily brought the grumblers to their 
 senses, and they tacitly admitted the force and justice 
 of his reasoning. 
 
 The day following the departure of the Sioux was 
 cold and stormy, with occasional spits of snow. 
 The Indians assembled in council, and determined 
 to move into winter-quarters as soon as the Sioux 
 should come in and make their trade. 
 
 The squaws were making and repairing skin 
 
156 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 lodges, which, when completed, they pitched on the 
 prairie to see if everything was in order. The sur- 
 plus corn had been cdched, and the scarcity of buiialo 
 around the summer village began to be severely felt. 
 Had it not been for their crops the Indians would 
 have been reduced to extreme hunger, and the 
 supply of meat "so opportunely brought from the 
 Assinniboine camp was in great demand. All that 
 could be spared was traded for robes to the starving 
 Indians. 
 
 Summer was past. The autumn, with all its gor- 
 geous splendor, had come. The grass on the prairie 
 was bleached and withered ; and the leaves of the 
 tall Cottonwood trees and the red willows on the 
 sand-bar were day by day more brilliant and beau- 
 tiful in their dying glories. 
 
 Travelling on the plains at this season is delightful; 
 the creeks and streams are low, the air clear and 
 balmy, and the wild animals in prime condition for 
 hunting. 
 
 In a little while how changed will be the face of 
 nature ! Snow will lie heavily on forest and prairie, 
 on hill and valley ; the once impetuous, river will 
 then slumber calmly in its icy bed, and the fierce 
 northern blasts, sweeping across the naked plain, 
 will drive the bands of buffalo to seek the shelter 
 of the timbered bottoms. 
 
CHAPTER XIY. 
 
 FIRST SNOW — POOR LIVING — TRADING PARTY OF SIOUX — 
 BILLIARDS — DEATH OF THE FOUR-BEARS' SQUAW — PRE- 
 PARATIONS FOR THE SIOUX TRADE BUILDING HOUSES 
 
 CONFLICTING RUMORS — FINAL DEPARTURE OF THE SIOUX 
 — REST 
 
 THE first snow of the season ! October seventh 
 dawned clear and cold, showing the ground 
 covered with snow to the depth of three or four 
 inches, but it soon disappeared under the influence 
 of the noonday sun. 
 
 About eight Gros Ventres mustered up sufficient 
 courage to go hunting; they returned well laden 
 with meat, and reported the bufiTalo plenty and close, 
 moving in toward the river. Encouraged by this 
 news, a large party went out the next day, but came 
 back during the evening in great trepidation, fright- 
 ened by a herd. They had discovered plenty of 
 buffalo moving very rapidly towards them, and 
 without any further evidence concluded that there 
 were enemies about, and beat a hasty retreat. Buf- 
 falo, as a general rule, never "raise" unless dis- 
 
 14 (157) 
 
158 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 turbed by man, but at this season they are usually 
 'very wild. The Indians say they smell the approach- 
 ing storms of winter, and the slightest taint in the 
 air alarms them. The hunters might, therefore, 
 have invoked the aid of a little common sense before 
 hurrying back in terror. 
 
 Mahto-ta-ton-ka, the Bull-Bear, came in reporting 
 an abundance of antelope close to the hills, about 
 ■^\e miles off, and said he w^as going out to hunt 
 them. This is considered an unfailing sign of the 
 proximity of buffalo. 
 
 Just at dusk an Aricara Indian arrived from his 
 village, and said that he had seen five large bands 
 ' of cows on the opposite side of the river, probably 
 driven this way by the Sioux hunters. 
 
 October passed slowly ; the Sioux were daily 
 looked for, and our Indians did little or nothing, 
 being unwilling to hunt until settled in their winter- 
 quarters. The deer were now in fine condition, and 
 the fat haunches of venison that sometimes o:raced 
 our board furnished a most acceptable change from 
 the dried buffalo-meat, some of which, having been 
 accidentally exposed to wet, and not thoroughly 
 dried afterwards, began to smell much stronger than 
 was agreeable. Some pieces, indeed, became so full 
 of animal life that it seemed almost impossible to 
 keep them quiet on the mess-table. The share which 
 
POOR LIVING. 159 
 
 fell to the lot of our Canadian voyageurs excited 
 their loudly expressed disgust. They were under 
 the impression, when they engaged with the Fur 
 Company, that they were going to a land flowing 
 with milk and honey, where, among other luxuries, 
 they hoped one day to possess "a lodge in some vast 
 wilderness." But to be regaled on maggoty dried 
 meat, they considered beyond human endurance. 
 Accordingly, one of their number, who had been a 
 tailor somewhere, was constituted a committee to 
 remonstrate with the Bourgeois. The latter gave 
 the '' committee" such a stunning reply that, on its 
 report to the "constituents," they wisely concluded 
 to endure what they could not help. At all events, 
 we heard no more complaints, and as we were sub- 
 sisting on the same fare ourselves, there was no 
 reason for them. 
 
 An Indian arrived from the Sioux, and said they 
 would be here in " five camps ; " seven or eight 
 days. Pierre Garreau, the well-known interpreter, 
 came up from Fort Clark, to assist in the coming 
 trade at Fort Berthold, and to accompany the Gros 
 Ventres to their winter-quarters. Of this noted 
 character I will speak at greater length hereafter. 
 
 Horse-racing continued to be the principal amuse- 
 ment of the Indians in the afternoons ; while the 
 favorite game appeared to be one which we called 
 
160 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Billiards, and a space outside the pickets of the vil- 
 lage was beaten as smooth and hard as a floor by 
 those who engaged in it. This game is playud by 
 couples ; the implements are a round stone and two 
 sticks seven, or eight feet long, with bunches of 
 feathers tied on at regular intervals. The players 
 start together, each carrying his pole in a horizontal 
 position, and run along until the one who has the 
 stone, throws it, giving it a rolling motion, when 
 each, watching his chance, throws his stick. The 
 one who comes nearest (which is determined by the 
 marks on the stick) has the stone for the next 
 throw. Horses, blankets, robes, guns, &e., are 
 staked at this game, and I have frequently seen 
 Indians play until they had lost everything. 
 
 The Pipe was a most inveterate player and usu- 
 ally an unlucky one. His oldest squaw, a sour-look- 
 ing Mandau woman, entirely disapproved of this 
 mode of spending time, and would berate him so 
 soundly that he w^as glad to go with her for the sake 
 of peace, following meekly to the lodge where they 
 stayed, for the poorwretchhadnoneof hisown. These 
 exhibitions of conjugal discipline were always very 
 amusing, and greatly enjoyed by his fellow-gamblers. 
 
 Four-Bears came into my house one evening with 
 his robe closely wrapped around him, and contrary 
 to his usual custom, said not a word, but remained 
 
HEART BOWED DOWN. 161 
 
 in an attitude of profound reflection. After a time 
 he spoke : " My heart is in the ground ; my youngest 
 wife is very sick ; her life is very small ; the breath 
 has nearly left her nostrils." Upon being further 
 questioned, he said his squaw was far advanced in 
 pregnancy, and had complained of feeling unwell. 
 Several old women undertook to treat her, which 
 they did by kneading and punching her in the 
 stomach (a favorite and universal remedy) until, as 
 might have been expected, she was in a very criti- 
 cal condition. 
 
 Early the next morning the Raising-Heart knocked 
 at the gates before they were opened, to inform us 
 that the squaw was dead, and that he wanted a 
 scarlet blanket for her winding-sheet. 
 
 There was the usual wailing and gashing of flesh 
 around the grave, by her relations, and the Four- 
 Bears did not come for his regular cup of coffee. 
 After the burial, old Doctor E-ten-ah-pen-ah dropped 
 in, and said he was called in too late to save her, 
 although there were several other " physicians " in 
 attendance. His course of treatment was certainly 
 original ; he wrapped her head in a blanket, and 
 burned a piece of dried buffalo dung in her face, 
 uttering meanwhile an incantation. She died, how- 
 ever, in spite of all, but of course the Doctor waa 
 not to blame. 
 
 14* L 
 
162 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Several fresh arrivals from the Sioux, bringing 
 word that they had moved, and would be in for 
 trade in two more camps. As there was now a 
 certainty of their coming, the men were sent across 
 the river to construct a temporary trading-house. 
 An outfit of goods was prepared that everything 
 might be in readiness at a moment's notice. 
 
 The rival company also erected a post adjoining 
 ours, and both parties were constantly on the alert, 
 that they might not lose, even for an instant, any 
 supposed advantage* The excitement among the 
 whites communicated itself to the Indians, and 
 countless rumors were in circulation, respecting the 
 treachery of the Sioux, and apprehensions of a col- 
 lision with them. 
 
 Riding out just before dark, I passed near the 
 newly-made grave of the Four-Bears' favorite squaw. 
 Standing by it, and crying in the most heart-rend- 
 ing tones, was the oldest wife. She was almost 
 nude, having cut her garments to pieces, to testify 
 to the intensity of her grief. Her hair was hacked 
 off short, all over her head, and there was scarcely 
 a spot on her arms and legs that was not gashed and 
 bleeding from numerous self-inflicted wounds, made 
 with a blunted butcher-knife which she held in her 
 hand. Even her forehead was not spared, and 
 altogether she presented a sickening appearance. 
 
SEVERE STORM. 163 
 
 It is by no means uncommon in cases of violent 
 grief, to sacrifice one, or even more fingers. The 
 Four-Bears made his appearance for the first time 
 in the evening. He too had cut short his long and 
 valued hair, and looked much altered in conse- 
 quence. Just before she died, he told his squaw 
 that his heart would be buried in the ground with 
 her, and that when he was an old man, and followed 
 her to the Spirit-land, he would have her again for 
 his wife and their happiness would be eternal. 
 
 In the middle of the month a cold, driving snow- 
 storm set in, and lasted all day. The horses left 
 the open prairie, and huddled together in groups in 
 sheltered places. At times the storm was so violent 
 that we could not see the dead people on their scaf- 
 folds, only two hundred yards from the gates. Out- 
 door work was suspended, the men toasted them- 
 selves by huge fires, and whiled away the time with 
 song and story. 
 
 In spite of the storm, a Mandan came from the 
 Sioux camp, and confirmed the report of their being 
 in shortly. He also said another party of visitors 
 might be expected the next day. 
 
 There was nearly a foot of snow on the ground 
 when the storm abated. The old mountaineers 
 considered it one of the most severe within their 
 recollection at this season of the year, and the In- 
 
164 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 dians said that if the Sioux did not speedily come, 
 they would delay no longer going into winter- 
 quarters. 
 
 Immense flocks of wild geese passed south all 
 day, flying very low, and offering excellent shots. 
 By sundown a number of small moving objects 
 were distinctly seen on the whitened plain, coming 
 rapidly towards us ; it was the expected party from 
 the Sioux camp 
 
 They did not reach the sand-bar till after dark, 
 and while waiting to be ferried over, kindled blaz- 
 ing fires ; which, with the groups of horses and 
 riders, had a most picturesque effect, heightened by 
 the surrounding snow-clad wilderness. 
 
 Many Gros Ventres returned with this party, and 
 were loud in their praises of the hospitality of the 
 Sioux. The weather moderated ; the air became 
 clear and balmy, and the snow melted rapidly away. 
 
 The sun shone with dazzling brilliancy, and the 
 reflection from the snow was extremely painful to 
 the eyes. For several hours we were busy crossing 
 over goods, and a party of men was detailed to re- 
 main with them as guard. The Poor Wolf and 
 Crow's Breast had a long talk with McBride, strongly 
 urging him to extreme caution in his dealings with 
 the Sioux, as they, were apprehensive of treachery. 
 They advised Mm to choose three or four of the 
 
A SCARED CHIEFTAIN. 165 
 
 most influential men for " soldiers," adding that the 
 whites and Gros Ventres would make common cause 
 in event of any difficulty arising, as their interests 
 were identical — self-preservation. 
 
 A spell of pleasant weather succeeded, and the 
 camps had not appeared, although every day brought 
 fresh arrivals and fresh reports. At last the Run- 
 ning Antelope returned, saying that the Sioux were 
 all coming in. The purpose of his visit was ^o con- 
 fer with the Traders about prices, with the object 
 of having them raised. And if their demands were 
 not complied with, threats were freely hinted at, 
 which the rascals were able and willing to execute. 
 
 One night, after all of us were wrapped in slum- 
 ber, Four-Bears came over from his lodge in hot 
 haste, and said he was afraid to sleep there any more, 
 for he had heard the sound of footsteps softly tread- 
 ing outside, and directly, something was thrown at 
 him, as he lay. Both of his women ran off imme- 
 diately, but he declared he was so badly frightened 
 that he could not stir for some time, and he w^as 
 sure that it must have been the ghost of his dead 
 squaw, come from her grave to trouble him, because 
 he had not buried her as deep as he had promised. 
 
 Bay after day passed, and every one was cursing 
 Indian dilatoriness, and wishing the trade over. A 
 
166 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 few Sioux came from the camp and said, that to-mor- 
 row, beyond doubt, they would be here. Several slept 
 in our house, and the mice (of which there were 
 plenty) troubled them so much by running over 
 them, that they got up, lit their pipes and declared 
 they could not sleep, because the mice were " Great 
 Spirits." 
 
 The next morning, bright and early, we were 
 astir, and making all necessary preparations to con- 
 duct the trade. The Indians were in a great state 
 of excitement, and very busy, getting everything in 
 readiness to receive their guests with all honor. 
 
 A large flotilla of bull-boats was soon in active 
 service, and Traders and Indians entered heartily 
 into the business of the day. The sun was high in 
 the heavens, when a long dark line came in sight 
 on the southern prairies ; at first faint, but gradually 
 becoming more distinct, until hidden from view by 
 the forest, whence emerged a living stream upon 
 the sand-bar. McBride had crossed over with his 
 men early in the morning, and as soon as the Sioux 
 appeared, I dispatched the Interpreter Mainour! to 
 join him, and remained in the fort with only two 
 men. ^N'ot an Indian was to be seen hanging around 
 the kitchen-door ; all were engrossed with the prep- 
 arations and attentions which they designed for 
 their Sioux guests. 
 
SIOUX CAMP. Xg7 
 
 As evening approached, matters assumed a very 
 lively aspect on the sand-bar. JSTumerous camp-fires 
 had been kindled, which threw into strong relief 
 the groups of gayly dressed and bedizened Indians 
 gathered around them. Huge fires were also made 
 on the bank below the pickets of the village, illumi- 
 nating the dark river, covered with bull-boats pass- 
 ing and repassing, as well as the crowds assembled 
 at the landing-place. The gates of the fort were 
 closed at the usual hour, and for an interval there 
 were no interruptions of any kind. 
 
 A heavy knock at the gate, and a voice calling 
 out, ''Coula! coula!" (my friend) attracted my at- 
 tention. After a short parley to ascertain who it 
 was, I unbarred the gates to admit the Tobacco 
 (Mandan) and two of his Sioux friends. 
 
 I received them in the usual manner, giving them 
 the pipe to smoke, and a bowl of black medicine 
 (cofiee) and hard bread. One of the strangers was 
 called "He-who-uses-his-heart-for-all,"and had been 
 appointedchief of the Onc-pa-pas, under the Bear's- 
 Rib, by General Harney, at a treaty held with the 
 Sioux near Fort Pierre in 1856. He showed me his 
 certificate of the same, dated March 4th, which he 
 carefully treasured in a leathern pouch wrapped in 
 a piece of calico. He also had letters of recommen- 
 dation from Mr. Charles Primeau and several other 
 
168 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 well-known Sioux traders-, testifying that "the 
 bearer was a good young man, and a devoted friend 
 to the whites." The usual result of giving a well- 
 disposed Indian letters of this kind, is to make him 
 an inveterate beggar, until his friendship is regu- 
 lated by the amount of presents he receives. 
 
 His companion claimed to be a comrade and inti- 
 mate friend of Paquenaude, seeming to expect great 
 attention on that account. After sitting and talking 
 a while they took their leave, saying that they would 
 return early in the morning to trade some robes. 
 
 Paquenaude's friend, however, changed his mind 
 as he was going out of the gate, and declared his 
 intention of sleeping in the fort. He followed me 
 closely when I made my tour of inspection to see 
 that all was right, and finalfy wanted me to send 
 him across the river again. I got rid of him at last 
 by telling him to go to the bank and call for a bull- 
 boat ; then closing the gates I went to sleep, leaving 
 him to pound for admission, and yell " Coula" until 
 he was tired. 
 
 By early dawn a number of Indians who had 
 finished their trading, came over to visit us, peering 
 around and sharply scrutinizing everything. The 
 Bourgeois, leaving Paquenaude in charge of the 
 business on the other side, recrossed to finish the 
 trade at the fort, chiefiy for such articles as had not 
 
HANDSOME WOMEN. 169 
 
 been taken over. McBride reported that the Sioux 
 had conducted themselves very quietly, despite their 
 threatening talk, and that at least two-thirds went 
 down to the Ree Village, where the bulk of their 
 furs would be disposed of. The Gros Ventres ex- 
 changed corn for dry meat, and were now well sup- 
 plied for some time to come. 
 
 I noticed a great many handsome women among 
 the Sioux. As they have not such laborious work 
 to perform as the Minnetaree squaws, they retain 
 what beauty they possess much longer, and are gen- 
 erally tall and straight, without the thick ankles, the 
 ungainly walk, and the stooping shoulders of their 
 less favored sisters. Taking them altogether, men 
 and women, the wild, prairie Sioux have no superiors 
 among the Indians in appearance and domestic vir- 
 tues. 
 
 In the afternoon they commenced moving camp, 
 intending to join the rest of their band, at the Ree 
 Village. Soon the long, black line, stretching away 
 over the prairie, grew more and more indistinct, 
 until it finally vanished in the distance. 
 
 The robes and peltries were quickly ferried over, 
 and stored carefully away ; and closing the gates, 
 all gladly rested from the fatigue and excitement of 
 the past two days, and the perplexities and uncer- 
 tainties of the preceding three weeks. 
 15 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 INDIAN SUMMER — GOING TO WINTER-QUARTERS — MAGNIFI- 
 CENT SCENERY — THE CAMP MOVING — INCIDENTS ON THE 
 WAY — A FAT EQUESTRIAN — A JOVIAL PARTY. 
 
 IT was now the end of October, and the glorious 
 balmy Indian summer had set in. The Gros 
 Ventres were preparing to start for winter-quarters 
 in a day or two, and were consequently in a world 
 of bustle. The entire morning, a crowd of squaws 
 surrounded the grindstone, waiting their turns to 
 sharpen their axes. The store also was thronged 
 by those who were supplying themselves with neces-. 
 saries for the winter hunt; and by as many more 
 trying to beg, or obtain on credit, such articles as 
 they needed. A few of known probity were trusted 
 with goods to the value of several robes ; while 
 others of doubtful standing were obliged to deposit 
 dresses, ornaments, and bonnets of eagle-feathers as 
 securit}^ Thus, between the rival Trading-Posts, 
 nearly every Indian was able to supply himself with 
 an outfit. The men were employed in cleaning up 
 
 (170) 
 
GOING TO WINTER QUARTERS. 171 
 
 the fort, while we prepared an outfit for the trade 
 at the winter camp. 
 
 The next day was a busy one indeed ; the Indians 
 were preparing to move away, and abandon their 
 village to its winter solitude. Many deposited their 
 valuables in our store for safe-keeping; and we soon 
 had a motley array of medicine-bags, drums, rattles, 
 lances, saddles, and other articles, useful and orna- 
 mental. Dashing young bucks, decked out in all 
 their finery, and painted in the most fashionable 
 style, pranced about on their gayly caparisoned 
 steeds, whose tinkling equipments could be heard 
 in every direction ; while upon the squaws devolved 
 the task of saddling and packing the horses with 
 their household eftects. 
 
 As each family was ready, its head led the way, 
 followed by a train of pack and riding horses, 
 travees, dogs, women and children. Thus, almost 
 insensibly as it were, the village was deserted. As 
 the last stragglers were departing, the Long-IIair 
 ascended the roof of his lodge, dressed in his 
 "chief's coat" of scarlet cloth, trimmed with gold 
 and silver lace, and harangued his indignation at their 
 going so far to winter-quarters, and leaving such a 
 dangerous strip of country to be traversed if any 
 of them should have occasion to visit the villaire 
 and the forts. The Poor Wolf, the leader of the 
 
172 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 " soldier band," mounted upon his splendid black 
 horse, remained behind to urge on the loiterers, so 
 that before nightfall the village was entirely depopu- 
 lated, and a feeling of loneliness overshadowed us 
 all. Several families of Sioux had remained behind 
 when their camp moved, intending to winter with 
 the Gros Ventres. 
 
 In the morning we started to overtake the camp 
 and accompany it to winter-quarters. Our party 
 consisted of myself, an interpreter and his family, 
 four men, and two wagons loaded with goods. We 
 intended remaining with the Gros Ventres to trade 
 through the season. 
 
 The day was beautiful, and the air soft as in 
 spring.; the prairie was dry, the creeks low, and 
 travelling was in consequence delightful. After a 
 short delay while passing through the timber, caused 
 by the tongue of one of the wagons breaking, we 
 overtook the teams of the American Fur Company, 
 in charge of Pierre Garreau, and travelled on to- 
 gether in the most friendly manner. 
 
 The Indians had made their first camp at the lake 
 about five miles from the village; the ashes of their 
 fires were still smouldering, and many little tempo- 
 rary huts of willow-boughs standing. A short dis- 
 tance further on, an Indian pony with a broken leg 
 was lying by the trail, having been abandoned with 
 
MAGNIFICENT SCENERY. 173 
 
 a strange kind of humanity — without being killed 
 to put it out of misery. 
 
 The poor animal raised its head and whinnied as 
 we passed ; but we could afford it no relief, and to 
 kill it would only be made a pretext for its owner to 
 extort from us its full value. We were therefore 
 compelled to leave it to its dreadful fate, which was 
 easily foretold from the numbers of sneaking wolves 
 that hovered around, just beyond gunshot. 
 
 Our course on the high prairie was parallel with 
 the river, though sometimes several miles from it, 
 but always in full view of its wonderful scenery and 
 tortuous windino^s. 
 
 On one side the prairie stretched away, until it 
 seemed to join the blue sky in the distance. On 
 the other, were bold and precipitous bluffs of differ- 
 ent-colored clay, interspersed with grass-covered 
 hills sloping down to the edge of the forest, which, 
 no longer clad in the gorgeous hues of autumn, 
 looked dark and sombre. 
 
 Beyond coursed the mighty Missouri; all the 
 wild, rushing impetuosity of the early summer gone, 
 and flowing slowly and silently, as if its bosom was 
 already chilled by the cold embrace of winter. 
 Further on, across the river, was another dark line 
 of forest, from which lofty cliffs of fantastic shapes 
 seemed to rise ; and beyond these again, others 
 
 15* 
 
174 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 loftier still, reared their sharply defined crests to 
 the sky. 
 
 Before us extended a vast plain whose extreme 
 boundary the eye could not reach. Behind us, the 
 black hills which encircled the bend of the river 
 below the village, apparently almost within reach, 
 though in reality miles away ; from the tops of 
 which the boundless prairie again unrolled itself. 
 A thin smoke, barely visible to a practised eye, floated 
 on the air ; the Indians said it arose from the Sioux 
 camp on Knife River. 
 
 The sun was already declining when we came in 
 sight of the Indian camp, picturesquely located in 
 a wooded ravine of the Mauvaises Terres, about a 
 mile from the Missouri. A small creek, which after 
 many windings emptied into the lake we had 
 crossed in the morning, alForded a supply of water 
 for the encampment. 
 
 Our cattle were unyoked, and our horses unsad- 
 dled, and driven down to drink; and then allowed 
 to graze at will ; a fire was kindled, and our dinner 
 (and supper) of dry meat, coffee, and hard bread 
 soon in course of preparation. Before it was ready, 
 I was called by the Bear-in-the-water (Mandan) to a 
 " feast " in his lodge, which consisted solely of some 
 very fine, fat dried meat. 
 
 After doing justice to it, I returned with my 
 
INCIDENTS. 175 
 
 entertainer to our camp-fire, and dispatched a 
 second meal. 
 
 The young hunters were ranging over the hills 
 and through the ravines in search of game or traces 
 of enemies. 
 
 A group of the principal men stood upon a high 
 black hill which overshadowed the camp, forming a 
 conspicuous landmark for miles around, and dis- 
 cussed their future movements. The red lio-ht of 
 the declining sun shone upon the white conical 
 lodges that dotted the prairie, and with all the 
 accessories to the scene, made a wild and strik- 
 ingly beautiful picture. 
 
 Darkness coming on, the horses were driven up 
 and picketed in front of the lodges, and our cattle 
 securely tied to the wheels of the wagons. The 
 noise of a drum in a distant lodge was soon the only 
 sound that broke the stillness of the night. Having 
 picketed my horse close by, I wrapped myself in my 
 robe, with my saddle for a pillow, and fell asleep, to 
 be repeatedly wakened by the starved Indian dogs 
 tugging and gnawing at my covering. 
 
 The morning broke cold and raw; the sharp, 
 biting wind drove the horses to the dells for shelter 
 as soon as they were released from their pickets. 
 The squaws bustled about, shouting at the dogs and 
 scolding the children, as they gathered fuel for 
 
176 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 cooking. For a long time everything was quiet; 
 the smoke curled from the lodges, and no sign of 
 preparation for departure was visible. When the 
 hour for starting had come, the soldiers rode round 
 the camp and harangued, "Pull down your lodges, 
 and pack your horses ! " In a moment the lodges, 
 which had been tightly stretched over the poles, 
 fluttered in the wind ; a moment more, and they 
 were flat on the prairie, and the squaws busy packing 
 and loading their horses, which had been driven up 
 in readiness by the boys. We also harnessed our 
 teams, but durst not stir until the camp was ready 
 and the word given. After saddling my horse, I 
 could not help admiring the celerity and skill with 
 which the squaws packed their "plunder," keeping 
 up meanwhile a clattering accompaniment with 
 their tongues. 
 
 Not twenty steps from where I stood was pitched 
 the lodge of the old Mandan "Buck-Eagle," before 
 spoken of in connection with the Bull-Medicine. 
 He was very aged and feeble, and could barely keep 
 pace with the camp on the march ; and had we been 
 constantly travelling like the Sioux, he must inevi- 
 tably have been left behind and abandoned to his 
 fate. The women of his lodge hustled the old 
 fellow out of the way sans ceremome, and began 
 packing their horses. 
 
AN IMPRO^MPTU MEAL. 177 
 
 The Buck-Eagle took himself ofF a few paces, 
 just far enough to be out of danger of being struck 
 by a lodge-pole, and sitting down on his robe, delib- 
 erately proceeded to divest himself of his shirt and 
 leggings, and appeared, without any unusual exer- 
 tion, to make a very hearty (though not very sub- 
 stantial) meal upon the parasites that so thickly 
 infested the seams of his garments. Leaving him 
 to the enjoyment of his epicurean feast, I rode to 
 the " black hill," whence I had a splendid bird's- 
 eye view of the whole camp. 
 
 When the head of the column moved, I rejoined 
 the wagons ; and directly, Red-Tail, one of the sol- 
 diers, galloped up, shouting, ^']N'ar-har-ah," (Go on.) 
 We quickly fell in with the grand cavalcade of war- 
 riors, mounted and on foot ; horses drawing loaded 
 travees, upon which were sometimes tied two or three 
 children, and as many puppies, clinging together 
 with the most ludicrous tenacity. 
 
 Dogs also dragged their full share upon miniature 
 travees, occasionally joining in a grand skirmish with 
 their unemployed companions, usually resulting in 
 the complete rout of the latter. 
 
 Indian dogs, like their wolfish progenitors, are 
 exceedingly cowardly, all bark and none bite ; but the 
 moment one is harnessed to his travee, conscious of 
 the protection it affords him, he becomes very quar- 
 
 M 
 
178 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 relsome, and when a number get together they make 
 " the hair fly " to some purpose. 
 
 The young colts and favorite "buffalo" horses 
 ran at will, careering gayly over the plain and dash- 
 ing through the crowds, frequently starting some 
 well-behaved pack-horse to indulge in eccentricities 
 until his load was disarranged, and required read- 
 justment; the enraged women on whom the task 
 devolved bestowing left-handed blessings on every- 
 thing within earshot. Some of the young men 
 played their game of billiards as the camp moved, 
 and every one seemed to enjoy immensely the 
 change from the staid life at the summer village. 
 
 The^ soldiers rode about, hurrying up the strag- 
 glers and checking the head of the column when it 
 moved on too fast. Thus we travelled, a compact 
 body in three parallel lines. 
 
 I pressed to the head, and joined the old Raising- 
 Heart and his family and relatives ; and as they were 
 all supplied with fancy spotted horses, the clan made 
 a gallant appearance. 
 
 The old gentleman wore a felt hat, a gift from 
 some of his white friends, and was urging on, by 
 repeated applications of his whip, a very diminutive 
 donkey, whose pack seemed nearly as large as itself. 
 With every stroke of the whip the old man looked 
 at me and smiled ; flourishing meanwhile a fan of 
 
INDIAN CAMP ON THE MARCH. 179 
 
 eagle-feathers. Attached to his party was Ara-poo- 
 shee, the Rotten-Bear, whose immense frame be- 
 strode a little sorrel pony, that fairly staggered 
 under its unwieldy load. The Rotten-Bear seldom 
 ventured upon equestrian exercises, having a whole- 
 some dread of a fall, and never travelled faster than 
 a walk. He was obliged to give his undivided at- 
 tention to preserving his equilibrium, and heeded 
 not the many sharp jokes that were flung at him 
 without mercy, as at every slight stumble made by 
 his little horse, his countenance involuntarily as- 
 sumed an air of the greatest solicitude and appre- 
 hension, ludicrous in the extreme. 
 
 Our course lay along the edge of the prairie over- 
 looking the Mauvaises Terres. We were elevated 
 many hundred feet above the wooded bottom of the 
 river ; huge bluffs of clay, of every color (bright red 
 predominating), and of every conceivable shape, 
 reared their lofty turreted summits, suggesting the 
 resemblance to ruins of colossal proportions. Upon 
 these bluffs, and over acres of red clayey soil, not a 
 blade of grass met the eye, their barren and desolate 
 character well deserving the distinctive title of ''bad 
 lands." 
 
 The river made a sharp turn to the southwest, 
 and the vista of rugged bluffs appeared interminable; 
 dome after dome, and turret after turret rising up 
 
180 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 against the cold gray sky, presenting a scene of 
 desolate grandeur beyond all powers of description. 
 
 We had journeyed on in this manner for some 
 time, when, leaving the high prairie, the motley 
 crowd under the guidance of -the Poor- Wolf, passed 
 quickly down into a well-wooded ravine, and halting, 
 prepared to encamp. 
 
 We did the same, being compelled, however, from 
 the nature of the ground, to make a detour, in order 
 to facilitate the descent of our teams. The high 
 bluffs were a great protection against the cold winds, 
 and we made a very comfortable camp. The hunters 
 were soon roaming over the hills, and several fat 
 deer were not long in finding their way to the 
 lodges. A large band of elk was raised, but they 
 were off in a twinkling ; their magnificent forms 
 being in full view, as they rapidly dashed over the 
 brow of a hill and were lost to sight. We built a 
 huge blazing fire, and a number of our Indian friends 
 helped to complete the jovial circle that gathered 
 round it. 
 
CHAPTEE XYI. 
 
 PIERRE GARREAU — l'EAU-QUI-MONT — BUILDING WINTER 
 HOUSES — RETURN TO THE FORT. 
 
 NOVEMBER set in raw, cloudy, and cold, present- 
 ing a very great contrast to the delightful Indian 
 summer we had just enjoyed. The soldiers having 
 given us permission to travel on, independently of the 
 movements of the camp, we made an early start, in- 
 tending to reach the proposed wintering-place, near 
 the mouth of Rising Water, by sundown. 
 
 Pierre Garreau and myself rode ahead some dis- 
 tance, in hopes of seeing a stray bull and giving 
 chase. While jogging along, Pierre entertained me 
 with many anecdotes of his early life, and the ex- 
 citing scenes in which he had been a conspicuous 
 actor. Pierre generally claims to be a half-breed, 
 but such is not the case : he is a full-blood Aricara 
 Indian, and has passed his entire life in the service 
 of the American Fur Company, as interpreter. His 
 mother being a very handsome squaw, was married 
 shortly after her Indian husband died to a trader 
 
 16 (181) 
 
182 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 named Garreau, who adopted as his own, the child 
 to whom she soon gave birth, and afforded him every 
 possible advantage. When a lad, he sent him to 
 St. Louis, and had him apprenticed to one Page, a 
 baker and confectioner, with whom he lived, as he 
 expresses it, "four years in the brick houses," and 
 thoroughly learned his business. 
 
 But that fondness for wild life which can never be 
 overcome by those who have once tasted of its pleas- 
 ures, impelled him to return to the Indian country, 
 where he has since steadily resided. He was now 
 over sixty years of age, and his great pride was in his 
 horses, of which he had some very fine ones. 
 
 Pierre had three sons by different wives, all quiet, 
 well-behaved young men, who, from having lived so 
 much with the whites, were free from many objec- 
 tionable Indian habits. He himself was very neat 
 and particular in his person, and his clothes, guns, 
 and equipments were always in perfect order. 
 
 We reached the crossingof Rising Water at noon, 
 when, leaving the wagons to follow, the Hawk and 
 myself, with Pierre's three sons, rode rapidly over 
 the hills, and finally came to a heavily timbered 
 point about four miles above the creek, sheltered by 
 high bluffs, and affording secure and excellent pas- 
 turage. The Hawk made a cautious survey before 
 entering the timber, and carefully examined the trail 
 
CAMP ARRIVES. 183 
 
 for any suspicious '' sign." After threading a bridle- 
 path for some distance, we came to a cleared space, 
 where the Indians had once wintered, and found 
 several cabins still standing, in a tolerable state of 
 repair. 
 
 We took possession of one, and tying our horses 
 to the trees, kindled a fire and roasted a piece of 
 venison that the Hawk had luckily brought with 
 him, watching its progress with infinite satisfaction 
 and keen appetites. When it was done, we drew 
 our butcher-knives, and using a piece of bark for a 
 platter, attacked it; nor rested, until it was com- 
 pletely demolished. 
 
 It was one of the sweetest morsels I ever tasted, 
 seasoned as it was with that best of all sauces, 
 hunger. 
 
 The cries of the teamsters now heralded the ap- 
 proach of the wagons, which had been delayed by 
 the heavy growth of underbrush, through which it 
 was necessary to clear a road before a passage could 
 be made for them. 
 
 After unloading and storing away the goods, the 
 oxen were turned loose, and we betook ourselves to 
 our robes and blankets and slept soundly. 
 
 Toward noon of the next day, the Indians arrived, 
 and all was then bustle and animation. As soon as 
 the lodges were pitched, the squaws began chopping 
 
184 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 down trees, and the deep silence of the forest was 
 rudely dissipated by the clattering of hundreds of 
 axes. 
 
 A child of the Red-Tail died, and the body was 
 placed in a tree on the edge of the forest by the sor- 
 rowing parents. 
 
 The squaws worked diligently, and lodge after 
 lodge filled the gaps left by the destruction of trees. 
 
 Some of the hunters went out to reconnoitre, and 
 reported buffalo plenty, moving in towards camp ; 
 and a general surround was talked of in a day or so. 
 
 One bright morning I shouldered my rifle, and 
 set out for a stroll among the surrounding hills, to 
 enjoy, if possible, the view from the top of one of the 
 highest. 
 
 My course lay through a low prairie bottom that 
 nestled between the timber and the bluffs ; upon the 
 sides of the latter the Indian horses were grazing, 
 well secured against danger by the vigilant scouts 
 posted on all the prominent hills, completely com- 
 manding the possible approach of an enemy. I 
 spent nearly half a day very pleasantly climbing 
 among the rugged clay bluffs, and with the aid of 
 my spy-glass saw distinctly, at a great distance, bands 
 of buffalo quietly feeding. One very steep bluff, 
 towering high above all the rest, attracted my atten- 
 tion, and after a tough scramble, I gained the top. 
 
WILD SCENERY. 185 
 
 A glorious view rewarded me. At my feet lay 
 the timbered point in which the Indians were build- 
 ing their winter encampment; the sharp strokes of 
 the axe, softened by distance, saluted my ears, and 
 occasionally a crashing and swaying among the trees, 
 told that one more had fallen. 
 
 Around me rose clay bluffs of every size and 
 shape : some were black and gloomy, as if a fire had 
 swept over them ; but the majority were tinted with 
 a vermilion hue, vividly bright under the glancing 
 rays of the sun. The Missouri swept the base of a 
 range of cliffs even more picturesque, which towered 
 on the opposite side. These receded gradually from 
 the river in a graceful sweep, and returned again a 
 few miles higher up, holding as it were, in their 
 embrace, a most beautiful little prairie, upon which 
 the Indians cast longing looks, wishing the river 
 frozen over, that they might cross their horses, and 
 pasture them on its rich grass. 
 
 A mile or so further on, a dark line of timber 
 showed where Shell Creek emptied into the Missouri. 
 Here was the beginning or foot of the Grand 
 Detour, and as it wound its tortuous way through 
 the Mauvaises Terres, the Great Bend could be dis- 
 tinctly traced until it was lost in the faint blue line 
 that marked the hills of Knife Hiver. 
 
 I could have enjoyed the view for hours, but the 
 
 16* 
 
186 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 sun was getting low, and a sharpened appetite 
 admonislied me that it was time to return. On my 
 way I shot at a wolf that was loping along in an 
 easy, impudent manner, and disturbed his peace of 
 mind very materially. 
 
 Our houses or cabins, for they were nothing more, 
 were well advanced ; the rails laid, and rushes and 
 dirt thrown on to finish the roofs. A chimney re- 
 mained yet to be built of sticks and mud, and two 
 days of hard work would complete everything. 
 
 But we had reckoned without our host. The 
 sticks forming the framework of the chimney were 
 tied across at regular intervals to the four upright 
 poles with thongs or cords of raw hide, and the end 
 of one happened to project from the mixture of mud 
 and grass that composed the walls of the chimney. 
 This attracted the notice of some starving dogs, 
 who, while we were all asleep in the adjoining cabin, 
 tore the whole structure to pieces, and devoured the 
 cords, leaving us to do our work over again. After 
 this warning, a door was made to prevent any similar 
 catastrophe. 
 
 Our men, not daring to vent their anger on the 
 dogs for fear of the squaws' interference, contented 
 themselves with uttering unlimited " sacr-r-r-es 
 chiens ! '' and, as if on purpose to increase their 
 already unbounded disgust at everything Indian, the 
 
RETURN TO THE FORT. 187 
 
 old Buck-Eagle came into the house just as they 
 were ready to eat their suppers, and, without even 
 saying "by your leave," picked up the coffee-pot 
 and drank off its contents from the spout wdth the 
 utmost sang froid. After draining it to the grounds, 
 he pronounced it " suck-itts," (good,) and took his 
 departure, leaving the "moshees" (whites) to reflect 
 upon the uncertainty of all human expectations. 
 
 The Indians built their village in three camps, 
 about a quarter of a mile apart. Most of them had 
 small log cabins close together, opening into a large 
 round dirt-covered lodge, which was used in common 
 as a stable for their horses. The majority of the 
 Indians had finished their houses at the same time 
 as ourselves, and the numerous well-beaten paths 
 leading in all directions through the timber gave 
 the place the appearance of having been long 
 inhabited. 
 
 I had now seen all things completed, and on the 
 ninth day after our arrival started with the men and 
 teams on my return, to bring back from the fort the 
 remainder of the goods for the winter trade. 
 
 At sundown we bivouacked on Eising Water ; our 
 fire was kindled, and before long a side of fat, juicy 
 ribs of buffalo-meat was roasting before it. The 
 coffee was speedily made, the ribs done to a turn, 
 and we were soon in the full enjoyment of a prairie 
 
188 AMONO THE INDIANS. 
 
 supper. The sky was overcast, and the cold north 
 winds swept fiercely over the open prairie. The 
 oxen had been tied to the wheels of the wagons to 
 prevent them from straying, and were thus partially 
 sheltered; my horse came to the fire to share its 
 warmth, and stood so near me, as I lay closely 
 wrapped in my bufialo-robe, that my head some- 
 times rested against his fore feet, and the breath from 
 his nostrils blew into my face as he slept and nodded 
 over me. 
 
 The darkness grew more intense ; then the A urora 
 flashed and faded in the northern sky until the 
 prairies glowed as if on fire. "Wolves howled around 
 us in numbers all night long, and the sparks from 
 our camp-fire, scattered by the wind, fell among the 
 grass, (which at this season is as dry as tinder,) 
 causing it to blaze so furiously that it required our 
 utmost exertions to prevent a conflagration. 
 
 Mounting guard by turns, we passed the night. 
 At daybreak we laid our course for the fort, distant 
 about thirty miles, which, by hard pushing, we 
 accomplished before evening. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 RETURN TO CAMP — A " POUDERIE " — LIFE IN THE WINTER 
 CAMP — SEVERE TOIL OF THE SQUAWS — FIREWOOD BIL- 
 LIARDS DANCES COTTONWOOD BARK FOR HORSE-FEED. 
 
