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diff --git a/old/1015-h/1015-h.htm b/old/1015-h/1015-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e887325 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/1015-h/1015-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,12950 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> + +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd" > + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8" /> + <title> + The Oregon Trail, by Francis Parkman, Jr. + </title> + <style type="text/css" xml:space="preserve"> + + body { margin:5%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify} + P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; } + hr { width: 50%; text-align: center;} + .foot { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 90%; } + blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + .mynote {background-color: #DDE; color: #000; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 95%;} + .toc { margin-left: 10%; margin-bottom: .75em;} + .toc2 { margin-left: 20%;} + div.fig { display:block; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; } + div.middle { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; } + .figleft {float: left; margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 1%;} + .figright {float: right; margin-right: 0%; margin-left: 1%;} + .pagenum {display:inline; font-size: 70%; font-style:normal; + margin: 0; padding: 0; position: absolute; right: 1%; + text-align: right;} + pre { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;} + +</style> + </head> + <body> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Oregon Trail, by Francis Parkman, Jr. + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Oregon Trail + +Author: Francis Parkman, Jr. + +Release Date: April 27, 2006 [EBook #1015] +[Last updated: October 8, 2020] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE OREGON TRAIL *** + + + + +Produced by Donald Lainson; David Widger + + + + + +</pre> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <h1> + THE OREGON TRAIL + </h1> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <h2> + by Francis Parkman, Jr. + </h2> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <blockquote> + <p class="toc"> + <big><b>CONTENTS</b></big> + </p> + <p> + <br /> <a href="#link2HCH0001"> CHAPTER I -- THE FRONTIER </a><br /><br /> <a + href="#link2HCH0002"> CHAPTER II -- BREAKING THE ICE </a><br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0003"> + CHAPTER III -- FORT LEAVENWORTH </a><br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0004"> CHAPTER IV -- “JUMPING OFF” </a><br /><br /> + <a href="#link2HCH0005"> CHAPTER V -- “THE BIG BLUE” </a><br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0006"> + CHAPTER VI -- THE PLATTE AND THE DESERT </a><br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0007"> CHAPTER VII -- THE BUFFALO </a><br /><br /> + <a href="#link2HCH0008"> CHAPTER VIII -- TAKING FRENCH LEAVE </a><br /><br /> <a + href="#link2HCH0009"> CHAPTER IX -- SCENES AT FORT LARAMIE </a><br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0010"> + CHAPTER X -- THE WAR PARTIES </a><br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0011"> CHAPTER XI -- SCENES AT THE CAMP </a><br /><br /> + <a href="#link2HCH0012"> CHAPTER XII -- ILL LUCK </a><br /><br /> <a + href="#link2HCH0013"> CHAPTER XIII -- HUNTING INDIANS </a><br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0014"> + CHAPTER XIV -- THE OGALLALLA VILLAGE </a><br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0015"> CHAPTER XV -- THE HUNTING CAMP </a><br /><br /> + <a href="#link2HCH0016"> CHAPTER XVI -- THE TRAPPERS </a><br /><br /> <a + href="#link2HCH0017"> CHAPTER XVII -- THE BLACK HILLS</a><br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0018"> + CHAPTER XVIII -- A MOUNTAIN HUNT </a><br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0019"> CHAPTER XIX -- PASSAGE OF THE MOUNTAINS </a><br /><br /> + <a href="#link2HCH0020"> CHAPTER XX -- THE LONELY JOURNEY </a><br /><br /> <a + href="#link2HCH0021"> CHAPTER XXI -- THE PUEBLO AND BENT’S FORT </a><br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0022"> + CHAPTER XXII -- TETE ROUGE, THE VOLUNTEER </a><br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0023"> CHAPTER XXIII -- INDIAN ALARMS </a><br /><br /> + <a href="#link2HCH0024"> CHAPTER XXIV -- THE CHASE</a><br /><br /> <a + href="#link2HCH0025"> CHAPTER XXV -- THE BUFFALO CAMP </a><br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0026"> + CHAPTER XXVI DOWN THE ARKANSAS </a><br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0027"> CHAPTER XXVII -- THE SETTLEMENTS </a> + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> <a name="link2HCH0001" id="link2HCH0001"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <h2> + CHAPTER I + </h2> + <h3> + THE FRONTIER + </h3> + <p> + Last spring, 1846, was a busy season in the City of St. Louis. Not only + were emigrants from every part of the country preparing for the journey to + Oregon and California, but an unusual number of traders were making ready + their wagons and outfits for Santa Fe. Many of the emigrants, especially + of those bound for California, were persons of wealth and standing. The + hotels were crowded, and the gunsmiths and saddlers were kept constantly + at work in providing arms and equipments for the different parties of + travelers. Almost every day steamboats were leaving the levee and passing + up the Missouri, crowded with passengers on their way to the frontier. + </p> + <p> + In one of these, the Radnor, since snagged and lost, my friend and + relative, Quincy A. Shaw, and myself, left St. Louis on the 28th of April, + on a tour of curiosity and amusement to the Rocky Mountains. The boat was + loaded until the water broke alternately over her guards. Her upper deck + was covered with large weapons of a peculiar form, for the Santa Fe trade, + and her hold was crammed with goods for the same destination. There were + also the equipments and provisions of a party of Oregon emigrants, a band + of mules and horses, piles of saddles and harness, and a multitude of + nondescript articles, indispensable on the prairies. Almost hidden in this + medley one might have seen a small French cart, of the sort very + appropriately called a “mule-killer” beyond the frontiers, and not far + distant a tent, together with a miscellaneous assortment of boxes and + barrels. The whole equipage was far from prepossessing in its appearance; + yet, such as it was, it was destined to a long and arduous journey, on + which the persevering reader will accompany it. + </p> + <p> + The passengers on board the Radnor corresponded with her freight. In her + cabin were Santa Fe traders, gamblers, speculators, and adventurers of + various descriptions, and her steerage was crowded with Oregon emigrants, + “mountain men,” negroes, and a party of Kansas Indians, who had been on a + visit to St. Louis. + </p> + <p> + Thus laden, the boat struggled upward for seven or eight days against the + rapid current of the Missouri, grating upon snags, and hanging for two or + three hours at a time upon sand-bars. We entered the mouth of the Missouri + in a drizzling rain, but the weather soon became clear, and showed + distinctly the broad and turbid river, with its eddies, its sand-bars, its + ragged islands, and forest-covered shores. The Missouri is constantly + changing its course; wearing away its banks on one side, while it forms + new ones on the other. Its channel is shifting continually. Islands are + formed, and then washed away; and while the old forests on one side are + undermined and swept off, a young growth springs up from the new soil upon + the other. With all these changes, the water is so charged with mud and + sand that it is perfectly opaque, and in a few minutes deposits a sediment + an inch thick in the bottom of a tumbler. The river was now high; but when + we descended in the autumn it was fallen very low, and all the secrets of + its treacherous shallows were exposed to view. It was frightful to see the + dead and broken trees, thick-set as a military abatis, firmly imbedded in + the sand, and all pointing down stream, ready to impale any unhappy + steamboat that at high water should pass over that dangerous ground. + </p> + <p> + In five or six days we began to see signs of the great western movement + that was then taking place. Parties of emigrants, with their tents and + wagons, would be encamped on open spots near the bank, on their way to the + common rendezvous at Independence. On a rainy day, near sunset, we reached + the landing of this place, which is situated some miles from the river, on + the extreme frontier of Missouri. The scene was characteristic, for here + were represented at one view the most remarkable features of this wild and + enterprising region. On the muddy shore stood some thirty or forty dark + slavish-looking Spaniards, gazing stupidly out from beneath their broad + hats. They were attached to one of the Santa Fe companies, whose wagons + were crowded together on the banks above. In the midst of these, crouching + over a smoldering fire, was a group of Indians, belonging to a remote + Mexican tribe. One or two French hunters from the mountains with their + long hair and buckskin dresses, were looking at the boat; and seated on a + log close at hand were three men, with rifles lying across their knees. + The foremost of these, a tall, strong figure, with a clear blue eye and an + open, intelligent face, might very well represent that race of restless + and intrepid pioneers whose axes and rifles have opened a path from the + Alleghenies to the western prairies. He was on his way to Oregon, probably + a more congenial field to him than any that now remained on this side the + great plains. + </p> + <p> + Early on the next morning we reached Kansas, about five hundred miles from + the mouth of the Missouri. Here we landed and leaving our equipments in + charge of my good friend Colonel Chick, whose log-house was the substitute + for a tavern, we set out in a wagon for Westport, where we hoped to + procure mules and horses for the journey. + </p> + <p> + It was a remarkably fresh and beautiful May morning. The rich and + luxuriant woods through which the miserable road conducted us were lighted + by the bright sunshine and enlivened by a multitude of birds. We overtook + on the way our late fellow-travelers, the Kansas Indians, who, adorned + with all their finery, were proceeding homeward at a round pace; and + whatever they might have seemed on board the boat, they made a very + striking and picturesque feature in the forest landscape. + </p> + <p> + Westport was full of Indians, whose little shaggy ponies were tied by + dozens along the houses and fences. Sacs and Foxes, with shaved heads and + painted faces, Shawanoes and Delawares, fluttering in calico frocks, and + turbans, Wyandottes dressed like white men, and a few wretched Kansas + wrapped in old blankets, were strolling about the streets, or lounging in + and out of the shops and houses. + </p> + <p> + As I stood at the door of the tavern, I saw a remarkable looking person + coming up the street. He had a ruddy face, garnished with the stumps of a + bristly red beard and mustache; on one side of his head was a round cap + with a knob at the top, such as Scottish laborers sometimes wear; his coat + was of a nondescript form, and made of a gray Scotch plaid, with the + fringes hanging all about it; he wore pantaloons of coarse homespun, and + hob-nailed shoes; and to complete his equipment, a little black pipe was + stuck in one corner of his mouth. In this curious attire, I recognized + Captain C. of the British army, who, with his brother, and Mr. R., an + English gentleman, was bound on a hunting expedition across the continent. + I had seen the captain and his companions at St. Louis. They had now been + for some time at Westport, making preparations for their departure, and + waiting for a re-enforcement, since they were too few in number to attempt + it alone. They might, it is true, have joined some of the parties of + emigrants who were on the point of setting out for Oregon and California; + but they professed great disinclination to have any connection with the + “Kentucky fellows.” + </p> + <p> + The captain now urged it upon us, that we should join forces and proceed + to the mountains in company. Feeling no greater partiality for the society + of the emigrants than they did, we thought the arrangement an advantageous + one, and consented to it. Our future fellow-travelers had installed + themselves in a little log-house, where we found them all surrounded by + saddles, harness, guns, pistols, telescopes, knives, and in short their + complete appointments for the prairie. R., who professed a taste for + natural history, sat at a table stuffing a woodpecker; the brother of the + captain, who was an Irishman, was splicing a trail-rope on the floor, as + he had been an amateur sailor. The captain pointed out, with much + complacency, the different articles of their outfit. “You see,” said he, + “that we are all old travelers. I am convinced that no party ever went + upon the prairie better provided.” The hunter whom they had employed, a + surly looking Canadian, named Sorel, and their muleteer, an American from + St. Louis, were lounging about the building. In a little log stable close + at hand were their horses and mules, selected by the captain, who was an + excellent judge. + </p> + <p> + The alliance entered into, we left them to complete their arrangements, + while we pushed our own to all convenient speed. The emigrants for whom + our friends professed such contempt were encamped on the prairie about + eight or ten miles distant, to the number of a thousand or more, and new + parties were constantly passing out from Independence to join them. They + were in great confusion, holding meetings, passing resolutions, and + drawing up regulations, but unable to unite in the choice of leaders to + conduct them across the prairie. Being at leisure one day, I rode over to + Independence. The town was crowded. A multitude of shops had sprung up to + furnish the emigrants and Santa Fe traders with necessaries for their + journey; and there was an incessant hammering and banging from a dozen + blacksmiths’ sheds, where the heavy wagons were being repaired, and the + horses and oxen shod. The streets were thronged with men, horses, and + mules. While I was in the town, a train of emigrant wagons from Illinois + passed through, to join the camp on the prairie, and stopped in the + principal street. A multitude of healthy children’s faces were peeping out + from under the covers of the wagons. Here and there a buxom damsel was + seated on horseback, holding over her sunburnt face an old umbrella or a + parasol, once gaudy enough but now miserably faded. The men, very + sober-looking countrymen, stood about their oxen; and as I passed I + noticed three old fellows, who, with their long whips in their hands, were + zealously discussing the doctrine of regeneration. The emigrants, however, + are not all of this stamp. Among them are some of the vilest outcasts in + the country. I have often perplexed myself to divine the various motives + that give impulse to this strange migration; but whatever they may be, + whether an insane hope of a better condition in life, or a desire of + shaking off restraints of law and society, or mere restlessness, certain + it is that multitudes bitterly repent the journey, and after they have + reached the land of promise are happy enough to escape from it. + </p> + <p> + In the course of seven or eight days we had brought our preparations near + to a close. Meanwhile our friends had completed theirs, and becoming tired + of Westport, they told us that they would set out in advance and wait at + the crossing of the Kansas till we should come up. Accordingly R. and the + muleteers went forward with the wagon and tent, while the captain and his + brother, together with Sorel, and a trapper named Boisverd, who had joined + them, followed with the band of horses. The commencement of the journey + was ominous, for the captain was scarcely a mile from Westport, riding + along in state at the head of his party, leading his intended buffalo + horse by a rope, when a tremendous thunderstorm came on, and drenched them + all to the skin. They hurried on to reach the place, about seven miles + off, where R. was to have had the camp in readiness to receive them. But + this prudent person, when he saw the storm approaching, had selected a + sheltered glade in the woods, where he pitched his tent, and was sipping a + comfortable cup of coffee, while the captain galloped for miles beyond + through the rain to look for him. At length the storm cleared away, and + the sharp-eyed trapper succeeded in discovering his tent: R. had by this + time finished his coffee, and was seated on a buffalo robe smoking his + pipe. The captain was one of the most easy-tempered men in existence, so + he bore his ill-luck with great composure, shared the dregs of the coffee + with his brother, and lay down to sleep in his wet clothes. + </p> + <p> + We ourselves had our share of the deluge. We were leading a pair of mules + to Kansas when the storm broke. Such sharp and incessant flashes of + lightning, such stunning and continuous thunder, I have never known + before. The woods were completely obscured by the diagonal sheets of rain + that fell with a heavy roar, and rose in spray from the ground; and the + streams rose so rapidly that we could hardly ford them. At length, looming + through the rain, we saw the log-house of Colonel Chick, who received us + with his usual bland hospitality; while his wife, who, though a little + soured and stiffened by too frequent attendance on camp-meetings, was not + behind him in hospitable feeling, supplied us with the means of repairing + our drenched and bedraggled condition. The storm, clearing away at about + sunset, opened a noble prospect from the porch of the colonel’s house, + which stands upon a high hill. The sun streamed from the breaking clouds + upon the swift and angry Missouri, and on the immense expanse of luxuriant + forest that stretched from its banks back to the distant bluffs. + </p> + <p> + Returning on the next day to Westport, we received a message from the + captain, who had ridden back to deliver it in person, but finding that we + were in Kansas, had intrusted it with an acquaintance of his named Vogel, + who kept a small grocery and liquor shop. Whisky by the way circulates + more freely in Westport than is altogether safe in a place where every man + carries a loaded pistol in his pocket. As we passed this establishment, we + saw Vogel’s broad German face and knavish-looking eyes thrust from his + door. He said he had something to tell us, and invited us to take a dram. + Neither his liquor nor his message was very palatable. The captain had + returned to give us notice that R., who assumed the direction of his + party, had determined upon another route from that agreed upon between us; + and instead of taking the course of the traders, to pass northward by Fort + Leavenworth, and follow the path marked out by the dragoons in their + expedition of last summer. To adopt such a plan without consulting us, we + looked upon as a very high-handed proceeding; but suppressing our + dissatisfaction as well as we could, we made up our minds to join them at + Fort Leavenworth, where they were to wait for us. + </p> + <p> + Accordingly, our preparation being now complete, we attempted one fine + morning to commence our journey. The first step was an unfortunate one. No + sooner were our animals put in harness, than the shaft mule reared and + plunged, burst ropes and straps, and nearly flung the cart into the + Missouri. Finding her wholly uncontrollable, we exchanged her for another, + with which we were furnished by our friend Mr. Boone of Westport, a + grandson of Daniel Boone, the pioneer. This foretaste of prairie + experience was very soon followed by another. Westport was scarcely out of + sight, when we encountered a deep muddy gully, of a species that afterward + became but too familiar to us; and here for the space of an hour or more + the car stuck fast. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0002" id="link2HCH0002"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER II + </h2> + <h3> + BREAKING THE ICE + </h3> + <p> + Both Shaw and myself were tolerably inured to the vicissitudes of + traveling. We had experienced them under various forms, and a birch canoe + was as familiar to us as a steamboat. The restlessness, the love of wilds + and hatred of cities, natural perhaps in early years to every unperverted + son of Adam, was not our only motive for undertaking the present journey. + My companion hoped to shake off the effects of a disorder that had + impaired a constitution originally hardy and robust; and I was anxious to + pursue some inquiries relative to the character and usages of the remote + Indian nations, being already familiar with many of the border tribes. + </p> + <p> + Emerging from the mud-hole where we last took leave of the reader, we + pursued our way for some time along the narrow track, in the checkered + sunshine and shadow of the woods, till at length, issuing forth into the + broad light, we left behind us the farthest outskirts of that great + forest, that once spread unbroken from the western plains to the shore of + the Atlantic. Looking over an intervening belt of shrubbery, we saw the + green, oceanlike expanse of prairie, stretching swell over swell to the + horizon. + </p> + <p> + It was a mild, calm spring day; a day when one is more disposed to musing + and reverie than to action, and the softest part of his nature is apt to + gain the ascendency. I rode in advance of the party, as we passed through + the shrubbery, and as a nook of green grass offered a strong temptation, I + dismounted and lay down there. All the trees and saplings were in flower, + or budding into fresh leaf; the red clusters of the maple-blossoms and the + rich flowers of the Indian apple were there in profusion; and I was half + inclined to regret leaving behind the land of gardens for the rude and + stern scenes of the prairie and the mountains. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile the party came in sight from out of the bushes. Foremost rode + Henry Chatillon, our guide and hunter, a fine athletic figure, mounted on + a hardy gray Wyandotte pony. He wore a white blanket-coat, a broad hat of + felt, moccasins, and pantaloons of deerskin, ornamented along the seams + with rows of long fringes. His knife was stuck in his belt; his + bullet-pouch and powder-horn hung at his side, and his rifle lay before + him, resting against the high pommel of his saddle, which, like all his + equipments, had seen hard service, and was much the worse for wear. Shaw + followed close, mounted on a little sorrel horse, and leading a larger + animal by a rope. His outfit, which resembled mine, had been provided with + a view to use rather than ornament. It consisted of a plain, black Spanish + saddle, with holsters of heavy pistols, a blanket rolled up behind it, and + the trail-rope attached to his horse’s neck hanging coiled in front. He + carried a double-barreled smooth-bore, while I boasted a rifle of some + fifteen pounds’ weight. At that time our attire, though far from elegant, + bore some marks of civilization, and offered a very favorable contrast to + the inimitable shabbiness of our appearance on the return journey. A red + flannel shirt, belted around the waist like a frock, then constituted our + upper garment; moccasins had supplanted our failing boots; and the + remaining essential portion of our attire consisted of an extraordinary + article, manufactured by a squaw out of smoked buckskin. Our muleteer, + Delorier, brought up the rear with his cart, waddling ankle-deep in the + mud, alternately puffing at his pipe, and ejaculating in his prairie + patois: “Sacre enfant de garce!” as one of the mules would seem to recoil + before some abyss of unusual profundity. The cart was of the kind that one + may see by scores around the market-place in Montreal, and had a white + covering to protect the articles within. These were our provisions and a + tent, with ammunition, blankets, and presents for the Indians. + </p> + <p> + We were in all four men with eight animals; for besides the spare horses + led by Shaw and myself, an additional mule was driven along with us as a + reserve in case of accident. + </p> + <p> + After this summing up of our forces, it may not be amiss to glance at the + characters of the two men who accompanied us. + </p> + <p> + Delorier was a Canadian, with all the characteristics of the true Jean + Baptiste. Neither fatigue, exposure, nor hard labor could ever impair his + cheerfulness and gayety, or his obsequious politeness to his bourgeois; + and when night came he would sit down by the fire, smoke his pipe, and + tell stories with the utmost contentment. In fact, the prairie was his + congenial element. Henry Chatillon was of a different stamp. When we were + at St. Louis, several gentlemen of the Fur Company had kindly offered to + procure for us a hunter and guide suited for our purposes, and on coming + one afternoon to the office, we found there a tall and exceedingly + well-dressed man with a face so open and frank that it attracted our + notice at once. We were surprised at being told that it was he who wished + to guide us to the mountains. He was born in a little French town near St. + Louis, and from the age of fifteen years had been constantly in the + neighborhood of the Rocky Mountains, employed for the most part by the + Company to supply their forts with buffalo meat. As a hunter he had but + one rival in the whole region, a man named Cimoneau, with whom, to the + honor of both of them, he was on terms of the closest friendship. He had + arrived at St. Louis the day before, from the mountains, where he had + remained for four years; and he now only asked to go and spend a day with + his mother before setting out on another expedition. His age was about + thirty; he was six feet high, and very powerfully and gracefully molded. + The prairies had been his school; he could neither read nor write, but he + had a natural refinement and delicacy of mind such as is rarely found, + even in women. His manly face was a perfect mirror of uprightness, + simplicity, and kindness of heart; he had, moreover, a keen perception of + character and a tact that would preserve him from flagrant error in any + society. Henry had not the restless energy of an Anglo-American. He was + content to take things as he found them; and his chief fault arose from an + excess of easy generosity, impelling him to give away too profusely ever + to thrive in the world. Yet it was commonly remarked of him, that whatever + he might choose to do with what belonged to himself, the property of + others was always safe in his hands. His bravery was as much celebrated in + the mountains as his skill in hunting; but it is characteristic of him + that in a country where the rifle is the chief arbiter between man and + man, Henry was very seldom involved in quarrels. Once or twice, indeed, + his quiet good-nature had been mistaken and presumed upon, but the + consequences of the error were so formidable that no one was ever known to + repeat it. No better evidence of the intrepidity of his temper could be + wished than the common report that he had killed more than thirty grizzly + bears. He was a proof of what unaided nature will sometimes do. I have + never, in the city or in the wilderness, met a better man than my noble + and true-hearted friend, Henry Chatillon. + </p> + <p> + We were soon free of the woods and bushes, and fairly upon the broad + prairie. Now and then a Shawanoe passed us, riding his little shaggy pony + at a “lope”; his calico shirt, his gaudy sash, and the gay handkerchief + bound around his snaky hair fluttering in the wind. At noon we stopped to + rest not far from a little creek replete with frogs and young turtles. + There had been an Indian encampment at the place, and the framework of + their lodges still remained, enabling us very easily to gain a shelter + from the sun, by merely spreading one or two blankets over them. Thus + shaded, we sat upon our saddles, and Shaw for the first time lighted his + favorite Indian pipe; while Delorier was squatted over a hot bed of coals, + shading his eyes with one hand, and holding a little stick in the other, + with which he regulated the hissing contents of the frying-pan. The horses + were turned to feed among the scattered bushes of a low oozy meadow. A + drowzy springlike sultriness pervaded the air, and the voices of ten + thousand young frogs and insects, just awakened into life, rose in varied + chorus from the creek and the meadows. + </p> + <p> + Scarcely were we seated when a visitor approached. This was an old Kansas + Indian; a man of distinction, if one might judge from his dress. His head + was shaved and painted red, and from the tuft of hair remaining on the + crown dangled several eagles’ feathers, and the tails of two or three + rattlesnakes. His cheeks, too, were daubed with vermilion; his ears were + adorned with green glass pendants; a collar of grizzly bears’ claws + surrounded his neck, and several large necklaces of wampum hung on his + breast. Having shaken us by the hand with a cordial grunt of salutation, + the old man, dropping his red blanket from his shoulders, sat down + cross-legged on the ground. In the absence of liquor we offered him a cup + of sweetened water, at which he ejaculated “Good!” and was beginning to + tell us how great a man he was, and how many Pawnees he had killed, when + suddenly a motley concourse appeared wading across the creek toward us. + They filed past in rapid succession, men, women, and children; some were + on horseback, some on foot, but all were alike squalid and wretched. Old + squaws, mounted astride of shaggy, meager little ponies, with perhaps one + or two snake-eyed children seated behind them, clinging to their tattered + blankets; tall lank young men on foot, with bows and arrows in their + hands; and girls whose native ugliness not all the charms of glass beads + and scarlet cloth could disguise, made up the procession; although here + and there was a man who, like our visitor, seemed to hold some rank in + this respectable community. They were the dregs of the Kansas nation, who, + while their betters were gone to hunt buffalo, had left the village on a + begging expedition to Westport. + </p> + <p> + When this ragamuffin horde had passed, we caught our horses, saddled, + harnessed, and resumed our journey. Fording the creek, the low roofs of a + number of rude buildings appeared, rising from a cluster of groves and + woods on the left; and riding up through a long lane, amid a profusion of + wild roses and early spring flowers, we found the log-church and + school-houses belonging to the Methodist Shawanoe Mission. The Indians + were on the point of gathering to a religious