 WE were soon ready to return again to the 
 winter camp. The wagons had been loaded, 
 and all the necessary preparations made, when the 
 weather became very cold, and a severe snowstorm 
 set in. ]^ot caring to unload again, after consulting 
 with the Bourgeois, I determined upon starting, and 
 was fortunately able to secure the services of a Gros 
 Ventre Indian, popularly known among the traders 
 by the sobriquet of "Bonaparte," as guide. He 
 was a stanch friend of the white man and a war- 
 rior of tried prowess, and had also been a travelling 
 companion in our expedition to the Assinniboine 
 camp. 
 
 For several miles our route lay through the timber, 
 which sheltered us in great measure from the weather. 
 But after crossing the lake, and ascending the 
 hills to the high open prairie, the storm struck us 
 
 in all its fury; the snow fell thick and fast, and 
 
 ri89) 
 
190 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 already covered the ground to the depth of half a 
 foot; while a driving north-east wind whirled it 
 about and chilled us to the bone, in spite of our 
 blanket capotes, leggings, capeshaws, and other 
 wrappings. 
 
 The snow deepened so rapidly that the cattle 
 toiled heavily along, and were badly stalled more 
 than once in crossing a hollow of the prairie, where 
 the drift had accumulated. 
 
 The storm was what is called in the mountains a 
 *' pouderie," and so blinding that it was impossible 
 to see more than a few yards ahead at any time. 
 Night overtook us as we reached the ridge ; the 
 wind had blown the snow away, and travelling was 
 much easier in consequence. Our Indian guide led 
 us to a sheltered place in the bad lands, where we 
 encamped in a snug thicket of dry ash. The mo- 
 ment we gained the friendly refuge of the encircling 
 hills, and were protected from the chilling blasts to 
 which we had been exposed all day, a feeling of 
 warmth and security took possession of us, and all 
 gayly set about '' making camp " without loss of 
 time. Our oxen fared well on the huge bundles of 
 hay we had brought with us, and after stripping my 
 horse of his equipments, I led the noble animal to 
 a cosy little dell, which was completely covered from 
 the wind by the thickly interlaced and overhanging 
 
SNOW-BOUND. 191 
 
 branches of the trees. Having supplied him with 
 abundance of hay, I turned to where Bonaparte was 
 scraping away the snow with his feet, and collecting 
 dry leaves and twigs to kindle a fire. The pile was 
 soon kindled into a blaze, and crackling branches 
 piled on, until we had a huge, roaring fire. 
 
 Water there was none ; but melted snow supplied 
 a substitute, and we were thus enabled to enjoy that 
 great luxury on the prairies, a cup of coffee. Our 
 moccasins were hung on little forked sticks to dry, 
 after which we spread our robes and blankets, and 
 slept soundly, undisturbed by the howling of the 
 storm, or the serenade with which the wolves fa- 
 vored us. Bonaparte crept into a little hollow, by 
 the roots of a tree, and made himself a very snuo- 
 resting-place. 
 
 When we awoke, the morning air was chill and 
 raw, the fire had burned down, and everything was 
 heavily covered with snow. As each man rolled 
 out from his lair, shaking the white clouds from his 
 robes, it seemed as though every snow-covered hil- 
 lock around us would suddenly start up, and reveal 
 a wild, uncouth-looking human form, hurrying to 
 stir up the embers, and rekindle the almost expiring 
 flames. More fuel was piled on ; the remainder of 
 the hay fed to the animals, and our own breakfast 
 soon prepared. 
 
192 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 We regained the ridge with difficulty ; and not 
 until we had doubled the teams on each wagon, 
 were we able to proceed on our way. A very large 
 band of antelope was started by the creaking of the 
 wheels, and their light airy forms flitted by us like 
 shadows. We crossed the fresh trails of buftalo 
 going in toward the river, probably driven by the 
 storm ; and discovered a small band at a short dis- 
 tance from our line of march. The close of the 
 day brought us safely to the Indian camp. 
 
 The paths leading in all directions through the 
 timber were beaten hard and smooth as a floor, by 
 the constant tread of moccasined feet, and the 
 passage of numerous dog-travees loaded with wood. 
 
 The lodges were finished, and the new-fallen snow 
 lay pure and white on the rude cabins, making 
 them look fresh and clean, and concealing from 
 view aught that might ofi'end the eye. 
 
 I found life in the winter camp very enjoyable; 
 the constant stir and bustle, and the pleasures and 
 excitements of the chase, causing time to pass by 
 almost unheeded. 
 
 Early on still, cold mornings, at the hour when 
 the lodge-fires were being rekindled, the thick white 
 smoke would rise up in a heavy column, and float 
 away lazily, with scarcely any motion, resembling, 
 except in color, the smoke from the busy foundries 
 
LIFE IN THE WINTER CAMP. 193 
 
 in the haunts of civilized man. The effect was 
 striking, and visible for a great distance. 
 
 Before the sun was up, bands of horses were 
 driven out to the most sheltered places among the 
 hills, and the beautiful prairie across the river, 
 which, admirably protected as it was from the winds, 
 and abounding with rich grass, afforded the best 
 winter pasturage for miles around. The whole face 
 of the country was now well covered with snow, 
 and when the sun's morning beams tinged with 
 crimson the whitened hills and valleys, the frozen 
 crystals sparkled and glistened with indescribable 
 brilliancy. 
 
 While the hunters ranged over the hills in quest 
 of game, or watching their horses, the squaws went 
 off to cut fuel for the lodges, and peel cottonwood 
 bark for the food of the horses at night. They com- 
 menced their preparations by belting their robes 
 around them in such a manner, that, while affording 
 a complete protection for their whole bodies, the 
 free use of the arms was not interfered with. 
 
 Then harnessing up some eight or ten dogs to as 
 many travees, they shouldered their axes and led the 
 van, followed by the dogs trotting demurely along 
 in single file. Before long, the woods resounded 
 with the dull strokes of the axes, mingled constantly 
 with the shrill voices of the women, scolding their 
 
 17 N 
 
194 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 dogs, who, very naturally, liked to vary the dull 
 routine of every-day life by getting up a little rough- 
 and-tumble fight among themselves. When a dog 
 had his full load, he was led to the main pathway, 
 and after receiving a couple of practical reminders 
 on his head from the axe-handle, to attend to his own 
 business, started for his lodge, dragging his travee 
 with great steadiness. Unless caught on some ob- 
 struction (in which case he patiently awaits his 
 release), he quickly arrives at his destination, and 
 finds some of the family ready to relieve him of his 
 load and turn him loose to steal or fight among his 
 brethren for his dinner. Several hours later, the 
 squaws are seen coming back in parties, with a 
 retinue of dogs, all loaded as heavily as possible. 
 
 Each woman carries on her back, supported by a 
 band passed around the shoulders, a bundle of wood 
 of such size and weight that two would make a fair 
 load for an Indian pony. Yet the women think 
 nothing of it, and travel along, talking and laughing, 
 as if it was play. Every day, year in and year out, 
 this must be done ; and if the lodge is large, and the 
 weather very cold, it is often necessary to make two, 
 and sometimes three trips a day. A large camp will 
 very soon consume all the small, dry wood in the 
 vicinity, and the women are then compelled to go a 
 long distance, often two miles before they can obtain 
 the needed supply. 
 
PLURALITY OF WIVES. 195 
 
 When they reach the lodges, the wood is thrown 
 down and piled, the kettle put over the fire, and 
 cookino^ o^oes on ae^ain. Then the cottonwood bark 
 is to' be thawed, and peeled in thin strips to feed the 
 horses ; moccasins have to be mended, and skins 
 and robes dressed or handled. After a hunt, the 
 labor is greatly increased, as the meat must be cut 
 up and dried, and the fresh skins prepared for future 
 dressing. 
 
 An Indian who has three or four wives, gets along 
 very comfortably, for, provided the women do not 
 quarrel too much, they divide the labor between 
 them. The Bear-Hunter, in whose lodge I lived the 
 whole of one winter, had five squaws ; but as they 
 were all sisters there was very little discord among 
 them. His family lived well ; they had abundance 
 of horses, and could always command the services 
 of a o:ood hunter. 
 
 Each of these five women belono-ed to a different 
 "band," or society; and as the lodge was one of the 
 largest in the village, it was in great demand as a 
 rendezvous. The band of Bulls, the White-Cows, the 
 Goose band, and other associations frequently assem- 
 bled, and made night hideous with their vocal and 
 instrumental accompaniments, while tripping the 
 "light fantastic toe," putting sleep entirely out of 
 the question. 
 
196 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 While the women patiently performed their daily 
 drudgery, the men who were not guarding the 
 horses, visited from lodge to lodge ; feasting, smok- 
 ing, and relating long anecdotes of war and hunting 
 exploits. Sometimes they gambled, playing their 
 favorite game of hand, in which they would get so 
 excited that time passed unheeded, until the sharp 
 voice of an old squaw, vexed and angry at the losses 
 her husband was sustaining, berated him so severely 
 that they were often glad to bring their sports to a 
 close. 
 
 In order to enjoy their amusement of "billiards," 
 some of its devotees cleared oft'a level piece of ground, 
 between the two lower camps, and planted a line of 
 bushes and underbrush, to form a partial barrier 
 against the wind. Logs were placed on each side 
 of the "alley," to keep the sticks (or cues) from 
 glancing off. 
 
 By constant use the table was soon beaten and 
 polished as smooth as ice, and the game was played 
 with greater satisfaction and spirit than ever. 
 
 At any hour of the day, no matter how cold it 
 was, or how keenly tlie wind blew, one might wit- 
 ness a couple of fellows, clothed only in their breech- 
 cloths, industriously following up the smooth rolling 
 stone with their sticks, and measuring and disputing 
 the success of the throw with the most intense 
 
AWINTER EVENING. 197 
 
 eagerness. On the curbing the spectators sat, muf- 
 fled in their shaggy robes, passing the indispensable 
 pipe from one to another, and entering heartily into 
 the spirit of the game, betting and losing with the 
 same recklessness as the players. 
 
 The mania for gambling was by no means con- 
 fined to the men. The women and young girls were 
 equally imbued with it; and, sitting down on a 
 smooth place on the ice, they would roll a pebble 
 from one to the other for hours together. Young 
 infants were often kept on the ice all the while, their 
 mothers, or those who had them in charge, being 
 too much engrossed with their play to pay them any 
 attention. 
 
 When the sun had set, and while its departing 
 rays grew fainter and dimmer, the sound of the 
 horses' feet could be heard crunching the frozen 
 snow-covered roads as they were driven home from 
 pasture. While crossing the ice they drank from 
 large holes cut for that purpose and constantly kept 
 open. Cheerful fires were kindled in the lodges 
 used for stables, and by their light the horses were 
 carefully secured; the restive ones and young colts 
 being separated from the others to prevent injury. 
 
 The women passed to and from the river, bringing 
 water for domestic purposes, and the dogs invariably 
 curled themselves up at the entrance to the lodge, 
 17* 
 
198 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 where, if one was not very careful, he could not 
 avoid trampling on one or naore, apparently sleeping. 
 For awhile all is quiet ; cooking is going on in every 
 lodge, and during that important operation no one 
 likes to be absent. When the meal is finished, the 
 bustle and stir begin again ; the trader's house, the 
 Exchange, where all the idlers congregate to hear 
 the news, is then the great centre of attraction. 
 Visits are exchanged from lodge to lodge, and the 
 young bucks, dressed and painted, stroll about in 
 parties, singing songs, or hover around the dwell- 
 ings of their sweethearts, watching for them to 
 answer the usual signal. 
 
 The sound of the drum, and the yells and cries 
 of the dancers, proclaim what is going on in another 
 part of the camp, and the dogs, as if by a precon- 
 certed arrangement, join in a general wailing cry, 
 which lasts for several minutes, and gradually dies 
 away. Just as one begins to hope for a brief interval 
 of quiet, some young puppy, anxious to try his voice, 
 indulges in a whine ; in an instant every dog is 
 endeavoring to outdo his neighbor, who returns the 
 compliment with untiring energy. 
 
 It is late at night before all is quiet ; the bright 
 sparks no longer fly thickly from the chimneys of 
 the cabins, and every dweller in the camp is buried 
 in slumber. 
 
COTTONWOOD BARK. 199 
 
 When the snow lies deep on the ground, and ene- 
 mies are less namerous, (from the fear of being 
 easily tracked,) most of the horses are left out at 
 night, and only brought up when wanted for hunting. 
 If the grass is plenty, and they can get a fair allow- 
 ance of Cottonwood bark, they maj- be kept in good 
 order all winter; but if hard hunted, and brought 
 up every night, by the time spring comes they are 
 so reduced that only the very best horses can then 
 "catch" buffalo. 
 
 Cottonwood bark is very nourishing, and if judi- 
 ciously fed, a horse will fatten on it. A tree is cut 
 down, the tender boughs lopped off, and after warm- 
 ing it to take out the frost, the bark is peeled and 
 torn into strips of various lengths, resembling pine 
 shavings ; the knots and rough pieces are carefully 
 thrown away, and it is then ready for use. 
 
CHAPTEE XYIII. 
 
 WOLF TRAPPING AT THE FORT — ANEW INVENTION — LUDI- 
 CROUS INCIDENT — SPORTS IN WINTER — A " SELL " HUNT- 
 ING ADVENTURE — STARVATION AMONG THE SIOUX 
 
 ORIGIN OF THE FEUD BETWEEN THE GROS VENTRES AND 
 SIOUX — ELK MEDICINE. 
 
 AFTER remaining several weeks in the camp, I 
 went down to the fort for additional supplies. 
 The men were in the height of the trapping season, 
 and had met with good success. I was fortunate 
 enough to be in time for the trial of a new style of 
 trap which one of them had contrived. It seems, 
 he thought that catching wolves in the old-fashioned 
 steel trap was slow and uncertain ; besides, from its 
 bulk, a wolf of any sense would be sure to see it, 
 and defeat the hopes of the trapper by declining to 
 be caught. 
 
 The simplicity of the new invention was one of 
 its chief recommendations. It consisted merely of 
 a stout iron hook, fastened to a chain, and well 
 baited w^ith cracklings (leavings, after fiying out 
 buftalo tallow). It was then to be secured to a post 
 
 (200) 
 
TRAPPING WOLVES. 201 
 
 most cunningly set in the ground, and covered with 
 snow. Success seemed beyond doubt; every one 
 commended this ingenious arrangement, and pre- 
 dicted great results. It was set for the first time, 
 on a raw and cloudy night, when the wind whistled 
 and howled, and beat against the pickets with great 
 fury. The other traps were set as usual ; but no 
 one cared to go to bed until the new one was proved. 
 At midnight the men sallied forth to make a tour ' 
 of inspection, more particularly to see the practical 
 working of Monsieur Gingras' patent wolf-hook. 
 
 It was near the witching hour of twelve, when a 
 feeble cry came from the direction in which this 
 scientific masterpiece was planted ; and picking up 
 their guns and hastily unbarring the gates, the men 
 rushed forth in breathless haste. Monsieur G. in 
 advance, with a heavy club to dash out the brains 
 of the luckless wolf Sure enough, a small animal 
 was impaled on the hook. <'A coyote ! a coyote ! " w^as 
 the cry, — and rushing on it with uplifted club, he 
 dealt a blow that stretched it lifeless. 
 
 It was triumphantly carried to the fort, where the 
 light of the fire in the men's quarters showed it to 
 be an unfortunate little dog, which had been acci- 
 dentally shut out in the evening. 
 
 But the trap was a success; no one could gainsay 
 that ; so, without heeding to any of the witticisms 
 
202 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 his coiiiravleb indulged in at his expense, he perse- 
 vered for nearly a week, catching nothing ; while 
 the old-fashioned trappers had their hands full, 
 skinning wolves and foxes. McBride advised him 
 to take his hook to the point ahove, and suspend it 
 from the limb of a tree over a well-beaten deer-path, 
 where, by using hay for bait, he might very probably 
 succeed in catching a deer. 
 
 This advice coincided exactly with his views, and 
 he fixed his trap in a splendid place, about a mile 
 from the fort, visiting it regularly morning and 
 evening for several days, always carrying hay for 
 new bait. 
 
 The deer-tracks, he said, were very plenty, and 
 very fresh, and how he failed to hook one was be- 
 yond his comprehension. 
 
 Finally he was induced to think that the first of 
 April had been anticipated in his case, and aban- 
 doned in disgust his attempt to catch wolves or deer 
 with a cat-fish hook ! 
 
 Around the fort it was dull and lonely ; for while 
 it was certainly a relief to be free from Indian so- 
 ciety, yet, when the village was inhabited, the con- 
 stant stir going on served to break the monotony of 
 the daily routine. 
 
 It was a favorite amusement, on a bright moon- 
 light night, to watch, gun in hand, upon the roof of 
 
NOCTURNAL AMUSEMENTS. 203 
 
 one of the houses, in hopes of getting a shot at the 
 wolves and foxes which were always prowlino- 
 around. While thus keeping watch, one could not 
 help contrasting the changed appearance of the 
 village, since its desertion by the Indians. 
 
 The once cheerful fires have burned to ashes ; the 
 lodges are damp and chilly, and have an earthy, 
 sepulchral smell. Tall medicine-poles, bearing of- 
 ferings to the Great Spirit, rear their lofty tops like 
 the spires and minarets of an Oriental city, while 
 over all reigns a stillness, painful from its very in- 
 tensity, broken perhaps by the melancholy wail of 
 the wolves. 
 
 ^o one about the Post took a keener delio-ht in 
 these nocturnal amusements than the cook. That 
 worthy delighted to post himself, with his gun 
 cocked and primed, to send a dose of lead into any 
 wolf or fox that might be so foolhardy as to expose 
 himself to the unerring aim of the accomplished 
 ^'maitre de cuisine." The frozen carcasses of the 
 wolves, the men had trapped, after being skinned, 
 were thrown into a pile outside the fort, where they 
 often attracted the attention of their living brethren. 
 
 The cook met with such success that he was 
 induced to continue operations for several consecu- 
 tive nights. McBride and myself were sitting be- 
 
204 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 fore a blazing fire, awaiting the cooking of a side 
 of fat buffalo ribs by his squaw, (as only an Indian 
 woman knows how,) when the conversation turned 
 on trapping, and finally led to speculations on our 
 cook's performances, and suggested a practical joke 
 at his expense. While McBride went to the kitchen, 
 ostensibly to give some directions, and detain him, 
 I slipped out of the gate and propped up a large 
 white dog, that had been crippled, and killed in 
 consequence, a short time before. In the uncer- 
 tain moonlight he looked for all the world like a 
 wolf prowling among the carcasses. Before long 
 the cook cautiously reconnoitred from his lookout, 
 and catching sight of the intruder, thrust his gun 
 through the pickets as far as possible, and after a 
 most careful and deliberate aim, fired. 
 
 To his unutterable horror, it moved not. He 
 leaped back into the house, rolling his eyes wildly, 
 and spluttering out exclamations and inquiries in 
 such haste as to be totally unintelligible. The men, 
 attracted by the report of the well-charged gun, 
 rushed forth to see what he had shot, none more 
 excited than '' the man who had been fishing for 
 wolves." "Look! look!" he exclaimed, "he is run- 
 ning ofif ! " Bang ! went the other barrel, and before 
 the smoke cleared away, the gates were flung wide 
 open, and a rush was made to bring back in triumph 
 this new trophy of a sportsman's skill. 
 
A BUFFALO HUNT. 205 
 
 As the J stood over the inanimate form, a few 
 brief but powerful words were uttered. The cook, 
 lifting up his fur cap, wiped away the sweat that was 
 rolling down his face, and meekly returned, followed 
 by a quiet and subdued party of men, to continue 
 those slumbers which had been so rudely disturbed. 
 
 A day or so after this exploit several bulls made 
 their appearance on the bluiFs, not more than four 
 or five miles off"; and as cords were needed to tie up 
 the packs of robes and peltries which had accumu- 
 lated, it seemed a favorable opportunity to get one 
 or more skins, and have them cut into cords by the 
 squaws. A hunting-party was soon made up, headed 
 by Jeff Smith, a veteran of over thirty years expe- 
 rience. He wore a close-fitting, white blanket skull- 
 cap, coming low down over the forehead, beneath 
 which peered the deep-set gray eyes and sharp coun- 
 tenance of the old ''Kee-re-pe-tee-ah," or Big-Bull, 
 as the Gros Ventres called him. A well-worn 
 blanket capote, once white, but by exposure to the 
 weather and the smoke of the lodges turned to a 
 sickly yellow, with leggings and moccasins of elk- 
 skin, completed his dress. An excellent rifle, in aplain 
 skin cover, lay across the pommel of his saddle, and 
 the handle of a long butcher-knife projected beyond 
 the parfleche scabbard in his belt. 
 
 Antoine, another member of the party, was buried 
 18 
 
206 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 in an enormous nondescript headgear made of a 
 piece of bufialo-robe, and wore an elkskin hunting- 
 shirt, trimmed around the edge with otter. He car- 
 ried one of Sharp's carbines slung on his back, and 
 rode a little mustang, which had a peculiar knowing 
 twinkle in his eye, and kept his ears pricked up Ske 
 a rabbit. "We incontinently dubbed him "Rabbit," 
 which name he retained until his death by drowning 
 the following spring, while trying to cross a creek 
 swollen by the melting snows from the mountains. 
 
 In high good-humor we kept on together, laugh- 
 ing at Antoine's wrath whenever his unfortunate 
 Rosinante made a misstep, sometimes almost jerking 
 him over his head. 
 
 Old Jefi" volunteered the rather unnecessary infor- 
 mation that he didn't intend to "run," but " kalki- 
 lated on approachin'," in which, be it said, he was 
 generally very successful. 
 
 When as close to the bulls as we durst go without 
 alarmiug them, we dismounted to tighten our girths, 
 and see that the weapons were in readiness. Smith 
 crawled some distance up the ravine and endeavored 
 to approach near enough for a shot, but finding it 
 impracticable, came back. 
 
 Remounting, we rode forward, to the great joy of 
 our horses, who, with uplifted heads and tails, were 
 impatiently pawing the snow. Crossing a ridge, we 
 
A BUFFALO HUNT. 207 
 
 came in sight of our game : five immense old bulls, 
 who were feeding, rolling, and otherwise enjoying 
 themselves with the greatest gusto. 
 
 They sprang to their feet the moment we were 
 discovered, and stood eying us attentively for an 
 instant, when they scampered oft' with that peculiar, 
 rolling gallop, which, awkward and clumsy as it 
 appears, requires the best speed of an Indian horse 
 to overtake. 
 
 When they started, we gave our horses the rein, 
 and dashed recklessly over the rough, uneven 
 ground, as if the possibility of a fall was out of the 
 question, each hunter pushing his horse to his 
 utmost speed. Mainour! and I, being both splen- 
 didly mounted,*went ahead, and rapidly neared the 
 bulls. Selecting one that appeared to have the best 
 robe, we followed him up, and soon separated him 
 from the others, whereupon he plunged down a 
 rugged defile, through w^hich we chased him at the 
 top of our speed, clearing rocks and gullies as if 
 they w^ere trifles. As the bull sprang upon a high 
 ledge, I fired, and leaped my horse after, when the 
 animal, closely pressed, and enraged at the wound, 
 turned savagely on me, his horn, by a miracle, just 
 missing my leg and my horse's flank. The well- 
 trained horse skilfully avoided the shock and led 
 the chase for a short distance, when the bull, feeling 
 
208 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 the effects of the ball, turned off and lumbered down 
 the valley in a contrary direction. Malnouri had 
 whipped up to intercept him, and was just raising 
 his gun to fire, when Antoine, followed at a little 
 distance by Smith, came galloping over the hill at a 
 speed that was certainly surprising. 
 
 Antoine was no rider, and less of a hunter ; more- 
 over his horse was known to be afraid of buffalo. 
 To our united astonishment, he rode straight for 
 the bull, as if to bear him down by his impetus, and 
 was within a few yards, when the latter suddenly 
 stopped, and lowering his head, charged. In an 
 instant *' Rabbit" wheeled on his hind legs, as if on 
 a pivot, and hurried off in an opposite direction ; 
 leaving Antoine to finish a somersault in the air, 
 and land almost at the feet of the maddened brute. 
 
 Seeing his imminent danger, we all pressed on, 
 shouting at the top of our lungs, old Jeff exclaiming 
 through his clenched teeth, " Run like , An- 
 toine ! " a most timely piece of advice, which was in- 
 stantly followed, Antoine making the snow fly in 
 clouds with hands and feet ; and the bull continuing 
 his flio:ht, he was soon out of harm's reach. All 
 this passed in a few seconds, and leaving him to 
 regain his breath, and hunt up his flying " Rabbit," 
 we soon caught up with our bull, who was now well- 
 nigh exhausted. His uplifted tail flirted wickedly 
 
AN OLD FEUD. 209 
 
 from side to side, and his head was lowered, ready 
 to charge. Malnouri incautiously attempting to 
 cross his path, the bull made a lunge, and took his 
 horse under the' flank. Horse and rider were both 
 in' imminent peril, when Jeff wheeled short around, 
 and drew the bull off by attacking him on the other 
 side. He ran a few yards further into a hollow, and 
 the blood poured from his mouth dyeing the snow 
 crimson ; his eye-balls turned a brilliant red, and 
 directly all was over. 
 
 The horse, a fine pow^erful animal, had sustained 
 very little injury, to our great surprise and Mal- 
 nouri's unbounded joy ; the bull's horns being worn 
 and blunt. We took only the skin and a few pieces 
 of meat, and returned to the fort in good spirits 
 over the incidents of the hunt. 
 
 Parties of Riccarees frequently visited the Post, 
 from their winter camp near the Ked Springs. Buf- 
 falo were very scarce throughout the entire lower 
 country, and there was a great deal of suffering 
 among the Sioux on Heart River and Long Lake, 
 in consequence. Many were obliged to kill their 
 horses to avoid starvation, and there were rumors 
 of the Medicine Bear's band desiring to make peace 
 with the Rees and Gros Ventres, in order to procure 
 corn. After which, it would not be long before 
 
 the peace w^ould be broken. A couple of years 
 18* 
 
210 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 previously, the Yanc-toli-wahs under Big-Head, after 
 a long period of hostility, met the Gros Ventres at 
 their village, and smoked the pipe of peace with 
 them. While the big men were sitting together in 
 social fellowship, sorhe of the young Sioux bucks 
 'stole a large band of horses from the Gros Ventres, 
 and made off with their booty. 
 
 Such proceedings made the peace a mere farce, 
 for neither party had sufficient confidence in the other 
 to wish to keep it. 
 
 The inextinguishable hatred between these two 
 nations, Minnetarees and Yanc-toh-wahs, owed its 
 immediate origin to an affair that happened some 
 twenty years before, when the Gros Ventres, then 
 quite a powerful tribe, lived on Knife River, just 
 above the Mandan (now Riccaree) village. During 
 a winter of unusual severity, a small party of Yanc- 
 toh-wahs, numbering about sixteen lodges, came to 
 the Gros Ventres to make peace, and relieve their 
 pressing necessities by trading corn. Confiding in 
 the friendship of the latter, the Sioux camped about 
 a day's travel from the village, intending to remain 
 until spring. A few of the ambitious spirits among 
 the Gros Ventres thought it would be a glorious 
 chance, by rubbing out these same lodges, to ^' count 
 a big coup" upon their enemies; one that would 
 "make them cry for many moons." It was done ; 
 
ELK MEDICINE. 211 
 
 and since that time, all attempts to preserve a per- 
 manent peace between the Gros Ventres and Yanc- 
 toh-wahs, have been unavailing. The old sore still 
 rankles. 
 
 During one of the visits of the Eees, a young In- 
 dian was seized with an epileptic fit in the night. 
 He fainted, bloody foam oozed from his lips, and he 
 whinnied like an elk. His comrades were afraid to 
 remain with him, and one of them told the inter- 
 preter that an elk had thrown his medicine upon 
 him, and at certain changes of the moon he had 
 these attacks, and imagined himself for the time 
 being, that animal. The next morning he was ap- 
 parently as well as ever, but before taking his de- 
 parture, the rascal stole a scarlet blanket that was 
 wrapped around one of the dead people ; an act of 
 vandalism which would have been severely punished, 
 had it been discovered by any of the deceased's 
 relatives. The eftects of the dead are usually held 
 sacred, except by open foes. 
 
 Soon after these events I returned to camp, 
 intending to remain there until spring. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 INDIANS MAKE "MEDICINE TO BRING THE BUFFALO" — PO- 
 TENCY OF DREAMS — ORDERS OF THE SOLDIERS — A LARGE 
 
 FAMILY — WHITE-COW BAND — STRONG MEDICINE A, BULL 
 
 IN camp! TRIUMPHANT DANCE OF THE WHITE COWS — 
 
 "plenty of BUFFALO !" 
 
 WHILE at winter-quarters I made frequent 
 hunting excursions through the neighboring 
 points, and often extended mj tramps to a con- 
 siderable distance. Deer were plenty, though very 
 wild, from being so much hunted by the Indians. 
 A fat haunch of venison was always a most accept- 
 able addition to our larder, and now that all kinds 
 of game were in their prime, we lived literally on 
 the fat of the land. Prairie chickens were very 
 abundant, and enough for a savory stew could be 
 shot at almost any time, within a few hundred yards 
 of the camp. In very cold weather they scarcely 
 heeded the crack of a rifle, and I have killed several 
 off the same tree, commencing at the lowest, that 
 the falling body might not alarm the others. 
 
 Herds of deer were often chased from the timber 
 • . (212) 
 
MEDICINE TO BRING BUFFALO. 213 
 
 on to the ice, by the wolves. The bufFalo, althouo-h 
 very plenty, were at too great a distance to hunt 
 and return the same day, and how to bring them 
 closer was a subject of much anxious consultation 
 among the Indians. 
 
 Several young men, animated by the hopes of 
 success, and the honors which it would confer upon 
 them, made great exertions to achieve the desired 
 result. Four-Bears was at the head of the ''bring 
 buffalo" party; he was continually excusing his 
 inefficiency by saying that he could not ''dream 
 right," to which Iddy-weah-iddy-qush (the-one-that- 
 strikes-the-women,) drily remarked that he would not 
 dream right, until the weather turned cold and 
 stormy, and drove the buffalo close to the shelter of 
 the timber ; which was looking at the matter in a 
 very practical light. 
 
 A young man, the Red Cherry, next offered to 
 bring the buffalo ; if successful, a horse, was to be 
 the reward; but he wisely deferred the time of 
 action as long as possible, thereby hoping to increase 
 his chances of success. 
 
 Meanwhile, all prayed that the Four-Bears might 
 be able to dream to some purpose ; which he said 
 he could not do, until a war-eagle of a certain size 
 had been shot, and although every effort was made, 
 it seemed impossible to secure one. 
 
214 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Finally it was agreed to let the Red-Cherry try 
 his powers. 
 
 The next morning, hefore the sun rose, Red- 
 Cherry went to the top of the highest butte that 
 overlooked the camp, and began to cry and pray to 
 the Great Spirit. He was to make his medicine for 
 three days and nights, fasting all the while, at the 
 expiration of which time, if it was good, the buffalo 
 could not fail to come. 
 
 That no counteracting influences might operate 
 against him, the soldiers forbade the chopping or 
 cutting of firewood by the squaws, and exercised the 
 utmost vigilance to prevent all sounds. Any un- 
 lucky squaw who was so forgetful or reckless of con- 
 sequences as to venture to chop firewood, was sure 
 to have her axe seized and her wood scattered ; and 
 if she escaped a sound beating, might consider her- 
 self remarkably fortunate. 
 
 During this embargo, the onl}' fuel that could be 
 obtained was dry brush or small twigs, which could 
 be easily broken by hand without making much 
 noise. Singing, and the everlasting sound of the 
 drum, for a time ceased ; even the dogs seemed to 
 know what was going on, and in a great measure 
 suspended their vocal exercises. Travel and hunt- 
 ing were strictly prohibited, and a young man who 
 had gone after deer a few points below the camp, 
 
AN UNSUCCESSFUL MEDICINE-MAN. 215 
 
 not far from the mouth of the Little Missouri, was 
 met on his return by several of the soldiers, who 
 whipped him severely, and destroyed his gun and 
 bow and arrows, cutting his robe and meat to pieces. 
 Scouts were kept stationed on the hills to discover, 
 and two fine horses were ready to be given to the 
 Red-Cherry in event of his medicine proving good 
 and strong. 
 
 The evening of the third day came, and brought 
 no tidings of the approach of bufialo. Opinions 
 began to be freely expressed that the "medicine" 
 was worthless, and the Four-Bears, who had not yet 
 been able to dream, was gloomy and despondent. 
 
 There was no meat in camp ; some families began 
 to experience the pangs of hunger, and the tide of 
 popular feeling was setting in very strong against 
 the would-be " Medicine man." 
 
 The unsuccessful aspirant for medical distinction 
 said, in self-defence, that if a spotted running horse 
 had been offered him, instead of two common pack- 
 horses, his medicine w^ould have worked to a charm, 
 and the hearts of all the people in the village would 
 have been made glad by seeing the surrounding 
 prairies " black all over with a terrible plenty of 
 buffalo." His friends (for he had many) began to 
 think he might be correct, and were disposed to 
 grant him further opportunity. 
 
216 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 I had been living for three days on parched corn, 
 not even having coffee to help it down, and was 
 extremely anxious that the buffalo should come in, 
 without caring whether it was by the dreaming of 
 the Four-Bears or the medicine of the Red-Cherry. 
 
 The second attempt was prolonged over four days, 
 when Ou-keh-shay (The-First-Feather-on-the-wing) 
 announced that he had discovered something on the 
 high hills in the direction of the lake. Every one's 
 heart beat high with hope and joy ; the Red-Cherry's 
 star was in the ascendant, when a more careful 
 reconnoissance showed the objects to be a small 
 band of horses that had been out in cdche, and were 
 now being driven up by their owner. So Red- 
 Cherry was again unsuccessful, and the Last-Stone 
 intimated, in unmistakable terms, that he was a 
 fool, a humbug, and even threatened to whip him. 
 
 Something must be done ; already a few of the 
 malcontents talked of scattering the camp, and 
 moving about until they got into a better hunting' 
 ground. 
 
 In this emergency, when all was doubt and uncer- 
 tainty, the White-Cow band, the corps du reserve, 
 took the matter in hand, and as their medicine was 
 never known to fail, a better and more cheerful 
 feeling soon pervaded the entire camp. The restric- 
 tions on cutting and chopping were removed, and 
 
THE WHITE- COW LODGE. 217 
 
 everything soon fell into the old routine. The great 
 secret of the success of the White-Cow band lay in 
 the fact, that when they undertook to bring buffalo, 
 tlie dancing was kept up vigorously night and day 
 until buffalo came. 
 
 The lodge of my host, the Bear-Hunter, was its 
 headquarters, and his five squaws all belonged to the 
 band. He had three log-cabins, opening into a spa- 
 cious round earth lodge, whose dirt floor was beaten 
 hard and smooth. His horses and mine, twenty-five 
 head in all, were kept in one part, which was fenced 
 off for the purpose, leaving ample space for the 
 Terpsichorean exercises which were taking place 
 almost every night; and so used did I become to 
 the constant singing, drumming, and dancing, that 
 I scarcely noticed it. On grand occasions the beauty 
 and fashion of the village assembled here, and it 
 was consequently the most popular and frequented 
 locality in the camp. 
 
 The ^YQ tongues of the old Bear-Hunter's squaws 
 were unsurpassed for the ease and rapidity with 
 which they reported all the news of the hour. Two 
 dogs could not get into a fight at the farthest ex- 
 tremity of the village without these women being 
 almost instantly apprised of it. The charms of the 
 second one had long since faded; she had lost an 
 e^e and was quite lame, but her powers of speech 
 
218 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 remained unimpaired. In the blissful moments, 
 like angels' visits few and far between, when a 
 profound silence reigned in Bedlam, this female 
 Cyclops would be sure to rise and kindle a blazing 
 fire, and let loose her unruly member. 
 
 It made not the slightest difference to her whether 
 there were auditors or not ; the sound of her own 
 charming voice was company enough. 
 
 This lady was the presiding genius of the White 
 Cows, and she had now a world of business to look 
 after. Small boys, masked and disguised so that it 
 was impossible to recognize them, and carefully 
 muffled up in robes with the hairy side out, were 
 sent from lodge to lodge in the evening, before the 
 dance commenced. These were making medicine 
 to ascertain where the buffalo might be found. On 
 entering a lodge they would sit motionless and 
 without uttering a word, until some trifling present 
 was given to the medicine; when they jumped up, 
 and after going through a short shuffling dance, 
 took their departure. 
 
 The different members of the White-Cow band 
 began to assemble, and soon the regular taps of the 
 drum notified the camp that the great and impor- 
 tant ceremony was in full progress. At one end of 
 the lodge sat the musicians or drummers, three in 
 number, who were untiring in their efforts, and 
 
DANCE OF THE WHITE-COWS. 219 
 
 aided their instrumentation by singing in a mo- 
 notonous chanting strain. The women, comprising 
 some forty or fifty matrons of the village, most of 
 whose charms had unmistakably faded, were all 
 attired in their quaintly garnished deer-skin dresses. 
 Each had a spot of vermilion on either cheek, and 
 their long black hair, which was carefully combed out 
 and dressed with marrow grease, fell full and flow- 
 ing over their shoulders, confined around the fore- 
 head with a fillet of white buffalo cow-skin. One 
 of them had a white robe (which is very scarce, and 
 held in the highest esteem) wrapped around her. 
 This white robe was the common property of the 
 band, and in its great power as a " medicine " were 
 centred their hopes of bringing in the buffalo. 
 
 The dance was kept up at short intervals for over 
 a week without any signs of success. Every night 
 the lodge was densely crowded with eager and anx- 
 ious spectators, and if good wishes exerted any in- 
 fluence, the White-Cow band had them in abun- 
 dance. On the surrounding hills the scouts directed 
 their eyes toward all the points from which it was 
 likely the herds would come. 
 
 On the opposite side of the river was a lofty butte 
 standing alone. It was several hundred feet high, 
 and almost perpendicular on the face ; but was easily 
 mounted from the rear by a long, gently sloping 
 
220 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 ascent. On the very summit were placed a couple 
 of buffalo-skulls, with pieces of scarlet; cloth fastened 
 around each horn. Two medicine poles were also 
 set up, with pieces of calico flying from them, gifts 
 to propitiate the Great Spirit, that he would send 
 them plenty of buffalo. 
 
 This butte was a famous lookout, commanding 
 the prairies for many miles in every direction. 
 
 The Black Hills near Knife River, marking the 
 head of the Big Bend, were plainly visible, and 
 appeared close at hand. 
 
 Among the rugged bluffs that rose one above 
 another, was a remarkable group, known and justly 
 so, as the Square Hills, conspicuous and noted land- 
 marks for miles around. The whole country on the 
 opposite side from that on which the camp was 
 located, seemed spread out at one's feet; while 
 on either hand the view extended for miles, and 
 any bands of buffalo coming down from the upper 
 country were certain to be discovered. 
 
 I was upon this butte one afternoon with several 
 Indians, vainly hoping to discover something by 
 aid of my glass. The Indians were pointing out 
 various places of interest, scenes of encounters 
 with the foe, or exploits of the chase. We spent 
 several hours very agreeably in this manner, and 
 returning to the lodge, I watched the dancers for a 
 
THE MEDICINE BULL. 221 
 
 while ; then stretching myself on my robe, indulged 
 in reverie, from which I was roused by an unearthly 
 clamor among the dogs, and a general rush outside 
 by the Indians. 
 
 Hastily snatching up my gun, I ran out to learn 
 the cause of the excitement. Strong Medicine ! A 
 huge buffalo bull was charging wildly about, not 
 twenty yards from the lodge wherein the White- 
 Cow band were dancing ! The old fellow was bayed 
 by fully one half the dogs in the village, and rushed 
 hither and thither in his blind, impotent fury, tossing 
 the dogs in front, and kicking and plunging to avoid 
 those in his rear. He dashed headlong among the 
 lodges, seeing only his canine tormentors, and, of 
 course, paid no heed to the eager crowd of Indians. 
 
 All were astonished and delighted beyond expres- 
 sion at this remarkable answer of the Great Spirit 
 to their prayers and offerings, and but one opinion 
 prevailed, that the bull had been specially sent to 
 show them that the efforts of the White-Cow band 
 were not in vain. Directly the report of a fusee was 
 heard, and lumbering on a little farther, the " Medi- 
 cine Bull" fell on the sandbar and breathed his last; 
 but while his limbs were yet quivering with recent 
 life, a multitude of knives were busily at work, and 
 in a few moments a pool of blood, Avhich the dogs 
 were eagerly lapping up, only remained. 
 
 19* 
 
222 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 The White-Cows came forth from their lodge and 
 danced around the village. While thus engaged, a 
 young man rode up at full speed and reported th5t a 
 fine band of cows had just been discovered close to 
 Rising Water. The soldiers at once directed old 
 Snakeskin to harangue, forbidding any chopping or 
 noise, and for the hunters to bring up all their 
 horses, and be ready to surround in the morning. 
 
 Hearty congratulations on the wonderful strength 
 and efficacy of the medicine of the White-Cow band 
 were exchanged on every side, and soon a tripod, 
 over which was thrown the far-famed white robe, 
 was set up on top of the lodge, and joy and gladness 
 animated the entire camp. 
 
 The next day the hunters went out and surrounded 
 with success ; and it was well they did, for a terribly 
 severe spell of wreath er succeeded, during which it 
 stormed and snowed with such fury that none 
 durst travel. When it cleared off, the whole prairie, 
 from the dividing ridge near Knife River to the 
 Rising Water, and beyond it as far as the eye could 
 reach, was literally black with countless thousands of 
 buffalo. 
 
 The winter's hunt, thus auspiciously inaugurated, 
 bid fair to be a complete success. Every few days 
 the hunters went out, and returned late in the after- 
 noon with their horses heavily packed with fat and 
 
PLENTY OF BUFFALO. 223 
 
 delicious meat, which was soon cut into thin sheets 
 and hung on the scaffolds to dry, out of reach of the 
 dogs, whose well-filled sides showed that they too 
 were making up for their involuntary fast. I went 
 out frequently with the hunters, and the novelty 
 having long since worn off, looked upon it as a 
 regular business, and not merely an exciting 
 pastime. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 BUFFALO HUNT IN THE SNOW BUTCHERING FEASTING — 
 
 DELICACIES — DEADLY EFFECTS OF THE INDIAN ARROW 
 
 ACCIDENTS — SWEAT HOUSES CURING TONGUES. 
 
 T 
 
 IHE spectacle of a buffalo hunt when the ground 
 
 was covered with snow was even more thrilling 
 than in the summer-time. The danger was also 
 greatly lessened by the soft, white carpet spread 
 thickly over the prairie, serving to break the fall of 
 any unfortunate hunter whose horse by a misstep 
 might throw him. The night before a hunt takes 
 place, the band of soldiers meet in their lodge and 
 appoint some one of experience to head the party. 
 The leader thus chosen has full authority for the 
 time being, and every hunter must conform to his 
 orders. 
 
 No sooner is this settled than some long-winded 
 old fellow is directed to harangue through the camp, 
 "Bring up the horses, and prepare to go to the 
 surround," naming the leader and the time of 
 starting. 
 
 The squaws bestir themselves to provide plenty 
 
 (224) 
 
BUFFALO HUNT IN THE SNOW. 225 
 
 of Cottonwood bark, that the horses may have some- 
 thing to eat during the long night, and see that the 
 saddles and apishamores are in complete order, 
 taking care to tie a bundle of raw-hide cords to the 
 horn of each pack-saddle, by which to secure the 
 meat. The hunters look carefully to their weapons, 
 and whet their butcher-knives to a keen edge. 
 
 Long before daylight all are aroused by the cry, 
 " Get up, get up, and saddle your horses ! " While 
 the hunters eat their breakfast the women attend to 
 this, and as soon as each one is ready, he starts off, 
 leading his horses, sometimes accompanied by a 
 squaw to assist in butchering and packing the meat. 
 
 Every hunter takes from two to four horses, these 
 being as many as he can properly manage. The 
 favorite buffalo-horse trots along loose, carrying only 
 a light skin pad stuffed with deer or antelope hair. 
 The hunter rides one of his pack-horses, in order 
 that his "runner" may be fresh for the severe labor 
 of the chase. 
 
 Arrived at the rendezvous previously designated 
 by the leader, who is there with his lance or insignia 
 of rank, they halt until the whole party has assem- 
 bled. All now ride in a compact body, taking care 
 never to press too closely on the leader, who, with 
 several experienced friends, keeps well in advance, 
 to discover the game before coming near enough to 
 
226 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 alarm it. The only sound that breaks the dead 
 silence of these snow-clad plains is the crunching of 
 the horses' feet as they break through the frozen 
 crust, or the occasional jingle of the equipments. 
 
 We ride steadily on until our leader comes to a 
 sudden halt, and the hunters eagerly gather round 
 him. The band of buffalo we intend to "run" is 
 before us, and more than a mile distant; and the 
 wind is very favorable, blowing from them to us. 
 
 The customary deliberative pipe is lit, and a plan 
 of attack agreed upon, and communicated to the 
 hunters in a few words by the leader. We start 
 again ; trotting and cantering along by turns more 
 rapidly than we have yet done, each horse being 
 fully alive to the exciting scenes that will soon be 
 enacted. A wide detour is made, and under cover 
 of a deep roll of the prairie, we approach as near as 
 possible without alarming the herd. ISTot many 
 words are uttered, for each one understands his 
 business ; the pack-horses ai-e quicklj^ hobbled and 
 left, together with everything superfluous. Mount- 
 ing the runners, whose impatient restlessness can 
 hardly be controlled, with bows and arrows grasped 
 firmly in their hands, the hunters are ready for the 
 onset. 
 
 Many ride bareback, with only a lariat around the 
 lower jaw to manage the horse, who is so well 
 
"hook- AH-HEH !" 227 
 
 trained, and so perfectly understands his rider's 
 wishes, that it usually hangs loose upon his neck or 
 trails behind. 
 
 We ride abreast, gradually extending our front 
 like the horns of a crescent, to make the '^ surround" 
 as perfect as possible. Insensibly we quicken our 
 pace, and are careering forwards at full gallop. The 
 horses snort impatiently, with heads and tails erect, 
 and the quick glances of their eyes tell the excite- 
 ment they fully share, evidently feeling, as the 
 Indians say, " as if their hearts were glad." 
 
 Faster and faster we go ; w^e are close on the herd, 
 which, now thoroughly alarmed, huddle together for 
 a brief instant, and then dash madly off, directing 
 their course against the wind, the fattest cows lead- 
 ing the van. Our leader's lance is lowered; now is 
 the time, and every horse is stretched out at his 
 utmost speed. The buffalo appear to rise out of the 
 ground as we rush on, until what at first seemed but 
 a small band has increased to an immense herd. In 
 a few minutes the fastest horses have carried their 
 riders among them in every direction ; and selecting 
 their meat, they pursue it until killed. An occa- 
 sional shot is heard, but the work of destruction is 
 chiefly accomplished by the bow and arrow. 
 
 In a few moments some of the cows fall behind, 
 gradually slackening their speed until they come to 
 
228 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 V 
 
 a stand-still. The blood flows freely from their 
 mouths, and they soon lie down to rise no more. 
 Perhaps, here and there a severely though not 
 fatally wounded buffalo has been brought to bay, 
 and shows fight, charging upon his pursuer when- 
 ever he rides too close, and calling into play the 
 agility of the horse, who, by skilfully wheeling, 
 avoids the shock. A well-directed shot settles the 
 question; and while bristling with impotent fury, 
 the crimson tide gushes from her mouth, and she 
 convulsively breathes her last. 
 
 The white prairie is soon dotted with the black 
 carcasses of the victims ; wolves skulk at a little 
 distance, impatiently awaiting their anticipated feast; 
 and flocks of ravens, flying low and croaking 
 hoarsely, make their appearance so suddenly that 
 no one knows whence they come. Here a hunter 
 has been thrown, by his horse's getting his foot into 
 one of the many holes with which the prairie is 
 filled, but the thick carpet of snow has saved him 
 from receiving serious injury. The more expert 
 hunters will kill from three to five cows in a chase, 
 and claim their game by the marks on their arrows. 
 
 When the hunt is over, they return and look up 
 their meat ; then driving up the pack-horses, begin 
 the work of butchering. The buffalo generally falls 
 in a natural position, as if lying down; and the 
 
BUTCHERING. 229 
 
 hunter splits the skin down the back, and twisting 
 the fingers of his left hand in the long hair of the 
 hump, pulls the robe toward him, while he rapidly 
 cuts the tissue with his knife. An Indian will 
 skin a bulialo very rapidly, but always leaves 
 more or less flesh adhering to it, which has to be 
 removed by the women before dressing it. The 
 meat is cut away from the bones in large pieces, 
 Bome of them weighing over a hundred pounds. 
 The two sides of ribs are taken oflE" and tied together 
 by a cord to balance each other on the saddle. 
 
 The tongue, heart, kidneys, liver, paunch, marrow- 
 guts, "boudin" and brains, being esteemed great 
 delicacies, are carefully saved. When there is plenty 
 of meat, the large bones and coarse pieces are always 
 thrown aside, but in times of scarcity there is ab- 
 solutely nothing left but the head ; even the blood 
 is regarded as a luxury and saved. The horses are 
 next to be packed ; half of the green skin is thrown 
 over the saddle, then the heavy boneless pieces of 
 meat, after which come the ribs and miscellaneous 
 portions, and over all the remaining half of the 
 robe. The meat and robe of a cow is considered a 
 fair load for a horse ; but I have often seen a cow 
 and a half packed on, when the distance was short, 
 or a cow, and a heavy man riding on top. This 
 kind of work is very severe on both horses and 
 •20 
 
230 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 men ; for, starting early they are generally a whole 
 day in the cold without eating anything. 
 
 From the huntmg-ground to the camp, the speed 
 is a steady jog-trot, no matter what the distance 
 may be, and party after party come together at the 
 big trail made in the morning. As the sun gets 
 low, the horses are urged on, and when within two 
 or three miles of camp, the dogs, scenting the meat, 
 rush out at full speed, noticing no one until they 
 find their masters, when they trot along in company, 
 occasionally tugging at the meat as it hangs tempt- 
 ingly low. 
 
 "When the party descended the bluffs, following 
 the trail that led to the well-sheltered bottom in 
 which the camp was pitched, the tired and heavily- 
 laden horses often slipped and fell in the steep and 
 icy path. 
 
 Sparks from the lodge-fires greeted the hungry 
 hunters, and the dogs, smelling the fresh meat from 
 afar, began their usual howling. As each one ar- 
 rived at his lodge, the squaws rushed out to take 
 charge of the horses, unpacking the meat, removing 
 the saddles, and placing a bountiful supply of cot- 
 tonwood-bark before them. While the' tired hunter 
 divests himself of his equipments, a choice piece 
 of meat is cooking for him. A comfortable pipe 
 succeeds, and as friends drop in, the feasting is 
 
DELICACIES. 231 
 
 renewed, until all are fully satiated. The details of 
 the morning hunt are given ; how many men were 
 out, where the buffalo were first seen," whose horse 
 was the fastest, and who had killed the fattest cow; 
 all are discussed and commented upon with the 
 greatest earnestness and gravity. 
 
 The women seize upon the titbits with avidity, 
 and roasting marrow-guts and making "boudin," 
 keep them fully employed until a late hour. 
 
 Indian squaws are the best cooks of meat in the 
 world ; they know exactly when it is done ; that is, 
 cooked thoroughly, yet retaining all the juicy rich- 
 ness and flavor. The hump-ribs or bos are deli- 
 cious when boiled, and a side of fat ribs carefully 
 roasted ought to satisfy anybody. But one of the 
 very best pieces on a buffalo is a thin strip of flesh 
 on the inner side of the ribs ; it is simply thrown on 
 a bed of coals ; the thick skin prevents the flesh 
 from burning and the juice from escaping. 
 
 The tongue, when roasted for several hours in a 
 bed of ashes, is very fine ; but a j'oung calf before it 
 is born, is considered the greatest delicacy of all. 
 When first eaten, early in the winter, it is never 
 larger than a kitten and gradually increases in size 
 •until near spring, when it becomes too large and 
 coarse. The idea of eating such a barbarous dish 
 was at first revolting, but afterwards, when better 
 
232 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 able to appreciate these Indian luxuries, I found it 
 very palatable, particularly the natural liquor or 
 bi^oth in which it was boiled ; which with the addi- 
 tion of salt and pepper made an excellent soup. 
 
 After a hunt the horses are allowed a little much- 
 needed rest ; the women find active employment in 
 cutting and jerking the meat for future use, and 
 stretching the skins to dry, after carefully removing 
 the flesh which adheres. 
 
 The men strolled from lodge to lodge, marvelling 
 greatly at the remarkable strength of the medicine 
 of the White-Cow band, relating anecdotes of the 
 chase, and commenting upon the skill of some of 
 the most noted hunters in the tribe. The Last- 
 Stone, when younger, was one of the very best 
 buffalo-hunters the Gros Ventres ever had. It was 
 said of him that "■ he could kill on any kind of a 
 horse," or, in other words, he depended more upon 
 his skill as a marksman, to bring down his game at 
 long distances, than upon the speed of his horse to 
 carry him to close quarters. Last-Stone was a large 
 fleshy man, and he told me that, when in the full 
 prime and vigor of life, he could shoot an arrow on 
 horseback entirely through the body of a buffalo, 
 so that it would drop to the ground on the opposite 
 side. The Indians also talked about '' The Yellow," 
 (now dead,) who is said to have actually killed three 
 
ACCIDENTS. 2r,3 
 
 COWS with a single arrow. He was of course riding 
 close up when he shot ; the shaft passed entirely 
 through the bodies of two cows, the point projecting 
 several inches on the opposite side ; the third cow 
 jostled against it in the general scamper, and the 
 point penetrating her vitals caused her death. 
 
 It has often been a matter of surprise to me that 
 more accidents do not happen in buffalo-hunting, 
 when we take into consideration the reckless speed 
 at which they ride over the roughest and most rug- 
 ged ground, the danger of getting accidentally shot, 
 or of being impaled on the horns of an infuriated cow. 
 In the autumn, when the ground is hard frozen 
 and before it is covered with snow, the hunter is 
 constantly liable to severe falls from the horse 
 stepping into holes. In the spring also, when the 
 snow has thawed away, leaving the ground soft and 
 very slippery, buffalo-hunting is attended with much 
 greater risk than in midwinter. 
 
 The Indian horses are so well trained that they 
 not only watch the buffalo to escape a colUsion, but 
 also keep a sharp lookout for holes and bad places 
 on the prairie, avoiding them with surprising skill. 
 When the rider has picked out his cow, the horse 
 follows it up with loosened rein, or lariat trailing 
 behind him on the ground. He runs boldly up, on 
 the right side, within a few feet ; and the instant the 
 20* 
 
234 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 arrow is shot, swerves off to avoid the charge which 
 is almost sure to follow. As soon as the cow 
 resumes her course, he comes up again after giving 
 the rider time to fit another shaft ; and no matter 
 how fiercely the maddened animal turns upon him, 
 skilfully wheels around, as if on a pivot, and allows 
 the huffalo to pursue him, as it always does for a 
 short distance. 
 
 I often rode an old, well-trained horse, which we 
 called " Mac," (after Owen McKenzie, who was one 
 of the very best buffalo-hunters, white or red, on 
 the prairies.) The old horse knew, by long experi- 
 ence, exactly how far to avoid a lunge, and was no 
 more afraid of closing up with a wounded cow than 
 of joining his comrades on the plain. ITevertheless, 
 in spite of all the skill of both horse and rider, the 
 former is sometimes severely, if not fatally injured. 
 The Poor-Wolf lost his splendid black steed in this 
 way. He had wounded a cow, and closing up had 
 given her another arrow, when at the moment of 
 the charge the horse plunged up to his shoulders in 
 a snow-drift, and was utterly powerless to escape. 
 The Poor- Wolf was thrown, and the buffalo's horn 
 made a terrible gash in the horse's flank. With a 
 convulsive bound he sprang up and dashed wildly 
 over the prairie, treading on and tearing out his 
 entrails, and after running a short distance, fell 
 dead. 
 
REMARKABLE ESCAPE. 235 
 
 A similar accident happened at the very next 
 hunt. A horse belonging to He-who-strikes-the- 
 women was ridden by a young man who was con- 
 sidered an excellent hunter, but the buffalo crowded 
 on him so closely that he had no room to manoeuvre, 
 and the sharp horn of a cow ripped the horse's 
 belly, causing the entrails to protrude. -The horse 
 was instantly stopped, and assistance coming up, he 
 was thrown, the entrails replaced, and the rent 
 sewed up with a sinew ; after which he was able to 
 be led back to the camp several miles distant, fed 
 as usual, and eventually recovered. I saw him fre- 
 quently afterwards ; a scarcely perceptible scar was 
 the only remaining trace of the accident, and this 
 would not be noticed, even by a careful observer, 
 unless specially pointed out. The horse ran as well, 
 and seemed to be in every respect as valuable as 
 
 before. 
 
 After returning from a hunt, the sweat-houses are 
 freely used, the hunters seeking by this means to 
 invigorate themselves after their exhausting efforts. 
 Nearly every lodge is provided with one, being 
 merely a low hut of willow-boughs, just large 
 enough to admit one or two in a stooping posture. 
 When used, it is covered w^ith skins, stones are 
 heated in the fire, and placed inside ; the occupant 
 divests himself of his clothing, and the opening 
 
236 
 
 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 being carefully closed, raises a vapor by pouring 
 water from a kettle on the hot stones. After re- 
 maining inside until nearly suffocated, and sweating 
 profusely from every pore, he comes out and rubs 
 himself over with snow, or, if the river is open, 
 plunges in ; then retires to his lodge, and wrapping 
 himself in his robe, enjoys a refreshing sleep. 
 
 Upon returning from a hunt of more than usual 
 severity, and complaining of fatigue to the Bear- 
 Hunter, he insisted upon my trying a "sweat." I 
 found the effect far beyond my utmost anticipa- 
 tions, and afterwards resorted to it whenever ex- 
 periencing over-fatigue, always with the happiest 
 results. 
 
 There was considerable rivalry at this time between 
 the two companies, on the subject of trading buffalo- 
 tongues from the Indians, and the prices went up 
 accordingly. The Indians were the gainers of course, 
 and were shrewd enough to make good use of their 
 advantage. 
 
 For several days after a hunt the traders for both 
 parties were constantly on the alert to get all the 
 tongues they could ; and so recklessly was the 
 competition carried on that profit was totally lost 
 sight of. An Indian having two or three tongues 
 would stop at one trading-house and mention the 
 fact, to ascertain what he could get for them ; then 
 
SALTING TONGUES. 237 
 
 going to the other would tell the same story, of 
 course magnifying the price offered. Having 
 obtained another bid, he would return to the first 
 parties and report; the original price would be 
 increased, and perhaps after a good deal of talking, 
 the trade would be pretty equally divided, the 
 Indians saying that it was to their interest to sup- 
 port "two whites;" which it certainly was. 
 
 The tongues are salted by the traders (not by the 
 Indians, as is generally supposed), and after being 
 dried are sometimes painted over with molasses and 
 water, to improve their appearance, and give them 
 a dark smoky color. They are shipped to St. Louis 
 in the spring, together with the robes and peltries, 
 and are eagerly sought after as great delicacies. 
 
CHAPTEK XXI. 
 
 AN ABODE IN THE WINTER CAMP — MAKING MEAT — MY 
 COMRADE THE BOBTAIL WOLF — HIS LESSONS IN THE 
 LANGUAGE — HONESTY OP THE GROS VENTRES — THEIR 
 PAST HISTORY — MATRIMONIAL RAVAGES OF THE SMALL- 
 POX — AFFECTING INCIDENT. 
 
 THE buffalo still continued very plenty around 
 the winter-quarters, and were often in plain 
 sight. 
 
 The clean, well-trodden paths, the curling smoke 
 from the lodges, and the scaffolds heavily laden 
 with the choicest pieces of meat drying for future 
 use, presented a very comfortable appearance. 
 Every one appeared satisfied, and a genial feeling 
 pervaded the whole camp. 
 
 The lodge in which I dwelt was filled inside and 
 out with meat ; and when there was no more room 
 on the scaffolds, poles were stretched across the in- 
 terior of the cabin, heavily loaded with additional 
 supplies. As fast as that on the scaffolds was fit to 
 pack away, the meat inside would take its place, 
 thus leaving room for fresh pieces. 
 
 (238) 
 
THE BOBTAIL- WOLF. 239 
 
 I was constrained to crawl on my hands and 
 knees sometimes to get to my corner, where I liked 
 to recline upon my robe, and listen to the gossip of 
 the hour. The crowded condition of thins-s had 
 one advantage : it kept away all idlers ; and those 
 who had anything to trade, never hung around, as 
 was their custom, after transacting business. 
 
 Nearly every day I went to the lodge of my com- 
 rade and friend the Bobtail- Wolf. The old chief 
 was not such a politician as the Four-Bears, but 
 was still respected and listened to by all. He was 
 very fond of teaching me the language, which I 
 wrote down as he pronounced it, and by this means 
 made rapid progress. He would unweariedly repeat 
 a word over and over again, until I had caught the 
 correct pronunciation. Many of the principal men 
 made his lodge their head-quarters, and the talk 
 was always about Indian fashions or customs, very 
 seldom degenerating into mere gossip. His squaw 
 invariably provided something for us to eat, and 
 many a piece of calf, or boudin, or bos did we 
 enjoy at her hands. When at the summer villag-e, 
 the old man spent the best part of his time in my 
 house, and he was ever welcome, for he had plenty 
 to talk about, and was an excellent hand to enter- 
 tain the visitors that were constantly dropping in. 
 
 During the whole time that I lived among the 
 
240 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Gros Ventres I never missed a single article, although 
 I took no trouble to keep my things out of sight. 
 My house would often be crowded with Indians ; 
 sometimes only one or two would be present; yet 
 if called away, I felt satisfied that on my return I 
 would find everything just as I left it. 
 
 But when any Rees or Crows were about, it was 
 very difierent. They would steal anything they 
 could lay hands on, and required constant watching ; 
 even the Gros Ventres frequently complained of 
 their thieving proclivities. 
 
 The old chief Bobtail-Wolf was exceedingly 
 Bolicitous for me to take unto myself a wife, and 
 had settled upon several squaws whom he considered 
 eligible. I put him oW from day to day until he 
 began to think it was high time for me to make a 
 decided move in the matrimonial direction. " My 
 son," said he one morning, after the customary pan 
 of bouillon, ''it is time for you to take a wife. 
 There is the Long-Hair's daughter, a good young 
 woman who garnishes moccasins well, works hard 
 for her father's lodge, dresses robes and carries 
 wood. You told me that you had the heart of a 
 Gros Ventre ; that your blood was red like ours. 
 Why don't you make your words good ? " 
 
 This was certainly bringing matters to a point ; 
 and after due deliberation I replied that what he 
 
PAST HISTORY OF THE GROS VENTRES. 241^ 
 
 said was good and true. — the Long-Hair's daughter 
 was all that he claimed for her, but I did not feel 
 like taking such a responsibility at present. ''But," 
 said I, stripping up the sleeve of my shirt and show- 
 in<2: him the difference between the white skin and 
 the part tanned by exposure to wind and weather, 
 ''you see my arm is gradually turning darker and 
 darker, becoming like an Indian's. When I am 
 changed all over, I will be ready to marrj^ the Long- 
 Hair's daughter." 
 
 This ridiculous answer, strange as it may seem, 
 pleased the old man amazingly, and from that mo- 
 ment he looked upon my marriage as a settled fact, 
 the question being only of time. 
 
 On one occasion some of the old men were talk- 
 ing about the changes that had taken place in their 
 nation. Many snows ago they were a part of the 
 Crows and left them because they were too numerous. 
 Their language is essentially the same, with such 
 modifications as a long residence with the Mandans 
 and Riccarees would be likely to make. They once 
 occupied five villages, and the Bobtail- Wolf was 
 chief of one. Incursions of their enemies, and the 
 fearful ravages of small-pox and cholera so reduced 
 their number that they formed at last but one village 
 
 and dwelt upon the banks of Knife River, above the 
 21 Q 
 
242 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 old Mandan (Riccaree) village. At last they deter- 
 mined to seek the Crows and unite with them 
 again. They deserted their village, abandoned 
 their corn-fields, left the bones of those once loved 
 and lost, and severing all old ties, crossed to the 
 east shore of the Missouri, and started on their 
 pilgrimage. 
 
 It was in the fall when they arrived at the site of . 
 the present village. The Four-Bears thought it 
 would be a good place to winter in, and they accord- 
 ingly prepared to remain until spring. When spring 
 came, the Fur Company's steamboat arrived, and at 
 the urgent solicitation of the Indians, a trader was 
 left with a few goods. He took up his quarters in 
 the Four-Bears' lodge. 
 
 The squaws cut and dragged timber for a fort ; 
 the Gros Ventres gave up their idea of rejoining the 
 Crows, and Fort Berthold was built. In time, the 
 Opposition Company took the field, and established 
 ^a post on the lower side of the village. With their 
 "whites" on either side of them, and protected in 
 their stockaded village, the Gros Ventres had little 
 reason to fear the incursions of their enemies so 
 long as they remained at home. 
 
 But the small-pox was an enemy that neither 
 stockades nor bravery could keep away. That 
 frightful disease is peculiarly fatal to the Indians, 
 
SMALL-POX. 243 
 
 and was unknown to them previous to the advent 
 of the white man. The Mandans, from a large 
 nation, have become reduced to a mere handfuL 
 All the tribes have suflered, but the Sioux have 
 escaped with the least loss, as they immediately, 
 upon the appearance of the disease, scattered in 
 small camps throughout their country, and thus con- 
 fined it to a single locality. 
 
 The last time the small-pox made its appearance 
 on the Upper Missouri was in 1856, and the accounts 
 I received from eye-witnesses were truly heart-rend- 
 ing. The Gros Ventres and Mandans suffered, of 
 course, although not so severely as in former times, 
 as they scattered immediately upon its breaking out. 
 Around Fort William the Assinniboines lay en- 
 camped, threatening the whites with justly-merited 
 vengeance. The houses in the fort were crowded 
 with Indians in every stage of the disease. The 
 moment they were attacked they sought the whites, 
 feeling, doubtless, that as the latter had brought the^# 
 pestilence, it was but just they should suflTer some 
 of the inconvenience. 
 
 Few, if any, of the employes of the Fur Com- 
 pany were attacked by the disease. The houses 
 were kept as warm as possible, and many of the 
 Indians who avoided exposure to the cold and snow, 
 ultimately recovered. One case was peculiarly dis- 
 
244 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 tressing. A whole family had been carried off; the 
 mother had just died, leaving an infant of a few 
 months old. The well had as much as they could 
 attend to, and there was no one able or willing to 
 take charge of the little orphan. It was placed in 
 the arms of its dead mother, enveloped in blankets 
 and a buffalo-robe, and set up on a scaffold, in the 
 usual manner of burying the dead. Its cries were 
 heard for some time ; at last they grew fainter, and 
 finally were stilled altogether in the cold embrace 
 of death, with the north wind sounding its requiem 
 and the wolves howling in the surrounding gloom 
 a fitting dirge for so sad a fate. !N"evermore in the 
 happy Spirit-land would that mother and her child 
 \iG parted. 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 STARTLING NEWS THE THREE GARREAUS KILLED THEIR 
 
 BODIES RECOVERED — DANGEROUS TRIP — CHRISTMAS IN 
 CAMP — GRAND FEAST — APPROACH A BULL — NARROW 
 ESCAPE. 
 
 P 
 
 lERRE GAEREAU'S three sons, who had gone 
 out with the hunters, full of life and spirits, 
 splendidly equipped, and mounted on their bounding 
 steeds, were waylaid, killed, and scalped by a Sioux 
 war-party. At one fell blow were swept away the 
 young men and nine as fine horses as the Gros 
 Ventre camp could boast of. 
 
 They were returning after a successful hunt, and 
 when within only five or six miles of the camp, one 
 of their pack-horses threw his load of meat and ran 
 away. The brothers stopped behind the main body 
 of the hunters to recover the truant steed. 
 
 Night came; the hunters were all in; fat ribs 
 were roasting before blazing fires in the different 
 lodges, and festivity and gladness prevailed, except 
 in one. The next morning, a numerous and well- 
 armed party, with Pierre Garreau at the head, 
 
 21* (245) 
 
246 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 started out to learn, if possible, the fate of the miss- 
 ing hunters. Near the place where the bojs turned 
 back, a flock of ravens was seen circling in the air. 
 The party proceeded cautiouslj^, yet with anxious 
 hearts, toward the spot. Their worst fears were 
 realized, — there lay John, the youngest boy, scalped 
 and gory, stripped of his ornaments. He was com- 
 pletely riddled with arrows, but they were all 
 front wounds, showing that he had made a gallant 
 defence. A little farther on, the remaining two 
 were found, similarly butchered. Curses, not loud, 
 but deep, came from the hearts of that warrior-band, 
 and they swore that when the early spring-time 
 came, they would strike such a blow as would cause 
 a terrible wail in the camp of the foe, and would 
 make them remember for many a day the revenge 
 which they had brought upon themselves. 
 
 Without manifesting any emotion, Pierre directed 
 the bodies to be conveyed to camp, and they were 
 temporarily buried on a mound at the entrance of 
 the trail leading through the timber. 
 
 The horses were gone of course, and from the 
 marks on the arrows, the enemy were known to be 
 Sioux. 
 
 Word was immediately sent to Pierre's relatives 
 at the Ree village, and the moody silence through- 
 out the camp expressed far more forcibly than 
 
A SAD BURIAL. . 247 
 
 words the vengeance that would be taken upon the 
 perpetrators of the outrage as soon as the plains 
 should be free from snow. 
 
 Pierre gave away niost of his property, as is the 
 usual custom among Indians, and his two wives, 
 although not the mothers of the deceased, cut their 
 hair in token of grief. 
 
 Pierre was soon recalled to Fort Berthold, his 
 great affliction rendering him totally unfit to remain 
 in camp as a trader ; and his place was supplied by 
 Paquenaude who was then living as a free trapper. 
 After Pierre's return to the fort, he had the bodies 
 of his three boys brought down from camp, and 
 reinterred in the presence of the whites from both 
 posts. ISTot a sound broke the stillness, as the 
 bodies were carefully lowered to their last resting- 
 place ; but when the m.en commenced throwing on 
 the earth, the Indian women burst forth into their 
 mournful cry. Pierre turned, and thanking those 
 present for the kindness and sympathy w^hich they had 
 extended to him, said that it was a common feeling 
 among all mankind, whether white or red, to wish 
 their bones laid among those of their kindred, and 
 not scattered to the four winds in some distant land. 
 
 No news of the reinterment was sent to the Pee 
 camp until it was over ; as Pierre did not want a 
 vast concourse of his relations, cryilig and making 
 a distressing affair of it. 
 
248 AMONa THE INDIANS. 
 
 Many moons had waxed and waned, the snows 
 had long disappeared, and the air was soft and 
 balmy, before Pierre Garreau became as of old, and 
 his conversation continually turned upon the ven- 
 geance that would be taken upon the Sioux. 
 
 It was on one of the coldest days I ever remember, 
 when I started to return to camp, after a brief 
 sojourn at the post. Getting clear of the timber, a 
 sharp, cutting head-wind whirled the frozen crystals 
 of snow through the air, and all the exposed parts 
 of my face were cut, as if by a knife. I was obliged 
 to dismount, and leaving the trail turned into the 
 bad lands, where I could make a snug camp, and 
 remain until the wind lulled and travelling became 
 more comfortable. I had left the trail with this 
 idea but a short distance, when a faint column of 
 smoke curling up from the middle of a point of 
 timber, on the opposite side of the river, met my 
 eye. I at once concluded that it was the lurking, 
 place of a war-party, being midway between the 
 forts and the winter-quarters, and an excellent posi- 
 tion from which to discover. 
 
 Without a second thought I remounted, and 
 travelled through the deep snow as fast as my horse 
 could carry me, and late in the evening arrived at 
 the camp, but not until my nose and cheeks were 
 
CHRISTMAS. 249 
 
 slightly frozen, in spite of my fur wrappings. TVith 
 one exception, I never felt the cold so severely as 
 on this trip, and the Indians expressed great sur- 
 prise at my travelling in such a head-v^ind, for none 
 of them had left the shelter of the valley during the 
 day. I mentioned what I had seen, and a party 
 hurried off that same night to make further dis- 
 coveries, but returned the following day without 
 having seen an}i:hing. A couple of nights after- 
 wards, however, a mule and three horses were 
 missing, and the moccasin tracks left no doubt as 
 to their having been stolen. 
 
 Christmas, the " Big Medicine " day of the whites, 
 was fast approaching, and the Indians eagerly looked 
 forward to it. For several years past it had been 
 the custom of the traders to make a grand feast 
 to the different bands, and the Indians usually 
 acknowledged the compliment by "throwing" robes 
 or other articles of value to the traders in return. 
 
 We made our feast a few days before Christmas, 
 and the rivalry between the whites as to who would 
 give the grandest entertainment, made it unusually 
 interesting. Each band was called separately, and 
 it was a good day's work to go the rounds. Our 
 guests, while loud in their praises of our liberality, 
 usually plead poverty as an excuse for not throwing 
 robes as freely as they would like, which same plea 
 
250 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 was as strongly urged by ourselves as an additional 
 reason for their extending substantial patronage to us. 
 
 At the fort they celebrated the day with great 
 spirit. The grand feature of the occasion was the 
 dinner, at which ample justice was done to the 
 prairie-chicken and rabbit pot-pies, bufialo-steaks, 
 and puddings and dried-apple pie ; the whole making 
 a very fair spread-out for the "mountains." The 
 men of the rival posts joined forces in the evening, 
 and enjoj^ed a regular frolic, which they kept up 
 until the small hours, one by one fairly dropping 
 upon the floor from exhaustion and overloaded 
 stomachs. Several dressed up as squaws, and took 
 the part of women in the dance. 
 
 The day was remarkably fine, and the celebration 
 passed off with eclat, A young dog had been fat- 
 tening for some time to supply the place of a turkey; 
 but unfortunately, just a few days before, he was run 
 over by the wood-wagon, and crushed to death, 
 which the squaws lamented bitterly. 
 
 The Gros Ventres seldom or never eat dog ; but 
 the Sioux consider it the very greatest delicacy, and 
 to be "called" or invited to a dog-feast is a high 
 compliment to a stranger. 
 
 Buffalo were as plenty and close to the camp as 
 ever, but the Indians surrounded less frequently, as 
 the severe work was beginning to tell on their 
 
APPROACH A BULL. 251 
 
 horses. The weather, too, was extremely cold, and 
 at the last hunt, when the Wolf's-Eye was partisan, 
 many of the Indians had their fingers frozen, and 
 several were considerably hurt by their horses falling 
 with violence. The Hawk had his ankle so much 
 injured that it was several weeks before he was able 
 to mount his horse again. Only about forty cows were 
 killed, and even of these many were left untouched 
 on the prairie, it being too cold to butcher them. 
 
 I was at the lake, about six miles distant from the 
 camp, looking after some horses which we had in 
 edche there, and finding them all right, crossed over 
 to Shell Creek to inspect some beaver-lodges, with 
 which the stream was filled. When about returning, 
 a buffalo-bull emerged from the willows, not more 
 than a quarter of a mile from me, and leisurely 
 started across the prairie, stopping occasionally to 
 paw away the snow and feed. The wind was very 
 favorable, and I determined to approach him. 
 Taking advantage of every inequality of the ground, 
 I crawled on my hands and knees, dragging along 
 my rifle, (protected from the snow by a skin cover,) 
 and having a white blanket capote, with capeshaw 
 of the same drawn over my head, at a little distance 
 looked too much like a white wolf to excite the 
 slightest apprehension in the bull, who continued 
 cropping the grass in the most unconcerned manner. 
 
252 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 I was gradually getting closer and closer to him, 
 when a slight noise, made in breaking through the 
 crust of the snow, alarmed him. He stopped and 
 looked around, but seeing nothing to justify his 
 fears, went on feeding, gradually making his way 
 toward some coolies or ravines not very far distant. 
 I followed as fast as was prudent, and soon had the 
 satisfaction of seeing the bull climb a butte, and 
 disappear on the other side. 
 
 Following after as fast as possible, I gained the 
 butte, and crawling cautiously up, looked over the 
 brow, and saw my bull eating away with the most 
 perfect unconcern not twenty yards distant. I had 
 by this time crawled nearly half a mile, and was not 
 at all grieved by the prospect of bringing my labors 
 to a termination. 
 
 The first ball struck the bull fair in his " lights ; " 
 he gave a slight jump, and then stood still. The 
 blood poured from his mouth, and tottering forward 
 a few paces he sank quietly down upon his knees. 
 I watched him, and seeing no further motion, con- 
 cluded that, if not dead already, he was very near it, 
 and accordingly moved directly towards him, when, 
 to my horror and amazement he suddenly sprang 
 to his feet, lowered his head, and made for me. I 
 turned and fled with all possible haste as far as I 
 could go, through snow up to my knees, and would 
 
THE TABLES TURNED. 253 
 
 have fared badly had not the friendly butte inter- 
 posed and hid me from his sight, just when I was 
 expecting to feel his horn in my back. Stopping 
 only from sheer exhaustion, I looked back, and saw 
 him stretched out in the last agonies. Making sure 
 this time that he was actually dead, I returned and 
 took his tongue as a trophy, leaving the rest of his 
 carcass for the wolves, who were already in attend- 
 ance in considerable numbers, and only waiting for 
 my departure to begin their feast. 
 
 Eavens too were circling in the air, and when all 
 had eaten their fill, the remains of the bull would 
 be scanty indeed. 
 
 22 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 ECLIPSE OF THE MOON — INDIAN IDEAS — THUNDER, LIGHT- 
 NING, AND RAIN PRIMITIVE WAYS EXPRESS ARRIVES 
 
 — TRAVEL IN A " POUDERIE " — TEDIOUS TRIP — LAMB 
 HORSE — RETURN TO POST. 
 
 IT was time to return to the Fort again with the 
 robes, tongues, and peltries which had accumu- 
 lated since m}^ last trip. Early on the morning I 
 expected to start we were roused by a great uproar 
 in camp ; men firing guns, women crying, and the 
 dogs of course contributing their share to the gen- 
 eral racket. I hurried out of the lodge to see what 
 it was all about. 
 
 The night was clear and beautiful, but the silvery 
 beams of the full moon did not fall as brightly as 
 usual. Darkness was slowly drawing its veil over 
 the scene. 
 
 The old men harangued, and when the shadow 
 passed away, and the moon shone brilliantly out 
 again, a general yell of exultation arose at the 
 strength of the medicine, which had appeased the 
 anger of the Great Spirit. The Indians have no 
 
 (254) 
 
TRAVELLINa. 255 
 
 idea. of what causes an eclipse, and believe that the 
 shadow would always remain unless they drove it 
 away by the power and strength of their medicine. 
 
 We had a toilsome journey to the fort, as the snow 
 lay very deep in places, rendering it necessary some- 
 times to unload everything in order to extricate the 
 animals. When the crust is frozen hard, it is a 
 pleasure to travel, but it is very wearisome when 
 the sun's rays have sufficient power to soften this 
 crust, so that one step will be firm, and the next 
 break through, oftentimes up to the horse's belly. 
 
 I was always glad when the promontory upon 
 which the forts and village were built, came in sight, 
 although at a distance of five or six miles ; and the 
 tired horses moved more briskly, knowing well that 
 their labors, for the present at least, would soon be 
 over. 
 
 A party of Gros Ventres, chiefly squaws, came 
 down from camp at the same time, bringing with 
 them the body of the Black Parflesh, who had died 
 a day or so since, and must, according to custom, be 
 buried on a scafibld in the rear of the village. 
 
 The weather was intensely cold, and the squaws 
 experienced considerable difficulty in digging holes 
 in the hard frozen earth, to set up the scaffi^ld. It 
 was in fact necessary to build a fire and thaw the 
 ground before this could be done. 
 
256 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Doctor E-ten-ah-pen-ah was of the party, and 
 stated that the ghost of the Black Parflesh appeared 
 as he passed by his lodge in the village, and beck- 
 oned to him. The Doctor said that he felt his hair 
 .gradually rising up, and cocking both barrels of his 
 gun he ran away as fast as he could. 
 
 Returning to camp, I found the buffalo beginning 
 to scatter, and the hunters had consequently much 
 farther to go " for meat." Scarcely had I unsaddled, 
 ere the Four-Bears called me to a feast at his lodge, 
 and on obeying the summons I found some eight or 
 ten Indians assembled, while a splendid side of fat 
 roasted ribs was being skilfully cut up by the senior 
 Mrs. Four-Bears. After the well-picked bones had 
 been carried away, and the pipe lit and passed 
 around, the Four-Bears inquired what the Rees 
 were doing, and if any later intelligence had been 
 received from the Sioux camp. I gave all the infor- 
 mation I possessed, and the conversation then took 
 an entirely different turn. 
 
 My comrade, the Bobtail- Wolf, asked me if it was 
 not almost time for the wild geese to return, for 
 thunder and lightning, and the river to open. I 
 replied, that nearly three moons must wane before 
 those events would happen ; and inquired if he could 
 tell me what caused thunder and lightning. 
 
THUNDER-BIRD. 257 
 
 He said that there was, high in air, far out of 
 sight, flying continually and never resting, an eagle 
 of terrible size. Upon his back he carries a lake 
 full of water. "When this aerial monster is out of 
 humor, he flaps his wings, and loud peals of thunder 
 roll over the prairie ; when he winks his eyes, it 
 lightens ; -and when he wags his tail, the waters of 
 the lake on his back overflow, producing rain. 
 