meeting. Some scores of + them, tall men in half-civilized dress, were seated on wooden benches + under the trees; while their horses were tied to the sheds and fences. + Their chief, Parks, a remarkably large and athletic man, was just arrived + from Westport, where he owns a trading establishment. Beside this, he has + a fine farm and a considerable number of slaves. Indeed the Shawanoes have + made greater progress in agriculture than any other tribe on the Missouri + frontier; and both in appearance and in character form a marked contrast + to our late acquaintance, the Kansas. + </p> + <p> + A few hours’ ride brought us to the banks of the river Kansas. Traversing + the woods that lined it, and plowing through the deep sand, we encamped + not far from the bank, at the Lower Delaware crossing. Our tent was + erected for the first time on a meadow close to the woods, and the camp + preparations being complete we began to think of supper. An old Delaware + woman, of some three hundred pounds’ weight, sat in the porch of a little + log-house close to the water, and a very pretty half-breed girl was + engaged, under her superintendence, in feeding a large flock of turkeys + that were fluttering and gobbling about the door. But no offers of money, + or even of tobacco, could induce her to part with one of her favorites; so + I took my rifle, to see if the woods or the river could furnish us + anything. A multitude of quails were plaintively whistling in the woods + and meadows; but nothing appropriate to the rifle was to be seen, except + three buzzards, seated on the spectral limbs of an old dead sycamore, that + thrust itself out over the river from the dense sunny wall of fresh + foliage. Their ugly heads were drawn down between their shoulders, and + they seemed to luxuriate in the soft sunshine that was pouring from the + west. As they offered no epicurean temptations, I refrained from + disturbing their enjoyment; but contented myself with admiring the calm + beauty of the sunset, for the river, eddying swiftly in deep purple + shadows between the impending woods, formed a wild but tranquillizing + scene. + </p> + <p> + When I returned to the camp I found Shaw and an old Indian seated on the + ground in close conference, passing the pipe between them. The old man was + explaining that he loved the whites, and had an especial partiality for + tobacco. Delorier was arranging upon the ground our service of tin cups + and plates; and as other viands were not to be had, he set before us a + repast of biscuit and bacon, and a large pot of coffee. Unsheathing our + knives, we attacked it, disposed of the greater part, and tossed the + residue to the Indian. Meanwhile our horses, now hobbled for the first + time, stood among the trees, with their fore-legs tied together, in great + disgust and astonishment. They seemed by no means to relish this foretaste + of what was before them. Mine, in particular, had conceived a moral + aversion to the prairie life. One of them, christened Hendrick, an animal + whose strength and hardihood were his only merits, and who yielded to + nothing but the cogent arguments of the whip, looked toward us with an + indignant countenance, as if he meditated avenging his wrongs with a kick. + The other, Pontiac, a good horse, though of plebeian lineage, stood with + his head drooping and his mane hanging about his eyes, with the grieved + and sulky air of a lubberly boy sent off to school. Poor Pontiac! his + forebodings were but too just; for when I last heard from him, he was + under the lash of an Ogallalla brave, on a war party against the Crows. + </p> + <p> + As it grew dark, and the voices of the whip-poor-wills succeeded the + whistle of the quails, we removed our saddles to the tent, to serve as + pillows, spread our blankets upon the ground, and prepared to bivouac for + the first time that season. Each man selected the place in the tent which + he was to occupy for the journey. To Delorier, however, was assigned the + cart, into which he could creep in wet weather, and find a much better + shelter than his bourgeois enjoyed in the tent. + </p> + <p> + The river Kansas at this point forms the boundary line between the country + of the Shawanoes and that of the Delawares. We crossed it on the following + day, rafting over our horses and equipage with much difficulty, and + unloading our cart in order to make our way up the steep ascent on the + farther bank. It was a Sunday morning; warm, tranquil and bright; and a + perfect stillness reigned over the rough inclosures and neglected fields + of the Delawares, except the ceaseless hum and chirruping of myriads of + insects. Now and then, an Indian rode past on his way to the + meeting-house, or through the dilapidated entrance of some shattered + log-house an old woman might be discerned, enjoying all the luxury of + idleness. There was no village bell, for the Delawares have none; and yet + upon that forlorn and rude settlement was the same spirit of Sabbath + repose and tranquillity as in some little New England village among the + mountains of New Hampshire or the Vermont woods. + </p> + <p> + Having at present no leisure for such reflections, we pursued our journey. + A military road led from this point to Fort Leavenworth, and for many + miles the farms and cabins of the Delawares were scattered at short + intervals on either hand. The little rude structures of logs, erected + usually on the borders of a tract of woods, made a picturesque feature in + the landscape. But the scenery needed no foreign aid. Nature had done + enough for it; and the alteration of rich green prairies and groves that + stood in clusters or lined the banks of the numerous little streams, had + all the softened and polished beauty of a region that has been for + centuries under the hand of man. At that early season, too, it was in the + height of its freshness and luxuriance. The woods were flushed with the + red buds of the maple; there were frequent flowering shrubs unknown in the + east; and the green swells of the prairies were thickly studded with + blossoms. + </p> + <p> + Encamping near a spring by the side of a hill, we resumed our journey in + the morning, and early in the afternoon had arrived within a few miles of + Fort Leavenworth. The road crossed a stream densely bordered with trees, + and running in the bottom of a deep woody hollow. We were about to descend + into it, when a wild and confused procession appeared, passing through the + water below, and coming up the steep ascent toward us. We stopped to let + them pass. They were Delawares, just returned from a hunting expedition. + All, both men and women, were mounted on horseback, and drove along with + them a considerable number of pack mules, laden with the furs they had + taken, together with the buffalo robes, kettles, and other articles of + their traveling equipment, which as well as their clothing and their + weapons, had a worn and dingy aspect, as if they had seen hard service of + late. At the rear of the party was an old man, who, as he came up, stopped + his horse to speak to us. He rode a little tough shaggy pony, with mane + and tail well knotted with burrs, and a rusty Spanish bit in its mouth, to + which, by way of reins, was attached a string of raw hide. His saddle, + robbed probably from a Mexican, had no covering, being merely a tree of + the Spanish form, with a piece of grizzly bear’s skin laid over it, a pair + of rude wooden stirrups attached, and in the absence of girth, a thong of + hide passing around the horse’s belly. The rider’s dark features and keen + snaky eyes were unequivocally Indian. He wore a buckskin frock, which, + like his fringed leggings, was well polished and blackened by grease and + long service; and an old handkerchief was tied around his head. Resting on + the saddle before him lay his rifle; a weapon in the use of which the + Delawares are skillful; though from its weight, the distant prairie + Indians are too lazy to carry it. + </p> + <p> + “Who’s your chief?” he immediately inquired. + </p> + <p> + Henry Chatillon pointed to us. The old Delaware fixed his eyes intently + upon us for a moment, and then sententiously remarked: + </p> + <p> + “No good! Too young!” With this flattering comment he left us, and rode + after his people. + </p> + <p> + This tribe, the Delawares, once the peaceful allies of William Penn, the + tributaries of the conquering Iroquois, are now the most adventurous and + dreaded warriors upon the prairies. They make war upon remote tribes the + very names of which were unknown to their fathers in their ancient seats + in Pennsylvania; and they push these new quarrels with true Indian rancor, + sending out their little war parties as far as the Rocky Mountains, and + into the Mexican territories. Their neighbors and former confederates, the + Shawanoes, who are tolerable farmers, are in a prosperous condition; but + the Delawares dwindle every year, from the number of men lost in their + warlike expeditions. + </p> + <p> + Soon after leaving this party, we saw, stretching on the right, the + forests that follow the course of the Missouri, and the deep woody channel + through which at this point it runs. At a distance in front were the white + barracks of Fort Leavenworth, just visible through the trees upon an + eminence above a bend of the river. A wide green meadow, as level as a + lake, lay between us and the Missouri, and upon this, close to a line of + trees that bordered a little brook, stood the tent of the captain and his + companions, with their horses feeding around it, but they themselves were + invisible. Wright, their muleteer, was there, seated on the tongue of the + wagon, repairing his harness. Boisverd stood cleaning his rifle at the + door of the tent, and Sorel lounged idly about. On closer examination, + however, we discovered the captain’s brother, Jack, sitting in the tent, + at his old occupation of splicing trail-ropes. He welcomed us in his broad + Irish brogue, and said that his brother was fishing in the river, and R. + gone to the garrison. They returned before sunset. Meanwhile we erected + our own tent not far off, and after supper a council was held, in which it + was resolved to remain one day at Fort Leavenworth, and on the next to bid + a final adieu to the frontier: or in the phraseology of the region, to + “jump off.” Our deliberations were conducted by the ruddy light from a + distant swell of the prairie, where the long dry grass of last summer was + on fire. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0003" id="link2HCH0003"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER III + </h2> + <h3> + FORT LEAVENWORTH + </h3> + <p> + On the next morning we rode to Fort Leavenworth. Colonel, now General, + Kearny, to whom I had had the honor of an introduction when at St. Louis, + was just arrived, and received us at his headquarters with the high-bred + courtesy habitual to him. Fort Leavenworth is in fact no fort, being + without defensive works, except two block-houses. No rumors of war had as + yet disturbed its tranquillity. In the square grassy area, surrounded by + barracks and the quarters of the officers, the men were passing and + repassing, or lounging among the trees; although not many weeks afterward + it presented a different scene; for here the very off-scourings of the + frontier were congregated, to be marshaled for the expedition against + Santa Fe. + </p> + <p> + Passing through the garrison, we rode toward the Kickapoo village, five or + six miles beyond. The path, a rather dubious and uncertain one, led us + along the ridge of high bluffs that bordered the Missouri; and by looking + to the right or to the left, we could enjoy a strange contrast of opposite + scenery. On the left stretched the prairie, rising into swells and + undulations, thickly sprinkled with groves, or gracefully expanding into + wide grassy basins of miles in extent; while its curvatures, swelling + against the horizon, were often surmounted by lines of sunny woods; a + scene to which the freshness of the season and the peculiar mellowness of + the atmosphere gave additional softness. Below us, on the right, was a + tract of ragged and broken woods. We could look down on the summits of the + trees, some living and some dead; some erect, others leaning at every + angle, and others still piled in masses together by the passage of a + hurricane. Beyond their extreme verge, the turbid waters of the Missouri + were discernible through the boughs, rolling powerfully along at the foot + of the woody declivities of its farther bank. + </p> + <p> + The path soon after led inland; and as we crossed an open meadow we saw a + cluster of buildings on a rising ground before us, with a crowd of people + surrounding them. They were the storehouse, cottage, and stables of the + Kickapoo trader’s establishment. Just at that moment, as it chanced, he + was beset with half the Indians of the settlement. They had tied their + wretched, neglected little ponies by dozens along the fences and + outhouses, and were either lounging about the place, or crowding into the + trading house. Here were faces of various colors; red, green, white, and + black, curiously intermingled and disposed over the visage in a variety of + patterns. Calico shirts, red and blue blankets, brass ear-rings, wampum + necklaces, appeared in profusion. The trader was a blue-eyed open-faced + man who neither in his manners nor his appearance betrayed any of the + roughness of the frontier; though just at present he was obliged to keep a + lynx eye on his suspicious customers, who, men and women, were climbing on + his counter and seating themselves among his boxes and bales. + </p> + <p> + The village itself was not far off, and sufficiently illustrated the + condition of its unfortunate and self-abandoned occupants. Fancy to + yourself a little swift stream, working its devious way down a woody + valley; sometimes wholly hidden under logs and fallen trees, sometimes + issuing forth and spreading into a broad, clear pool; and on its banks in + little nooks cleared away among the trees, miniature log-houses in utter + ruin and neglect. A labyrinth of narrow, obstructed paths connected these + habitations one with another. Sometimes we met a stray calf, a pig or a + pony, belonging to some of the villagers, who usually lay in the sun in + front of their dwellings, and looked on us with cold, suspicious eyes as + we approached. Farther on, in place of the log-huts of the Kickapoos, we + found the pukwi lodges of their neighbors, the Pottawattamies, whose + condition seemed no better than theirs. + </p> + <p> + Growing tired at last, and exhausted by the excessive heat and sultriness + of the day, we returned to our friend, the trader. By this time the crowd + around him had dispersed, and left him at leisure. He invited us to his + cottage, a little white-and-green building, in the style of the old French + settlements; and ushered us into a neat, well-furnished room. The blinds + were closed, and the heat and glare of the sun excluded; the room was as + cool as a cavern. It was neatly carpeted too and furnished in a manner + that we hardly expected on the frontier. The sofas, chairs, tables, and a + well-filled bookcase would not have disgraced an Eastern city; though + there were one or two little tokens that indicated the rather questionable + civilization of the region. A pistol, loaded and capped, lay on the + mantelpiece; and through the glass of the bookcase, peeping above the + works of John Milton glittered the handle of a very mischievous-looking + knife. + </p> + <p> + Our host went out, and returned with iced water, glasses, and a bottle of + excellent claret; a refreshment most welcome in the extreme heat of the + day; and soon after appeared a merry, laughing woman, who must have been, + a year of two before, a very rich and luxuriant specimen of Creole beauty. + She came to say that lunch was ready in the next room. Our hostess + evidently lived on the sunny side of life, and troubled herself with none + of its cares. She sat down and entertained us while we were at table with + anecdotes of fishing parties, frolics, and the officers at the fort. + Taking leave at length of the hospitable trader and his friend, we rode + back to the garrison. + </p> + <p> + Shaw passed on to the camp, while I remained to call upon Colonel Kearny. + I found him still at table. There sat our friend the captain, in the same + remarkable habiliments in which we saw him at Westport; the black pipe, + however, being for the present laid aside. He dangled his little cap in + his hand and talked of steeple-chases, touching occasionally upon his + anticipated exploits in buffalo-hunting. There, too, was R., somewhat more + elegantly attired. For the last time we tasted the luxuries of + civilization, and drank adieus to it in wine good enough to make us almost + regret the leave-taking. Then, mounting, we rode together to the camp, + where everything was in readiness for departure on the morrow. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0004" id="link2HCH0004"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER IV + </h2> + <h3> + “JUMPING OFF” + </h3> + <p> + The reader need not be told that John Bull never leaves home without + encumbering himself with the greatest possible load of luggage. Our + companions were no exception to the rule. They had a wagon drawn by six + mules and crammed with provisions for six months, besides ammunition + enough for a regiment; spare rifles and fowling-pieces, ropes and harness; + personal baggage, and a miscellaneous assortment of articles, which + produced infinite embarrassment on the journey. They had also decorated + their persons with telescopes and portable compasses, and carried English + double-barreled rifles of sixteen to the pound caliber, slung to their + saddles in dragoon fashion. + </p> + <p> + By sunrise on the 23d of May we had breakfasted; the tents were leveled, + the animals saddled and harnessed, and all was prepared. “Avance donc! get + up!” cried Delorier from his seat in front of the cart. Wright, our + friend’s muleteer, after some swearing and lashing, got his insubordinate + train in motion, and then the whole party filed from the ground. Thus we + bade a long adieu to bed and board, and the principles of Blackstone’s + Commentaries. The day was a most auspicious one; and yet Shaw and I felt + certain misgivings, which in the sequel proved but too well founded. We + had just learned that though R. had taken it upon him to adopt this course + without consulting us, not a single man in the party was acquainted with + it; and the absurdity of our friend’s high-handed measure very soon became + manifest. His plan was to strike the trail of several companies of + dragoons, who last summer had made an expedition under Colonel Kearny to + Fort Laramie, and by this means to reach the grand trail of the Oregon + emigrants up the Platte. + </p> + <p> + We rode for an hour or two when a familiar cluster of buildings appeared + on a little hill. “Hallo!” shouted the Kickapoo trader from over his + fence. “Where are you going?” A few rather emphatic exclamations might + have been heard among us, when we found that we had gone miles out of our + way, and were not advanced an inch toward the Rocky Mountains. So we + turned in the direction the trader indicated, and with the sun for a + guide, began to trace a “bee line” across the prairies. We struggled + through copses and lines of wood; we waded brooks and pools of water; we + traversed prairies as green as an emerald, expanding before us for mile + after mile; wider and more wild than the wastes Mazeppa rode over: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “Man nor brute, + Nor dint of hoof, nor print of foot, + Lay in the wild luxuriant soil; + No sign of travel; none of toil; + The very air was mute.” + </pre> + <p> + Riding in advance, we passed over one of these great plains; we looked + back and saw the line of scattered horsemen stretching for a mile or more; + and far in the rear against the horizon, the white wagons creeping slowly + along. “Here we are at last!” shouted the captain. And in truth we had + struck upon the traces of a large body of horse. We turned joyfully and + followed this new course, with tempers somewhat improved; and toward + sunset encamped on a high swell of the prairie, at the foot of which a + lazy stream soaked along through clumps of rank grass. It was getting + dark. We turned the horses loose to feed. “Drive down the tent-pickets + hard,” said Henry Chatillon, “it is going to blow.” We did so, and secured + the tent as well as we could; for the sky had changed totally, and a fresh + damp smell in the wind warned us that a stormy night was likely to succeed + the hot clear