 I admiringly assented to this philosophical ex- 
 planation, and for several moments nothing was 
 said, when the silence was broken by the Poor-Elk, 
 declaring that the whites were bad ; they brought 
 sickness among the Indians; they were much better 
 without the whites than with them. What need 
 had they of traders ? Did not the buffalo supply 
 them with all they required ? When their ammuni- 
 tion was expended, could they not fall back upon 
 their bows and arrows ? They were not raised like 
 the whites to drink sugar and coffee, and it was ter- 
 rible to see how fond they had become of it. Now, 
 their young men would sooner sit in the whites' 
 lodges, hoping to get a cup of coffee, than follow on 
 the war-path or hunt the buffklo ; they would soon 
 be no better than women. He was in favor of 
 driving all the traders out of the country. 
 
 " My friend," I replied, "you have no sense; you 
 speak with a woman's tongue. It is very true that 
 
 22* 
 
 R 
 
258 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 you did without the whites once ; but that was many 
 snows ago, when you were but a few summers old. 
 !Now, if you were to drive them away, when your 
 powder and balls were expended, you would fall 
 back upon your bows and arrows. The arrows 
 would not last forever, and when you wanted new 
 ones, where would you get iron for the points? 
 When your kettles wore out, what would your 
 women do ? Many snows have whitened the prairie 
 since your people last made pots of clay ; you have 
 almost forgotten about them. When your knives 
 were gone, the young men would find it very dif- 
 ferent from begging their whites for new ones, to 
 use sharp stones, (flints,) as they did in the long ago.'* 
 
 "What the Yellow-Hair says is true," Four-Bears 
 remarked ; " we would find it very hard to do as we 
 once did before we had whites. We are now a small 
 people ; our enemies are many and strong. We are 
 almost afraid to go out on our own prairies to hunt 
 the buffalo for fear our village might be attacked, 
 and our women and children killed during our 
 absence. We have got the whites (traders); we 
 can't do without them, and we must take pity on 
 them and give them life," (^. e. trade with them, 
 and support them.) 
 
 These remarks silenced the Poor-Elk, who, in 
 truth, did not mean what he said ; only a little out 
 
POTTERY. 259 
 
 of humor at being refused something which he had 
 asked, and took this method of venting his dis- 
 pleasure. 
 
 Indians who have been long accustomed to enjoy 
 the many little comforts supplied by the traders, 
 would, if wholly deprived of them, find it almost 
 impossible to exist. Many years ago, it is true, when 
 some of the patriarchs of the tribe were young men, 
 and before the traders came among them, they lived 
 in the most primitive style. Their knives and arrow- 
 points were of flint, and many tribes had no cooking- 
 utensils. 
 
 The Eiccarees and Gros Ventres were, however, 
 in more respects than one, in advance of the other 
 prairie Indians. Out of a peculiar kind of clay they 
 fashioned large pots of various shapes ; after a time, 
 from the effects of heat and use, these became hard, 
 and black like iron, and so strong that an ordinary 
 blow with a stick or stone caused no injury. Some 
 of the Rees still possess a few of these curious ves- 
 sels, and regard them as relics of great value. 
 
 The arrival of the mnter Express, bringing de- 
 spatches from Mr. Clark, at the Blackfoot Post, 
 although expected for some time, was an interesting 
 event. The Indians were anxious to learn the move- 
 ments of the Blackfeet, Crows, and Assinniboines, 
 
260 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 and whether buffalo were plenty between the camp 
 and the Yellowstone. The Express was brought 
 thus far by a half-breed named Dauphiny, with one 
 other man. They were to proceed as far as our 
 fort, whence they would return, and the Express be 
 forwarded by us to the Ree Post, on its way to St. 
 Louis. From the Rees it would be dispatched to 
 Fort Pierre, thence to Fort Randall, (a U. S. Post,) 
 thence to Sioux City, where it would be put into 
 the mail. Its route for many hundred miles lay 
 through a wilderness, infested by hostile Indians, by 
 whom, if discovered, the carriers' lives would be 
 held of little account. 
 
 After resting over night, the Express continued 
 on to the forts, and I went along, as it would devolve 
 on me to carry it to the Rees. A day was spent in 
 writing letters and preparing the requisition for 
 goods for the coming year's outfit. The weather 
 was cold and disagreeable ; but having secured the 
 services of a young Indian, the Pretty- Wing, as 
 guide, I felt no hesitation about starting. 
 
 "We left early, for we had a long and fatiguing 
 ride before us, the snow being verj^ deep in many 
 places. For a few miles we travelled under the 
 bluifs, which sheltered us from the wind ; but when 
 we crossed the river and gained the high prairie, 
 the chilling northern blasts had full sweep, blowing 
 
CARRY THE EXPRESS. 261 
 
 the light snow in clouds, and making it utterly- 
 impossible to see m6re than a few yards in any direc- 
 tion. Fortunately, it was a back wind, which greatly 
 lessened its effects. 
 
 We plodded steadil}^ on, making our way, some- 
 times with great dif&culty, through the numerous 
 ravines or coolies filled with snow ; and more than 
 once were compelled to take a detour to find a suit- 
 able crossing-place. Instead of following the sum- 
 mer trail across the open prairie, my guide kept the 
 river in sight the whole time. This made the road 
 a great deal longer ; but to have attempted crossing 
 the plain in that driving '' pouderie,^' would have 
 been madness. Had we been foolish enough to have 
 tried it, we might have lost our course in the blind- 
 ing storm, and perished on the open prairie. 
 
 We had progressed well on our dreary journey 
 when we encountered a large party of Rees, moving 
 from their winter camp at the Eed Springs, on 
 account of the scarcity of buffalo, in search of a 
 better hunting-ground. They were all completely 
 enveloped in their robes ; and hurried on, anxious 
 to gain the shelter of the timber, for they had the 
 driving storm directly in their faces. 
 
 We kept on for some distance further, when the 
 high bluffs and sheltered dells told us that we could 
 not be far from the Red Springs, where more than 
 
262 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 half the Rees were still encamped. Soon we saw 
 horses feeding here and there on the hillsides, a 
 cheerful contrast to the dreary waste through which 
 we had passed ; and descending a steep hill, found 
 ourselves in the timber, with the lodges of the Ric- 
 carees close at hand. Very few Indians were stir- 
 ring ; even the dogs took no notice of us as we rode 
 through the village, stopping only long enough for 
 our guide to ask some questions concerning the best 
 route to the Ree Post, where we arrived, hungry 
 and tired, long after dark. 
 
 Major Hamilton soon had a hot cup of coffee 
 ready, and after a substantial supper, we sat until a 
 late hour, talking over the different items of news. 
 Several Yanc-toh-wahs from their camp at the 
 Painted Woods, twenty-five miles distant, were in 
 the fort. They had suffered severely for want of 
 food, and many were compelled to live upon horse- 
 flesh. The Oucpapas and Blackfeet had not been 
 heard of for some time, but were supposed to be in 
 the vicinity of the Thin Hills with plenty of buffalo, 
 the great depth of snow in the intervening country 
 preventing communication between the camps. The 
 Sioux expressed themselves very anxious to make 
 peace with the Rees and Gros Ventres, as they in- 
 variably do when starving, in order to trade corn ; 
 but the latter placed no confidence in their Punic 
 faith. 
 
AN OLD MOUNTAINEER. 263 
 
 The next day we laid over to rest our horses, and 
 passed it in visiting. Mr. Hodgkiss of the American 
 Fur Company entertained me with interesting rem- 
 iniscences of his life, he being one of the veteran 
 mountaineers, having come up in 1832 as clerk for 
 Captain Bonneville, whose graphic narrative is be- 
 fore the world. 
 
 Long before daylight on the following morning 
 we were in the saddle ; I found, to my inexpressible 
 regret, that my horse, from some cause or other, 
 was so lame in one foot as to be scarcely able to put 
 it to the ground, and the Major gave me the com- 
 forting assurance that I would have to leave him on 
 the road. As I was unable, from the scarcity of 
 horses at the Post, to obtain a substitute, I deter- 
 mined to push on as fast as possible, trusting to 
 luck to get through. 
 
 There are few things so discouraging to a travel- 
 ler as to find his horse unfit for duty at the very 
 time his best powers are required. In this unpleas- 
 ant state of affairs we commenced our homeward 
 journey, and as if in sympathy with our rather for- 
 lorn condition, the sky was overcast with dull, leaden 
 clouds, while the wind whistled in a way that told 
 of a rising storm. "While recrossing the river at 
 the little Man dan village, my lame horse lost his 
 footing on the smooth ice, and after a struggle fell. 
 
264 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 The difficulty of getting him on his feet again, de- 
 layed us a little ; but when we reached the shelter 
 of the bluffs, and the hard frozen crust of the snow 
 bore up our horses, we pushed on at a good gait. 
 By the time we got to the Red Springs we were in 
 a regular storm and '^ pouderie,'" the wind dead 
 ahead of us, and intensely cold. Not a human 
 being was stirring in the Indian camp, and we passed 
 through without attracting the slightest attention. 
 But when we emerged from the shelter of the high 
 hills, the fierce, wintry blast burst upon us with all 
 its fury, fairly taking away our breath, and with 
 great difficulty our horses were made to face it. 
 
 All signs of the trail were completely lost in the 
 drifting snow; but nevertheless, my Indian guide 
 kept on his way without an instant's hesitation. 
 Once only, for a short time did we lose our proper 
 direction ; so terrible was the storm that the figure 
 of my companion, though only a length ahead, was 
 at times invisible. I drew my fox-skin cap close 
 over my eyes, and with my capeshaw pulled over 
 that, was well protected. 
 
 As the shades of evening gathered, the storm 
 lulled for a while, and leaving the high prairie, our 
 route lay through a sheltered bottom which was 
 thickly populated by a village of prairie dogs. 
 About ten miles below our destination we again 
 
HOME AGAIN. 265 
 
 crossed the river, and overtook half a dozen lodges 
 of Rees travelling up to the Gros Ventres. We 
 were almost within sight of the forts, when the 
 storm, as if it had gathered fresh strength by its 
 temporary lull, commenced with renewed violence ; 
 and although we had so nearly completed our jour- 
 ney, it was next to impossible to proceed. 
 
 The next morning I examined my horse's foot, 
 and found he had " snas^s^ed " himself in the sole. 
 All efforts to extract it being unavailing, a dressing 
 was applied and he was turned out to rest and re- 
 cruit. It was not until green grass came, that sup- 
 puration set in, and the snag could be taken out, 
 after which old " Mac " was as well as ever. 
 
 "With but a single exception, that was the hardest 
 day's travel I ever experienced ; not from distance, 
 though that was about fifty miles by the course we 
 were compelled to take, but from the long exposure 
 to such a terrible storm. 
 
 23 
 
CHAPTER XXIY. 
 
 BUFFALO HAMSTRUNG BY WOLVES — CAMP BEGINS TO BREAK 
 
 UP HORSES STOLEN — MANDAN KILLED IN CAMP BY THE 
 
 SIOUX — DARING ESCAPE — AN INDIAN HEROINE — A SEA- 
 SON OF PERIL. 
 
 IFOUKD on my return to the camp that the buf- 
 falo had been driven in close by the severe 
 weather, and the Indians went out to surround al- 
 most every other day. 
 
 On one of these hunts I wounded a fat young 
 COW, and although well-mounted, she seemed for a 
 short time to defy the speed of my horse. As we 
 dashed on, the cow in advance, I saw her slip and 
 fall as she climbed a butte, and not willing to run 
 that risk myself, I rode rapidly around it, expecting 
 from the advantage her fall gave me, to catch her 
 on the opposite side. My horse was at his best 
 speed to cut her off, my pistol drawn, ready for use, 
 when we came suddenly upon a ravine right before 
 us. It was wide, and its depth was hard to tell, 
 since it was nearly filled by a snow-drift. To stop 
 in time was impossible, from the speed I was going, 
 
 (266) 
 
BUFFALO HAMSTRUNG BY WOLVES. 267 
 
 SO giving my horse every assistance with leg and 
 rein, he threw his energies into the leap, and just 
 cleared it. My pistol was still in my hand, and 
 having taken off a mitten to use it, I found my 
 forefinger (which had pressed against the cold iron) 
 slightly frozen. To dismount, and restore the cir- 
 culation by rubbing it with snow, was the work of 
 a few moments, and then I galloped on after my 
 cow, knowing she was pretty well run down by this 
 time. 
 
 Following hard on her tracks, I at length came 
 up with her, and was surprised beyond all expression, 
 to find her at bay, surrounded by a gang of wolves. 
 Some were tearing large pieces of flesh from her, 
 as the poor animal toiled slowly and painfully on, 
 dragging her hindquarters ; for she had been ham- 
 strung by these sneaking wretches. The blood 
 streamed from the gaping wounds, and many of the 
 wolves were smeared with gore. 
 
 I had read of scenes like this, and given them 
 partial credence only; but here was the reality 
 being enacted before me. 
 
 When I rode within a few paces, the cow bristled 
 up, flirting her tail, and essayed a charge, but fell 
 upon her knees. A friendly bullet cut short her 
 misery; and taking her tongue, I rode off, a short 
 distance to watch the actions of the wolves, who. 
 
268 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 unintimidated by my presence, could hardly be 
 driven away. The instant my back was turned they 
 rushed upon the body. In an incredibly short time 
 there was but little left beside the head, and the 
 wolves sat around, complacently licking their chops. 
 As a parting benediction, I favored one gentleman 
 with a leaden pill to aid his digestion ; and then re- 
 joined the hunters who were busy butchering. My 
 friend the Bobtail- Wolf and his relations were 
 loading their horses, and enjoying a great luxury in 
 the way of a piece of fresh raw liver. The blood 
 streaming over their faces, made me think that the 
 difference between two-legged and four-legged 
 wolves was not so great after all. 
 
 Towards the end of February a spell of mild 
 weather set in, the trails around the camp became 
 wet and slushy, while the melting snow covered the 
 ice with water. This created alarm in the minds of 
 some of the Indians, lest by the speedy breaking up 
 of the river, the low point upon which the camp 
 was located might be flooded and cause destruction 
 of property. Some of the more timid ones worked 
 themselves into a perfect fever, and were almost 
 afraid to sleep at night. 
 
 The mild weather had the effect of making the 
 buffalo triavel out into the " large," and moving 
 camp was talked of in consequence. Meanwhile 
 
CAMP BREAKING UP. 269 
 
 the thaw continued, and there was so much water 
 on the ice that the Indians were afraid to cross their 
 horses. Some were in favor of going to the bluffs 
 just back of the point, others of moving down to 
 an eligible place midway between their present 
 camp and the summer village. For a time no 
 determination was reached ; until one morning the 
 Last -Stone's horses were brought up, and his 
 women began packing their effects. By noon, he 
 with his relations, numbering altogether some thirty 
 or forty men, women and children, started off, 
 announcing their intention of going down to the 
 bad lands, and there remaining until the river 
 should break up; when, the winter hunt beinff 
 fully over, all would return to the summer village. 
 This was the beginning of the exodus. Every day 
 one or more families departed to join the Last-Stone, 
 and as their deserted cabins were immediately 
 seized for firewood, in a short time the size of the 
 camp was perceptibly diminished, and our circle of 
 visitors had fallen off wonderfully. 
 
 There was little or no trading going on ; the 
 snow melted rapidly, (although there was still 
 plenty on the prairie,) and the inspiriting sound of 
 the Indian drum was heard only at intervals. The 
 numerous vacant places, with perhaps a chimney 
 standing where a cabin had been, looked desolate 
 
 23* 
 
270 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 enough, making one regret the bustling, lively 
 times in the early winter. 
 
 More families continued to leave, until there 
 was not more than half the original camp remaining. 
 The " soldiers " did not move, and the headquarters 
 were here as long as they stayed. 
 
 An Indian arrived one day from the lower camp, 
 and reported that ten horses had been stolen by the 
 enemy the night before. This news caused much 
 alarm among the Indians, and nothing would do, 
 but all must retreat to the lower camp and join 
 forces. The soldiers held a council, and harangued 
 that none should move away, under penalty of 
 having their property cut to pieces, and perhaps 
 their horses killed. This effectually put a stop to 
 any further stampeding, and the horse-guards exer- 
 cised redoubled vigilance. 
 
 Fresh meat began to get scarce again, and the 
 Indians were loth to break in upon their dried 
 stores. 
 
 Another hunt was therefore arranged, comprising 
 all the able-bodied warriors, and leaving no one 
 behind but the women, children, and superannuated 
 men. 
 
 Now was a time of great tribulation; suppose 
 the camp should be attacked while its defenders 
 were away ? The people were in constant terror ; 
 
MANDAN KILLED. 271 
 
 my spy-glass would be borrowed a dozen times a 
 da}^, by somebody who imagined he had "seen some- 
 thing;" and there were certainly few who slept at 
 night without having at least one eye and ear open. 
 This delectable state of affairs was much increased 
 by the arrival in the night of a couple of messengers 
 from the Riccarees, who came in hot haste to say 
 that the Tobacco, a Mandan, while quietly going 
 from one camp to the other, a distance perhaps of 
 two or three hundred yards, was shot down by a 
 war-party of Sioux, who, with a yell of defiance, 
 made good their escape. 
 
 The camp was instantly aroused, and a party 
 mounted and took the trail. When the messengers 
 left, they had not returned, and strong hopes were 
 indulged that they had been successful in overtaking 
 their hated foe and inflicting terrible vengeance. 
 
 This startling news created a profound sensation, 
 and comments were freely exchanged among young 
 and old. The daring of the Sioux was beyond all 
 precedent ; to attack and kill in the very heart as it 
 were of their enemy's camp, within sight and hear- 
 ing of hundreds of their mortal foes. " What would 
 they do next?" Every one asked this question of 
 himself. 
 
 After this there was no running from lodge to 
 lodge; when darkness came, all kept within doors, 
 though not without a strong feeling of appre- 
 
272 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 hension. The squaws barricaded the entrances 
 with firewood and lumber, to prevent their being 
 rudely opened, for a feeling of insecurity was ever 
 present in the minds of all. Ho one ventured far 
 from the encampment, and further intelligence from 
 the Rees was eagerly awaited. 
 
 "We afterwards learned that the pursuing party 
 followed the Sioux beyond the forks of Knife River, 
 when a snow-storm set in, blinding the tracks, and 
 compelled them to give up the chase after travelling 
 nearly twenty hours. At one time they were so 
 near that they could see the buffalo dividing on 
 either side as the Sioux made their way through 
 them. So hot was the pursuit that the Sioux had 
 not made a single halt from the moment they com- 
 menced their retreat. There were but two of them, 
 and this veiy fact contributed to their escape. 
 
 The Rees returned in moody temper, and breath- 
 ing vows of vengeance, with their horses badly used 
 up. Another large party immediately started out, 
 determined not to come back until they had accom- 
 plished something. 
 
 Among them was a young Riccaree squaw, whose 
 husband had been killed some time since in battle. 
 This heroine announced her intention of going on 
 the war-path, and marrying the first of the party 
 who should strike or kill a foe. The Tobacco was 
 a very quiet Indian, and a universal favorite among 
 
A SEASON OF PERIL. 273 
 
 his companions. He very rarely came around the 
 whites unless he had something to trade. His skin 
 was much fairer than the generality of Indians, and 
 his hair had a yellowish tinge. Many said he was a 
 half-breed, and he certainly looked like one. As is 
 generally the case, the quiet and inoffensive Indians 
 are picked off, and the rascals live on and flourish. 
 
 More pleasant, spring-like weather prevailed, and 
 the Indians began to be uneasy again lest the river 
 should suddenly break its icy fetters and overflow 
 their camp. Eemoving was a subject of constant 
 discussion, and everything pertaining to the chase 
 was totally lost sight of. The band of soldiers 
 decided not to join the lower camp, but to move out 
 to the hills, where they would have the same ad- 
 vantages of pasturage and game which they had 
 enjoyed throughout the winter. In a few days the 
 cabins were deserted, and the skin lodges pitched 
 on the prairie at the edge of the bluffs, about a mile 
 distant. The squaws took advantage of the fine 
 weather to dress as many skins as possible before 
 returning to the summer village. 
 
 Several horses were stolen, biit they belonged to 
 Indians who had incautiously left them out all night. 
 The snow was rapidly disappearing, and it was the 
 season when war-parties might be expected to hover 
 around ; untiring watchfulness was therefore neces- 
 sary, s 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 SKIN LODGES — NARROW ESCAPE FROM A WAR-PARTY — 
 FINAL BREAKING UP OF THE WINTER CAMP — SCENES ON 
 THE ROAD — HOME AGAIN — END OF THE WINTER HUNT. 
 
 IT was now the latter end of March. The buffalo 
 were getting poor in flesh, as it was near the 
 time to calve. The hair on their skins was becoming 
 loose, and falling off where the animals rubbed 
 themselves, making what is known as a spotted 
 robe, and of far less value than one killed in the 
 depth of winter, when the hair is firm and black. 
 The horses also w^ere well run down, and many 
 which had been prime runners in the fall were now 
 hardly able to " catch a cow," although the speed 
 of the latter, as might naturally be supposed, was 
 greatly reduced. The women had a comparatively 
 easy time, for the skin lodges did not require much 
 fuel to make them comfortable. 
 
 We lay encamped in this manner almost four 
 weeks. The w^eather was occasionally quite spring- 
 like, and then again cold and stormy, with heavy 
 
 ( ^74) 
 
A NARROW ESCAPE. 275 
 
 falls of snow. At times there would be so mucli 
 water on the ice that no Indian would venture to 
 cross, and perhaps in a few days it would be frozen 
 seemingly as hard as in midwinter. 
 
 Whenever there was an air-hole of any magni- 
 tude, crowds of both sexes would resort to it for a 
 bath, sublimely indifferent to the chilling state of the 
 water and atmosphere. These hardy people seem 
 perfectly insensible to cold ; their constant exposure 
 from infancy upwards rendering their bodies as 
 callous as their faces. A Mandan, the Big-Left- 
 Hand, told me that, when a comparatively young 
 man, he could hunt the buffalo on horseback in the 
 coldest weather, with no other protection than a 
 breechcloth. 
 
 Having occasion to make another trip to the fort, 
 I started early in the morning with a voyageur of 
 the American Fur Company, who was going down 
 to Fort Berthold. We travelled rapidly, and when 
 within a mile or so of the lower camp, (though it 
 was out of sight among the Mauvaises Terres,) we 
 dismounted to rest. We could plainly see the Indian 
 horses feeding among the hills, and when after resum- 
 ing our saddles, we came in sight of the lodges, a great 
 commotion was evident. Mounted Indians galloped 
 to and fro, gathering up their horses and hurrying 
 
276 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 them into camp, and as we drew near, the warriora 
 dashed past us in full battle-array. 
 
 A few words explained everything. "While we 
 were quietly resting on the ridge, a small war-party 
 of Sioux, five in all, were stealthily approaching us 
 under cover of a ravine, and were preparing to fire, 
 when they were discovered by the scouts from the 
 Gros Ventre camp. The alarm was instantly 
 signalled, resulting, as we have seen, in the gathering 
 in of the horses, and the starting out of the warriors. 
 Finding themselves discovered, the Sioux, knowing 
 that immediate pursuit would take place, retreated 
 precipitately ; while we, unconscious of our narrow 
 escape, leisurely remounted our horses and con- 
 tinued on our way, until we met the Indians hurrying 
 forth. 
 
 We remained in camp all night, to learn the result 
 of the pursuit. The following forenoon the warriors 
 returned, having followed the tracks a long distance, 
 until they feared from the direction that they might 
 fall into an ambuscade, and concluded to abandon 
 the chase. We then proceeded on our journey, and 
 arrived at the fort without further adventure. 
 
 Upon my return to camp I found that the soldiers, 
 *fter a consultation, had harangued to move in 
 three days, and every one was busied with prepara- 
 tions. The teams had been sent from the fort to 
 
SCENES BY THE WAY. 277 
 
 move down all the goods, peltries, and other " plun- 
 der" remaining on hand, and now, that uncertainty 
 as to their future movements was at an end, a better 
 feeling prevailed among the Indians. 
 
 On the day appointed to move camp, the squaws 
 were early astir ; horses were driven up and saddled, 
 and all awaited the order to pull down the lodges. 
 
 One by one started off and took up the line of 
 march, which was headed by the Poor- Wolf, who 
 " carried the pipe " on this occasion. Soon all 
 were in motion, pressing forward with glee, amid the 
 incidents peculiar to an Indian camp on the march. 
 
 The gay young ''•bannerets'' caracoled about on 
 their fancy horses, and seemed to enjoy greatly this 
 opportunity of displaying themselves. Sometimes 
 the load of a pack-horse would become disarranged, 
 when off he would go, plunging and kicking, fol- 
 lowed by two or three squaws, whose shrill exclama- 
 tions of anger were ill calculated to quiet him. 
 Then again would occur a melee, in which fifty or a 
 hundred dogs, harnessed to their travees, participated, 
 to the great detriment of their loads, but very little 
 to their own, the harness and travees protecting 
 them. These combats would be as suddenly ended 
 by the squaws rushing in among them and dealing 
 their blows right and left, changing the fierce snarls 
 to a succession of deprecatory yells and cries. 
 24 
 
278 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Our second day's march led us through a rolling 
 prairie, and along the ridge, almost within sight of 
 the winter-quarters formerly occupied by a portion 
 of the camp. But no horses were feeding among 
 the hills, no smoke curling up from the lodges 
 floated softly in the air. The camp was deserted, 
 and its occupants had gone to the summer village, 
 where we were soon to join them. 
 
 We camped that evening on a little creek, called 
 by the Indians, Blue Water. Fuel was plenty, and 
 the pasturage so luxuriant that our horses did not 
 wander off a hundred yards. 
 
 A spark from one of the fires, wafted by the air, 
 kindled the dry grass into a flame, and fanned by 
 the wind it blazed furiously on every side. 
 
 Quick as thought the alarm was given, and every 
 one rushed forth to fight the fire with whatever 
 happened to be at hand. One picked up a robe, 
 another a blanket, a third an apishamore, others 
 trampled it out with their feet; while several squaws 
 used large pieces of dry meat, which they were pre- 
 paring for the kettles, with excellent effect. The 
 flames were soon extinguished by these combined 
 and vigorous exertions. In a few seconds more 
 the fire would have spread beyond control, and the 
 whole camp have been laid in ashes. The grass 
 was as dry and inflammable as tinder, and when 
 
NIGHT ALARMS. 279 
 
 once under headway, would have burnt furiously. 
 This excitement having subsided, quiet reigned 
 once more, but the night was not suffered to pass 
 without further alarms. 
 
 The whole camp was thrown into sudden commo- 
 tion by the rapid discharge of two or three guns, 
 followed by an attempted stampede of the horses ; 
 several broke from their fastenings and rushed 
 through the camp, but were luckily stopped and 
 secured. The women and dogs added the music of 
 their voices to the general clamor, and for a short 
 time the confusion was indescribable. When quiet 
 was restored, it was ascertained that nothing was 
 missing, although one of the young men who fired 
 the alarm, confidently declared that he had seen 
 something creeping through a cooley towards some 
 horses. 
 
 1^0 reconnoissance was attempted, for it would 
 have been madness, if not impracticable, and a 
 posture of defence was maintained until daylight, 
 when hostile footprints were discovered crossing the 
 bed of the creek. ^N'o enemy being in sight, how- 
 ever, the horses were released from their fastenino-s, 
 and the camp fell into its regular routine. 
 
 While descending the slope leading into the tim- 
 bered bottom below the village, a bull was discovered, 
 and successfully run by nearly one half the mounted 
 
280 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 men, who appeared to enter into the fun with all 
 their hearts. As we entered the trail through the 
 timber, each one seemed animated by a desire to 
 press forward as quickly as possible, and, as a natu- 
 ral consequence^ collisions and jars in the dense 
 thickets were of constant occurrence. 
 
 Soon the gay cavalcade emerged from the forest 
 glades, and crossed the broad sand-bar left bare by 
 the receding waters of the previous autumn ; and 
 climbing up the steep bluff upon which their village 
 was built, were once again at home, in their favorite 
 summer haunt. 
 
 The dull monotony that had ruled since their de- 
 parture in the fall, was at an end. Droves of horses 
 scattered forth on the prairies, and the rival forts 
 were thronged with crowds of visitors, each one 
 intent on getting a cup of coffee in the Indian room, 
 according to the usual custom when they returned 
 from winter-quarters. 
 
 The busy squaws were hard at work, putting the 
 large, round dirt lodges in habitable order, carrying 
 firewood, and cooking. 
 
 Their lords and masters, after watering and driv- 
 ing the horses out upon the prairie, sauntered from 
 one fort to the other, and from lodge to lodge, eating 
 their fill, and spending their time in royal ease. 
 
 The Winter Hunt was at an end. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 SPRING — MAKING PACKS — DANCING — BUFFALO EVERY- 
 WHERE MEDICINE PICTURES ASSINNIBOINES ON THE 
 
 WAR-PATH — A SUCCESSFUL PARTISAN — KINDLING THE 
 
 WAR-SPIRIT GRIM MEETING OF HOSTILE INDIANS — WILD 
 
 FOWL — BREAKING UP OF THE ICE — EXCITING SCENES. 
 
 SPREN'G had come. The Indians had made an 
 excellent hunt, and we expected to have in con- 
 sequence a very good trade. But the squaws were 
 so busy repairing their dirt lodges, in addition to 
 their ordinary domestic duties, that they had as yet 
 dressed but few robes, except those which they 
 traded to supply immediate wants. But, upon the 
 strength of what they would do when their robes 
 were dressed, the men lounged between the two 
 forts, begging all they could from one Company, and 
 threatening in case of refusal to give their patronage 
 to the other. 
 
 Every Indian who had any robes at his disposal, 
 was therefore courted and treated with the greatest 
 consideration. Each morning a large camp-kettle, 
 full of well-boiled coffee and liberally sweetened, 
 
 24* (281) 
 
282 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 was set out in the Indian room, with an accompany- 
 ing pan of small biscuit, each about the size of a 
 Spanish dollar. To each one that came in was given 
 a biscuit, and a tin-cup full of the beverage ; and if 
 desirable to pay special attention, he was invited 
 into the Bourgeois' room, where his cup of coffee 
 was infinitely more worthy of the name, and the 
 biscuit considerably larger. 
 
 This daily morning reception took place at both 
 Posts, and, as may well be imagined, was extensively 
 attended by the notabilities of the Minnetaree camp. 
 The sum and substance of their conversation was 
 " mahts-ee-quoah," (sugar,) and how many cups of it 
 they could get for a robe. 
 
 The first thing I heard after the gates were opened, 
 was the inquiry if the "mahts-ee-quoah" was ready, 
 and the last thing before closing them for the night 
 was "mahts-ee-quoah." 
 
 McBride lost all patience at this state of affairs. 
 
 "D these Indians," he would say, "it's setoh- 
 
 minne mahts-ee-quoah" (sugar all the time with 
 them). 
 
 The weather was cold and the river still frozen, 
 although there was plenty of water on the ice. But 
 the wild fowl commencing to fly northward, gave 
 assurance that spring was at hand, and on all the 
 lakes and creeks around, the shooting was capital. 
 
MAKING PACKS — DANCES. 283 
 
 We were busy for several days in making packs ; 
 i. e., tying up our robes and peltries into bales, for 
 shipment to the States. Ten buffalo robes are put 
 into a pack, and securely tied with cords cut out of 
 a raw hide. Wolf, fox, elk, deer, and beaver skins 
 are also tied into packs, containing various numbers 
 according to size. 
 
 We were also occupied in salting and curing the 
 remainder of the buffalo tongues on hand, and 
 packing them up into barrels. ^ 
 
 The Indians gambled as vigorously as ever, and 
 many robes and guns, and sometimes horses, changed 
 hands in the course of the day. The various bands 
 or societies had also their season of dances. That 
 galaxy of beauty, the Wild-Goose band, was the 
 first to indulge in a fete champetre, which example 
 was quickly followed by the others. 
 
 Some of the dances were wild and very picturesque, 
 that of the Lance Band in particular, being com- 
 posed of warriors in the prime of life, splendidly 
 arrayed, with bonnets or head-dresses of war-eagle 
 feathers, and bearing lances decorated with plumes, 
 and pennons of scarlet and blue cloth. They of 
 course paid us a visit, and danced in the fort, singing 
 and firing off their fusees in the air. A present was 
 given them after the dance was finished, as is the 
 custom. 
 
284 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 '" The "Strong Hearts" also took an opportunity 
 to display themselves; conspicuous among them 
 was my friend Doctor E-ten-ah-pen-ah, who, dressed 
 and painted in a style indescribably grotesque, en- 
 acted his part as if the whole burden of success 
 rested upon his shoulders. He wore a number of 
 small wood shavings stained with vermilion in his 
 hair, each the symbol of a wound received. 
 
 Every time a dance came off in the fort, a present 
 was^iven or thrown to the participants, whereupon 
 they danced more vigorously, and redoubled their 
 shouts and yells ; and as these festivities were of 
 daily occurrence, our liberality was heavily taxed. 
 
 Horse-racing in the evenings became again the 
 popular amusement. On one occasion a difficulty 
 arose as to the allotment of the stakes, and from 
 words they came to blows, until finally one of the 
 disputants put an arrow through the heart of the 
 winning horse. Thi-s act made a great talk in the 
 village, but as the aggressor belonged to a powerful 
 clan, the insult was suffered to pass by without 
 further notice. 
 
 The next day not a vestige of the horse remained, 
 the dogs having enjoyed a grand feast during the 
 night. 
 
 As if by magic, one morning the vast expanse of 
 prairie on the opposite side of the river was dis- 
 
BUFFALO EVERYWHERE. 285 
 
 covered to be, as the Indians expressed it, "Black 
 everywhere with a terrible plenty of buftalo." 
 Some of the herds came down to the very edge of 
 the timber, and every one rejoiced at the sight. The 
 soldiers harangued in the village to stop all un- 
 necessary noise, and get ready for the surround. 
 
 The houses in the fort were patronized by the 
 idlers, who discussed the appearance of the buffalo, 
 and speculated upon it in their own deliberate way. 
 It was not policy to object to this wholesale invasion 
 of our quarters, for they regarded the traders sim- 
 ply in the light of a convenience, eagerly seeking for 
 the very articles which these lords of the forest and 
 prairie had no use for. They could not wear all 
 the skins their women dressed, nor could they eat 
 them. If the traders were not here to buy them, 
 giving in exchange blankets and cloth and other 
 desirable luxuries, they would have to leave them 
 on the prairie. And by sitting around the huge 
 blazing fires in the houses of the whites, they saved 
 fuel in their own lodges, and spared the squaws the 
 labor of carrying so much firewood. Moreover the 
 pipes of chash-hash-ash they so freely indulged in, 
 cost them nothing; therefore entertaining these 
 ideas, it was hardly a matter of surprise that they 
 looked upon the fort as greatly honored by their 
 presence. 
 
286 AMONG THE INDIANS 
 
 The Indian room was particularly favored, and as 
 the Interpreter in charge was exceedingly averse to 
 this state of affairs, and was at no pains to conceal 
 his dislike, the young bucks especially found great 
 delight in purposely tormenting him. My room 
 was the headquarters of many of the principal men ; 
 Old Eaising-Heart, the Bobtail- Wolf, Snakeskin, 
 the Hawk, and Doctor E-ten-ah-pen-ah were regu- 
 larly in attendance. 
 
 My comrade, the Bobtail-Wolf, continued his 
 lessons in the language, repeating over and over 
 words and phrases until I had got them correctly 
 and written them down, to his intense satisfaction 
 and the astonishment of the rest of my red-skinned 
 friends. After an animated conversation, (almost 
 always enlivened by a cup of coffee,) the coterie 
 would disperse to attend to their horses, or some 
 public business in the village. The Bobtail- Wolf 
 usually remained behind to enjoy a quiet sleep, and 
 should I have occasion to leave my house, sometimes 
 for hours, the old gentleman would always stay 
 to do the honors to any visitors dropping in. The 
 greatest treat I could give my friend, was a large 
 pan of bouillon, or broth, in which fresh meat had 
 been boiled, well seasoned with salt and pepper, to 
 which latter condiment he was especially partial. 
 
 I had decorated the log walls of my room with 
 
MEDICINE PICTURES — SURROUND. 287 
 
 several colored prints representing buffalo hunts, 
 which were a source of great interest to my visitors. 
 Everything was carefully and truthfully criticised; 
 any defect in attitude or shape ; any error of cos- 
 tume or weapons; all these little minuti^ were 
 regularly and accurately commented on. 
 
 Often was I importuned to sell these pictures, but 
 I objected, for they seemed a connecting link be- 
 tween the refinements of civilization and the 
 roughness of savage life. "When the buffalo made 
 their appearance, as before related, in such prodi- 
 gious numbers, I said that I knew they were com- 
 ing, that my pictures were strong medicine, and so 
 long as I kept them on the walls, buffalo would be 
 close and plenty. This announcement made quite 
 a sensation among my hearers, and the virtues of 
 my pictures were at once admitted. 
 
 The " surround " was made, the Indians crossing 
 over on the ice, which was still strong enough to 
 bear them, except at the banks, where an open strip 
 of a few yards often caused a great deal of trouble. 
 The heavily laden pack-horses would struggle fear- 
 fully and sometimes have to be unloaded before 
 they could be extricated. The buffalo remained for 
 several weeks apparently as plenty as ever; but 
 after a few surrounds, the crossing became so bad 
 that many ifunters would not risk their horses, and 
 
288 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 a regularly organized system was accordingly aban- 
 doned, all being at liberty to hunt as they pleased. 
 Many crossed over, and " approached " with great suc- 
 cess. One of these small parties returned early in 
 the morning in hot haste, and recrossed with the 
 utmost celerity. 
 
 They reported having discovered a party of Sioux 
 making their way towards the timber, evidently 
 with the intention of laying in ambush for some 
 one of the many hunters that were constantly 
 straggling through the forest. 
 
 Avoiding them by a detour, they arrived first at 
 the river, and crossing, gave the alarm. In an in- 
 stant the excitement in the village was terrible, and 
 the warriors were soon armed and on the ice, dis- 
 appearing in a dense body through the timber. 
 
 A short interval of anxious suspense ensued, 
 when the silence was broken by the rattling of 
 arms, and all the yells and cries that accompany an 
 Indian battle. Expectation was raised to the high- 
 est pitch, when suddenly the warriors appeared on 
 the bar, escorting a small party of men in white 
 blanket capotes. Almost everybody rushed down 
 to the landing-place to receive them, and as they 
 drew near they proved to be a portion of a large 
 Assinniboine war-party against the O^cpapas and 
 Blackfeet. They had been detached from the 
 
WAE-PARTr OF A S S I N N IB IN E S. 
 
 289 
 
 mam body to bring to the Gros Ventre village one 
 of their number, who had been taken sick and was 
 unfit for continuing on the war-path. The firing 
 &c., was therefore intended merely as a salute to 
 the strangers, who were invited into the lodges, and 
 treated with all possible hospitality. Thev said 
 that over three hundred lodges of Assinniboines, 
 trees, and a few Chippeways were coming down to 
 the Gros Ventres when the green grass came, to 
 unite with them in making the great Sun Medicine 
 The Sioux had been harassing their camp (just 
 below the mouth of the Yellowstone) all winter 
 and had recently made an attack by which they 
 had lost seven of their warriors, and had a number 
 . severely wounded, but still able to make their 
 escape. 
 
 The excitement that attended the arrival of these 
 warriors was not sufl^ered to die out ; for the next 
 afternoon two more of the party who had gone on 
 arrived m great glee, with three horses and a colt 
 they had stolen. They reported that the number 
 of Sioux lodges in the bad lands of Heart Eiver 
 was "terrible "-all the horses tied close at night, 
 and every precaution taken to avoid surprise. Just 
 as they were about to give up their attempt in 
 despair, they came upon three lodges a little apart ~ 
 from the main body, and were fortunate enough to 
 26 r 
 
290 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Bteal the horses. The rest of the party (from whom 
 they had separated) had not been seen, and they 
 could not afford to lose any time in hunting them 
 up. The prairie had been set on fire by the Sioux, 
 and the fate of their comrades was very uncertain. 
 The Assinniboines made a very short stay, and 
 hurried on to their camp, now supposed to be on 
 White River. 
 
 Two others arrived before night, without any 
 spoils or any tidings of their companions; but early 
 the following day the three remaining Assinniboines 
 appeared in great triumph, driving before them 
 eleven fine horses in excellent condition. There 
 were now only two more of the party to be ac- 
 counted for, and there seemed hardly a possibility ' 
 of their escape. 
 
 The successful partisan of this foray was quite a 
 young, handsome fellow, dressed, as is the usual 
 custom when going to war, in a white blanket 
 capote and capeshaw. As he proudly ascended 
 the bank, his horses led, and weapons carried, by 
 officious friends, gazed at admiringly by all the 
 young squaws, envy was rife in the breasts of the 
 Minnetaree warriors, who now burned to distinguish 
 themselves on the war-path. War was indeed in 
 every one's head, and nothing but war-parties was 
 thought of or talked about. Pierre Garreau, who 
 
KINDLING THE WAR-SPIRIT. 291 
 
 had been unceasingly urging upon the young m-en 
 to avenge his sons' death, and wipe out the insult 
 offered to their people, and had got no satisfaction 
 but promises, now found the tide of public feeling 
 turned on war, with a force and fury he had little 
 anticipated. After giving a couple of their horses 
 to the Gros Ventres, the successful warriors started 
 for their camp, but it seemed that the blaze which was 
 now burning fiercely should suffer no diminution. 
 
 The same evening a party of thirty-eight Assinni- 
 boines arrived, with proposals that the Gros Ventres 
 should unite with them in a general war against 
 the Sioux. Hardly had they told their tale, ere the 
 remaining two, who had been given up for lost, 
 came in, completely jaded and worn-out. They 
 also had been fortunate in stealing five horses the 
 night after the eleven were taken, when the Sioux 
 were exercising their utmost vigilance. But so 
 sharp was the pursuit that they were compelled to 
 abandon their spoils ; and so close upon them were 
 the Sioux at one time, that they could hear them 
 calling from one to another, " Where are the dogs 
 that eat dirt ? " They secreted themselves in a hole, 
 and remained there all that night and the next day, 
 but succeeded the following evening in eluding 
 their foes and effecting their escape. 
 
292 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 While the buffalo were so near, the hunters deter- 
 mined upon having one more surround before the 
 breaking up of the river. 
 
 Thej crossed in the afternoon, intending to 
 bivouac on the other side, and have their horses 
 fresh for the hunt in the morning. 
 
 The next day there was an alarm of Sioux, and 
 for a short time the usual confusion prevailed ; but 
 the matter was partially explained when the hunters 
 made their appearance on the bar, and prepared to 
 recross, having abandoned the idea of hunting. 
 Two Sioux from the Oncpapa camp were with them. 
 It seems that a son of the Crow's-Breast, while 
 taking his horses to pasture, found a couple of 
 Indians sleeping. The tramp of hoofs aroused them, 
 and they sprang to their feet and called out to him. 
 But he, mortally scared, ran back whooping and 
 yelling to the hunters, who, rushing forward, dis- 
 covered their error. They came to the Gros Ventres 
 from their own camp at the forks of Knife River, to 
 ascertain where was the camp of the Assinniboines 
 who had stolen their horses. Finding a fat cow the 
 afternoon previous, badly wounded with an arrow, 
 they killed her for meat. This detained them so 
 late that they slept in the timber, not caring about 
 entering the village at night. The Sioux were 
 received, belonging as they did to the Oncpapas, 
 
GRIM MEETING. 293 
 
 who were on friendly terms, with all hospitality. 
 The Gros Yentres showed their appreciation of the 
 rights of neutrals, by preventing any demonstration 
 by either Sioux or Assinniboines, who scowled at 
 each other when they met, but attempted no vio- 
 lence. The Oncpapas however gave the Assinni- 
 boines to understand that a large war-party, consist- 
 ing of nearly all the fighting-men, would take the 
 field immediately on their return, and that they 
 would "rub out" the whole Assinniboine camp. This 
 put the latter in an immense excitement, and they 
 were in the utmost hurry to get back as soon as 
 possible, and give the alarm, that they could retrace 
 their steps to the heart of their own country for 
 safety. 
 
 Taking advantage of the excitement in the villao-e. 
 a w^ar-party of eight Gros Ventres under the Eound- 
 Man as partisan, stole ofiT in the dead of night, 
 against the orders of the soldier band. 
 
 The two Sioux remained a day, and then returned 
 to their own camp, saying that a large party might 
 be expected in to trade after the river broke, which 
 from the quantity of water on the ice, and the 
 general thaw that had set in, could not be far off. 
 
 The wild fowl in immense numbers began to fly 
 north, a sure sign that the icy grasp of winter would 
 soon be loosed. The next day the river com- 
 2d* 
 
294 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 menced rising with great rapidity, and there was so 
 much water now on the ice that it was impossible 
 to cross. 
 
 In the afternoon of the second day the ice com- 
 menced breaking up, and moved down several hun- 
 dred yards, when it formed a gorge and stuck fast, 
 but the river rising rapidly, bid fair to start it again 
 in a few hours. 
 
 Everybody had been watching for its first move- 
 ment, and when the dull, crushing sound that accom- 
 panied it struck the ear, the excitement and joy were 
 universal. The men in the fort dropped their work 
 and rushed to the river's brink, along with hundreds 
 of Indians; while the tops of the lodges were 
 crowded with eager, excited groups, and the dogs 
 of course testified their entire approbation by pro- 
 longed and vigorous howls. 
 
 By nightfall the gorge broke, and the ice rushed 
 by, whirling, crushing, and grinding in huge cakes 
 and masses, intermixed with floating tree-tops, and 
 logs of all shapes and sizes. 
 
 Through the night the sullen noise, as of distant 
 thunder, continued, and morning revealed the river 
 full from bank to bank, and running by with im- 
 petuous current. 
 
 It was a strange and interesting sight, and one 
 could spend hours along the bank watching the 
 
ICE BREAKS UP. 295 
 
 rush of waters, the floating cakes of ice, and the 
 whirling logs, carried off from sand-bars where they 
 had been snugly reposing since the fall of the flood 
 in the previous summer, now for hundreds of miles 
 to be bruised by constant contact with the ice, until 
 battered and almost shapeless, they would be borne 
 upon distant waters. 
 
 The graceful regularity with which the vast float- 
 ing fields of ice followed the bends of the river, and 
 the glittering of the sun's rays upon their surface, 
 were well worth watching. 
 
 Young Indians, out of bravado, just before the 
 river finally gave way, sprang on the moving masses 
 of ice, and leaped from one to another, until they 
 gained the shore ; others plunged into the chilling 
 water where an eddy was comparatively free, while 
 others again fired their guns and joined in the gen- 
 eral outcry. 
 
CHAPTER XXYII. 
 
 ARRIVAL OF THE SPRING EXPRESS — COLD SWIM — WINDS — 
 
 ON THE WAR-PATH — HORSES STOLEN DRESSING ROBES 
 
 — COMPETITION BLACKFOOT CHIEFTAIN PRAIRIES ON 
 
 FIRE — DENSE SMOKE — DANCE OF THE CALUMET. 
 
 THE arrival of Major Clark from his Post among 
 the Blackfeet Indians, with the Company's 
 Express for St. Louis, was the next event after the • 
 breaking up of the river. He had a comfortable, 
 covered Mackinaw boat, forty feet in length, with a 
 crew of ten men, and was running day and night. 
 The Major remair^ed with us only long enough to 
 get the news at the Post, and examine into the state 
 of the trade, with a view to making up the outfit for 
 the ensuing year, to be brought up on the annual 
 steamboat. 
 
 The principal chiefs of the Blackfeet sent an invi- 
 tation through him to the Gros Ventres to meet 
 them in friendly council at the mouth of Milk River. 
 
 After staying a little over an hour, Major Clark 
 continued his voyage, his stout oarsmen plying their 
 long sweeps vigorously, and running their frail 
 
 (296) 
 
IIIGHWINDS. 297 
 
 barge through the ice at the rate of fully fifteen 
 miles an hour. By the next day the river had fallen 
 several feet, and was comparatively free from ice. 
 Drowned buffaloes floated by, and two young men 
 swam out after one, and succeeded in landing it 
 upon a point of the sand-bar, fully a mile below the 
 village, where they proceeded to butcher it, without 
 appearing in the least inconvenienced by their chill- 
 ing swim. 
 
 The early spring weather was exceedingly dis- 
 agreeable. With an occasional clear, calm day, for 
 over six weeks storms prevailed; the wind usually 
 commenced blowing at sunrise, and only lulled at 
 nightfall, filling the air with fine particles from the 
 extensive sand-bars opposite the village. All day 
 'the wind beat against the pickets of the fort with 
 such tremendous force as to incline them consider- 
 ably from the perpendicular. Often would the 
 sand be driven in such clouds that it was impos- 
 sible to see a dozen yards. At such times no work 
 could be accomplished, and everybody stayed within 
 doors, even the Indians keeping close to their lodges. 
 
 It was during a storm of this kind that a very 
 large war-party of Yanctohwah Sioux ran off a 
 band of nearly two hundred horses from the Eees, 
 embracing many of the very finest in the village, 
 
298 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 and thus struck a blow which crippled them seri- 
 ously for a long time. I was in the camp a few 
 days after their loss, and it was pitiable to see the 
 straits to which many were reduced for food. Those 
 who had horses shared the proceeds of their hunt 
 with those who had none ; some families had but 
 one or two remaining out of a large band, and with 
 all their exertions, a surround barely furnished a 
 full meal to each dweller in the camp. I was with 
 them three days, and felt quite satisfied to get one 
 scanty meal per diem. 
 
 Out on the prairie, a couple of miles from the 
 river, the wind was as strong as elsewhere, but 
 without the annoyances of sand. It was far pleas- 
 anter to remain there among the horse-guards than 
 to stay within doors ; for the sand drove through the 
 gaping chinks of the logs, and covered everything 
 with a thick, substantial coating of dust, which put 
 any approach to personal comfort out of the question. 
 
 After the usual amount of preparation, two par- 
 ties, comprising in all about sixty warriors, were 
 ready for the war-path. The largest one, under 
 the leadership of the Red-Tail, intended to cross 
 the river and strike through the Sioux country 
 until they reached Fort Pierre, where they had 
 hopes of cutting off some of the lodges of Sioux 
 
THE WAR-SPIRIT RUNNING HIGH. 299 
 
 always encamped in that vicinity. The other, under 
 the First-Feather, was to keep on this side of the 
 river, on the lookout for the camps of Yanctoh- 
 wahs generally to be found there in the summer. 
 
 Trade went on very briskly ; the squaws were 
 dressing and bartering their robes as fast as pos- 
 sible, and the men were supplying themselves with 
 everything necessary to fit them for war. White 
 blankets (to make capotes) were in the greatest 
 demand, and so unusual was the rush for them 
 that we began to fear we would not have enough 
 left for the Sioux trade, their fancy also running 
 on white, which is the favorite color for war-parties. 
 Hitherto, scarlet and blue blankets had been the 
 rage, but they were now not even looked at. 
 
 Guns and ammunition were of course in request, 
 and instead of the usual listless idling around, or 
 the evening promenade and equestrian exercises 
 of the young bucks, nothing was heard but the 
 trumpet-cry of war. Those who were too old to go, 
 exerted themselves to fan the martial spirit of the 
 3^oung men, and one and all seemed fully imbued 
 with the prevailing excitement. 
 
 Party after party started ofi*, and there was a very 
 perceptible diminution of men in the village, to be 
 still further reduced when the principal expedition 
 of the season should take the field. This was to 
 
300 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 comprise the very flower of the village, men who 
 had often and successfully trodden the war-path; 
 and the fact of the Four-Bears intending to accom- 
 pany it, inspired those who were a little doubtful 
 with fresh courage. 
 
 It now became a serious question whether there 
 would be fighting-men enough left in camp to 
 guard it; and the old Dry-Pumpkin was already 
 going about, haranguing not to leave the women 
 and children unprotected. So thoroughly was 
 everybody imbued with the fighting mania that 
 even the Gambler, whose life was perfectly blame- 
 less of any attempt to take human blood, declared 
 his intention of going, an announcement that 
 caused more surprise and remark than any yet 
 made. A scarred and war-worn veteran, the Wolf's- 
 Eye, was to be the partisan ; he carried the pipe ; 
 and no matter what member of the party stole a 
 horse, or "counted a coup," the partisan received 
 the credit, for it was through his medicine that the 
 deed was done. 
 
 An interval of comparative quiet followed ; much 
 was to be done in the coming moon ; the Oncpapas 
 and Blackfeet would be in to trade, and returning 
 war-parties might be looked for at any moment. 
 We were very busy between building a boat to cross 
 the trading-parties of Sioux when they should come 
 
DRESSING ROBES. 301 
 
 in, erecting a bastion for the defence of our post, 
 and clearing up the rubbish that had necessarily 
 accumulated during the winter. 
 
 The snow had entirely disappeared, except in a 
 few sheltered places among the hills, and the Indian 
 women were gathering willows to repair the fences 
 around their cornfields, preparatory to breaking the 
 ground for the coming crop. 
 
 The camp was still abundantly supplied with 
 meat, so there was no necessity (and very little in- 
 clination, if the truth were known) for the hunters to 
 go out. Every bright sunny day groups of women 
 were scattered over the prairie close to the pickets 
 of the village, with their children playing near them 
 and their dogs of course lying around, dressing and 
 preparing their robes, either for domestic use or 
 trade. Those for themselves were dressed as soft 
 and white as possible, while very little pains was 
 taken with the skins intended for the traders. So 
 keen was the rivalry between the American Fur 
 Company and the Opposition, that anything with 
 hair on, from an apishamore up, was eagerly taken, 
 and helped to swell the number of packs. 
 
 There is a great deal of work to be done before a 
 buffalo-robe is fit for use. When it is in a green 
 (or raw) state, it is stretched on a frame of poles, 
 roughly but strongly lashed together in a corner of 
 
 26 
 
302 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 the lodge, and the flesh adhering is carefully scraped 
 off*. It is then left to dry, when it is taken down 
 and put away until wanted; for during the busy 
 hunting-season it is as much as a squaw can do to 
 flesh the robes without finishing them. When the 
 hide is to be dressed, it is laid upon the ground, and 
 "scratched" with a sharpened piece of hoop-iron, 
 tied to an elkhorn for a handle; this leaves it in 
 a condition to be " brained," ^. e., sprinkled with 
 water, and then well smeared over with buflalo 
 brains and grease. After being thoroughly dried, it 
 is rubbed on a cord of twisted sinew, which makes 
 it soft and pliable. The two sides are then sewed 
 together with sinew, and the robe is ready to be 
 traded. From every robe, before sewing it, the 
 squaws cut a strip down each half, the length of 
 the skin, and about twelve inches wide. When a 
 sufficient number accumulates, these pieces are 
 sewed together and used for beds, apishamores, etc., 
 of course reducing the size of the skin very 
 considerably. 
 
 The camp was thrown into a great state of excite- 
 ment by the unexpected arrival of a small boat from 
 Fort Union, bringing the White-Calf-that-disappears, 
 Chief of the Blood Indians, a band of the Blackfeet. 
 He was splendidly dressed, and had a magnificent 
 bonnet of war-eagle feathers, falling to his feet; 
 
BLACKFOOT CHIEFTAIN. 303' 
 
 and was accompanied by his squaw, a fine-looking 
 woman. 
 
 He had intended to await at Fort Union the ar- 
 rival of the American Fur Company's steamboat, and 
 greet his brother-in-law, the well-known Major Cul- 
 bertson ; but Mr. Kipp the Bourgeois, fearing trouble 
 from the Crows encamped close by, sent his distin- 
 guished guest to Fort Berthold, where he would be 
 comparatively safe. The bustle attending his arrival 
 was not suffered to subside, for that night fourteen 
 horses were stolen, and the next, twenty-three more, 
 showing conclusively that if their war-parties had 
 gone forth, the Sioux were not a whit behind ; and 
 great was the panic. The camp was harangued to 
 have the' pickets strengthened and filled up, and the 
 Poor- Wolf, as head of the soldier band, going his 
 rounds to see that these orders were obeyed, knocked 
 down with his tomahawk several women who did 
 not seem disposed to heed them. 
 
 The dry rushes in the prairie bottom had been 
 set on fire, and were burning steadily, threatening 
 to spread far and wide. This was a fresh cause of 
 alarm, for by the destruction of their pasturage the 
 Indians would be compelled to drive their horses to 
 a great distance, thereby increasing the risk of their 
 capture. The fire burned on, sometimes feebly 
 struggling for existence in the short crisp grass of 
 
304 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 the prairie, but blazing furiously in the dry rushes 
 around the lakes and streams. 
 
 In the course of two or three days the whole 
 country seemed wrapped in flames on both sides of 
 the river ; and its appearance at night, viewed from 
 the bastion, was beautiful in the extreme. A high 
 wind prevailed, and the flames climbed over the 
 buttes, and rushed through the long grass bottoms 
 with lightning speed, leaving behind them in the 
 black and smoking prairie a sad scene of desolation. 
 The whole atmosphere was filled with smoke, at 
 times so dense that it was impossible to see any dis- 
 tance, although the fire was by that time many miles 
 away. While the prairies were burning close to us, 
 I rode out to look up a couple of horses that had 
 strayed off" from the band, and in the course of my 
 hunt was obliged to cross the line of fire. Fortu- 
 nately the grass on the hills was short, and burned 
 slowly ; and after several unsuccessful attempts to 
 force my horse over, I threw my blanket over his 
 head, and covering my powder-horn with the skirt 
 of my hunting-shirt, crossed the flames. 
 
 The burning would facilitate the sprouting of the 
 green grass, and had the excellent effect of causing 
 several copious showers. After each of these, while 
 it was clearing, some of the young men would start 
 off on a foot-race, naked to the clout, amid yells and 
 firing of guns. ^ 
 
"medicine" not neglected. 305 
 
 JtsTotwithstanding all the wars and rumors of wars, 
 the ludians did not neglect making important 
 "medicines." The Bobtail- Wolf and his father-in- 
 law, old Missouri, danced around the village, the 
 old man wearing a robe and mask to represent a 
 buffalo. In whatever lodge they danced, it was ex- 
 pected that something would be "thrown" or given 
 to the "medicine;" and whoever did this, received 
 in return from the bull, a pan of toro or pemmican. 
 This medicine was for the purpose of bringing 
 buffalo, by which the old Missouri's family should 
 be immediately benefited. 
 
 The Long-Hair was also preparing to dance the 
 Calumet or Pipe of Peace to the Eed-Cow. The 
 whole camp talked about it : the Long-Hair bustled 
 around, buying ribbons and beads to garnish the 
 stem of the Pipe of Peace, and making every possible 
 preparation to give eclat to the ceremony. The Red- 
 Cow remained within his lodge, assisting his medi- 
 tations by smokhig abundance of " Kinne-kinik." 
 The young men watched the proceedings attentively, 
 the young squaws put an extra touch of vermilion 
 on their cheeks; while the principal men made 
 medicine to decide the auspicious time for this 
 most important ceremony. 
 
 Finally the day was chosen. About noon the 
 Bad-Brave and Joint appeared on the roof of the 
 26* u 
 
306 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Long-Hair's lodge, dressed and painted with the 
 strictest regard for the occasion. 
 
 Chanting an invocation to the Great Spirit, and 
 shaking their medicine- rattles, they waved the Cal- 
 umets with their sky-blue stems beautifully gar- 
 nished, and war-eagle feathers fluttering from them. 
 They made their medicine, first to the rising, and 
 then to the setting sun ; after which they descended 
 from the lodge and went inside. 
 
 At the farthest extremity of the spacious earth- 
 covered lodge, four of the principal men in the vil- 
 lage, the Poor- Wolf, Crow's-Breast, Bear-Hunter, 
 and Little-Fox, were singing and drumming with 
 untiring vigor. Before each were placed some 
 medicine-sticks. The Bad-Brave and Joint danced, 
 waving the Calumets and shaking the rattles ; the 
 Long-Hair sat by the fire in the centre, over which 
 a kettle of buffalo-meat was cooking, smoking ; and 
 as the fragrant smoke of the " kinne-kinik " was 
 blown in clouds from his mouth and nostrils, he ex- 
 pressed his complete satisfaction with everything, by 
 the simple monosyllable, " How ! " At stated in- 
 tervals the invocation from the top of the lodge was 
 repeated. These ceremonies continued four days. 
 
 On the afternoon of the fifth day the important 
 finale took place. After the invocation from the 
 top of the lodge and the dance inside, all adjourned 
 
DANCE OF THE CALUMET. 307 
 
 to the prairie, carryiog two buffalo-skulls painted 
 with vermilion. Seating themselves in a row, the 
 musicians sang and drummed, and the pipe waa 
 passed around. 
 
 When it was smoked out, the party repaired to the 
 lodge of the Little-Left-Hand. It was crowded with 
 as many as could be accommodated without infring- 
 ing on the space required for dancing. 
 
 The oldest man and the oldest woman in the camp 
 were there, as well as children in arms. 
 
 There was no crowding ; no ugly bonnets or huge 
 fans getting continually in the line of vision ; all re- 
 spected the place, all were perfectly quiet, save when > 
 some young and pretty squaw happened to be 
 squeezed a little in passing through the crowd of 
 plumed and painted braves around the door. 
 
 By the politeness of the Little-Left-Hand I had a 
 luxurious seat on a pile of robes, in the midst of the 
 principal men, close by the musicians, with the 
 Long-Hair on my right. 
 
 After an introductory song and dance, a deputa- 
 tion, including the musicians, went to conduct the 
 Red-Cow to the lodge. In a short time they returned, 
 and the procession marched several times around 
 the fireplace in the following order : 
 
 The Long-Hair; the two dancers, each carrying a 
 Calumet ; Red-Cow, looking fully conscious of the 
 
308 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 honor paid him, yet trying to maintain a proper 
 expression of countenance, supported on either side 
 by the Four-Times and the Bobtail- Wolf ; next 
 came his family and relations; the musicians brought 
 up the rear. 
 
 After they were seated at the head of the lodge 
 the music commenced, the Bad-Brave sprang to his 
 feet shaking his rattle and waving his Calumet, and 
 danced with a peculiar jarring step ; the Snakeskin 
 stood up and harangued, calling upon the by-standers 
 to throw to the Medicine. They responded by 
 coming forward one at a time, and giving guns, 
 blankets, calico, scarlet and blue cloth, &c. "When 
 all the presents had been given, the dancing stopped, 
 and the crowd dispersed, while the Long-IIair began 
 to distribute the presents he had received, among 
 the Big-Dog Band. 
 
 This is probably one of the most important of 
 all the dances and medicine feasts among the 
 North American Indians,. It is in fact a kind of 
 baptism ; the person thus honored being distin- 
 guished ever after. The Great Spirit is supposed 
 to take special care of him; he will count many 
 coups, and take many scalps in battle ; will be suc- 
 cessful in stealing numerous fine horses from his 
 enemies, and always enjoy abundance of buffalo. 
 
CHAPTER XXYIII. 
 
 THE SIOUX TRADE — RETURN OP A DEFEATED WAR-PARTY — 
 MORE REVERSES — FORTITUDE — INDIAN BELIEF — AR-, 
 RIVAL OF CROWS. 
 
 A SMALL party of Sioux arrived from the Ouc- 
 papa camp. The leading men among them 
 were the Four-Horns, Hawk-with-a-loud-voice, Yel- 
 low-Thunder, Iron- Wing, War-Eagle-that-fLies-in- 
 the-air, and Heart-of-Fire. They left their camp of 
 many lodges on the forks of Knife River, about a 
 day's journey, and said they were so loaded down 
 with meat that they could hardly travel. Much 
 excitement and a great deal of angry talk prevailed 
 in their camp, at Pierre Garreau's pushing the Gros 
 Ventres to war against the Yanctohwahs ; "for,'* 
 said they, "it is the same as going to war against 
 us, for we are all one people." The Sioux said their 
 large war-party against the Assinniboines had been 
 deferred until they should make their trade, and the 
 camp moved off to the Black Hills, where, far 
 removed from the din of war, in the fastnesses of their 
 
 (309) . 
 
310 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 own country, the women and children could dwell 
 in safety, while the warriors sought the foe. 
 
 "The Assinniboines are dogs," they said; "we 
 will hunt them until we find them ; for they cannot 
 hide in the ground like a snake, nor in the water 
 like a fish, nor fiy in the air like a bird ; they must 
 be on the prairie, and we will find them." 
 
 A large party was coming in a few days to talk 
 about the trade, and the Gros Ventres in the village 
 worked themselves up into a perfect fever of alarm, 
 lest the Sioux should take advantage of the absence 
 of nearly all the fighting-men to wipe out old scores. 
 They were as anxious for their warriors to return 
 as they had been for them to go to war ; but it was 
 now too late if hostilities were designed by the 
 Sioux. 
 
 This begging party remained two days ; on the 
 morning of the third they departed, promising that 
 the camp would be in to trade in five or six days, 
 which of course meant, not until they were ready, 
 and probably as many weeks would elapse. 
 
 A party of Indians on foot was discovered a few 
 days succeeding the above events, coming up the 
 sand-bar quietly, as if they wished to attract as 
 little attention as possible, but the anxious inhab- 
 itants soon divined the cause. It was one of the 
 
DEFEATED WAR-PARTY. 311 
 
 war-parties that had started off not long since, eager 
 and confident that victory would attend their arms. 
 But they returned in mourning, having lost their 
 partisan the First-Feather. They had long been on 
 the lookout for the enemy, when one day they saw at a 
 distance three buffaloes running. Halting his party, 
 the First-Feather went ahead to reconnoitre ; he had 
 been gone but a short time when firing was heard, 
 and his warriors rushed forward — to find their 
 leader dead, and the gun of a Sioux lying near him. 
 They judged by the tracks that the attacking party 
 was about thirteen or fourteen strong. Disheartened 
 by this unlooked-for reverse, they returned in^mourn- 
 ing to the village. 
 
 The same evening an alarm was given that ^'peo- 
 ple were coming." A forlorn and straggling party 
 was seen approaching the village ; at the head 
 walked with feeble step and evident difficulty, the 
 Eound-man. All were in a most' forlorn plight; 
 no blankets or moccasins, in fact, nothing but their 
 weapons and breechcloths. The whole village 
 turned out to meet them ; and as they came up, 
 their wives and female relatives rushed to kiss them, 
 while the friends of the slain warrior set up the 
 mournful Indian wail of woe and despair. 
 
 Their tale was soon told. They had penetrated 
 the Sioujf country as far as Horsehead Point, near 
 
312 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Long Lake, below the Cannonball River, where 
 thej discovered a large camp of Yanc-toh-wahs. 
 Around it they hovered, lying concealed by day, 
 and prowling about in the dead of night. The in- 
 habitants of the camp were busily engaged around 
 a circle of fires, dancing a scalp which they had 
 just taken, probably the First-Feather's. With 
 infinite daring the Gros Ventre warriors stole in 
 among the lodges and cut loose nine horses and 
 &ve mules, with which they commenced their re- 
 treat. But one of the horses, a white one, escaped, 
 and ran back to camp. This gave the alarm, result- 
 ing in p. hot pursuit. The Gros Ventres retreated 
 in a northeasterly direction, as if they were making 
 for the Red River, thereby hoping to deceive the 
 enemy into the belief that they were either Chippe- 
 ways or half-breeds. Being hard pressed, they aban- 
 doned their horses, keejjing only one apiece to ride, 
 and threw away everything except their weapons. 
 In the midst of their retreat they unexpectedly en- 
 countered a party of Sioux returning from an ex- 
 pedition against the Assinniboines. Their horses 
 began to give out, and one of their number was 
 shot and scalped. ISTearly all were now more or less 
 disabled ; the Round-man was shot in the mouth, 
 and wounded in three other places, and fearing he 
 could not hold out, told his comrades to leave him 
 
MORE REVERSES. 313 
 
 to his fate and bear witness that he died like a man. 
 Bat his warriors were true and stood by him ; and one 
 by one the Sioux gave up the chase, as their horses 
 were completely ridden down, and they had secured 
 a scalp without any loss. Stripped of horses, blan- 
 kets, and provisions, their ammunition and arrows 
 all expended during the running fight, and crippled 
 by wounds, the survivors kept on with true Indian 
 fortitude; and eking out a scanty subsistence on 
 roots and berries, arrived at last in forlorn plight at 
 their villao^e. 
 
 The friends and relations of the dead sat by the 
 medicine poles on the prairie, cutting and gashing 
 themselves, and crying to the Great Spirit. 
 
 The Bobtail- Wolf told me that the First-Feather 
 had been making medicine, and crying to the Great 
 Spirit all winter ; even promising to give a robe in 
 event of success in war. He made two cardinal 
 errors, my informant said : First, in promising the 
 robe after crying all winter; and secondly, in not 
 giving it before he started. 
 
 These unexpected reverses cast quite a gloom 
 over the village; the warriors stalked moodily 
 about with downcast glances, and the chiefs held 
 solemn conclave in the council-lodge. 
 
 Meanwhile every day or so there would be arri- 
 vals fror- tLe Sioux. The camp itself came in sight 
 27 
 
314 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 one afternoon, numbering several hundred lodges, 
 and pitched in the prairie bottom, just beyond the 
 timber. 
 
 Very little trade of course was done the first day, 
 which was one of general visiting. As several of 
 the Sioux were to dance the Calumet to the Gros 
 Ventres, it of course engrossed a great deal of their 
 attention. 
 
 The Sioux came over early, and traded actively 
 until they were stopped by the soldiers from bring- 
 ing any more robes, hoping thus to induce the trad- 
 ers to cross the river with a view to robbing them. 
 They found however that this artifice would not 
 succeed, and allowed matters to go on as before. 
 
 The traffic over, they departed to join the other 
 division, trading with the Rees. They proposed to 
 rendezvous at the forks of Knife River, and then 
 move out to the Thin Hills. In spite of their threat- 
 ening talk, the Sioux traded comparatively little 
 ammunition. 
 
 Beyond all doubt, had we crossed the river, we 
 would have been robbed, to say the least, for at the 
 E-ee Post they behaved outrageously. Moise Ar- 
 can came up thence with despatches, and said that 
 during a residence of over thirty years in the Indian 
 country, chiefly among the Sioux, he had never 
 knowil them so bad. More than two-thirds were 
 in favor of hostilities, and several of the chiefs 
 
CROWS ARRIVE. 315 
 
 advised all the old traders to leave the country 
 soon, as war would inevitably break out. They 
 said they did not want to kill those who had lived 
 so long with them, and had become in a measure 
 identified with themselves. 
 
 When making their trade with us, the Sioux 
 reported, all through their country towards the 
 Platte, the elk, deer, bufialo, bear, and wolf dying 
 in great numbers from some sickness among them, 
 caused by the ^'medicine " of the whites. 
 
 A couple of logs, lashed together to form a raft, 
 such as a war-party might use to cross the river, 
 floated down, and was caught, causing much specu- 
 lation and anxiety among the Gros Ventres. 
 
 Some Crows also arrived from their camp at the 
 Elkhorn prairie, in search of a child which the 
 Spotted-Horse (a Crow living with the Gros Ven- 
 tres) had redeemed from the Sioux three summers 
 before. The Sioux, in an attack upon one of the 
 Crow camps, among other spoils took this child 
 prisoner. The Spotted - Horse succeeded in re- 
 deeming hinl for a very liberal ransom, and now 
 his relatives having heard of it were anxious to 
 recover him, which they did, after giving six fine 
 horses, robes, and goods. They said, when the 
 next moon was dead, a large party of Crows might 
 be expected down to visit their relations, the Gros 
 Ventres. 
 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 THE FORT COMPLETED — RAISE THE AMERICAN FLAG — 
 WARRIORS RETURN IN TRIUMPH — REJOICINGS — SCALP- 
 DANCE. 
 
 IT was now almost the middle of May, and the 
 Indian women were busy hoeing their corn- 
 fields, and planting ; grass was springing up every- 
 where, and the burnt prairie was covered with a 
 beautiful carpet of velvet-green. All the trees and 
 bushes were clothed in the bright, fresh hues of 
 early summer, and the balmy air was filled with 
 the cheerful notes of birds. The glorious golden 
 sun shone with a brilliancy and vigor which we 
 had vainly longed for in the short, dark days of 
 the dreary winter. The young May moon brought 
 clear and calm skies, and a few weeks of active 
 work completed Fort Atkinson. 
 
 On the Sunday following, I had the honor of 
 hoisting for the first time on the bastion flagstaff 
 our national flag with its stars and stripes, amid the 
 cheers and congratulations of the men. Little did 
 
 (316) 
 
ON THE WAR-PATH AGAIN. 317* 
 
 we think, as we watched it proudly floating over 
 forest and prairie, that in scarcely a year from that 
 time, that glorious banner would be trailed in the 
 dust by the leaders of the most infamous rebellion 
 the world ever saw. 
 
 The war-spirit was burning as fiercely as ever, 
 spite of the reverses that had befallen the Gros 
 Ventres. The Eoundman had recovered from his 
 wounds, and in a dream saw scalps close to the Ree 
 village. He thereupon declared he was going to 
 war again, and told his friends to "black their 
 faces." 
 
 The old Wolf's-Head said he thought his medi- 
 cine would fool him again, for he had not cut his 
 hair after losing one of his warriors, as is the duty 
 of a leader. 
 
 In a few days this redoubtable party started, in- 
 tending to go as far as the Dog Buttes, in the vi- 
 cinity of which they expected successfully to en- 
 counter their foe, if their partisan's medicine was 
 good for anything. 
 
 Shots were suddenly heard on the prairie, and 
 every one rushed forth, gun in hand, to see what 
 they meant. Over the plain careered at full speed 
 a band of warriors with blackened faces, whooping 
 and yelling, and firing their guns. The excitement 
 in the village was intense ; it was the grand war- 
 27* 
 
318 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 party returning in triumph, bearing four scalps on 
 the points of their lances. All the inhabitants 
 rushed forth to greet them, the squaws singing and 
 dancing in the exuberance of their joy. The vic- 
 tors formed into line, and rode in a close body up 
 to the village, where they halted to receive the 
 praises and congratulations to which they were en- 
 titled. The leaders, in the intoxication of success, 
 gave away horses and guns. A pole, with hair at- 
 tached, was quickly set up over the spot where the 
 relatives of First-Feather and Wolf's-Eye's brother 
 had bewailed them. The drum was sounded, and 
 the scalp-dance commenced in the village, while 
 joy and gladness reigned supreme. 
 
 Only the evening before they had discovered a 
 small party of ten, near the Dog Buttes, coming 
 towards them with their arms slung, evidently not 
 expecting to meet enemies. 
 
 The Gros Ventres rushed on them; and the 
 Gambler having a long lance, struck the first 
 "coup" in his life. Three of the Sioux were in- 
 stantly killed, and one badly wounded. But four 
 scalps were taken ; they could have dispatched all, 
 but the Wolf's-Eye, fearing that some cf his own 
 warriors might be lost, and spoil the dancing when 
 they returned to the village, called out to stop, and 
 then hurried back to celebrate the victory. 
 
REJOICINGS. 319 
 
 All that night and the next day the rejoicings 
 continued, and the scalp-dancers flourished around 
 the village. Headed by the Wolf's-Eye, the men in 
 a dense group sounded their rattles, singing and 
 drumming, while the squaws shuffled in a circle 
 around them witli three scalps on poles, (the fourth 
 having been sent down to the Rees, in order that 
 they too might participate in the rejoicings,) scream- 
 ing in shrill tones the scalp-song. 
 
 The faces of all were blackened, and they looked 
 like fiends of darkness let loose. 
 
 Pierre Garreau's sons were avenged. 
 
 In the evening the Roundman's party returned, 
 straggling in a few at a time. Had they gone only 
 a short distance further, they would have seen the 
 enemy, but all agreed that their partisan's medicine 
 was very strong and good. 
 
CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 JUNE RISE — INDIAN TALK — ''MEDICINE" — THE HERMIT 
 OF THE BLACK HILLS — MANDANS LEAVE FOR THEIR OLD 
 VILLAGE — WOLF HUNT — CROWS ARRIVE — THEIR THIEV- 
 ING PROPENSITIES — OUR HORSES LOST — CROWS DEPART 
 FOR THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS. 
 
 THE leafj montli of June had come, and the 
 prairie was clothed in a beautiful dark-green. 
 The thickets of service-berries were loaded with 
 fruit, and the wild roses shed a delicious perfume 
 on the summer air. 
 
 The Indian horses, luxuriating in a respite after 
 the incessant toil of the winter hunt, were begin- 
 ning to show, by their sleek and glossy appearance, 
 that the herbage of the plains was most grateful to 
 them. 
 
 The Missouri commenced to feel the melting of 
 the snows in its mountain tributaries, fioci its swollen 
 and turbid waters rushed and foamed wildly around 
 the base of the lofty promontory upon which the 
 village was built. 
 
 (320) 
 
JUNE RISE. 321 
 
 Great quantities of drift-wood and floating trees 
 were caught in the whirling eddy below the fort, 
 and gave constant employment to the women and 
 girls, who put out in their bull-boats, and thus se- 
 cured plenty of fuel. In a short time the road 
 leading down to the water was completely blocked 
 up with piles of wood, and the ladies were in high 
 glee at the labor saved in having their firewood 
 brought to their very doors, as it were. 
 
 The bank against which the water beat was rap- 
 idly undermined, and falling in almost hourly with 
 a loud crash. Cornfields that, when planted, were 
 fully fifty feet from the river, were nov more than 
 half washed away, and many a squaw looked with 
 rueful countenance on the patch of ground, where 
 she had bestowed so much toil and expected such 
 good results, quickly disappearing before her gaze. 
 
 With high water the arrival of the steamboat 
 began to be agitated, and many inquiries were con- 
 stantly made in how many nights the " fire-canoe " 
 would be here. 
 
 To the whites it was a season of ease and indo- 
 lence. The houses had been washed inside and out 
 with white clay, and the area being well cleaned 
 and swept, the fort presented a very neat appearance. 
 The men had now little to do, and mostly passed 
 their time in hunting and fishing. 
 
 V 
 
822 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Our provisions were nearly exhausted ; the small 
 stock on band being used with the utmost care to 
 last as long as possible, until the annual boat would 
 bring a fresh supply. Consequently the usual enter- 
 tainment to the coffee-loving Indians was given up 
 for want of means, causing a great falling off in the 
 attendance at meal-time. 
 
 The Four-Bears called occasionally, but was not 
 at all. regular in his habits, now that there was 
 nothing to be made by it. But my old comrade, 
 the Bobtail- Wolf, visited me as ever, and always 
 received his pan of bouillon, well peppered and 
 salted, which he infinitely preferred. Doctor E-ten- 
 ah-pen-ah also continued to make my house his 
 headquarters, and as the days grew longer and 
 lono-er, till it often seemed that darkness would 
 never come, I derived great amusement in listening 
 to the conversation of these worthies, and occasion- 
 ally taking part. They were discussing the causes 
 which led to the defeat of several of the war-parties 
 that had gone out in the spring. 
 
 The Wolf said to the Doctor, " My brother, your 
 medicine is strong ; it is very stronp- ; all the He- 
 rae-an-seh acknowledge it to be so. I beg you not 
 to throw any of it on the Gros Ventres, and thereby 
 cause defeat and losses of various kinds in war and 
 hunting. I am a chief; when I talk to the Gros 
 
HERMIT OF. THE BLACK HILLS. 323 
 
 Ventres, what I say goes straight to their ears ; my 
 speech is always straight, not forked or travelling in 
 two ways. Heed what I say, and I will exert my 
 influence among the Gros Ventres in your behalf." 
 
 The Doctor listened to this earnest harangue with 
 becoming gravity, but when I caught his eye, there 
 was a certain sly twinkle in its corner, that showed 
 the old rascal was fully aware of his power, and 
 intended to improve it. I sometimes amused myself 
 by the exhibition of a few trifling sleight-of-hand 
 tricks, which greatly excited the wonder of my 
 spectators. That which had the strongest " medi- 
 cinal " eflect consisted simply in putting three 
 wafers on one side of a knife and causing them to 
 appear and disappear at will. 
 
 This performance never failed to create the utmost 
 astonishment in my friends, and the Doctor was 
 especially anxious to add it to his list of medicines. 
 
 The Grindstone, an old Oncpapa Sioux, who with 
 his family resided among the Gros Ventres, frequently 
 talked about a white hermit in the pines among 
 the Black Hills. He had a hut on the summit of 
 some towering rocks, — no one had seen him, but 
 they knew him to be a very tall man, because they 
 (the Sioux) found a deer which he had killed and 
 hung up in the top of a lofty pine-tree. He is the 
 person, they think, who poisoned all the creqks and 
 
324 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 streams, causing such distress among the wild 
 animals. There had been no thunder this spring, 
 and it was currently believed that he had killed the 
 thunder-bird. 
 
 The previous summer, when on a visit to the 
 Crows, the Wolf painted a young Crow warrior, and 
 said he gave him half his medicine ; he was a chief, 
 and he gave him the same chance to become one. 
 The young man took the name of the Black-Cloud 
 and painted half his shield black ; he then went to 
 war and stole two horses, when he sent word down 
 that they were for the Wolf, — his medicine was 
 good, and he wanted his shield black all over. 
 
 The Mandans began to agitate the question of 
 returning to their old village, close by the Riccarees, 
 to plant corn in the same fields they had tilled years 
 ago, when their nation was strong and powerful, 
 and the terror of its arms extended far and wide. 
 Some thirty families prepared to move away ; the 
 squaws loaded their effects in bull-boats, and started 
 off by water, while the men drove the horses across 
 the country. 
 