day. The prairie also wore a new aspect, and its vast swells + had grown black and somber under the shadow of the clouds. The thunder + soon began to growl at a distance. Picketing and hobbling the horses among + the rich grass at the foot of the slope, where we encamped, we gained a + shelter just as the rain began to fall; and sat at the opening of the + tent, watching the proceedings of the captain. In defiance of the rain he + was stalking among the horses, wrapped in an old Scotch plaid. An extreme + solicitude tormented him, lest some of his favorites should escape, or + some accident should befall them; and he cast an anxious eye toward three + wolves who were sneaking along over the dreary surface of the plain, as if + he dreaded some hostile demonstration on their part. + </p> + <p> + On the next morning we had gone but a mile or two, when we came to an + extensive belt of woods, through the midst of which ran a stream, wide, + deep, and of an appearance particularly muddy and treacherous. Delorier + was in advance with his cart; he jerked his pipe from his mouth, lashed + his mules, and poured forth a volley of Canadian ejaculations. In plunged + the cart, but midway it stuck fast. Delorier leaped out knee-deep in + water, and by dint of sacres and a vigorous application of the whip, he + urged the mules out of the slough. Then approached the long team and heavy + wagon of our friends; but it paused on the brink. + </p> + <p> + “Now my advice is—” began the captain, who had been anxiously + contemplating the muddy gulf. + </p> + <p> + “Drive on!” cried R. + </p> + <p> + But Wright, the muleteer, apparently had not as yet decided the point in + his own mind; and he sat still in his seat on one of the shaft-mules, + whistling in a low contemplative strain to himself. + </p> + <p> + “My advice is,” resumed the captain, “that we unload; for I’ll bet any man + five pounds that if we try to go through, we shall stick fast.” + </p> + <p> + “By the powers, we shall stick fast!” echoed Jack, the captain’s brother, + shaking his large head with an air of firm conviction. + </p> + <p> + “Drive on! drive on!” cried R. petulantly. + </p> + <p> + “Well,” observed the captain, turning to us as we sat looking on, much + edified by this by-play among our confederates, “I can only give my advice + and if people won’t be reasonable, why, they won’t; that’s all!” + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile Wright had apparently made up his mind; for he suddenly began to + shout forth a volley of oaths and curses, that, compared with the French + imprecations of Delorier, sounded like the roaring of heavy cannon after + the popping and sputtering of a bunch of Chinese crackers. At the same + time he discharged a shower of blows upon his mules, who hastily dived + into the mud and drew the wagon lumbering after them. For a moment the + issue was dubious. Wright writhed about in his saddle, and swore and + lashed like a madman; but who can count on a team of half-broken mules? At + the most critical point, when all should have been harmony and combined + effort, the perverse brutes fell into lamentable disorder, and huddled + together in confusion on the farther bank. There was the wagon up to the + hub in mud, and visibly settling every instant. There was nothing for it + but to unload; then to dig away the mud from before the wheels with a + spade, and lay a causeway of bushes and branches. This agreeable labor + accomplished, the wagon at last emerged; but if I mention that some + interruption of this sort occurred at least four or five times a day for a + fortnight, the reader will understand that our progress toward the Platte + was not without its obstacles. + </p> + <p> + We traveled six or seven miles farther, and “nooned” near a brook. On the + point of resuming our journey, when the horses were all driven down to + water, my homesick charger, Pontiac, made a sudden leap across, and set + off at a round trot for the settlements. I mounted my remaining horse, and + started in pursuit. Making a circuit, I headed the runaway, hoping to + drive him back to camp; but he instantly broke into a gallop, made a wide + tour on the prairie, and got past me again. I tried this plan repeatedly, + with the same result; Pontiac was evidently disgusted with the prairie; so + I abandoned it, and tried another, trotting along gently behind him, in + hopes that I might quietly get near enough to seize the trail-rope which + was fastened to his neck, and dragged about a dozen feet behind him. The + chase grew interesting. For mile after mile I followed the rascal, with + the utmost care not to alarm him, and gradually got nearer, until at + length old Hendrick’s nose was fairly brushed by the whisking tail of the + unsuspecting Pontiac. Without drawing rein, I slid softly to the ground; + but my long heavy rifle encumbered me, and the low sound it made in + striking the horn of the saddle startled him; he pricked up his ears, and + sprang off at a run. “My friend,” thought I, remounting, “do that again, + and I will shoot you!” + </p> + <p> + Fort Leavenworth was about forty miles distant, and thither I determined + to follow him. I made up my mind to spend a solitary and supperless night, + and then set out again in the morning. One hope, however, remained. The + creek where the wagon had stuck was just before us; Pontiac might be + thirsty with his run, and stop there to drink. I kept as near to him as + possible, taking every precaution not to alarm him again; and the result + proved as I had hoped: for he walked deliberately among the trees, and + stooped down to the water. I alighted, dragged old Hendrick through the + mud, and with a feeling of infinite satisfaction picked up the slimy + trail-rope and twisted it three times round my hand. “Now let me see you + get away again!” I thought, as I remounted. But Pontiac was exceedingly + reluctant to turn back; Hendrick, too, who had evidently flattered himself + with vain hopes, showed the utmost repugnance, and grumbled in a manner + peculiar to himself at being compelled to face about. A smart cut of the + whip restored his cheerfulness; and dragging the recovered truant behind, + I set out in search of the camp. An hour or two elapsed, when, near + sunset, I saw the tents, standing on a rich swell of the prairie, beyond a + line of woods, while the bands of horses were feeding in a low meadow + close at hand. There sat Jack C., cross-legged, in the sun, splicing a + trail-rope, and the rest were lying on the grass, smoking and telling + stories. That night we enjoyed a serenade from the wolves, more lively + than any with which they had yet favored us; and in the morning one of the + musicians appeared, not many rods from the tents, quietly seated among the + horses, looking at us with a pair of large gray eyes; but perceiving a + rifle leveled at him, he leaped up and made off in hot haste. + </p> + <p> + I pass by the following day or two of our journey, for nothing occurred + worthy of record. Should any one of my readers ever be impelled to visit + the prairies, and should he choose the route of the Platte (the best, + perhaps, that can be adopted), I can assure him that he need not think to + enter at once upon the paradise of his imagination. A dreary preliminary, + protracted crossing of the threshold awaits him before he finds himself + fairly upon the verge of the “great American desert,” those barren wastes, + the haunts of the buffalo and the Indian, where the very shadow of + civilization lies a hundred leagues behind him. The intervening country, + the wide and fertile belt that extends for several hundred miles beyond + the extreme frontier, will probably answer tolerably well to his + preconceived ideas of the prairie; for this it is from which picturesque + tourists, painters, poets, and novelists, who have seldom penetrated + farther, have derived their conceptions of the whole region. If he has a + painter’s eye, he may find his period of probation not wholly void of + interest. The scenery, though tame, is graceful and pleasing. Here are + level plains, too wide for the eye to measure green undulations, like + motionless swells of the ocean; abundance of streams, followed through all + their windings by lines of woods and scattered groves. But let him be as + enthusiastic as he may, he will find enough to damp his ardor. His wagons + will stick in the mud; his horses will break loose; harness will give way, + and axle-trees prove unsound. His bed will be a soft one, consisting often + of black mud, of the richest consistency. As for food, he must content + himself with biscuit and salt provisions; for strange as it may seem, this + tract of country produces very little game. As he advances, indeed, he + will see, moldering in the grass by his path, the vast antlers of the elk, + and farther on, the whitened skulls of the buffalo, once swarming over + this now deserted region. Perhaps, like us, he may journey for a + fortnight, and see not so much as the hoof-print of a deer; in the spring, + not even a prairie hen is to be had. + </p> + <p> + Yet, to compensate him for this unlooked-for deficiency of game, he will + find himself beset with “varmints” innumerable. The wolves will entertain + him with a concerto at night, and skulk around him by day, just beyond + rifle shot; his horse will step into badger-holes; from every marsh and + mud puddle will arise the bellowing, croaking, and trilling of legions of + frogs, infinitely various in color, shape and dimensions. A profusion of + snakes will glide away from under his horse’s feet, or quietly visit him + in his tent at night; while the pertinacious humming of unnumbered + mosquitoes will banish sleep from his eyelids. When thirsty with a long + ride in the scorching sun over some boundless reach of prairie, he comes + at length to a pool of water, and alights to drink, he discovers a troop + of young tadpoles sporting in the bottom of his cup. Add to this, that all + the morning the hot sun beats upon him with sultry, penetrating heat, and + that, with provoking regularity, at about four o’clock in the afternoon, a + thunderstorm rises and drenches him to the skin. Such being the charms of + this favored region, the reader will easily conceive the extent of our + gratification at learning that for a week we had been journeying on the + wrong track! How this agreeable discovery was made I will presently + explain. + </p> + <p> + One day, after a protracted morning’s ride, we stopped to rest at noon + upon the open prairie. No trees were in sight; but close at hand, a little + dribbling brook was twisting from side to side through a hollow; now + forming holes of stagnant water, and now gliding over the mud in a + scarcely perceptible current, among a growth of sickly bushes, and great + clumps of tall rank grass. The day was excessively hot and oppressive. The + horses and mules were rolling on the prairie to refresh themselves, or + feeding among the bushes in the hollow. We had dined; and Delorier, + puffing at his pipe, knelt on the grass, scrubbing our service of tin + plate. Shaw lay in the shade, under the cart, to rest for a while, before + the word should be given to “catch up.” Henry Chatillon, before lying + down, was looking about for signs of snakes, the only living things that + he feared, and uttering various ejaculations of disgust, at finding + several suspicious-looking holes close to the cart. I sat leaning against + the wheel in a scanty strip of shade, making a pair of hobbles to replace + those which my contumacious steed Pontiac had broken the night before. The + camp of our friends, a rod or two distant, presented the same scene of + lazy tranquillity. + </p> + <p> + “Hallo!” cried Henry, looking up from his inspection of the snake-holes, + “here comes the old captain!” + </p> + <p> + The captain approached, and stood for a moment contemplating us in + silence. + </p> + <p> + “I say, Parkman,” he began, “look at Shaw there, asleep under the cart, + with the tar dripping off the hub of the wheel on his shoulder!” + </p> + <p> + At this Shaw got up, with his eyes half opened, and feeling the part + indicated, he found his hand glued fast to his red flannel shirt. + </p> + <p> + “He’ll look well when he gets among the squaws, won’t he?” observed the + captain, with a grin. + </p> + <p> + He then crawled under the cart, and began to tell stories of which his + stock was inexhaustible. Yet every moment he would glance nervously at the + horses. At last he jumped up in great excitement. “See that horse! There—that + fellow just walking over the hill! By Jove; he’s off. It’s your big horse, + Shaw; no it isn’t, it’s Jack’s! Jack! Jack! hallo, Jack!” Jack thus + invoked, jumped up and stared vacantly at us. + </p> + <p> + “Go and catch your horse, if you don’t want to lose him!” roared the + captain. + </p> + <p> + Jack instantly set off at a run through the grass, his broad pantaloons + flapping about his feet. The captain gazed anxiously till he saw that the + horse was caught; then he sat down, with a countenance of thoughtfulness + and care. + </p> + <p> + “I tell you what it is,” he said, “this will never do at all. We shall + lose every horse in the band someday or other, and then a pretty plight we + should be in! Now I am convinced that the only way for us is to have every + man in the camp stand horse-guard in rotation whenever we stop. Supposing + a hundred Pawnees should jump up out of that ravine, all yelling and + flapping their buffalo robes, in the way they do? Why, in two minutes not + a hoof would be in sight.” We reminded the captain that a hundred Pawnees + would probably demolish the horse-guard, if he were to resist their + depredations. + </p> + <p> + “At any rate,” pursued the captain, evading the point, “our whole system + is wrong; I’m convinced of it; it is totally unmilitary. Why, the way we + travel, strung out over the prairie for a mile, an enemy might attack the + foremost men, and cut them off before the rest could come up.” + </p> + <p> + “We are not in an enemy’s country, yet,” said Shaw; “when we are, we’ll + travel together.” + </p> + <p> + “Then,” said the captain, “we might be attacked in camp. We’ve no + sentinels; we camp in disorder; no precautions at all to guard against + surprise. My own convictions are that we ought to camp in a hollow square, + with the fires in the center; and have sentinels, and a regular password + appointed for every night. Besides, there should be vedettes, riding in + advance, to find a place for the camp and give warning of an enemy. These + are my convictions. I don’t want to dictate to any man. I give advice to + the best of my judgment, that’s all; and then let people do as they + please.” + </p> + <p> + We intimated that perhaps it would be as well to postpone such burdensome + precautions until there should be some actual need of them; but he shook + his head dubiously. The captain’s sense of military propriety had been + severely shocked by what he considered the irregular proceedings of the + party; and this was not the first time he had expressed himself upon the + subject. But his convictions seldom produced any practical results. In the + present case, he contented himself, as usual, with enlarging on the + importance of his suggestions, and wondering that they were not adopted. + But his plan of sending out vedettes seemed particularly dear to him; and + as no one else was disposed to second his views on this point, he took it + into his head to ride forward that afternoon, himself. + </p> + <p> + “Come, Parkman,” said he, “will you go with me?” + </p> + <p> + We set out together, and rode a mile or two in advance. The captain, in + the course of twenty years’ service in the British army, had seen + something of life; one extensive side of it, at least, he had enjoyed the + best opportunities for studying; and being naturally a pleasant fellow, he + was a very entertaining companion. He cracked jokes and told stories for + an hour or two; until, looking back, we saw the prairie behind us + stretching away to the horizon, without a horseman or a wagon in sight. + </p> + <p> + “Now,” said the captain, “I think the vedettes had better stop till the + main body comes up.” + </p> + <p> + I was of the same opinion. There was a thick growth of woods just before + us, with a stream running through them. Having crossed this, we found on + the other side a fine level meadow, half encircled by the trees; and + fastening our horses to some bushes, we sat down on the grass; while, with + an old stump of a tree for a target, I began to display the superiority of + the renowned rifle of the back woods over the foreign innovation borne by + the captain. At length voices could be heard in the distance behind the + trees. + </p> + <p> + “There they come!” said the captain: “let’s go and see how they get + through the creek.” + </p> + <p> + We mounted and rode to the bank of the stream, where the trail crossed it. + It ran in a deep hollow, full of trees; as we looked down, we saw a + confused crowd of horsemen riding through the water; and among the dingy + habiliment of our party glittered the uniforms of four dragoons. + </p> + <p> + Shaw came whipping his horse up the back, in advance of the rest, with a + somewhat indignant countenance. The first word he spoke was a blessing + fervently invoked on the head of R., who was riding, with a crest-fallen + air, in the rear. Thanks to the ingenious devices of the gentleman, we had + missed the track entirely, and wandered, not toward the Platte, but to the + village of the Iowa Indians. This we learned from the dragoons, who had + lately deserted from Fort Leavenworth. They told us that our best plan now + was to keep to the northward until we should strike the trail formed by + several parties of Oregon emigrants, who had that season set out from St. + Joseph’s in Missouri. + </p> + <p> + In extremely bad temper, we encamped on this ill-starred spot; while the + deserters, whose case admitted of no delay rode rapidly forward. On the + day following, striking the St. Joseph’s trail, we turned our horses’ + heads toward Fort Laramie, then about seven hundred miles to the westward. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0005" id="link2HCH0005"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER V + </h2> + <h3> + “THE BIG BLUE” + </h3> + <p> + The great medley of Oregon and California emigrants, at their camps around + Independence, had heard reports that several additional parties were on + the point of setting out from St. Joseph’s farther to the northward. The + prevailing impression was that these were Mormons, twenty-three hundred in + number; and a great alarm was excited in consequence. The people of + Illinois and Missouri, who composed by far the greater part of the + emigrants, have never been on the best terms with the “Latter Day Saints”; + and it is notorious throughout the country how much blood has been spilt + in their feuds, even far within the limits of the settlements. No one + could predict what would be the result, when large armed bodies of these + fanatics should encounter the most impetuous and reckless of their old + enemies on the broad prairie, far beyond the reach of law or military + force. The women and children at Independence raised a great outcry; the + men themselves were seriously alarmed; and, as I learned, they sent to + Colonel Kearny, requesting an escort of dragoons as far as the Platte. + This was refused; and as the sequel proved, there was no occasion for it. + The St. Joseph’s emigrants were as good Christians and as zealous + Mormon-haters as the rest; and the very few families of the “Saints” who + passed out this season by the route of the Platte remained behind until + the great tide of emigration had gone by; standing in quite as much awe of + the “gentiles” as the latter did of them. + </p> + <p> + We were now, as I before mentioned, upon this St. Joseph’s trail. It was + evident, by the traces, that large parties were a few days in advance of + us; and as we too supposed them to be Mormons, we had some apprehension of + interruption. + </p> + <p> + The journey was somewhat monotonous. One day we rode on for hours, without + seeing a tree or a bush; before, behind, and on either side, stretched the + vast expanse, rolling in a succession of graceful swells, covered with the + unbroken carpet of fresh green grass. Here and there a crow, or a raven, + or a turkey-buzzard, relieved the uniformity. + </p> + <p> + “What shall we do to-night for wood and water?” we began to ask of each + other; for the sun was within an hour of setting. At length a dark green + speck appeared, far off on the right; it was the top of a tree, peering + over a swell of the prairie; and leaving the trail, we made all