 One afternoon the Roundixiaii came to propose 
 going on a wolf-hunt, saying that he had found 
 close by a cave in which a she-wolf was suckling 
 her p^ps. As there was no inducement to do any- 
 thing else, I assented, and shouldering my gun, we 
 
WOLF-HUNT. 325 
 
 started off. Crossing a wide strip of prairie, we 
 came to the hills, and after a much longer walk 
 than I had any reason to expect, descended the 
 steep sides of a ravine, at the base of which the 
 Roundman pointed out a hole in the ground, which 
 he said was the entrance to the wolf's den. We 
 stopped, like prudent hunters, to thoroughly survey 
 our ground before commencing operations, and a 
 pipe was smoked to propitiate the Wolf Spirit in 
 our behalf. The Roundman threw in stones, while 
 I stood with my gun ready to shoot the wolf as soon 
 as she made her appearance. The stones rolled 
 one after another to the bottom of the den, with a 
 dull, heavy sound, without provoking any response. 
 'Next a long pole was thrust down, and vigorously 
 poked about, but without producing any better 
 result. At last, as there was no other alternative, 
 we commenced cutting away the bushes at the 
 entrance, to widen it, keeping a sharp lookout all 
 the while, lest madam should unexpectedly make 
 her appearance. After expending some labor, we 
 made the hole wide enough to admit of the passage 
 of the Roundman, who, stripping himself to the 
 clout, crawled in head foremost, with his knife in 
 one hand, and his tomahawk in the other. I listened 
 anxiously for the startled growl, but none came ; 
 and directly my friend backed out of the den, 
 
 28 
 
326 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 reporting that the wolves had left their lair, and 
 that but recently. We hunted all the rest of the 
 afternoon, but were unsuccessful in finding them. 
 A few days earlier, before the pups were able to 
 run about, our enterprise would undoubtedly have 
 resulted differently. 
 
 The scouts on the hills signalled the approach of 
 mounted Indians, men and women, from " above." 
 Directly a motley crowd went forth to meet and 
 escort the visitors (supposed to be Crows) to the 
 village, while the squaws hurried to fill their kettles 
 and made every preparation to feast their guests. 
 Soon the wild procession came in sight on the crest 
 of a hill, and descending into the plain, halted to 
 smoke with the dashing blades of the Gros Ventres. 
 The latter rode around their visitors in high feather, 
 while the Crows, with their strongly-marked aqui- 
 line features, and profusely garnished skin dresses, 
 burnt and blackened by exposure to wind and 
 weather, looked Indians all over. 
 
 The men were tall and powerful, and all were finely 
 mounted. Fully one-half of the party were women, 
 who took charge of the extra horses, and in point of 
 numbers the cavalcade presented a goodly appearance. 
 
 The squaws were very large and coarse, with long, 
 tangled, black hair, which, falling free and uncon- 
 fiiied over their shoulders, did not add to their 
 attractions in the least. 
 
LIGHT-FINGERED GENTRY. 327 
 
 Ko sooner had they disappeared within the enclos- 
 ure of the village, than I went straightway to my 
 quarters and put all my possessions under lock and 
 key, as the Crows' ideas of meum and tuum, unlike 
 my Gros Ventres friends, were strangely confused, 
 and I had conscientious scruples about placing 
 temptation in their Avay. 
 
 Of course, after going through a round of feasting, 
 the next places to visit were the Trading-Posts, and 
 until the gates were closed, they peered into every 
 nook and corner with a pertinacity that was not to 
 be bluffed off, and which onlj^a Crow can equal. The 
 women were especially annoying, and in spite of 
 our vigilance, quite a number of knives and other 
 small articles were stolen, chiefly from the men's 
 quarters, who anathematized " Injins " in general, 
 but the Crows in particular. 
 
 Like all prairie Indians who visit a trading-post 
 only at long intervals, everything is strange and 
 new, and in satisfying their very strong curiosity, 
 they often become exceedingly troublesome. 
 
 The band of horses belonging to the Post had 
 been for some time under the care of an Indian who 
 usually performed his duties as guard with great 
 fidelity. In common ho"\v"ever with the rest of his 
 comrades, he rode off to greet the Crows, and on 
 returning where he had left the horses quietly feed- 
 
328 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 ing, but two only could be seen. This was unlucky, 
 shotild we not succeed in finding them on the 
 morrow, as there were a number of very fine animals 
 belonffino- to individuals connected with the Post. 
 
 Early the next morning, Malnouri and myself 
 mounted the two remaining horses and started ofiT, 
 determined to recover them, if they had only strayed, 
 and not been stolen by a war-party of Sioux, who 
 w^ere nearly always lurking in the neighborhood. 
 We each took a dififerent trail, appointing a place 
 to rendezvous, in event of either one being success- 
 ful. l!Toon came, and saw us refreshing ourselves 
 at a cool spring, which gurgled through the hills. 
 Both had ridden over a wide expanse of prairie, 
 without discovering the slightest trace of our missing 
 caballada, nor had anything been seen by the scouts 
 of the village. After a short halt we renewed our 
 search, taking as before a difierent circuit. I struck 
 into an old buffalo-path, which led me through the 
 ravines, and over the hills for miles, until it was 
 lost on a high, sloping prairie, whose vast expanse 
 swept far away to the northward. 
 
 Here I halted, and dismounting, took a careful 
 survey of the prairie with my glass, and was just 
 able to distinguish a group of some kind a long 
 distance off. It might be either Indians, buffalo, 
 or the missing band. I proceeded cautiously, until 
 
THE RUNAWAYS RECOVERED. 329 
 
 I was able to distinguish clearly that they were 
 horses. It was our band, crowded close together, 
 with dishevelled manes and raised tails, surrounded 
 by a large gang of gray wolves who were induced 
 to fall back a little on my approach by the discharge 
 of a pistol. Right glad was I to see old Mac again, 
 and starting the band off at a gallop, I had the 
 satisfaction of reaching the fort just after Malnouri 
 had arrived with rueful countenance, which was 
 quickly cheered by the trampling hoofs, as the 
 horses, his two favorite "runners" among them, 
 dashed into the corral, the gate of which securely 
 fastened, precluded all possibility of a further stam- 
 pede that night. 
 
 After spending a couple of weeks, and thoroughly 
 wearing out their welcome, so far as the whites 
 were concerned, the Crow horde took their depart- 
 ure for the camp of their tribe on the Yellowstone, 
 in great tribulation lest they should meet with a 
 party of either of their deadly foes, the Sioux or 
 Blackfeet, which we most devoutly wished they 
 might. They feared also lest their camp, finding 
 the Yellowstone country too hot for them, would 
 move oft' to a more secure hunting-ground in the 
 Wind-River Mountains, and thus their small body 
 would be compelled to traverse a long and very 
 dangerous road. 
 
 28* 
 
CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 AN INDIAN MUSICIAN — TRIP TO THE REES — CHASED BY A 
 WAR-PARTY — CLOSE QUARTERS — A RIDE FOR LIFE — IN- 
 DIAN STRATEGY. 
 
 THE old adage, '^ Music hath charms to soothe the 
 savage breast," was not exemplified in the case 
 of the " Crane," a G-ros Ventre Indian of exceedingly 
 tall stature — hence his name. A violin belonging 
 to me attracted his fancy, and nothing would do 
 until he obtained possession, giving far more than 
 its value, in fine, painted robes, and stalked off* with 
 his prize, in triumph, to his lodge. I felicitated 
 myself on the capital trade I had made, and imag- 
 ined the Crane entertaining his guests with dulcet 
 strains from his fiddle. Several days elapsed, and 
 I saw one morning the tall form of the Crane ap- 
 proaching, with lowering brow and measured tread. 
 "Borraquoi," (my friend,) said he, "my squaw's 
 heart is bad towards me. She calls me a fool, and 
 says the robes she dressed were to be traded for 
 blankets, and she can't sleep because of the noise I 
 
 (330) 
 
A DISTKACTED WIFE. 331 
 
 make; — take your fiddle, and give me back my 
 robes." 
 
 I could not help sympathizing with his squaw in 
 the annoyance his attempts to extract music at all 
 hours of the day and niglit must have caused, but 
 declined trading back on any terms. The Crane, 
 after sitting a while, got up without another word 
 and retired to the village. But the end was not 
 yet. In a short time I saw his squaw coming to- 
 ward the fort, carrying the luckless violin on her 
 back, after the usual fashion of Indian women. I 
 quickly fastened the door of my room, and watched 
 her through the window. She laid the cause of her 
 unhappiness at my door, and retired around the 
 corner, where I allowed her to wait, until despairing 
 of my appearance, she picked up her treasure, with 
 every manifestation of anger, and departed. 
 
 I went back to my room, and influenced by one 
 of those impulses which cannot always be controlled, 
 and are often unaccountable, took down my revolver 
 and double-barrelled gun, and proceeded to place 
 fresh caps upon them. 
 
 While thus engaged, the door was opened, and in 
 marched the Crane, evidently carrying the violin 
 under his robe. He halted upon seeing the nature 
 of my occupation, and ejaculated ^'llow!" — I replied, 
 inviting him to sit down, which he did, with a black 
 
832 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 cloud upon his brow. Mj pistol was by this time 
 capped, and carelessly throwing my gun into the 
 hollow of my arm, I dropped the muzzle, as if 
 merely by accident, full upon the Crane, who sat at 
 the opposite side of the room. " Click, click," 
 went the lock of one barrel ; " click, click," the 
 lock of the other. The Crane's countenance changed 
 expression, and he slightly moved his seat. I picked 
 up a piece of buckskin to polish the mountings, 
 and in doing so, as if by chance, brought the muz- 
 zle again to bear upon the Crane. This had now 
 continued several minutes, and I began to be con- 
 cerned as to how it would end, when his counte- 
 nance brightened, as if his mind was made up and 
 greatly relieved thereat. 
 
 With the simple remark that "women were 
 fools," with which laudation of the sex I thought 
 proper to coincide, he gathered up his robe, and 
 left in very good humor; and from that to the 
 day of his death, some two years after, neither he 
 nor his squaw ever alluded to the subject again. 
 How they compromised matters I know not, — 
 whether the Crane pursued his musical studies in 
 peace, or whether he abandoned them altogether 
 out of regard for the comfort and domestic tran- 
 quillity of his famil}'. I was very glad it ended as 
 it did, for neither of us wished to push matters to 
 extremities. 
 
A TRIP TO THE REES. 333 
 
 It was now about the time when the annual 
 steamboat might be daily looked for ; and expect- 
 ing it almost hourly, as it were, the days seemed 
 interminable, and we were fairly at our wit's end 
 to devise means to pass away the time. N'ot a 
 white cloud appeared in the direction from which 
 the chimneys of the approaching steamer would 
 first show themselves that was not mistaken for the 
 steam from the escape-pipes, giving rise to the very 
 natural excitement consequent upon the announce- 
 ment that the " Mahti-shee-sheesh" was coming. 
 To sleep all the time was impossible, and from the 
 slender amount of provisions on hand, our mess- 
 table was by no means attractive, corn-coffee being, 
 in the estimation of a mountaineer, a forlorn sub- 
 stitute for the genuine beverage. 
 
 This being the state of affairs, I gladly availed 
 myself of the opportunity presented to join a party 
 of Gros Ventres going down to the Eees. William 
 Fisher, one of our men, increased our strength to 
 seventeen, all mounted on picked horses. Our trip 
 was accomplished without any incident, and after 
 spending a couple of days very pleasantly at the 
 Ree village, we started, on our return. At the 
 upper crossing of Little Knife River, the Indians 
 stopped to smoke, and let their horses graze. 
 
 But the halt was destined to be of short duration ; 
 
334 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 a large band of Sioux suddenly appeared on the 
 hills not more than two miles off, and dashed to- 
 wards us, evidently with the intention of " cutting" 
 our trail. The instant they were discovered we 
 rushed for our horses, and mounting, made for the 
 broken land on the Missouri. A warrior named 
 the Wood was our leader, and we strung out in 
 Indian file, each one's place being regulated simply 
 by the speed of his horse, who was kept at his 
 fastest pace, with but the one thought, to get away 
 from the pursuers. For the first few miles the race 
 was closely contested, neither party getting the 
 advantage; but when our foaming horses gained 
 the broken land, our leader's superior skill was 
 evident. 
 
 ^Never before had I been so forcibly impressed 
 with the instinctive, unerring sagacity of the In- 
 dian. Knowing every foot of the country, without 
 slackening speed, he carefully avoided the ridges, 
 following up the ravines, completely concealing us 
 from our pursuers. The hard, sun-baked soil of 
 the prairie gave not the faintest hoof-print; and we 
 now had greatly the advantage, since the chances 
 of the Sioux finding us in those innumerable 
 ravines were materially lessened. At one time we 
 were almost within gunshot, and halting suddenly, 
 scarcely breathed until they had ridden past. 
 
A SKILFUL LEADER. 335 
 
 The race had continued some ten miles, and we 
 were near the Red Springs, when the "Wood halted 
 us to "discover." Crawling cautiously to the top 
 of the nearest knoll, we could see the Sioux riding 
 about in a confused group, as if they had lost us, 
 and were trying to come upon the trail again. Our 
 spirits rose greatly, and the Wood announced his 
 intention of going to some deserted winter-lodges 
 not far off, where we could intrench ourselves, 
 adding, that if we were discovered before we 
 reached them, our only resource was to make for 
 the Missouri, and trust to its waters. 
 
 Swiftly and cautiously we hurried on, until the 
 friendly shelter of the forest near the Eed Springs 
 was gained. A couple of large, round lodges, in a 
 tolerable state of preservation, were selected, close 
 to the river. Into one of these we secured our 
 horses, and, after fortifying the other with a breast- 
 work of logs, kept a sleepless watch all night, the 
 Indians listening anxiously for the slightest sounds. 
 
 Morning broke at last, but no traces of our pur- 
 suers were visible. All that day we laid close in 
 our retreat, and at nightfall resumed our saddles. 
 The Wood, leaving the usual trail across the prairie, 
 followed the river, keeping under cover of the 
 broken land as much as possible, and morning 
 found us on the sand-bar waiting for the bull-boats 
 
336 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 to take US over. Even now we dreaded lest the 
 Sioux, having anticipated our destination, should 
 make a sudden onslaught, but our fears were for- 
 tunately without foundation. 
 
 JSTeither our horses nor ourselves had eaten any- 
 thing since leaving the Ree village, nearly three 
 days before. The poor animals had suffered se- 
 verely, and it was pleasant to see them feeding on 
 the rich grass, and indemnifying themselves for 
 past hardships. 
 
 I 
 
CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 FALSE ALARMS — ''THE STEAMBOAT" — ANNUAL CARNIVAL 
 — QUIET ONCE MORE FATHER DE SMET. 
 
 A FEW nights after this adventure we were 
 roused by a violent pounding at the gate, and 
 voices shouting for the " whites to get up, the steam- 
 boat was coming ! " 
 
 Without loss of time, every one was out, and 
 eager inquiries passed around. It seems that an 
 Indian had arrived on the other side, calling for a 
 bull-boat, whereupon several of our friends hurried 
 at once to the fort, telling us that he had news of 
 the steamboat. 
 
 The squaws were afraid to cross over in their bull- 
 boats, fearing it might be a trick of the Sioux to 
 lure them into an ambuscade ; but some of our men, 
 in their eagerness, went over in the skiff; and when 
 they returned, quite a large crowd gathered around 
 the new-comer to hear what he had to say. He had 
 heard nothing, seen nothing — it was merely a ruse 
 to get him crossed, as none of the squaws would 
 
 venture. A very quiet and subdued party of white 
 29 w (3373 
 
338 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 men returned to their Fort, and slept soundly the 
 remainder of the night. 
 
 But our disappointment was not doomed to be of 
 long duration, for the very next afternoon an unusual 
 outcry was heard in the camp, and every one rushed 
 out, expecting to see nothing less than an immense 
 war-party of Yanctohwahs, debouching from the 
 hills on horseback, to give the Gros Ventres battle. 
 But soon the word was ''Fire-canoe," and sure 
 enough, against the bluffs that lined the southern 
 shore of the river, was seen what at first appeared 
 to be a faint white cloud floating on the summer 
 air, but by the regular puffs we knew must be the 
 escape from a steamboat. 
 
 All was now bustle and commotion; the Stars 
 and Stripes were run up on the flag-staff, and each 
 man made the most careful toilet his limited ward- 
 robe would admit of. The Indians, too, shared the 
 general excitement, and the bannerets made their 
 appearance, painted and decked out in all the colors 
 of the rainbow. 
 
 The tops of the tall black chimneys now became 
 visible above the elm-point, and soon after, the 
 boat itself came into full view, slowly but steadily 
 breasting the strong current. Which boat was it, 
 ours, or the American Fur Company's, was anxiously 
 questioned. She turned the bend, not more than a 
 
GREAT EXCITEMENT. 339 
 
 mile off, and was now coming directly towards us. 
 Nearer and nearer she steamed ; the paddle-wheels 
 could be distinctly heard; then a white wreath of 
 smoke enveloped her bows, and directly the report 
 of a cannon was borne on the air. The salute was 
 promptly returned, and continued until she lay at 
 the landing within a stone's throw of the Post. All 
 doubt was at an end ; the boat was our own, direct 
 from St. Louis, with a full equipment for the ensu- 
 ing year. 
 
 It seemed strange to see civilization, as typified 
 by the steamboat, in the heart of the wilderness. 
 The Indians, grouped on the brow of the bluff, 
 were interested spectators of the scene. There 
 were yet many among them who remembered the 
 first steamboat that ever ploughed the waters of the 
 Upper Missouri, and the dreadful scourge that soon 
 after broke out in their midst, and has proved so 
 signally fatal to the race. 
 
 Mountaineers greeted acquaintances, and hurried 
 away with mysterious black bottles secreted about 
 their persons ; the deck-hands unloaded the freight, 
 and all was bustle and excitement. 
 
 The teams were soon busily engaged in hauling 
 up the supplies to the Fort, and after staying only 
 long enough to put off the freight intended for us, 
 the steamer continued her voyage. 
 
340 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 It was midnight before the last wagon-load was 
 stored away, and then, securely locking the gates, 
 we left the new hands to be initiated into the 
 mysteries of mountain life by the old ones. 
 
 I opened, with hesitating eagerness, the large 
 package of letters and papers, to learn of all that 
 had happened during the past year in the civilized 
 world, and the tidings from the loved ones in their 
 far-off home. 
 
 The following^day was one of continued bustle. 
 Indians thronged the store, bringing furs, which 
 they had reserved to trade until the boats should 
 arrive with fresh goods. Packages were hastily 
 opened, and anything wanted was sure to be found 
 at the bottom. For two days we had the monopoly 
 of the trade, but on the third, the boat of the 
 American Fur Company arrived, having the Indian 
 agent and annuities on board. 
 
 The Agent held the usual Council ; gave the usual 
 stereotyped advice, " to love their Great Father, 
 and their enemies," to which they responded with 
 the usual grunt; and the Council broke up, without 
 the Indians having a very exalted opinion of the 
 Agent, or his ability. The annuities were landed ; 
 and, compared with the preceding year, the pile 
 was beautifully less, so insignificant, in fact, that 
 the Indians considered it rather an insult than 
 otherwise. 
 
THE ANNUAL CARNIVAL. 341 
 
 The Government appropriations are supposed to 
 be liberal ; but it so happens that by the time they 
 reach their destination, they have, and not myste- 
 riously either, dwindled down into a paltry present. 
 
 During the time that the boats were up the river, 
 the new voyageurs, mangeurs du lard, (pork-eaters,) as 
 they were termed the first year of their novitiate, 
 were becoming,^ully initiated into the charms of 
 mountain life, and the old hands, whose time had 
 expired, and who were going down to the settle- 
 ments, were busy taking farewell of their Indian 
 sweethearts, and loading their trunks with mocca- 
 sins, and trash generally. Whiskey, smuggled by 
 the deck hands, was not wanting, and the carousal 
 was at its height. 
 
 In less than ten days after leaving us, our steam- 
 boat returned from Fort Stuart, eighty miles above 
 the mouth of the Yellowstone ; and after shipping 
 the packs of robes and peltries, took her departure 
 for St. Louis. 
 
 In the changes that were made, I was placed in 
 charge of the Post until the arrival of one of the 
 partners of the Company from the lower country, 
 w^hich would not be until late in the fall. 
 
 In a few days the American Fur Company's boat 
 also returned, and it was with a feeling of relief 
 that we saw her smoke-stacks disappearing behind 
 
 29* 
 
342 AM ONGTHE INDIANS. 
 
 the forest, as she pursued her way down the river. 
 The annual carnival was at an end, — the reign of 
 Minne-bae-tah (fire-water) was over for another 
 year, — and in our voluntary seclusion we would be 
 undisturbed by the throbs and throes of the civilized 
 world. 
 
 The Gros Ventres returned in due time from 
 their visit to the Crows, having obtained from them 
 a supply of horses, of which the Crows possess 
 immense numbers. Our friends the Sioux paid us 
 occasional visits, doing no damage beyond stealing a 
 few horses and keeping us constantly on the qui vive. 
 
 In the fall, the Reverend Father De Smet, the 
 celebrated Apostle of the Indians, arrived from the 
 Blackfeet, in a small boat, with four men. The 
 Reverend Father was one of our passengers on the 
 Twilight, as far as Fort Leavenworth, where he left 
 to join the Utah Expedition. He had crossed the 
 Rocky Mountains, and visited the missions on the 
 Columbia River among the Flatheads, Kez Perces, 
 and other tribes; and having completed his tour, 
 was now on his way to St. Louis. Father De Smet 
 is universally revered by all the Indian nations, and 
 known far and wide. Among the rude mountain- 
 eers he commands the utmost respect by his gentle, 
 winning manners, and the practical, common-sense 
 
FATHER DE SMET. 343 
 
 view he takes of the errors in their mode of life. 
 Many strange and true stories are told of his won- 
 derful adventures among hostile tribes, and the 
 almost supernatural awe in which they hold him. 
 The whole of a long life has been devoted to the 
 welfare of the Indians, and they have no truer or 
 abler advocate. 
 
 Father De Smet remained with us over night, and 
 baptized five or six half-breeds, children of some of 
 the retainers of the Post, as well as a number of 
 Indian children in the Four-Bears' lodge, to all of 
 whom he gave a medal. 
 
 The morning sun saw the Father on his voyage, 
 with his stores replenished to the best of our abil- 
 ity, and the heartfelt good wishes of all. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 WINTER-QUARTERS — NO TRADERS IN CAMP — A FRIEND IN 
 
 NEED SERIOUS DIFFICULTY WITH THE RICCAREES 
 
 ALMOST A MASSACRE — HOMOEOPATHY VS. STRYCHNINE — 
 BAD INFLUENCE OF AN UNPRINCIPLED WHITE MAN. 
 
 THE beautiful Indian summer had come again, 
 with its delightful weather and hazy skies. 
 Vast flocks of wild fowl were flying South, and 
 ^Nature's signs admonished the Indians that it would 
 soon be time to seek their winter-quarters. Pre- 
 parations were rife throughout the camp, skin 
 lodges were put in order, and a day appointed to 
 move. 
 
 The Poor-Wolf and Crow's-Breast, of the soldier 
 band, came to me and said that it had been decided 
 not to allow traders in camp, unless they increased 
 the price of a bufialo-robe to ten cups of sugar, 
 other goods in proportion, asking a considerable 
 advance over present rates, which were already 
 uncommonly high. 
 
 Deeming it politic to keep them in good humor, 
 pending the arrival of the new Bourgeois, Mr. 
 
 (344) 
 
WINTER-QUARTERS. 345 
 
 "Wickhani, I held a council, and gave a feast to the 
 Gros Ventres, to ascertain exactly their views about 
 the coming trade. The Four-Bears, Crow's-Breast, 
 and Snakeskin were the principal speakers. They 
 unanimously declared that if one Company went 
 the other should go too ; but in no case should 
 either go, unless they agreed to give the increased 
 price demanded. In expectation of Mr. Wickham's 
 speedy arrival, I deferred an answer for the present, 
 and the council broke up in the best of humor, but 
 with the understanding that, as matters stood, there 
 would be no traders allowed in camp that winter. 
 
 So the Gros Ventres went away to their winter- 
 quarters ; but hardly were the last of them out of 
 sight, ere a party of Rees rode up, and reported 
 their camp also on the way to winter-quarters, 
 which were to^be established in a fine point of 
 timber about ten miles below us. 
 
 The agreeable prospect therefore presented itself 
 of daily arrivals from the camp of these undesirable 
 neighbors, coming ostensibly to trade, but in reality 
 to beg and steal. Like the Gros Ventres, they too 
 determined to exact the highest rates for their 
 robes, and were likely to leave no means untried to 
 compass their ends. 
 
 Such was the position of afiairs when Mr. Wick- 
 ham arrived, with a couple of teams from Fort 
 
846 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Pierre. As soon as the Eees learned that he had 
 come, a messenger was sent to tell him that a large 
 party would be up in two days to hold a grand 
 "talk," and establish the prices for the ensuing 
 season. From the threatening tone of the message, 
 and excited feelings of the Indians, there was every 
 indication of trouble, perhaps bloodshed, if their 
 ** requests" were not complied with. 
 
 After deliberating upon the subject, Wickham 
 vowed he " would not be browbeat by a party of 
 beggarly Indians," and even contemplated reducing 
 the present rates. 
 
 Every preparation was made for the council. 
 Huge kettles of coffee, barrels of hard bread, with 
 blankets, scarlet cloth, calico, knives, ammunition, 
 and tobacco, — a goodly pile. 
 
 At last an Indian is seen riding up at a gallop. 
 He proves to be the White-Face-Bear, one of the 
 greatest rascals among the Riccarees. The White- 
 Face-Bear grasps each one of us cordially by the 
 hand, and says his people are in sight, and will be 
 here shortly ; that they have very few women with 
 them, and are for peace ; or war if their " reasonable 
 demands " are not complied with. He further de- 
 clares that he loves the whites, and has loaded his 
 fusee with nine balls, intending to fight for us if it 
 comes to the worst. 
 
TROUBLE BREWING. 347 
 
 Matters began to assume a most threatening 
 aspect. The Kees were now in sight, each band by 
 itself, painted and armed, to signify that the choice, 
 peace or war, lay with us. JS'earer and nearer they 
 came, halting frequently, to smoke and deliberate 
 among themselves. It was almost determined at 
 one time to close the gates, and defy them to their 
 utmost; but on reflection this course was aban- 
 doned, as it was our policy to conciliate the savages 
 instead of exasperating them. 
 
 I stepped into my room a moment, and turning 
 to go out met the White-Face-Bear, who said he 
 was going to remain there, and keep out all in- 
 truders. There were but few small articles lying 
 around, and I had no time to object, so leaving him 
 there, hurried to the gate. The Eees were now 
 within a few hundred yards, advancing in close 
 order. Wickham, anxious and uncertain as to the 
 result of the council, with his interpreter, seated 
 himself in front of the Indian room. To begin by 
 showing distrust would provoke and hasten hos- 
 tilities ; to meet them as friends, might mollify and 
 quiet them. The latter course was finally resolved 
 upon. 
 
 The Indians had halted about fifty yards from 
 the gates, upon which I advanced to meet them 
 with the pipe, always an emblem of peace. I had 
 got to within twenty paces of them, when they 
 
348 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 came on with fierce and startling whoops and yells, 
 brandishing their weapons with menacing gestures. 
 Guns w^ere discharged in every direction; bullets 
 flew around me, and buried themselves in the 
 ground close to my feet, and arrows whizzed by in 
 uncomfortable proximity to my head. 
 
 A warrior raised his tomahawk to strike me, but 
 his arm was arrested by the Son-of-the-starry-robe, 
 who, halting in front of me, looked me full in the 
 eye. I met him with a gaze as steady, and the 
 White-Parflesh coming up, placed himself by my 
 side, and simply remarked, "Your heart is strong." 
 The Indians divided on either side, and passed 
 through the gates into the Fort. My protectors 
 brought up the rear, and we entered the yard 
 together. 
 
 Human forme, closely muffled in robes and blan- 
 kets, were seated forming a hollow square. Sullen 
 looks and fierce scowls greeted the men who brought 
 in the heavy kettles of steaming coflee, and placed 
 them before the Bourgeois. 
 
 The feast and liberal presents accompanying it, 
 elicited not the slightest token of interest ; much 
 less, the usual grunt of approbation. 
 
 A pause followed — the silence was profound, 
 and full of boding. Never did Nature' look more 
 radiantly lovely than on this bright day in the 
 golden autumn. 
 
THE COUNCIL. 349 
 
 The nerves of all were strung to their highest 
 tension, when the painful silence was broken by the 
 White-Parflesh rising to address the assemblage. 
 He said they had all come to greet the Yellow- 
 Beard, (Wickham,) and get him "to make a road for 
 them," i. e., give them advice, which they promised 
 to follow. The White-Parflesh had known the 
 traders for many snows, and felt drawn towards 
 them. He loved them, and would like to wTap 
 them up in his robe. Would not the Yellow-Beard 
 take pity upon his sincere friends the Rees, and 
 trade easier with them? — give them life, — pay a little 
 more for their robes, which their women dressed 
 with so much toil — ten cups of sugar, just for one 
 day only ? 
 
 Wickham replied that the traders were giving all 
 they could, and a further advance in price was im- 
 possible ; and in Indian fashion, begged in his turn 
 that the Rees would take pity upon him, and let 
 him travel in the road that his predecessors had 
 made. The Star-Robe followed, and continued at 
 length in a similar strain. 
 
 Other speeches were made to the same effect, 
 and a number of handsome robes were thrown or 
 given, as evidences of good feeling on the part of 
 the Indians. The Yellow-Beard remained inflexible, 
 
 30 
 
350 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 and the Eees changed their tone to one of anger 
 and threatening. 
 
 Several hours had thus been consumed, during 
 which we remained sitting in the open air. Wick- 
 ham feeling chilly, stepped into the Indian room 
 close at hand, to warm himself for a few minutes, 
 while the Bear's-Ear, an Indian totally destitute of 
 any good qualities, was speaking. 
 
 No sooner had he gone in, than the Star-Eobe 
 followed, and told him to return and listen to the 
 speeches. He at once resumed his place, when the 
 Pointed-Horns commenced a harangue in a most 
 excited manner, gesticulating energetically all the 
 while. At length he paused for a reply, amid a 
 general shout of approbation from his people, when 
 the interpreter, a most contemptible creature named 
 Elien, whose Indian sobriquet of the Jaw fully 
 illustrated his character, took upon himself to tell 
 them (as we subsequently learned) that it was no 
 use talking any longer. That the Yellow-Beard's 
 heart was with the Sioux, with whom he had 
 always lived ; that he did not like the Eees, and 
 that was why he would not " look at them." 
 
 This foolish remark was at once taken up. The 
 Eees, always ripe for mischief when the whites were 
 concerned, became inflamed in an instant; and 
 before any one had the slightest suspicion, the 
 
THE EXCITEMENT QUELLED. 351 
 
 Bear's-Ear sprang to his feet, and discharged his 
 fusee into the barrel of bread, blowing it to pieces. 
 In a moment a crowd rushed up, guns were dis- 
 charged, the kettles of coffee overturned and 
 pounded out of all shape. The blankets and cloth 
 were torn into shreds, and a couple of our dogs, 
 who unfortunately happened to come in the way, 
 were killed. 
 
 Their blood was fully aroused, and moments 
 seemed ages of anxious suspense, when several of 
 the chiefs interfered, and aided by the soldiers, with 
 much trouble drove the Indians out. They retired 
 doggedly, and halted once, as if they intended to 
 return and finish their work. N"o sooner was the 
 last one out than the gates were securely shut and 
 barred, and we felt relieved from the danger that 
 had threatened. 
 
 "Wickham was an entire stranger to these Indians. 
 He had been a number of years among the Sioux at 
 Fort Pierre, however, and was well acquainted with 
 Indian character, but unfortunately his interpreter 
 on this occasion was culpably inefficient, or else the 
 difficulty might have been altogether avoided. It 
 was only owing to the fact of dissensions springing 
 up among themselves, at the very time they should 
 have been united, that prevented the massacre at 
 Fort Atkinson. 
 
 The Rees did not visit the American Fur Com- 
 
352 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 paiiy's Post, and Wickham always insisted — and 
 subsequent events proved him correct — that they 
 were pushed to extreme measures hy a renegade white 
 man living among them. 
 
 The following day some half dozen Rees made 
 their appearance, riding at full speed toward the 
 Fort. As they drew near we recognized the White- 
 Parflesh and Iron-Bear, and speculation was rife as 
 to the reason of their coming so soon after the dif- 
 ficulty of the day before. Their lowering brows 
 and sullen demeanor soon showed that "their 
 hearts still felt bad towards us," and the question at 
 once asked by them did not help to clear up matters 
 in the least. 
 
 The delegation had come up expressly to know 
 why I had given the White-Face-Bear a bottle of 
 wolf medicine, (strychnine,) to make all the Indians 
 sick ? 
 
 After some trouble I learned that the Indian in 
 question had returned to the Ree Camp, and ex- 
 hibited a bottle, which he said contained wolf medi- 
 cine, and proclaimed his intention of poisoning all 
 who made themselves obnoxious to him. 
 
 At length it occurred to me that my Homoeopathic 
 medicine-chest was standing on the table in my 
 room when the White-Face Bear came in the day 
 before, to extend his "protection " in anticipation of 
 the difficulty which was soon after raised, and I 
 
A SERIOUSAFFAIR. 353 
 
 began to suspect the true state of affairs. My sus- 
 picions were confirmed, when upon examining my 
 medicine-chest, I found one of the vials missing. 
 
 Everything was then easily explained. I took a 
 portion of the contents of several vials, to prove 
 their utter harmlessness, and the delegation, after 
 waiting a sufficient time to see what effect it would 
 have upon me, returned to camp, relieved of great 
 anxiety, and myself of what might have been a 
 very serious affair attributed to my agency, and how 
 it might have terminated, is difficult to say. 
 
 The Indians were aware of the appearance and 
 deadly properties of strychnine, from its being of 
 late years so extensively used by the trapperl to 
 take wolves, almost superseding the old-fashioned 
 trap. It has nevertheless to be used stealthily, and 
 with exceeding great care, as the Indians, with the 
 superstitious notions to which they are prone, and 
 the ravages of the small-pox and cholera brought 
 among them by the white men, fresh in their minds, 
 entertain great fears of a general taint and sickness 
 arising from the poisoned carcasses. 
 
 Thus happily ended our misunderstanding with 
 the Rees, which at one time bid fair to lead to a 
 most serious, if not disastrous termination, and 
 which beyond doubt was instigated by an unprin- ' 
 cipled white man to gratify a personal feeling. 
 30^ X 
 
CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 OFF FOR THE MOUNTAINS — THE BORDER — CONDITION OF 
 AFFAIRS — INDIAN TROUBLES — MURDER OF FRIENDLY 
 INDIANS — DESERTED VILLAGE — OLD MEMORIES — 
 AMONG THE GROS VENTRES — OLD FRIENDS — HORSES 
 STOLEN BY THE SIOUX. 
 
 IN the spring of 1863 I was on jboard of the 
 steamer Robert Campbell, again bound for the 
 head-waters of the Missouri. Her consort, the 
 Shreveport, a much smaller boat, had preceded us 
 several weeks, intending to return and lighten us 
 before we reached the upper river. The boat was 
 under the command of Captain Joseph Labarge, 
 who had for a long period of years been in the 
 employ of the American Fur Company in their 
 annual expeditions up the river. Jerry Millington, 
 the clerk, and McKinney, the pilot of the old Twi- 
 light, were also on board in a similar capacity. 
 The passengers consisted of two Indian agents, the 
 veteran trader. Col. Alexander Culbertson and his 
 Blackfoot wife, a few mountaineers, and a number 
 of adventurers, the latter bound for the newly- 
 discovered gold fields of Montana. The river was 
 
 (354) 
 
FORT PIERRE. 355 
 
 unusually low, but beyond annoying detentions on 
 the numerous sand-bars, which sadly impeded our 
 progress, we arrived at Sioux City without any note- 
 worthy incident. Here was encamped an army, 
 preparing to take the field, and inflict upon the 
 savage foe signal punishment. 
 
 The army took the field — the bugles were blown, 
 the antelope, badly frightened, sped over the hills, 
 
 while from distant blufiTs *'the d d redskins" 
 
 defiantly waved their breech-clouts. Some few 
 squaws were captured, and the army went into 
 winter-quarters, the Indians having gone out of 
 sight, and the safety of the frontiers thus being 
 assured. 
 
 At Fort Pierre were stationed several companies 
 of cavalry, and Mr. Primeau reported the Indians 
 very bad above there. This information, coming as 
 it did from a trader of his reliability and experi- 
 ence, was not to be lightly treated. A few Sioux 
 were encamped close by, to receive their annuities, 
 and have a talk inflicted upon them by their 
 "Father," who happened this year to be a Major 
 Latta. The speeches were ably interpreted by 
 Francois La Fromboise, but the Indians certainly 
 had all the powers of argument and oratory on their 
 side. They begged for arms and ammunition on 
 the plea of procuring subsistence for their families. 
 
356 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 and complained bitterly of the murder of eight 
 friendly Indians at Fort Randall by United States 
 Volunteers a short time previously. 
 
 It was a great relief to all when the " talk " was 
 over, and we once more steamed up the mighty 
 river. The cannon on board was carefully loaded ; 
 extra ammunition provided, and every man prepared 
 himself to act on the defensive. At night the boat 
 would be always anchored in the middle of the 
 stream, and great caution was exercised while wood- 
 ing, to avoid a surprise. 
 
 At Grand River, the remains of a bull-boat and 
 numerous fresh tracks showed that a large party of 
 Indians had but recently crossed. G-ame was unusu- 
 ally abundant, bands of buffalo being in sight nearly 
 all the time. 
 
 At Heart River Island, in backing down to 
 find a channel, the rudder broke, requiring a day's 
 work to repair it. 
 
 While laying up for this purpose, the Shreveport 
 hove in sight, having ascended as high as Cow 
 Island, below Fort Benton, where she discharged 
 her freight, and hurried down to meet us. Part of 
 our cargo was at once transferred to her, and the 
 repairs being completed by sundown, both boats 
 steamed on a few miles before anchoring. 
 
 By evening of the following day we landed at 
 
SAD MEMORIES. 357 
 
 the deserted village of the Mandans and Riccarees. 
 While the deck-hands were tearing down some of 
 the lodges that were still standing for firewood, I 
 strolled around among the familiar places. 
 
 What a change since I first ascended the river in 
 1858 ! Not a vestige was left of either Trading- 
 Post, save a pile of stones which marked the spot 
 where the cheerful fires once blazed in the chim- 
 neys. The ice-house, nearly filled up with rubbish, 
 and the lonely graves of those white men who had 
 died while in the Company's employ, were almost 
 concealed by a rank wilderness of weeds. 
 
 Instead of the closely-cropped, bare appearance 
 it presented when the Indian horses pastured there, 
 the surrounding prairie was covered with a luxuri- 
 ant growth of grass. One or two scafiFolds of the 
 dead were still standing, but the medicine-poles no 
 longer reared their outlines against the sky, and 
 the circles of human skulls were scattered and fast 
 disappearing. 
 
 The devastating marks of the ruthless Sioux 
 were everywhere visible. An open grave attracted 
 my attention ; it contained the form of an Indian 
 in a perfect state of preservation, and the expression 
 of his vermilion-painted face was strikingly natural. 
 Years ago the Mandans dwelt here, a happy and 
 thriving people, until the terrible small-pox almost 
 
358 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 obliterated them as a tribe, and the Riccarees 
 moving up from their village on Grand Eiver, took 
 possession. 
 
 The cholera and small-pox again spread desola- 
 tion among them, but they remained until the 
 traders abandoned their Posts, when the Sioux, 
 taking advantage of their absence at winter-quar- 
 ters, burned the Forts (now become the property of 
 the Indians) and many of their lodges. The old 
 associations being thus in a measure broken up, 
 they moved to the Gros Ventre village, and built 
 for themselves new homes. 
 
 It was with a feeling of sadness that I wandered 
 amid the well-known scenes, and I felt relieved 
 when the tolling of the bell summoned all on board. 
 
 By afternoon of the following day, the familiar 
 bluffs and prairies of the Gros Ventres came into 
 view. 
 
 The sand-bar in the river was larger, and caused 
 some delay before a landing could be effected in 
 the eddy below the village. Many changes had 
 taken place during my absence of a few months. 
 
 The united tribes of Rees, Gros Ventres, and 
 Man dans, made a very large village, and the new 
 lodges greatly altered the appearance of the place. 
 Old Fort Berthold had been burned down by the 
 Sioux, and Fort Atkinson (now called Berthold) 
 
HOSPITABLY TREATED. 359 
 
 was occupied by the American Fur Company. It 
 narrowly escaped being captured by an overwhelm- 
 ing force of Sioux while the Gros Ventres were yet 
 at winter-quarters ; and if a party of the latter had 
 not chanced to be present when the attack was 
 made, the handful of traders would have been 
 overpowered. The bullet-marks in the stockade 
 and bastions showed how fierce the fight had been. 
 My Indian friends welcomed me back, and I was 
 called to feasts in a number of lodges, and fifteen 
 handsomely painted robes given me. When they 
 found I was going on to Fort Union, they expressed 
 great regret, and made me promise to return to them 
 in the following spring, which I fully expected to do. 
 Here again we heard further confirmation of the 
 gathering of hostile Sioux on the river, and if at- 
 tacked at all, it would be most probably this side of 
 the Yellowstone. 
 
 The next day we continued on, the Shreveport in 
 advance, to find the channel, and by noon arrived 
 at the mouth of Rising Water, not far below the 
 point on which the old winter-quarters were located. 
 The boat landed soon after by a sand-bar which 
 was covered with drift-wood, to take in a supply. 
 
 While thus engaged, several Indians appeared 
 on the opposite bank, and called out in the Gros 
 Ventre tongue for a boat, and they would send 
 
360 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 back some fresh buffalo-meat. They proved to 
 be old acquaintances, one of them being my 
 friend "Bonaparte," and were on this hunting trip 
 with no companions but two squaws. Bonaparte 
 was a daring man, and it was nothing uncommon 
 for him to start off on j ust such perilous expeditions 
 as this. 
 
 They had been out for nearly two weeks, had 
 "made plenty of meat," and were just preparing to 
 cross the river, and return to their village, when 
 the steamboats hove in sight. After trading sugar 
 and coffee for a supply of meat, they returned to 
 shore; the young Gros Ventre drove the horses up 
 to water, and then turned them loose upon the 
 prairie to feed, while the squaws were preparing to 
 cross over their "plunder" in a bull-boat they had 
 just completed. 
 
 The signal-taps on the CamplelVs bell had been 
 given, when suddenly the Indian women uttered a 
 piercing scream. From the ravines, about a quar- 
 ter of a mile distant, dashed forth at full speed a 
 Sioux Indian, mounted on a white steed, waving a 
 scarlet blanket, and making directly for the Gros 
 Ventres' horses, followed at a little distance by 
 some fifteen or twenty others, who with whoop 
 and yell, drove off the frightened animals, and dis- 
 appeared with almost the quickness of thought. 
 
AN UNEXPECTED ATTACK. 361 
 
 A large body now showed themselves as re- 
 serves, but they were not needed, for the terrified 
 squaws were paddling their canoe for dear life, and 
 had almost gained the middle of the river. Bona- 
 parte and his comrade, mcunting their horses, 
 which they fortunately held by the lariats, dashed 
 through the willows, and made for a point where 
 we could intercept them. 
 
 The Campbell moved swiftly around the bend, 
 when the Gros Ventres appeared in sight, and made 
 for the sand-bar, looking over their shoulders as if 
 expecting immediate pursuit. The stage-plank was 
 run out, and a dozen willing hands helped to get 
 the panting horses on board. 
 
 The^oor Indians had, by this one fell swoop, lost 
 nearly all they possessed; horses, blankets, saddles, 
 meat, all gone ; and their lives would also have 
 been forfeited, had it not been for the timely assist- 
 ance of the steamer. Ammunition, clothing, and 
 provisions were liberally contributed by the passen- 
 gers, and they were safely landed on the opposite 
 shore, to make their way to their village, which 
 they doubtless effected in safety. 
 
 This incident carried conviction to everybody; 
 
 even to those who, because they did not see Indians 
 
 constantly, were disposed to regard precautionary 
 
 measures as useless. So it always is; the more 
 
 31 
 
362 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 ignorant persons are of Indian habits and warfare, 
 the more they afiect to despise them. The old 
 traders and trappers, who have often been harassed 
 and hunted, and their slumbers rudely broken by 
 the terrible war-whoop in its startling reality, esti- 
 mate rightly their savage foe, and their excessive 
 caution from this very fact sometimes verges on 
 what might almost be termed cowardice. 
 
 The place where this raid occurred was at a point 
 in the river called the "E'arrows," directly opposite 
 the old winter-quarters ; and the high butte, around 
 the base of which the Sioux swept with their cap- 
 tured horses, was the one from which I had often 
 "discovered" for buffalo with my Indian comrades. 
 
I 
 
 CHAPTER XXXY. 
 
 TROUBLE AHEAD — THE STEAMBOATS ATTACKED BY SIOUX — 
 STRANGE PROCEEDINGS DECK-HANDS MASSACRED BUR- 
 IAL — AVENGED — OLD FORT WILLIAM — FORT UNION. 
 
 LEAVII^G Bonaparte and his companion to re- 
 join their squaws, and trusting to their perfect 
 knowledge of the country to make good their es- 
 cape, the Robert Campbell continued her course up 
 the river, and after rounding the point below Shell 
 Creek, came in sight of the Shreveport wooding. 
 As we drew near, a sudden commotion was appar- 
 ent among her deck-hands, who rushed wildly on 
 board ; when she backed out into the stream, and 
 made for the other shore. We followed, as a matter 
 of course, and both steamers were soon made fast 
 alongside of a broad sandbar. We then learned 
 that the Shreveport had stopped to wood ; and 
 Dauphin, a well-known hunter on board, went out, 
 as was his wont, to look for game. He had pro- 
 ceeded but a short distance, when he discovered a 
 large party of Sioux making their way through the 
 
 (363) 
 
364 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 dense forest, towards the boat. He hurried back 
 and gave the alarm ; the hawser was hastily cut, 
 and the boat backed off as we have seen, though 
 not a moment too soon. The rest of the afternoon 
 was spent in piling sacks of flour on the boiler- 
 deck, so as to make an efficient breastwork, and 
 otherwise preparing for defence, as it seemed with- 
 out doubt that an attack would be attempted every 
 time a stoppage was made for wood. 
 
 The next morning soon after sunrise, while run- 
 ning close in shore, a shot was fired, and the ball 
 passed through the pilot-house, narrowly missing 
 Atkins, who was at the wheel. 
 
 Later in the morning, Mrs. Culbertson's eagle-eye 
 discovered objects crossing a ridge at a great dis- 
 tance, which, before our glasses could be brought to 
 bear, passed out of sight, leaving us in doubt 
 whether they were elk or mounted Indians. But 
 we were not suffered to remain long in uncertainty. 
 Soon a numerous band of Indians appeared, head- 
 ing in a direction to intercept our course, and rode 
 along the bank, parallel with the boat. We counted 
 over two hundred, as they appeared strung out in 
 line, which did not seem to be much more than 
 half the number. 
 
 The Shreveport was some distance ahead, but on 
 dicovering the Indians, dropped down, and both 
 
A LARGE WAR-PARTY. f365 
 
 boats were made fast by a sandbar not far from the 
 mouth of a creek called Tobacco Garden. 
 
 The Sioux gathered on the river-bank protected 
 and partially concealed by the thick forest of Cot- 
 tonwood trees. 
 
 There was not the slightest attempt at discipline 
 on board of the Campbell. Every one seemed 
 acting on his own responsibility, which, in the case 
 of the few mountaineers on board, was decidedly 
 the best possible policy, but highly questionable 
 with the great majority of the passengers to whom 
 Indian fighting was a new experience. 
 
 The Indians called out for the whites to come 
 ashore, and be killed ; that they wanted provisions, 
 arms and ammunition ; that the whites were doers, 
 and only fit to be killed. 
 
 There were at least half a dozen on board who 
 understood Sioux, besides Mrs. Culbertson, herself 
 an Indian woman ; therefore there could be no 
 possible misunderstanding as to their designs. 
 Somebody suggested the plan of sending out a 
 boat to bring several of the leading men on board, 
 to " talk " with them, and as neither of the Indian 
 Agents appeared to have any ideas of their own to 
 advance, this extraordinarily senseless advice was 
 acted upon. Meanwhile, the Indians gathered on 
 the bank, shouting forth their defiance and taunts 
 
366 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 to the whites. All the passengers had taken posi- 
 tion behind the breastwork of flour-sacks ; Jerry 
 Millington, (who had formerly been a trader on the 
 Platte,) Louis EUe, myself, and several other moun- 
 taineers, were close together ; Col. Culbertson and 
 his wife a short distance from us. 
 
 Presently, to the unutterable surprise of nearly 
 every one on board, a boat put off from the steamer, 
 and headed for the bank upon which the Indians 
 were gathered. To our greater surprise, the Agent, 
 who should gladly have embraced this opportunity 
 of ascertaining the views of his ^'red children," 
 and inflicting upon them an edifying "talk," was 
 not along. When the boat first left the steamer, 
 Mrs. Culbertson called out to the hands, " Come 
 back, come back! you'll all be killed;" but her 
 remonstrance was unheeded or unheard. The men 
 bent to their oars lustily, and neared the fatal shore. 
 As the boat touched, the Indians crowded together 
 in an ominous manner. Millington remarked to 
 me, as we stood side by side, with our guns levelled, 
 " There '11 be h 11 raised shortly." 
 
 The Chief springs from the bank, and entering 
 the boat, shakes hands cordially with the crew as 
 he passes along. But in a moment a score of dusky 
 forms leap after him. A puff' of white smoke — 
 the gleaming of weapons — the falling of the 
 
ATTACK ON THE STEAMBOATS. 367 
 
 slaughtered men, tell the tale. The fire is opened 
 from both steamers, and kept up actively for several 
 minutes. When the smoke clears away, we know 
 by the hurried movement among the Indians that 
 the fire has not been without efi*ect. 
 
 Water would be hastily brought from the river, 
 to allay the thirst of the wounded, and dead and 
 struggling horses could be distinctly seen. The 
 boat was drifting down stream, and a cry was raised 
 that one man was clinging to the stern. Another boat, 
 manned by willing hands, was soon in pursuit, and 
 overtaking, returned with it and its melancholy 
 load of gory corpses, which were carefully brought 
 on board, shot and mangled in a horrible manner. 
 Two only of the crew escaped : one, badly wounded, 
 who by falling feigned death ; and the steersman, 
 who with wonderful presence of mind threw him- 
 self overboard, and clinging to the stern of the 
 boat with one hand, supported himself as he floated 
 down, until rescued. The prompt fire from the 
 steamers covered his retreat. 
 
 So reluctant were these unfortunate men to start 
 on that fatal trip, that the mate was obliged to drive 
 them into the yawl with an axe. He himself was 
 afterwards killed in a street brawl in Cincinnati. 
 The wounded man, as I learned the following year 
 from Millingtou, contrary to all expectation, re- 
 covered. 
 
368 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Occasional shots were thrown into the point, and 
 at last the Indians left, and halted upon the open 
 bank, about half a mile below. They seemed to 
 be taking care of their wounded, of whom they 
 must have had quite a number ; but the small rifled 
 cannon of the Shreveport sent its balls so close, that 
 ere long a heavy cloud of dnst betokened their de- 
 parture in the direction of their camp. 
 
 The following day the dead were given a decent 
 sepulture by the river's bank, and stones piled on 
 their lonely graves to protect them from the wolves. 
 The eight Indians murdered near Fort Eandall 
 were avenged. 
 
 Many ludicrous incidents occurred during the 
 skirmish, but with few exceptions, all behaved with 
 great coolness and steadiness. It was certa;inly a 
 miracle that no one was injured on board, for a 
 great many guns were discharged without their 
 owners being always ready, but invariably with 
 deadly effect, if their own statements could be de- 
 pended on. A burly Irishman, who had taken 
 position just behind Millington and myself, closed 
 his eyes, and turning his head, discharged his re- 
 volver with the firm conviction that he was materi- 
 ally aiding to repulse the savages. Four of the six 
 balls penetrated a sack of flour between us. We 
 almost held our breath while this was going on, 
 and Louis Elle, totally disregarding the Indians in 
 
I 
 
 FORT UNION. 369 
 
 front, attentively watched this fresh danger in the 
 rear, and relieved his pent-up indignation after it 
 was all over, by a volley of " sacr-r-res " at the ex- 
 pense of the unfortunate Hibernian. 
 
 The mouth of the Yellowstone was reached with- 
 out any further adventures. Of old Fort William 
 nothing was standing save a chimney or two, and 
 portions of the crumbling adobe walls. 
 
 Fort Union became the termination of the voyage, 
 as the river had fallen too low to venture higher 
 up, and the freight having all been landed and 
 stored in the Fort, the steamers turned their bows 
 homewards, and were soon out of sight. 
 
 Mr. Hodgkiss (formerly in charge of Fort Clark) 
 was now in command of this Post, and in the kind- 
 est manner tendered all the hospitality and assist- 
 ance in his power, to those passengers who were 
 disappointed in getting to Fort Benton by steamer. 
 
CHAPTER XXXYI. 
 
 FORT UNION AS IT WAS — SCENERY — A SOCIAL CIRCLE — 
 DANGEROUS HUNTING-GROUNDS — GRIZZLY BEARS — IN- 
 DIANS AROUND — HORSES STOLEN — IN A BAD PREDICA- 
 MENT — AFOOT I 
 
 FORT Union is built on a high gravelly bank, 
 about six miles above the mouth of the Yel- 
 lowstone. It was formerly, during the palmy days 
 of the Fur Company, the great distributing Post 
 for the Northwest, and in the spring of the year, 
 when the Traders from the Crow and Blackfeet 
 Indians would rendezvous with the proceeds of the 
 winter's hunt, was the centre of the greatest bustle 
 and activity. The wild mountaineers held high 
 carnival, which reached its culmination upon the 
 arrival of the annual steamboat, after which they 
 took their departure for their respective Posts, with 
 their supplies in Mackinaw boats drawn by the 
 tedious cordelle, to enter anew upon their perilous 
 calling. 
 
 But these times have passed away. The gradual 
 
 (370) 
 
FORT UNION AS IT WAS. 371 
 
 approacli of civilization, the increasing ease with 
 which steamers navigate the river, the competition 
 of rival companies, have gradually changed the 
 character of the trade. Fort Union, in 1863, was 
 (and had been for several years past) simply a Post 
 for the Assinniboine Indians, and as they are no- 
 toriously poor robe-makers, its trade had fallen 
 away very considerably. 
 
 Enough men only were retained to take care of 
 the Post, and the constant presence of Sioux war- 
 parties rendered it impossible to keep stock of any 
 kind, or even to venture out with safety. 
 
 The Fort had been erected with great care and 
 strength. The bastions were of stone, and the 
 massive and substantial pickets were braced and 
 secured in the strongest manner. The Bourgeois' 
 house and offices, an ornamental two-storied build- 
 ing, fronted on the large and spacious area. Around 
 its hospitable board and on its balcony, during the 
 pleasant summer evenings, was gathered a social 
 circle. The Bourgeois, Mr. Hodgkiss, and his son 
 William, (who had been educated in St. Louis by 
 Father De Smet, and was now acting as clerk,) 
 Col. Culbertson and his wife. Col. Vaughan, Jack 
 Culbertson, and myself Stories of wild adventure, 
 varied by songs from the ever-ready Col. Vaughan, 
 beguiled the time, and it was late before we thought 
 
372 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 of retiring, leaving no one astir but the guard, as 
 tie made his solitary rounds. 
 
 The quarters assigned to me were in the bastion, 
 which commanded a most extensive and delightful 
 view. Below the Fort was a heavily wooded point, 
 while above the large timber had been nearly all 
 cut away for fuel and building materials. At my 
 feet rolled the Missouri, — beyond, a growth of 
 cottonwoods, walled in by high and steep bluifs. 
 In another direction aline of trees marked the wind- 
 ing course of the Yellowstone. A beautiful prairie 
 stretched away to the rear, until it was lost at the 
 base of a line of sloping hills. One of the loftiest 
 of these was known as McKenzie's Butte, after the 
 late Kenneth McKenzie of St. Louis, who ruled 
 supreme at Fort Union in the early days of the Fur 
 Company. 
 
 From its summit the- smoke of the annual steam- 
 boat could be seen nearly two days before she 
 reached the Fort, as she wound her devious way up 
 the river. The ruins of Fort William were in plain 
 sight, and the mountaineers spoke regretfully of the 
 good old times when both Posts were in the full 
 tide of success, and of the hospitalities that were so 
 freely exchanged between them when the trading 
 season was over. At one time quite a herd of 
 cows was kept here, and the luxury of fresh butter 
 
 I 
 
PERILOUS HUNTING. 373 
 
 was indulged in. A garden was also cultivated by 
 the employes, and potatoes, melons, and vegetables 
 generally were raised without difficulty, and in 
 sufficient abundance to vary agreeably the regular 
 diet of buffiilo-meat. 
 
 But the attacks of the Sioux became more and 
 more frequent, the remainder of the cattle were sent 
 to Fort Benton, and the little garden abandoned 
 and overscrown with weeds. 
 
 Mr. Hodgkiss was a very agreeable companion, 
 having been in this country many years. He first 
 came up as clerk for Captain Bonneville, and was an 
 active participant in many exciting scenes in early 
 trapping-days, having been stationed at nearly every 
 Post on the river. He was in charge of Fort Clark, 
 at the Riccaree Village, when I came into the country 
 in 1858. As there were no Indians encamped in the 
 vicinity of the Fort, we were entirely dependent 
 upon the hunters of the Post for fresh meat. This 
 was a service of real danger, for we never knew, 
 when they went forth in the morning, whether we 
 should see them return again at night. Buffalo 
 were usually found quite close, but as the prairies 
 around had been burned by the Sioux, it was neces- 
 sary to go some distance. 
 
 John Wallace was the principal hunter since old 
 Jose Eamisie had lost one of his hands by the burst- 
 32 
 
374 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 ing of his gun. Previous to that accident, Jos^ waa 
 one of the very best "runners" in that part of the 
 country. Wallace was brave even to foolhardiness, 
 and the following spring paid the penalty of his 
 rashness with his life. 
 
 He, Jack Culbertson, and myself, with a voyageur to 
 drive the cart, made frequent hunting excursions, and 
 always went out with the chances pretty even of 
 falling in with Indians or buffalo. Yet sucli is the 
 fascination of this kind of life that we preferred 
 taking these chances occasionally, to being always 
 confined to the Fort. On one of these expeditions, 
 about eight miles from the Post, we passed by a pile 
 of stones painted with vermilion, and surmounted 
 by a bundle of arrows and a buffalo-skull, which 
 had been erected by the Assinniboines as a land- 
 mark. A short distance beyond, we fell in with 
 buffalo. An indefinable sense of danger seemed 
 common to us all. Jack and I carefully swept the 
 country with our glasses to discover danger, while 
 Wallace undertook to "approach." The buffalo 
 seemed unaccountably wild, and after a vain attempt 
 to get within range, he came back and expressed 
 his fears that there were Indians about. We accord- 
 ingly determined to give up the hunt for that day, 
 and returned. When we struck the trail leading to 
 the Fort, and came to the pile of stones before 
 
GRIZZLY BEAR. 375 
 
 noticed, we found that our apprehensions had not 
 proved groundless. The stones were scattered 
 ahout, the skull thrown to one side, and the arrows 
 broken and strewn around, showing conclusively 
 that a war-party had passed by, and narrowly missed 
 us. They might, or might not be close by. 'We 
 moved on cautiously, and taking advantage of the 
 country, succeeded in safely regaining the Post 
 long after nightfall. 
 
 It was perilous to go any distance, no matter how 
 short, without being fully armed, and a guard was 
 kept up night and day. Still, in spite of all this 
 vi2:ilance, several of the men had hair-breadth 
 escapes. 
 
 The river was falling fast, and the broad sand- 
 bars became daily more exposed, upon which the 
 carcasses of bufialoes frequently lodged, offering a 
 tempting bait to the grizzly bears, which were 
 abundant in the points around the Yellowstone. 
 
 On one occasion a huge grizzly ventured so close 
 to the ''cut" bank below the Fort, that some half- 
 dozen of us, seizing our rifles, approached, covered 
 by the thick undergrowth, and the only intimation 
 the monster had of our proximity was a discharge 
 of w^eapons, which stretched him out at the first 
 fire. Well it might, for the distance was only a 
 few paces, and the thick bushes and steep bank 
 <='.ffectually prevented him from seeing us. 
 
376 
 
 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 The small band of horses, some seventeen head, 
 were objects of constant solicitude. They were 
 guarded by a couple of Indian boys, and were kept 
 in the bottom not more than a quarter of a mile 
 distant. It was only when they were safely corralled 
 for the night that we felt as if they really belonged 
 to "US. Two were my individual property, and I 
 was anxious to get them in good order, preparatory 
 to making a trip to Fort Benton and over the 
 mountains. Jack Culbertson and Wallace intended 
 accompanying me, and \^re likewise saving up 
 their horses for the journey. 
 
 The band had been driven up at noon to water, 
 and the guards delayed unusually long in taking 
 them back to pasture. Mr. Hodgkiss finally came 
 from his ofiice, and after briefly expressing his 
 opinion as to the impossibility of horses getting very 
 fat upon gravel-stones, hurried the boys oft' with their 
 charge. As they passed through the gates, Jack 
 proposed to me to see how the feed was where the 
 horses were kept, and throwing our rifles over our 
 shoulders we sallied forth. We spent more than 
 an hour with them, and felicitated ourselves upon 
 the prospect of being able to start upon our con- 
 templated journey in the course of two weeks. On 
 our way back we set up an old buflfalo-skuU for a 
 target, and amused ourselves for a while shooting 
 
HORSES stolen! 377 
 
 at it; and then leisurely sauntering back to the 
 Fort, betook ourselves to our respective quarters. 
 
 In the course of an hour Jack came over to the 
 bastion, and taking my spy-glass "discovered" 
 a while. In answer to my inquiry, he replied that 
 nearly all the horses were in sight quietly feeding. 
 After some further conversation we spread our 
 robes, and were soon indulging in a comfortable 
 nap. 
 
 For some time no traces of Indians had been 
 noticed; all seemed lulled into a sense of security; 
 and I Relieve that every man around the Fort had 
 retired to enjoy the dolce far niente, leaving no one 
 about, except some of the squaws, whose gossiping 
 propensities and Indian restlessness kept them per- 
 petually on the go. 
 
 Suddenly a shrill cry from the women aroused 
 all hands, w^ho rushed forth to see what new excite- 
 ment they had succeeded in getting up on such 
 short notice. 
 
 The first objects that met our gaze were the two 
 Indian boys running at full speed towards the Fort, 
 stopping every few paces to wave their blankets 
 over their heads. 
 
 By this time the alarm had become general, and 
 all were at the gates, instinctively feeling what had 
 happened. " The Sioux have stolen the horses ! " 
 
 32* 
 
878 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 In a few minutes the panting and frightened boys 
 ran up, and breathlessly told their story. The 
 horses had become a little scattered, and they had 
 just gathered them together, when a number of 
 naked Indians ran out of the bushes and drove the 
 whole band off. One tall warrior told the boys 
 that they did not wish to hurt them ; they might 
 make their escape, but must run fast, as there were 
 plenty of Sioux in the bushes. The boys did not 
 stand an instant on the order of their going, but 
 went at once, and with the utmost possible dispatch, 
 arriving as narrated above. 
 
 Here was an unlooked-for state of affairs; — afoot 
 totally ; not a beast of burden left. Our trip to the 
 Blackfeet must of necessity be abandoned for the 
 present, and the loss of the animals would be seri- 
 ously felt at the Post. 
 
 In this dilemma, now that the horses were stolen, 
 the next best thing was to lock the gates, which 
 was accordingly done ; and this last bold foray of 
 the Sioux wholly engrossed the conversation. 
 After being thoroughly talked over, it was the 
 universal opinion that they would take their de- 
 parture, as there was nothing further to be gained ; 
 and all we could do would be to await the develop- 
 ment of events. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 CAUGHT NAPPING — THE FORT SURPRISED — NARROW ES- 
 CAPE — GROS VENTRES OP THE PRAIRIE — ANNUITIES 
 
 DEMANDED — INDIAN AGENTS — OBTAIN HORSES LEAVE 
 
 THE INDIAN COUNTRY ARRIVE AT THE GOLD MINES OP 
 
 MONTANA. 
 
 NOIN'E slept the less soundly, and the guards 
 reported the next morning that nothing had 
 transpired on their watches. After breakfast, all 
 recollection of the raid of the previous day seemed 
 to have faded away, and the situation was tacitly 
 accepted by everyone. Some of the men went to the 
 lower point to cut firewood as usual ; Col. Culbert- 
 son started for his customary walk out on the prairie, 
 with his little son Joe, and the rest disposed of 
 themselves as best suited their convenience. I 
 retired to my favorite place in the bastion, and 
 began cleaning my weapons, more for occupation 
 than because they really needed it. My revolver 
 first claimed my care, and having reloaded it, I took 
 my gun apart, and after washing the barrels 
 
 thoroughly, left them to dry. While waiting, I 
 
 (379) 
 
380 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 reclined on my robe and revolved in my mind the 
 chances of some Assinniboines making their appear- 
 ance, and our being possibly able thereby to obtain 
 more horses. It was the autumn of the year — the 
 latter part of September — and flocks of wild fowl 
 were flying south every day, so there was nothing 
 strange or unusual in the sounds that saluted my 
 ears. The little half-breed children were playing 
 around the bastion, and as it was the most natural 
 thing in the world for them to have a crying spell 
 for some real or imaginary grief, I reclined on my 
 robe, and freely indulged in speculations. But all 
 at once it occurred to me that the wild fowl were 
 very slow in passing over, and the children seemed 
 to have taken to crying most lustily in chorus. In 
 a half-hesitating manner I stepped out upon the 
 gallery. What a sight met my gaze ! The whole 
 sandbar seemed literally alive with naked savages, 
 who, with bounding strides, were making directly 
 for the Fort ! It was from them that the cry of the 
 wild-fowl proceeded, and a most life-like imitation it 
 was. It was their startling appearance that caused 
 the little children to huddle in a frightened, crying 
 group under the bastion. But there were human 
 beings in a still more perilous situation ! The cook 
 had gone out to the edge of the sandbar with a 
 couple of large kettles, to get his usual supply of 
 
THE FORT ATTACKED. 381 
 
 water for culinary purposes. His squaw accompanied 
 him, carrying her small infant on her back, after 
 the fashion of Indian women. They had reached 
 the river, when a casual glance discovered the 
 Sioux coming out of the upper point, and crawling 
 under cover of the high bank, intending to surprise 
 the Fort, which the unexpected appearance of the 
 cook alone prevented. With piercing screams they 
 turned to flee, but in spite of their utmost efforts 
 the Sioux were rapidly gaining on them. The 
 terrified children screamed in chorus, and stood 
 paralyzed with fright. 
 
 This was the position of affairs when I appeared 
 on the gallery. Unfortunately my gun was not in 
 order for service, but hastily snatching my revolver, 
 I fired. 
 
 From my elevation, and the hurried aim, the ball 
 dropped a little, striking one of the Sioux on the 
 leg, and inflicting a flesh-wound only. I rapidly 
 discharged the remaining barrels at the Indians who 
 were nearest the unfortunate fugitives. One brawny 
 fellow had even raised his tomahawk to strike the 
 woman, when my balls whistling close to his head, 
 checked him in full career. The shots and outcries 
 roused the men, who seizing their guns, rushed out 
 and began firing away with a will. 
 
 The instant they found themselves discovered, the 
 
382 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Sioux retreated for the cover of the bank, and were 
 soon safe, except a few who were compelled to run 
 the gauntlet across the sandbar. The extraordinary 
 leaps they took, alone saved their lives ; as it was, 
 the balls whistled extremely close. One seemed to 
 bear a charmed life, for he effected his escape not- 
 withstanding a dozen shots were sent specially for 
 him. 
 
 The wood-choppers hearing the fray, came hurry- 
 ing back in wild alarm, and when the particulars 
 were fully known, the escape of all seemed miracu- 
 lous. Godereau, the blacksmith, and another man 
 had gone up in the point that very morning to 
 hunt, and had not returned a great while before 
 the attack was made. The Indians in ambush 
 most probably saw them, but did not wish to dis- 
 cover themselves, or run the risk of giving an 
 alarm, when the opportunity of taking the Fort was 
 before them. 
 
 Old Jose Eamisie was off fishing, about midway 
 between the Fort and the upper point, whence he 
 was slowly returning. Passing up a small hollow, 
 he happened to look behind, when he saw several 
 Sioux stealing upon him. He ran as fast as he 
 could, and when the firing from the bastion checked 
 the enemy, he eluded the pursuit. 
 
 The cook with his squaw and child had truly a 
 
ADDING INSULT TO INJURY. 383 
 
 most narrow escape. A moment more, and they 
 had been butchered, and the Indians once inside 
 the Fort, would have had everything their own way. 
 They had laid their plans well, and had nearly 
 caught us napping, so confident were we that they 
 had gone oflT after stealing our horses. 
 
 By afternoon the Sioux crossed the river above, 
 and soon after showed themselves on the heights 
 opposite, though of course far out of reach. • They 
 made the most taunting signals by flashing back 
 the sun's rays from the small mirrors they carried 
 suspended from their necks, to the luckless whites 
 they had unhorsed. By the aid of a glass, we 
 could easily recognize our own horses, and I had 
 the sorry satisfaction of seeing a Sioux warrior most 
 complacently bestriding my bonnie bay ; while Wal- 
 lace's imprecations upon the race in general, when 
 he beheld a brawny Indian on his favorite mule, 
 would have been highly edifying under almost any 
 other circumstances. 
 
 The squaws in the Fort were greatly exercised by 
 all these proceedings, and the one whose life I had 
 so opportunely been instrumental in saving, pre- 
 sented me with an elegantly garnished pair of moc- 
 casins. In a few days everything quieted down as 
 usual, and although no Indians showed themselves, 
 still that was no reason why they might not be 
 
384 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 hovering around. We had no more horses for them 
 to steal, and were unable to go off to hunt. 
 
 This is only another instance to show the neces- 
 sity of untiring vigilance in the Indian Country. 
 Every person connected with the Post had more or 
 less experience in Indian habits, and so sure did we 
 feel that they had gone off, that the very next morning 
 after our horses had been stolen, the gates of the 
 Fort were opened as usual, and the men dispersed 
 to their ordinary employments. 
 
 During the whole of my residence in the West, 
 both before and since, this was the only time that 
 my weapons were not all in order for instant service. 
 I had only emptied my gun to clean it, and was 
 drying it when the attack was made, not more than 
 an interval of twenty minutes. 
 
 The Indians knew the moment they were dis- 
 covered, that there was not the slightest chance for 
 them to get inside the Fort ; but had they succeeded, 
 no resistance, however desperate, would have been 
 of the slightest avail. The whole affair was over 
 in a few minutes, and as living in scenes of constant 
 danger quickly becomes second nature, the excite- 
 ment it caused soon subsided, and was regarded as 
 rather a pleasant break in the monotony of the 
 daily routine. Not long after these events, a large 
 party of mounted Indians was discovered slowly 
 
ADILEMMA. 38 
 
 r 
 
 approaching. They proved to be Gros Ventres of 
 the Prairie, (a band of Blackfeet,) under their cele-' 
 brated chief the Femme-AssiL and had come a Ions: 
 distance, through an enemy's countr}^, expressly to 
 receive their annuities, which, consequent upon the 
 faihire of the boat to get to Fort Benton, were 
 stored in Fort Union. 
 
 Being a friendly tribe, they were of course re- 
 ceived inside the Fort; Col. Culbertson, and his 
 wife Mrs. IN'o-ta-wis-ta Culbertson, were well known 
 to them. The Gros Ventres,' it seems, only a few 
 days before, while on their way, fell in with and 
 defeated a large war-party of Sioux, who had doubt- 
 less been hovering in the vicinity of the Yellowstone. 
 
 The Agent for these Indians, the Eev. Mr. Reed, 
 
 had returned on the Campbell, leaving the annuities 
 
 here simply on storage. In this dilemma, what was 
 
 to be done ? The Indians had come a long- distance, 
 
 through a dangerous country, expressly to receive 
 
 their annuities, and to refuse them would be to 
 
 invite consequences which we were not prepared to 
 
 meet. They had every right to expect to see the 
 
 accredited Agent of the Government ; but that 
 
 official had hurried back to the more peaceful 
 
 scenes of civilized life. The Indians were bes^in- 
 
 ning to be pressing in their demands, and finally 
 
 Col. Vaughan drew up a paper to be forwarded to 
 83 z 
 
386 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 the Department, detailing the state of the case, and 
 the necessity of delivering the annuities, which was 
 also signed by Col. Culbertson and myself. 
 
 Mr. Hodgkiss then turned over the annuities to 
 the Femme-Assit, who, aided by his chiefs, pro- 
 ceeded to distribute them, without the stereotyped 
 talk of their "Father;" upon which deliverance 
 they might well be congratulated. We were fortu- 
 nate in obtaining from them a few animals, to par- 
 tially supply the places of those we had recently 
 lost. 
 
 This leaving the country and the Traders at the 
 very time the services of an Indian Agent were 
 most needed, requires no comment. 
 
 Not long after this, I left the Yellowstone country 
 for the Western slope of the Rocky Mountains, and 
 the new gold-fields of Idaho, (now Montana.) No 
 Indians were seen, until we fell in with a Crow 
 camp on Milk River. These thieving vagabonds 
 were very troublesome, and nothing prevented a 
 serious difficulty but the proximity of the Femme- 
 Assit's camp, some thirty miles higher up. Extri- 
 cating ourselves from these fellows, we arrived 
 safely at Fort Benton, and going on to Sun River, 
 some sixty miles further, stopped with Malcolm 
 Clark, to rest our horses a few days before crossing 
 the mountains. The lofty peaks of the Rocky 
 
DEER LODGE — GOLD DIGGINGS. 387 
 
 Mountains, majestic in their winter scenery, were 
 passed. The temperature was delightful ; and shel- 
 tered from the fierce winds of the bleak and open 
 plains, it seemed as though we were approaching a 
 more southern clime. Lingering, by pleasant streams 
 filled with abundance of the finest trout, we reached 
 the beautiful valley of the Deer Lodge. Then on 
 again, until another spur of the Mountains is 
 crossed; past the "Big Hole,'' where the river 
 seems to have tunnelled itself a passage under the 
 mountain, and the fertile valley of the Stinking 
 "Water is spread out before our eyes. 
 
 Ranches are dotted over its surface, and long ox- 
 trains move slowly to and fro. Up the narrow 
 Alder Gulch, until the cabins hastily erected here 
 and there, and the piles of upturned earth, show 
 that' at last we are among the Gold-Diggers. 
 
CHAPTEE XXXVIII. 
 
 MINING CAMPS — "ROAD AGENTS" — A CONVIVIAL GATHER- 
 ING — INNOCENT PASTIMES — THE CLIMAX — THE VIGI- 
 LANCE COMMITTEE — THE FINALE — PROSPEROUS TIMES — 
 SALT LAKE CITY. 
 
 I]N" July, 1863, a few tents and brush shanties, 
 scattered throughout Alder Gulch, marked the. 
 beginning of a settlement. The magic touch of 
 gold soon reared two bustling towns, with stores, 
 saloons, and the usual accompaniments of " civili- 
 zation." 
 
 The first was IN'evada City, and one mile from it, 
 higher up the gulch, another and larger place was 
 fast springing up. It was at first decided to call 
 this new settlement Verena^ after the wife of Jeff*. 
 Davis, but more sensible counsels prevailed, and it 
 was finally changed to Virginia City. As there 
 was a bustling town of the same name in the Terri- 
 tory (now State) of !N"evada, this was not the most 
 judicious selection that could have been made. 
 
 In the restless, eager population, the great ma- 
 
 (388) 
 
CONVIVIAL GATHERING. 389 
 
 joritj gathered from the frontiers, from Colorado, 
 California, and Oregon, the '^ rough" element pre- 
 dominated. Highway robberies were committed 
 with alarming frequency; and one of the most for- 
 midable bands of "Eoad Agents" ever organized 
 made it a hazardous undertaking to leave the Terri- 
 tory with gold dust, without being plundered, per- 
 haps murdered. 
 
 After dark, the respectable portion of the popu- 
 lation remained indoors, leaving the roughs in un- 
 disputed possession of the streets and saloons. 
 These worthies had it all their own way, dis- 
 charging pistols right and left with the most reck- 
 less indifference. 
 
 On one occasion, just before the culminating 
 point was reached, the "Idaho Billiard Hall" was 
 the scene of a "gay and infestive" gatherinof. 
 Every passer-by was laid hold of and invited in to 
 "take a drink;" and no excuses being available, 
 complaisance was the only alternative. The ''fun" 
 after a while took another turn, and waxed fast and 
 furious. Pistols were discharged, glasses shivered, 
 and a generous rivalry ensued as to who could dis- 
 play the greatest accuracy in shooting a ball through 
 his neighbor's hat without "raising a hair." The 
 barkeeper, with pallid face and lips forced into a 
 ghastly smile, waited upon his guests with well- 
 33* 
 
390 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 simulated alacrity, as if he really enjoyed these 
 Pandemonium revels ; and when a ^' tough cuss " 
 requested him to " charge that ere, will you," never 
 for an instant questioned his credit. 
 
 While these festivities were in progress, business 
 was of course paralyzed. The merchants devoutly 
 wished that the ruffians might in this case emulate 
 the praiseworthy example of the Kilkenny cats, 
 and the "honest miners" shook their heads most 
 ominously. At the theatre, (for even at that early 
 day Thespis too had her votaries,) startling brawls 
 were of frequent occurrence, and the click of the 
 ready pistol was the signal for a tumultuous rush to 
 the doors, and general scattering of the audience. 
 So bold had these outlaws become in their un- 
 checked excesses, that they planned a general pil- 
 lage of every store in the place that was supposed 
 to contain any amount of gold dust. 
 
 Matters had reached such a pass that it was now 
 simply a question whether order and decency should 
 prevail, or the town be given up to the mercy of 
 outlaws and desperadoes. A few of the leading 
 men met together; the initiatory steps w^ere taken; 
 and in December, 1863, the celebrated Vigilance 
 Committee was fully organized, embracing among 
 its members the stanchest and truest of the mer- 
 chants and miners; for if the young Territory was 
 
VIGILANCE COMMITTEE. 391 
 
 degraded by the presence of many who were the 
 vilest refuse of the frontiers, she could proudly 
 claim also many high-toned, honorable men, to 
 whose self-sacrificing efforts alone is due the credit 
 of reducing order out of chaos. The greatest care 
 was taken in the selection and admission of mem- 
 bers; and the proceedings of the Committee were 
 always characterized by the coolest judgment and 
 calmest deliberation. 
 
 One evening shortly before the time selected for 
 the general pillaging of the stores, there was an 
 unusual gathering of roughs, and several disturb- 
 ances occurred at the theatre. By the following 
 morning every avenue leading from the town, and 
 all the surrounding heights, were so guarded that it 
 was impossible to pass unchallenged. Determined 
 countenances appeared on the streets. Bands of 
 armed men began to gather; from the Summit, 
 from the Highlands, from Kevada they came, 
 earnest and serious, for a grave duty lay before 
 them. Business of every kind was suspended — 
 the miners left the sluices — the gamblers the 
 saloons. The roughs, with a vague feeling of un- 
 easiness at this unexpected turn of affairs, became 
 as gentle as lambs inquiring most innocently, — 
 "What's up? — What's the matter?" Those 
 who knew, said nothing ; those who did not, ap- 
 
392 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 peared apprehensive, and more than one individual, 
 whose only error was ' in being ^' hail fellow well 
 met " with everj^hody, kept closely within-doors, 
 on the plea of "not feeling well" and "having 
 taken a dose of physic recently." 
 
 Directly squads of men start off to search certain 
 houses, and in a short time return, dragging with 
 them the objects of their hunt. 
 
 Five have been secured, and are taken under 
 strong guard to a store which has been selected as 
 headquarters for this occasion. Their doom was 
 sealed before they were arrested. Time is given 
 these miserable wretches to prepare for the last 
 great change. From a partially finished building, 
 chosen as the place of execution, -Q.ve nooses are 
 already hanging 
 
 At last the sad procession moves, surrounded by 
 a strong guard to prevent any possibility of rescue. 
 The condemned are led to the gallows, and ^ve 
 corpses are soon swinging, a terrible but just warn- 
 ing to all. 
 
 But the efforts of the Committee did not rest 
 here. The country was scoured in every direction, 
 some being pursued as far as Oregon before they 
 were overtaken, and a long rope and short shrift 
 was given to the ruffians and desperadoes. It was 
 not however until after the execution of Henry 
 
PROSPEROUS TIMES. 393 
 
 Plummer, who was filling tlie office of sheriff at 
 Bannock City, and who was also at the same time the 
 secret head of the organized band of robbers, that 
 the citizens became fullj aware of the wide-spread 
 danger that had threatened, and from which they had 
 just escaped, solely through the exertions of the 
 Vigilantes, to whom Montana owes a lastino; debt of 
 gratitude. Order reigned supreme ; the streets be- 
 came as quiet and safe as those in any old-settled 
 country, and the carrying of deadly weapons, which 
 had been the universal practice, was discouraged 
 and discountenanced by the better class of citizens. 
 In course of time, when civil law extended its 
 sway, the Committee, without disbanding and with- 
 out solicitation, gracefully yielded to the legal 
 authorities. But red tape was too slow to grasp 
 with the fast rising evil, and the Vigilantes, com- 
 pelled to resume active operations, soon quelled the 
 growing lawlessness. 
 
 Buildings went up like magic. Alder Gulch was 
 yielding its treasure in fabulous quantities, and the 
 palmy days of the Golden State seemed to be re- 
 vived. Everybody had money; everybody was 
 rich ; a ragged miner would pour his gold from a 
 plethoric sack, and bet at faro, well knowing that 
 his rich claim would soon reimburse him for his 
 losses. 
 
394 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 In February, 1864, I started for Salt Lake, with a 
 party sufficiently strong to bid defiance to any Road 
 Agents we might chance to meet, and after a toil- 
 some journey of fourteen days arrived at the City 
 of the Saints. 
 
 Several of the party as well as animals suffered 
 severely from snow-blindness, and in the whole dis- 
 tance of nearly four hundred and fifty miles (by the 
 then travelled route) there were but three ranches 
 after leaving the mining "settlements." Our pro- 
 visions became completely exhausted three days 
 before we reached the Mormon settlements on Bear 
 River. 
 
 Late at night, after a most toilsome journey 
 through the deep snow, we were greeted by the 
 welcome sight of sparks flying from the chimneys. 
 
 Our hardships were at an end, and before a blaz- 
 ing fire, and around the well-spread board of a 
 hospitable Mormon, we quickly forgot past trials, 
 while our jaded animals regaled themselves with 
 the unwonted luxuries of hay and oats. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 THE MORMONS — BRIGHAM YOUNG — A PROFITABLE RELIGION 
 
 THE SALT LAKE HOUSE — GETTING OVER A DIFFICULTY 
 
 — THE GENTILE CLUB — EVIDENCES OF INCREASING PROS- 
 PERITY. 
 
 TOO much praise cannot be awarded to the Mor- 
 mons for the beautiful city they have reared 
 upon a desert site. Twenty years ago the weary 
 travellers halted, and determined that here they 
 would establish a new home for themselves, one in 
 which they hoped to remain in undisturbed seclu- 
 sion. Among them w^ere artificers in the various 
 trades, and year after year their settlement grew, 
 until it became a city of goodly proportions. 
 
 Adobe houses took the place of tents, and in 
 course of time stores and dwellings of imposing 
 dimensions were erected. As years rolled round, 
 and the Northern mines began to yield up their 
 golden treasure, the Gentiles found the more 
 temperate climate of Utah, and the hospitalities of 
 its saintly city, an agreeable change from the mo- 
 notony of their own snow-bound land. 
 
 (395) 
 
396 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Brigham Young, with the keen forethought cha- 
 racteristic of him, was quick to perceive the advan- 
 tages that must ensue from this liberal expenditure 
 of Gentile gold. With this end in view, the Presi- 
 dency purchased the Salt Lake House, and sent 
 Townsend, its former proprietor, on a three-yeai-s 
 mission to England to obtain proselytes. The hotel 
 was now in the hands of the " Church," and Fer- 
 amorz Little, a son-in-law of the Prophet, installed 
 as host. A comfortable homelike inn it was, with a 
 table bountifully supplied with substantial cheer. 
 
 But there was still a great deficiency, which how- 
 ever was not long suffered to remain un supplied. 
 The Mormon regulation against the sale of spiritu- 
 ous liquors is very stringent, and it was only the 
 initiated few who were able to procure their rations 
 of ''valley tan," as the native distilled whiskey is 
 called. But the Presidency soon cut this Gordian 
 knot. As the hotel where the Gentiles most did 
 congregate was now under the fostering care of the 
 Church, why should not its revenue be increased by 
 all possible expedients ? Did not the end justify 
 the means ? A bar-room was accordingly opened, 
 where, by appointment of the Prophet of the Church 
 of Jesus Christ of Latter-Pay Saints, a Mormon bar- 
 keeper dispensed "valley tan " and other spirituous 
 compounds to thirsty Gentiles. Several years later, 
 
THE GENTILE CLUB. 397 
 
 when, instead of a solitary stranger, the overland 
 stages from the East and from California, and 
 Idaho and Montana, rolled into Salt Lake, loaded 
 with passengers, the Gentiles felt the need of a place 
 of resort, where they could assemble entirely free 
 from the restraints of Mormon espionage. An 
 enterprising genius, in the winter of 1866, started a 
 club-room, to which none but properly introduced 
 Gentiles were admitted. American drinks were 
 dispensed in American fashion, and the club was 
 not suftered to languish for want of billiard and 
 card tables. A " constitution " was adopted which 
 all were expected to sign. The worthy proprietor 
 or manager sat by the door, which he kept securely 
 fastened, reconnoitring all comers through a small 
 wicket, and admitting none but regularly qualified 
 members. The Mormons were greatly exercised 
 about this club, which was after all nothing but a 
 social exchange where the Gentiles could meet and 
 enjoy themselves without restraint. Outside it 
 behooved them to be guarded in both words and 
 actions, as the admirable Mormon police, undis- 
 tinguishable by badge or uniform, were always 
 hovering around, silent and watchful. 
 
 The beautiful theatre, whose stage and appoint- 
 ments will compare favorably with the opera-houses 
 
 34 
 
898 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 of our Eastern cities, is also a religious institution, 
 being under the fostering care of the Church. 
 
 During my different visits to Salt Lake- 1 noticed 
 each time indications of growing prosperity through- 
 out the valley. The great increase of population in 
 the [N'orthern mines opened up a new and remuner- 
 ative outlet for their produce. Around their farms 
 comforts greatly multiplied. Fabrics of Eastern 
 make began to take the place of the coarse but 
 serviceable homespun. The women in particular 
 eagerly availed themselves of their increasing wealth 
 to purchase suitable clothing, and comfortable petti- 
 coats took the place of skirts made of coffee-sacks. 
 The worn-out wagons that had conveyed their 
 effects from the States years before, were thrown 
 aside to be replaced by new ones, whose owner 
 having disposed of his freight at the mines, was 
 glad to sell his wagons and cattle before returning 
 to the East for a new outfit. Thrift was every- 
 where apparent. 
 
CHAPTER XL. 
 
 APPEARANCE OP SALT LAKE CITY — COMMERCIAL ADVAN- 
 TAGES — MORMON POETRY — GRAND TEMPLE — MORMON 
 SERMONS — BRIGHAM YOUNG — GEO. A. SMITH — HEBER C 
 KIMBALL — A SPECIMEN OP MORMON PREACHING. 
 
 AT no time of the year does Salt Lake City 
 appear to greater advantage than in the leafy 
 month of June. On each side of the hroad ave- 
 nues, bordered with rows of shade-trees, the crystal 
 streams from the mountains flow through asequias 
 to irrigate the gardens with their life-giving waters. 
 Fruits and vegetables of every variety and the 
 finest quality are raised in profusion. 
 
 The blocks of splendid stone stores, and the 
 elegant villas of the leading Mormons, are sure 
 indications of increasing wealth and prosperity, and 
 will compare favorably with those in any of our 
 large Eastern cities. 
 
 From its geographical position, its proximity to 
 the gold regions of Idaho and Montana, and lying 
 in the track of the Pacific Railroad, Salt Lake City 
 
 (399) 
 
400 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 seems to combine all the requisites for a great com- 
 mercial centre. 
 
 The increasing influx of strangers, and the 
 
 authority which it is to be hoped Government will 
 
 exercise, must render Gentile life and property 
 
 comparatively safe. The feeling against the Gentiles 
 
 is very strong on the part of the men, while the 
 
 women usually look upon them with especial favor, 
 
 and seem to think the entire possession of one 
 
 Gentile far preferable to a small and uncertain 
 
 share of a Latter-Day Saint. The Patriarchs regard 
 
 the purity of their harems with a jealous eye, and 
 
 a strict watch is kept upon the movements of the 
 
 women. 
 
 A ditty, which had its origin about the time 
 General Johnston's expedition was on its march to 
 Utah, was extremely popular with the young men, 
 who took particular pleasure in chanting it upon all 
 occasions. It was set to a jingling tune, and the 
 refrain of each verse was — 
 
 " The Mormon question in the East is exciting great attention, 
 The subject is, to say the least, too tough for their digestion." 
 
 In which, I regret to say, there is more truth than 
 poetry. 
 
 The Tabernacle, in which the Saints at present 
 worship, is an immense hall, with an organ at one 
 end, and platform and reading-desk at the other. 
 
TABERNACLE — SERMONS. 401 
 
 It will easily hold over three thousand persons. 
 The men and women sit separately, and behave 
 with great decorum, although a hearty laugh at 
 some witticism from the pulpit (almost invariably 
 at the expense of the Gentiles) is never considered 
 out of order. The massive foundations of the 
 Grand Temple are necessarily progressing slowly 
 from the solid and substantial character of the 
 work. It will stand, if ever completed, as one of 
 the wonders of the nineteenth century. 
 
 Truly original, and scarcely worthy of the name, 
 the sermons are usually resumes of the doings of 
 the Saints in diiFerent parts of the Territory, and 
 of the recent travelling adventures of the Bishops, 
 laying special stress upon the bountiful cheer, and 
 always alluding to the banners, flags, and bands of 
 music with which the people turned out to welcome 
 those dignitaries. Vindictive allusions to the Gen- 
 tiles, verging strongly on bufibonery and vulgarity, 
 and scathing denunciations of apostasy, are always 
 keenly relished. 
 
 President Young occasionally delivers himself 
 of the most extraordinary discourses; his disgusting 
 and obscene tirade against the Mormon women 
 wearing that ^^ Gentile abomination of hoops," will 
 never be forgotten by those who heard it. 
 34 * 2 A 
 
402 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Bishop George A. Smith, a saint of ponderous 
 dimensions, usually appeals to the people to "sup- 
 port the priesthood, that everything depends upon 
 them;" and his portly, well-fed appearance shows 
 that these exhortations are not in vain. 
 
 Heber C. Kimball, who ranks second only to 
 Brigham Young, rarely allows a service to close 
 without displaying his peculiar oratory. During 
 the preceding exercises he is comfortably ensconced 
 in an arm-chair, with his legs elevated in bar-room 
 style upon the railing in front. A huge, red ban- 
 danna handkerchief is in constant use, and when 
 not actively employed in keeping off the flies, 
 reverently covers his bald pate. The first time I 
 had the pleasure of hearing him preach, he arose, 
 a thin, spare man, dressed in decorous black, and 
 taking a text, began his discourse in an orthodox 
 style, and full of the same platitudes that have 
 been uttered from time immemorial. I said to 
 myself, "Is it possible that we are going to have an 
 old-fashioned sermon after all?" when, with a 
 defiant wave of the red bandanna, and without the 
 slightest connection with his preceding remarks, 
 he fairly shrieked out, "And they slew Joseph!" 
 (alluding to the expulsion from Nauvoo,) and went 
 on in a bitter and vindictive tirade against all Gen- 
 tiles, working himself up into a perfect frenzy, as 
 
A MORMON "SERMON." 403 
 
 one might suppose a howling dervish of the East 
 would do. 
 
 Such a storm of mingled irony, abuse, and black- 
 guardism it has never been my lot to hear before, 
 and yet this was the usual character of his sermons ! 
 
 In the midst of his fiercest denunciations, several 
 Mormons who occupied the bench in front of me, 
 turned round with a triumphant look, as much as 
 to say, "Them's our sentiments." 
 
 After continuing in this strain for some twenty- 
 five minutes, he concluded in a tone that sounded 
 supernaturally calm when contrasted with his pre- 
 vious shrieks, by saying, " I am a Yankee, thank 
 God, but a Yankee of the good old sort ; not a 
 Yankee Abolitionist, for a Yankee Abolitionist is 
 the meanest of II 11. Amen." 
 
 The prelate then sat down quite exhausted, as 
 well he might be, and wiped away the perspiration 
 that so copiously streamed down his face with the 
 now glorious red bandanna. A hymn exceedingly 
 well sung by the choir was followed by the bene- 
 diction, and the vast congregation dispersed. 
 
CHAPTER XLI. 
 
 THE PRESIDENCY ON THEIR TRAVELS — THE PROPHEt's BAR- 
 BER—AN EVENING WITH PRESIDENTS YOUNG AND KIM- 
 BALL— FUTURE OP MORMONISM— WHAT THE MORMONS 
 HAVE DONE — THEY ARE ENTITLED TO GREAT PRAISE — 
 OVERLAND STAGES —DRIVERS AND ATTACHES — COMFORTS 
 OF HOME STATIONS — DRIVING MULES — CHAIN WHIPS — 
 MUSTANG HORSES — WONDERFUL ENDURANCE OF A COLT. 
 
 OK one of my journeys through the settlements 
 I halted for the night at Ogden City, forty 
 miles from Salt Lake. The only public-house in 
 the place was kept by Bishop C. W. West, and a 
 most excellent one it was too. Clean and comfort- 
 able, with substantial cheer, it was not hard for the 
 traveller to imagine himself in a pleasant village in 
 one of the far-off Atlantic States. It so happened 
 that Presidents Young and Kimball had just arrived 
 with their retinue on a circular trip through a por- 
 tion of the territory. The people turned out as 
 usual to welcome them with flags, banners, and 
 music. Highly gratified were the Presidency with 
 the cordiality of their reception, while the people 
 
 f404) 
 
THE prophet's BARBER. 405 
 
 in their turn were profoundly impressed with the 
 affkbility of the Prophet and the interest he mani- 
 fested in their well-being. Pretty, quiet Ogden 
 City was greatly excited by this distinguished visi- 
 tation, and the yeomanry from the surrounding 
 districts, in their holiday attire, thronged the streets 
 and congregated on the corners, talking over the 
 events of the day. The Prophet's barber (without 
 which functionary he never travels) seemed to re- 
 gard himself with peculiar complacency, and strutted 
 around with swelling importance, treated by all 
 with unbounded respect, and looked upon by many 
 as holding a position but little short of First Coun- 
 cillor and Confidential Adviser to the High Priest 
 and Prophet of the " Church of Jesus Christ of 
 Latter-Day Saints." 
 
 During the evening both Brigham Young and 
 Heber C. Kimball came into the general sitting- 
 room and entered into conversation with those 
 present. Heber remained some time after the 
 Prophet had retired, talking in his characteristic 
 style, and freely expressing his dislike at so many 
 Gentiles having taken up their abode in Salt Lake. 
 I replied that I thought the Mormons would be 
 immensely benefited by the mining region north of 
 them, and that for several years to come the miners 
 would be in a great degree dependent upon the 
 
406 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 products of Utah for subsistence. "Yes," lie re- 
 plied, he supposed they would have to supply them 
 with breadstuffs, " and thank God they had enough 
 for all." 
 
 It was very evident, in spite of the pains he took 
 to conceal it, that he viewed the constantly increas- 
 ing travel through Utah, and the foothold the Gen- 
 tiles were aiming to secure, with extreme solicitude. 
 
 The crafty leaders of the Mormon community 
 have good reason to entertain the liveliest appre- 
 hensions for their future. Everything seems to 
 tend to the speedy downfall of Mormonism, and 
 that hitherto vexed question will ofler its own 
 solution. 
 
 If female suffrage ever extends to Utah, polygamy 
 will certainly be disposed of in the briefest possible 
 time. When Brigham Young dies, there is no one 
 capable of exerting the rare administrative abilities 
 he possesses in so eminent a degree. The whole 
 fabric must fall to the ground. 
 
 Some will doubtless emigrate to the Sandwich 
 Islands, where they have founded a colony, in view 
 probably of the time when Salt Lake will no longer 
 be a refuge for them. Disaffections and dissensions 
 among the leaders have already reached alarming 
 proportions, and the first whistle of the locomotive 
 in the Salt Lake Valley will sound the knell of 
 Mormonism. 
 
OVERLAND STAGE. 407 
 
 Their bitterest opponents must however concede 
 tTiat too much credit cannot be awarded to the 
 Mormons for having, by dint of stern perseverance 
 and industry, overcome all difficulties and converted 
 the desert into a fertile land; peopled it with a 
 thrifty community, and reared cities and towns, the 
 chief of which must at no distant day stand in the 
 same rank as [N'ew York, St. Louis, and San Fran- 
 cisco, embodiments of American enterprise. 
 
 The journey in the overland stage is not now the 
 formidable undertaking that it once was. The 
 service has greatly improved, and the distance is 
 being lessened every day by the rapid advance of 
 the Pacific Railroad. 
 
 A race of drivers and attaches grew up with it, 
 whose exciting and dangerous calling became a 
 second nature to them. Summer and winter, day 
 and night, sunshine or shadow, reckless of danger, 
 the "tough cusses," as these knights of the whip 
 delighted to style themselves, were always ready for 
 the road. 
 
 The stock stations averaged about twelve miles, 
 and at the end of every route, usually fifty miles, 
 where the drivers were changed, the place was 
 dignified with the appellation of " Home Station." 
 Here the traveller would have an opportunity of 
 
408 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 getting a meal and paying a good round price for it 
 too, which meal seldom consisted of anything more 
 than bacon, bread and coffee. The teams on part of 
 the road were very good ; but through the Bitter Creek 
 country, a desert region abounding in sage brush, 
 and alkali flats, mules were mostly used. These 
 poor animals had a hard time of it, as the country 
 afforded very limited supplies of hay, and the pit- 
 tance of corn fed to them was just enough for a 
 tantalizing reminder of the well-filled mangers of 
 old Missouri. And for a good part of the way they 
 did not even fare so well, but eked out a scanty 
 living upon the sparsely scattered blades of grass. 
 
 The question would very naturally arise as to 
 how they contrived to make time with such forlorn 
 teams. The mule-drivers have reduced it to a per- 
 fect science. While the stock-tenders are harness- 
 ing the team, the driver fills the front boot with a 
 supply of small stones or " rocks," as they are techni- 
 cally termed. The six mules are then attached; 
 the driver gathers up the reins, and with a yell, off 
 they start on a run, which soon settles down to a 
 very sober trot. Kow the science of mule-driving 
 is manifested. "With an accuracy only attained by 
 long practice, Jehu throws stones at his leaders, 
 rarely failing to hit them just exactly where he 
 wants to, applies the whip vigorously to the 
 
CHAIN WHIPS — MUSTANGS. 409 
 
 "smngs" or middle span, and then belabors the 
 wheelers with a ehain-wMp, an instrument of torture 
 composed of a short handle and a few links of chain 
 for a lash. By the active exercise of these com- 
 bined efforts the team is worried over the road at 
 an astonishing pace. 
 
 The driver of a mule-team on the Bitter Creek 
 country felt highly promoted when transferred to 
 another portion of the route, and a regularly fed 
 string of horse stock was given him. 
 
 The California half-breed horses are invaluable in 
 all services where fleet and hardy animals are needed. 
 -Lough and wiry, combining the endurance of the 
 mustang with the size and strength of the American 
 horse, and moreover easily kept, they form the 
 only stage-teams in many parts of California, and 
 will run over a ten or fifteen mile route where the 
 same speed would completely use up larger and 
 heavier stock. They have tempers of their own 
 however and usually start off kicking, plunging,' 
 and bucking. But once off, they keep up th^; 
 speed without flagging. 
 
 In the spring of 1866, I was bringing a band of 
 mustang half-breeds from California. The Mallade 
 R.ver was very high, and the usual ford impassable. 
 After considerable diflSculty we got the horses over 
 and were delayed a couple of hours longer, building 
 
410 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 a raft and crossing the saddles and baggage. While 
 thus employed, a cold rain set in, and when ready 
 to start, I found that one of the mares had dropped 
 a foal. We drove on about ten miles further before 
 encamping for the night, crossing several creeks 
 breast-high for the horses, but which the little colt 
 was obliged to swim. The next day he was as well 
 as ever, and travelled on with sublime indifference 
 to anything save the gratification of his keen little 
 appetite. When we started I thought it would be 
 impossible for him to keep up, and drew out my 
 revolver to shoot him. Twice did I raise it, but 
 the little fellow trotted on so cheerily that my heart 
 failed me, and I returned it to the holster. From 
 that time I resolved to take him through, thinking 
 it would never do to destroy an animal of so much 
 pluck. Little " Sage-brush," as I named him, 
 swam every stream, flinched from nothing, and 
 arrived in good order in Montana, a distance of 
 three hundred miles, having travelled every day, 
 from the time he was half an hour old ! 
 
CHAPTER XLII. 
 
 PAST AND PRESENT CHANGES PALMY DAYS OF ALDER 
 
 GULCH FORT BENTON FORT UNION — AMONG THE GROS 
 
 VENTRES ONCE MORE — SAD CHANGES — FAREWELL TO THE 
 INDIAN COUNTRY — DOWN THE RIVER — GLIMPSES OF CIV- 
 ILIZATION — ARRIVAL AT ST. LOUIS END OF MY WAN- 
 DERINGS. 
 
 WHE:N'EVER gold has been discovered, the 
 intermediate changes from the virgin wilder- 
 ness to a settled country have succeeded each other 
 with magical rapidity. It is not many years since 
 California was almost unknown except in name. 
 1^0 w she is regarded as an old settled State, self- 
 supporting, and even exporting largely of her boun- 
 teous harvests to supply the necessities of the Old 
 World. All within a few years ! But of the early 
 settlers in a new country, how few see their golden 
 visions fully realized. The profusion of treasure — 
 the reckless expenditure — the ever shifting, popula- 
 tion, carry them along in their whirl. 
 
 ItTowhere do these reflections appear more forcible 
 than in Montana. This young territory, nestled as 
 it were in the very he^rt of the Rocky Mountains, 
 ill the shelter of whose grassy valleys the trapping 
 
 (411) 
 
412 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 " brigades " loved to winter. Game abounded on 
 every side ; the rippling streams were full of deli- 
 cious trout, and the winter passed in happy seclusion, 
 varied occasionally by an encounter with some 
 predatory band of Indians. How eagerly would 
 they await the arrival of the annual supplies trans- 
 ported from St. Louis on pack-animals, at an ex- 
 penditure of toil and hardship which the traveller 
 of the present day by steam-car and mail-stage can 
 scarcely realize. 
 
 Throughout these "happy hunting-grounds," and 
 on the sides of the snowy mountains, populous 
 mining towns have arisen. The whistle of the 
 steam-engine and the clangor of the quartz-mill are 
 the sounds that now break the silence of the wilder- 
 ness, instead of the whoop of the mountaineer, and 
 the war-cry of the Indian. 
 
 On many of the dimpled trout-streams saw-mills 
 are located, and the fair and smiling valleys are 
 dotted with ranches and herds of cattle, the first 
 step to farm-houses and cultivated fields. 
 
 No longer do the snow-clad barriers of the Rocky 
 Mountains deter the traveller from attempting their 
 passage in midwinter, and daily stages, with ranches 
 every few miles, deprive the journey of its hardships. 
 Stately steamers ply on the Columbia River, once 
 navigated only by the barge of the Fur-traders, 
 
TRIP FOR TOURISTS. 413 
 
 amid difficulties so graphically described by Lewis 
 and Clark, and Irving in "Astoria," and Bonne- 
 ville's "Far West." 
 
 The Great Salt Lake, once regarded almost as a 
 myth, is now the centre of a populous and thrifty 
 community. In a few years, when the Pacific Rail- 
 road will be completed, a tour to the magnificent 
 domes of the Yo-Semite and the mysterious Falls 
 of Snake River ought to be more popular than the 
 hackneyed trip across the ocean to the old, old world, 
 with its cities and scenes the same to-day as they 
 were centuries ago.* 
 
 Towns have sprung up in these new countries 
 like magic — and have gone down as rapidly. Vir- 
 ginia City and its twin sister, Nevada, during the 
 summer of 1864, were the embodiments of prosper- 
 ous mining camps. Few, if any, gulches in the 
 whole history of gold-mining have ever proved richer 
 than the famous Alder Gulch in its palmy days. 
 
 The sluices " cleaned up" enormously, the miners 
 were prodigal in their expenditure, all classes of 
 trade flourished, and the saloons and dance-houses 
 were crowded to overflowing. With the approach 
 of winter this was changed. Mining was impracti- 
 cable until the return of spring ; many left for the 
 States and Salt Lake, and parties scattered forth in 
 various directions to prospect. 
 
 35* 
 
414 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 New placer diggings were found ; new towns 
 sprang up, and the sparse population of the terri- 
 tory was still further scattered. 
 
 With the opening of spring, the miners anticipated 
 another prosperous season. But the snows of 
 winter lay heavily on the mountains at the head of 
 Alder Gulch. The increasing power of the sun's 
 rays melted them rapidly and swelled the creek to 
 an impetuous torrent. Claims were filled up with 
 gravel, and ruined in a single night. 
 
 Piles of pay-dirt ready for the sluices were swept 
 away and mingled with the debris of former seasons. 
 The whole gulch from the summit to the mouth 
 was one vast scene of ruin. Mines that had paid 
 handsome returns were abandoned, as the expense 
 of getting them in order was perhaps greater than 
 the gold they contained. Thousands of miners were 
 thus thrown out of employment, and went to the 
 other gulches or prospected on their own account. 
 jN'evada was almost wholly abandoned, — its deserted 
 houses were gradually torn down for firewood, and 
 the contrast from the former busy, driving season 
 was sad to contemplate. 
 
 The following year the same experience was 
 repeated, spite of all efibrts to protect the few 
 claims in working order, and the gulch was virtually 
 abandoned. Virginia City, with its many large and 
 
FORT BENTON. 415 
 
 handsome buildings, resembled a deserted village — 
 the mines by which it was supported were ruined. 
 
 But the surrounding mountains are rich in gold 
 and silver quartz, and when skill and capital aid in 
 their development, will doubtless yield abundantly. 
 
 FortBenton, in the summer of 1866, was no longer 
 the solitary Trading-Post in the very heart of the 
 wilderness. The populous mining town of Helena 
 was only a hundred and fifty miles distant ; ware- 
 houses and stores, to accommodate the vast amount 
 of freight constantly being landed here during the 
 season of navigation, had been erected, and instead 
 of the camps of Blackfeet Indians, large trains of 
 freight-wagons were corralled, awaiting their turn 
 to load. The American Fur Company had disposed 
 of all their interest in the country, and the sun of 
 the Fur Traders had set forever. 
 
 Swiftly down-stream sped the steamer on which 
 
 / I had embarked, passing the wild and weird scenery 
 
 for which the Upper Missouri is so justly celebrated. 
 
 At Fort Union, where we landed for a few minutes 
 only, there was very little apparent change, and 
 some few of the old retainers were still about. 
 
 The mouth of the Yellowstone was passed, and 
 on the site of old Fort William soldiers were en- 
 camped building a new Post, Fort Buford. 
 
416 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 Down the river, past familiar scenes, until the 
 well-remembered village of the Minnetarees came 
 in sight. Here the hand of change was most mani- 
 fest. Soldiers were quartered in our old Fort, and 
 the armed sentinel pacing before its closed gates, 
 presented a strange contrast to the times when the 
 Indians came and went as thej pleased 
 
 During the short time we remained here I had the 
 pleasure of greeting many of my former acquaint- 
 ances. Pierre Garreau, Malnouri, and old Jeff 
 Smith were still living where they had passed so 
 many years. My Gros Ventre friends gathered 
 around me asking a thousand questions, and were 
 extremely solicitous for me to return to them again. 
 Death had made many sad changes. The Four- 
 Bears had been killed by a party of Sioux while 
 bathing in the little creek about a mile back of the 
 village. They made a sudden charge, and the 
 high banks prevented his seeing them until they 
 wore close upon him. True to his name and warrior- 
 training, he fought desperately, and was slain almost 
 in sight of his own lodge 
 
 Doctor E-ten-ah-pen-ah was drowned while swim- 
 ming the Missouri, in a vain attempt to escape from 
 the enemy. The Raising-Heart, old Snakeskin, 
 the Bobtail- Wolf and Bear-Hunter were also dead, 
 and several of the younger warriors and squaws. 
 
FAREWJi]LL! — RETURN HOME. 417 
 
 Many who had been my intimate associates were 
 gone, and the Trading-Post was occupied by soldiers. 
 
 The Indians, despondent about their future, com- 
 plained bitterly of the increasing scarcity of buffalo 
 and the number of their enemies. 
 
 An hour slips by unheeded, but the hawsers are 
 at length cast loose, and with a hurried shake of 
 the hand I leap aboard. 
 
 Farewell — perhaps forever. Until the bend of 
 the river at last shuts out the elm-point, the stretch 
 of prairie, the grazing bands of horses, do I stead- 
 fastly fix my gaze on the well-remembered scene. 
 
 Down, down the river. jN'ot a stick left of the 
 once large and populous Riccaree village. The 
 prairie, green and grassy, as if it had never afforded 
 sustenance to hundreds of Indian horses. Of old Fort 
 Pierre not a vestige could be seen. I^o skin lodges 
 dotted the prairie, — no Indian squaw followed her 
 warrior with a load of robes to trade,— no sio-n of 
 life save a solitary raven, dark and dreary, flying 
 ominously about. 
 
 Down, down the river. The cabins of the settlers 
 begin to appear. Fences and fields of corn — towns 
 and villages— Omaha City with its Pacific Railroad, 
 and at last the boat rounds to at the broad levee at 
 St. Louis. The passengers scatter on their respec- 
 tive ways, and my eight years of wandering in the 
 West are ended. 2 b 
 
CHAPTEE XLIII. 
 
 THE INDIAN QUESTION. 
 
 « I beheld the westward marches 
 Of the unknown, crowded nations. 
 All the land was full of people, 
 Restless, struggling, toiling, striving, 
 Speaking many tongues, yet feeling 
 But one heart-beat in their bosoms. 
 In the woodlands rang their axes, 
 Smoked their towns in all the valleys, 
 Over all their lakes and rivers 
 Rushed their great canoes of thunder. 
 
 Then a darker, drearier vision 
 Passed before me, vague and cloud-like: 
 I beheld our nations scattered, 
 All forgetful of my counsels. 
 Weakened, warring with each other ; 
 Saw the remnants of our people 
 Sweeping westward wild and woful. 
 Like the cloud-rack of a tempest, 
 Like the withered leaves of autumn ! " 
 
 THE unfortunate accident of having been born 
 with a black skin, while it does not of itself 
 imply the deficiency of human attributes, has never- 
 theless been made a pretext for oppressing a race 
 of fellow-beings, whose claims were unheeded 
 
 (418) 
 
THE INDIAN QUESTION. 419 
 
 until triumphantly vindicated by the result of a 
 long and bloody civil war. Scarcely has the country 
 begun to recover from the exhausting conflict, ere 
 another race, whose kindred misfortune it is to 
 have a red skin, demands aid and protection. Lin- 
 eal descendants of the original possessors of the 
 soil, instead of passively suffering under the lash 
 of the taskmaster, they have dared defend their 
 rights. Backwards, backwards have they been 
 driven, until they now present the sublime spectacle 
 of a people battling for their very existence, as it 
 were, with the heroic energy of despair. 
 
 For thus battling for his rights, the Indian has 
 been called a "bloodthirsty savage," and interested 
 parties, frontier squatters, and speculating contract- 
 ors are doing their utmost to make good this im- 
 pression. 
 
 An Indian war of growing magnitude is devas- 
 tating the border, and shocking outrages have been 
 committed, but a careful investigation will show 
 that the whites have so far taken the lead in '* blood- 
 thirsty atrocities " of every kind. In what single 
 instance has the Government carried out in good 
 faith and to the letter the promises made through 
 its accredited agents ? Has not even the Flag of 
 that Government been stained with the blood of 
 defenceless Indians, men, women, and children, who 
 
420 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 had voluntarily placed themselves under its pro- 
 tecting folds, only to he cruelly murdered hy the 
 monster Chivington ? 
 
 Have the tortures inflicted hy the Indians upon 
 their unfortunate captives ever equalled the refined 
 cruelties and horrors practised upon the thousands of 
 wretched prisoners in Andersonville and Salisbury 
 hy the '^ chivalry " into whose hands they had fallen? 
 It is notorious that in Texas, and later on our 
 "Western frontiers, white men, viler than any red- 
 skin, have assumed his dress and paint ; as also in 
 Utah, where the Indian disguise has been frequently 
 adopted hy the Mormon "Danites," or destroying 
 Angels, to aid in carrying out foul designs of plun- 
 der and murder. 
 
 In all their dealings with the Government the 
 Indians have been recognized as an independent 
 people, over whom it had no control, beyond such 
 as they chose to concede by treaty. Around every 
 camp, and with every tribe, there are always men, 
 either in their dotage, or else too lazy and worthless 
 to have any standing whatever among their people. 
 — With such worthies as these, (of whom I have 
 given a fair description in the Dry-Pumpkin,) impor- 
 tant treaties are often negotiated. Contemptible 
 themselves, and envious of the leading spirits of 
 their nation, this is the only course by which they 
 
THE INDIAN QUESTION. 421 
 
 can hope to achieve distinction. How can it be 
 expected that treaties thus concluded will be recog- 
 nized by the principal chiefs, and regarded as bind- 
 ing by the tribe at large ! 
 
 And for some (perhaps imaginary) breach of faith, 
 the stipulated annuities are frequently withheld in 
 whole or part; for to defraud the Indians is too often 
 regarded as a strictly Jegitimate business operation. 
 
 From the actual commencement of these difficul- 
 ties (as far back as 1853) the whites have invariably 
 been the aggressors. Desperadoes in the early 
 emigration across the plains deemed their record 
 incomplete until they had killed an " Injin," heed- 
 less of the consequences of their reckless acts. 
 
 At the treaty of the Platte in 1855, General Har- 
 ney on behalf of the Government stipulated that 
 the white men should have the right of way only 
 on the old California trail, and the navigation of 
 the Missouri River. -The settlements in the new 
 territories, the numerous roads that have been 
 opened up, and the game wantonly destroyed, con- 
 clusively show how this treaty has been kept. 
 
 The Atlantic and Pacific States are rapidly ap- 
 proaching each other. The various Indian nations 
 are yearly becoming more and more crowded 
 together, and in self-preservation, the first law of 
 nature, they will make common cause against those 
 
 36 
 
422 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 who are ruthlessly depriving them of all they hold 
 dear. And after forbearance has long ceased to be 
 a virtue, and the oppressed turn on the oppressor, 
 the cry is raised, "Extermination ! " 
 
 This experiment was tried in Florida, where a 
 handful of Seminoles cost the government millions 
 of dollars and many hundreds of valuable lives. 
 An Indian war is too costly an amusement for the 
 trifling results gained. So far the Indians have had 
 decidedly the advantage from their perfect acquaint- 
 ance with the country, and knowledge of the 
 numbers and position of the pursuing troops, who, 
 with enormous transportation, march hundreds of 
 miles, and capture perhaps an abandoned camp of 
 old, worn-out lodges, the former occupants of which 
 are complacently hunting the bujffalo, or playing 
 hide-and-seek in the neighboring hills. 
 
 Such at least was the experience of one army, 
 during a campaign carried on with all the pomp 
 and panoply of glorious war, which culminated in 
 the brilliant charge upon an abandoned Cheyenne 
 camp. 
 
 That campaign cost the Government, it is true, a 
 million or so of dollars ; but what is a million or 
 even millions of dollars in comparison with the 
 important results gained — the complete destruction 
 of those worn-out lodges ! 
 
THE INDIAN QUESTION. 423 
 
 The Indians are well armed and equipped, and 
 almost every warrior of standing is provided with a 
 spy-glass, thus adding the assistance of the white 
 man's art to his own matchless vision. Their tough 
 and active ponies give them an advantage, too, over 
 the heavily equipped and grain-fed chargers of the 
 soldiers. In almost every instance in which troops 
 have been sent against them to demand the return 
 of stolen property, the force sent has been absurdly 
 small. Defeat and disaster are the natural results 
 of all such attempts to enforce demands, and a 
 constantly increasing contempt for the power of the 
 Government is fostered. 
 
 An army officer * of many years' experience on 
 the frontiers says: "Our little army, scattered as 
 it has been over the vast area of our possessions, in 
 small garrisons of one or two companies each, has 
 seldom been in a situation to act successfully on the 
 offensive against large numbers of these marauders, 
 and has often been condemned to hold itself almost 
 exclusively upon the defensive. 
 
 "The morale of the troops must thereby necessarily 
 be seriously impaired, and the confidence of the 
 savages correspondingly augmented. The system 
 of small garrisons has a tendency to disorganize the 
 
 * General Randolph B. Marcy. 
 
424 AMONGTHE INDIANS. 
 
 troops in proportion as tliey are scattered, and 
 renders them correspondingly inefficient. The 
 same results have been observed by the French 
 army in Algeria, where, in 1845, their troops were, 
 like ours, disseminated over a vast space, and broken 
 up into small detachments, stationed in numerous 
 intrenched posts. Upon the sudden appearance of 
 Abd-el-Kader in the plain of Mitidja, they were 
 defeated with serious losses, and were from day to 
 day obliged to abandon these useless stations, with 
 all the supplies they contained. A French writer, 
 in discussing this subj ect, says : 
 
 "*We have now abandoned the fatal idea of 
 defending Algeria by small intrenched posts. In 
 studying the character of the war, the nature of the 
 men who are to oppose us, and of the countrj- in 
 which we are to operate, we must be convinced of 
 the danger in admitting any other system of fortifi- 
 cation than that which is to receive our grand 
 depots, our magazines, and to serve as places to 
 recruit and rest our troops when exhausted by 
 long expeditionary movements." 
 
 '' ' These fortifications should be established in the 
 midst of the centres of action, so as to command 
 the principal routes, and serve as pivots to expedi- 
 tionary columns. 
 
 " 'We owe our success to a system of war which 
 
THE INDIAN QUESTION. 425 
 
 has its proofs in twice changing our relations with 
 the Arabs. This system consists altogether in the 
 great mobility we have given to our troops. Instead 
 of disseminating our soldiers with the vain hope of 
 protecting our frontiers with a line of small posts, 
 we have concentrated them, to have them at all 
 times ready for emergencies, and since then the 
 fortune of the Arabs has waned, and we have 
 marched from victory to victory. 
 
 " ' This system, which has thus far succeeded, 
 ought to succeed always, and to conduct us, God 
 willing, to the peaceful possession of the country.' " 
 
 In thus briefly treating of the Indian Question, 
 I do not wish it understood that, while desirous of 
 seeing justice done them, I regard the Indians as 
 possessed of those high and noble attributes 'with 
 which romance has invested them. 
 
 The Indians are only Indians; men of violent 
 impulse for good and evil, who lead the life of their 
 warrior ancestors in untrammelled freedom. Their 
 wild nature and habits cannot be eradicated, but 
 they may be improved. In the natural course of 
 events, the tribes must retire before the advancing 
 tide of emigration, but it is a serious question how 
 we shall amend the present disgraceful condition of 
 alFairs on the border. 
 
 36* 
 
426 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 A war of extermination is a far more srieantic 
 affair than we can manage, to say nothing of the 
 stigma such an undertaking woulcf cast upon the 
 Government in the eyes of the civilized world. 
 Although such a war would be doubtless exceed- 
 ingly profitable to a few interested parties, the 
 nation at large, groaning under the burden of a 
 heavy taxation, would hardly care to have that 
 burden indefinitely increased, as it must be, should 
 such a course be adopted, when the evil can be 
 reached by less costly measures. 
 
 Peace can be secured only by a strict and faithful 
 adherence to the treaties which should be made. 
 Whatever rights the Indians yield, should not be 
 transgressed ; whatever rights Government guaran- 
 tees them, should be faithfully secured. All treaty 
 violations must be promptly and severely punished. 
 Not by making new treaties, with perhaps only a 
 partial representation from the offending tribe or 
 tribes, and distributing as 2i peace-offering ^ arms and 
 munitions of war, but by such a demonstration as 
 would speedily convince them that the Government 
 was a power not to be trifled with. And on the 
 other hand, the military would be quite as neces- 
 sary to keep the whites from trespassing against 
 the Indiana, as the Indians against the whites. 
 
 I see no reason why the condition of the Indians 
 
THE INDIAN QUESTION. 427 
 
 should not be greatly ameliorated. I^ot by making 
 treaties and extravagant promises, which would 
 either be imperfectly kept, or wholly ignored; — 
 nor could it be done in a day, or in a year either; 
 the confidence so cruelly abused must be restored, 
 and this would be of itself a work of time. It 
 would be impossible to bring the roving Indians at 
 once to the dull routine of civilized life. But thev 
 may be persuaded to take the intermediate step; 
 and in the course of time, being reconciled to a 
 new mode of life, they may become a pastoral 
 people. Furnish them with flocks and herds ; they 
 could then travel as of old; their stock would in- 
 crease on their hands, and they would not be wholly 
 dependent upon game for their subsistence. Then 
 in time they would, if fairly dealt with, appreciate 
 the advantages to be derived. 
 
 This experiment must be made on a liberal scale, 
 and with an ample supply of stock, to command 
 their respect and attention, and persevered in faith- 
 fully, — not for a year or so only, but until the end 
 has been accomplished. The money spent in 
 waging war against them for one month, would go 
 very far toward a successful experiment. 
 
 Farms (I had almost written farces) have been 
 nominally established among several of the Mis- 
 souri tribes; but from bad management the Indians 
 
428 AMONG THE INDIANS. 
 
 have received little if any benefit from them, and 
 it is therefore unjust to brand the system as a 
 failure. When they become necessary, let farms in 
 reality as well as name be established, but not for 
 the personal benefit of a few interested officials, to 
 the exceeding detriment of the Indians. 
 
 I consider the Gros Ventres, Rees, and Mandans 
 the best fitted to commence with. They have a 
 permanent village, raise corn, and regard the whites 
 as their allies. They are ripe for the experiment. 
 Protection against other nations would be neces- 
 sary, and should be affi)rded. 
 
 This Indian war, in spite of its many evils, has 
 been productive of one good — it has drawn public 
 attention to the many abuses connected with our 
 present Indian wzsmanagement. 
 
 As the affiliation of the two races is impossible, 
 the extinction of the Indian is a question of time. 
 But how much more worthy would it be of a 
 powerful Government to extend every aid and pro- 
 tection to the remnants of the original owners of 
 the soil, until the Great Spirit calls them to their 
 long home. 
 
 THE END. 
 

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