haste + toward it. It proved to be the vanguard of a cluster of bushes and low + trees, that surrounded some pools of water in an extensive hollow; so we + encamped on the rising ground near it. + </p> + <p> + Shaw and I were sitting in the tent, when Delorier thrust his brown face + and old felt hat into the opening, and dilating his eyes to their utmost + extent, announced supper. There were the tin cups and the iron spoons, + arranged in military order on the grass, and the coffee-pot predominant in + the midst. The meal was soon dispatched; but Henry Chatillon still sat + cross-legged, dallying with the remnant of his coffee, the beverage in + universal use upon the prairie, and an especial favorite with him. He + preferred it in its virgin flavor, unimpaired by sugar or cream; and on + the present occasion it met his entire approval, being exceedingly strong, + or, as he expressed it, “right black.” + </p> + <p> + It was a rich and gorgeous sunset—an American sunset; and the ruddy + glow of the sky was reflected from some extensive pools of water among the + shadowy copses in the meadow below. + </p> + <p> + “I must have a bath to-night,” said Shaw. “How is it, Delorier? Any chance + for a swim down here?” + </p> + <p> + “Ah! I cannot tell; just as you please, monsieur,” replied Delorier, + shrugging his shoulders, perplexed by his ignorance of English, and + extremely anxious to conform in all respects to the opinion and wishes of + his bourgeois. + </p> + <p> + “Look at his moccasion,” said I. “It has evidently been lately immersed in + a profound abyss of black mud.” + </p> + <p> + “Come,” said Shaw; “at any rate we can see for ourselves.” + </p> + <p> + We set out together; and as we approached the bushes, which were at some + distance, we found the ground becoming rather treacherous. We could only + get along by stepping upon large clumps of tall rank grass, with + fathomless gulfs between, like innumerable little quaking islands in an + ocean of mud, where a false step would have involved our boots in a + catastrophe like that which had befallen Delorier’s moccasins. The thing + looked desperate; we separated, so as to search in different directions, + Shaw going off to the right, while I kept straight forward. At last I came + to the edge of the bushes: they were young waterwillows, covered with + their caterpillar-like blossoms, but intervening between them and the last + grass clump was a black and deep slough, over which, by a vigorous + exertion, I contrived to jump. Then I shouldered my way through the + willows, tramping them down by main force, till I came to a wide stream of + water, three inches deep, languidly creeping along over a bottom of sleek + mud. My arrival produced a great commotion. A huge green bull-frog uttered + an indignant croak, and jumped off the bank with a loud splash: his webbed + feet twinkled above the surface, as he jerked them energetically upward, + and I could see him ensconcing himself in the unresisting slime at the + bottom, whence several large air bubbles struggled lazily to the top. Some + little spotted frogs instantly followed the patriarch’s example; and then + three turtles, not larger than a dollar, tumbled themselves off a broad + “lily pad,” where they had been reposing. At the same time a snake, gayly + striped with black and yellow, glided out from the bank, and writhed + across to the other side; and a small stagnant pool into which my foot had + inadvertently pushed a stone was instantly alive with a congregation of + black tadpoles. + </p> + <p> + “Any chance for a bath, where you are?” called out Shaw, from a distance. + </p> + <p> + The answer was not encouraging. I retreated through the willows, and + rejoining my companion, we proceeded to push our researches in company. + Not far on the right, a rising ground, covered with trees and bushes, + seemed to sink down abruptly to the water, and give hope of better + success; so toward this we directed our steps. When we reached the place + we found it no easy matter to get along between the hill and the water, + impeded as we were by a growth of stiff, obstinate young birch-trees, + laced together by grapevines. In the twilight, we now and then, to support + ourselves, snatched at the touch-me-not stem of some ancient sweet-brier. + Shaw, who was in advance, suddenly uttered a somewhat emphatic + monosyllable; and looking up I saw him with one hand grasping a sapling, + and one foot immersed in the water, from which he had forgotten to + withdraw it, his whole attention being engaged in contemplating the + movements of a water-snake, about five feet long, curiously checkered with + black and green, who was deliberately swimming across the pool. There + being no stick or stone at hand to pelt him with, we looked at him for a + time in silent disgust; and then pushed forward. Our perseverence was at + last rewarded; for several rods farther on, we emerged upon a little level + grassy nook among the brushwood, and by an extraordinary dispensation of + fortune, the weeds and floating sticks, which elsewhere covered the pool, + seemed to have drawn apart, and left a few yards of clear water just in + front of this favored spot. We sounded it with a stick; it was four feet + deep; we lifted a specimen in our cupped hands; it seemed reasonably + transparent, so we decided that the time for action was arrived. But our + ablutions were suddenly interrupted by ten thousand punctures, like + poisoned needles, and the humming of myriads of over-grown mosquitoes, + rising in all directions from their native mud and slime and swarming to + the feast. We were fain to beat a retreat with all possible speed. + </p> + <p> + We made toward the tents, much refreshed by the bath which the heat of the + weather, joined to our prejudices, had rendered very desirable. + </p> + <p> + “What’s the matter with the captain? look at him!” said Shaw. The captain + stood alone on the prairie, swinging his hat violently around his head, + and lifting first one foot and then the other, without moving from the + spot. First he looked down to the ground with an air of supreme + abhorrence; then he gazed upward with a perplexed and indignant + countenance, as if trying to trace the flight of an unseen enemy. We + called to know what was the matter; but he replied only by execrations + directed against some unknown object. We approached, when our ears were + saluted by a droning sound, as if twenty bee-hives had been overturned at + once. The air above was full of large black insects, in a state of great + commotion, and multitudes were flying about just above the tops of the + grass blades. + </p> + <p> + “Don’t be afraid,” called the captain, observing us recoil. “The brutes + won’t sting.” + </p> + <p> + At this I knocked one down with my hat, and discovered him to be no other + than a “dorbug”; and looking closer, we found the ground thickly + perforated with their holes. + </p> + <p> + We took a hasty leave of this flourishing colony, and walking up the + rising ground to the tents, found Delorier’s fire still glowing brightly. + We sat down around it, and Shaw began to expatiate on the admirable + facilities for bathing that we had discovered, and recommended the captain + by all means to go down there before breakfast in the morning. The captain + was in the act of remarking that he couldn’t have believed it possible, + when he suddenly interrupted himself, and clapped his hand to his cheek, + exclaiming that “those infernal humbugs were at him again.” In fact, we + began to hear sounds as if bullets were humming over our heads. In a + moment something rapped me sharply on the forehead, then upon the neck, + and immediately I felt an indefinite number of sharp wiry claws in active + motion, as if their owner were bent on pushing his explorations farther. I + seized him, and dropped him into the fire. Our party speedily broke up, + and we adjourned to our respective tents, where, closing the opening fast, + we hoped to be exempt from invasion. But all precaution was fruitless. The + dorbugs hummed through the tent, and marched over our faces until + day-light; when, opening our blankets, we found several dozen clinging + there with the utmost tenacity. The first object that met our eyes in the + morning was Delorier, who seemed to be apostrophizing his frying-pan, + which he held by the handle at arm’s length. It appeared that he had left + it at night by the fire; and the bottom was now covered with dorbugs, + firmly imbedded. Multitudes beside, curiously parched and shriveled, lay + scattered among the ashes. + </p> + <p> + The horses and mules were turned loose to feed. We had just taken our + seats at breakfast, or rather reclined in the classic mode, when an + exclamation from Henry Chatillon, and a shout of alarm from the captain, + gave warning of some casualty, and looking up, we saw the whole band of + animals, twenty-three in number, filing off for the settlements, the + incorrigible Pontiac at their head, jumping along with hobbled feet, at a + gait much more rapid than graceful. Three or four of us ran to cut them + off, dashing as best we might through the tall grass, which was glittering + with myriads of dewdrops. After a race of a mile or more, Shaw caught a + horse. Tying the trail-rope by way of bridle round the animal’s jaw, and + leaping upon his back, he got in advance of the remaining fugitives, while + we, soon bringing them together, drove them in a crowd up to the tents, + where each man caught and saddled his own. Then we heard lamentations and + curses; for half the horses had broke their hobbles, and many were + seriously galled by attempting to run in fetters. + </p> + <p> + It was late that morning before we were on the march; and early in the + afternoon we were compelled to encamp, for a thunder-gust came up and + suddenly enveloped us in whirling sheets of rain. With much ado, we + pitched our tents amid the tempest, and all night long the thunder + bellowed and growled over our heads. In the morning, light peaceful + showers succeeded the cataracts of rain, that had been drenching us + through the canvas of our tents. About noon, when there were some + treacherous indications of fair weather, we got in motion again. + </p> + <p> + Not a breath of air stirred over the free and open prairie; the clouds + were like light piles of cotton; and where the blue sky was visible, it + wore a hazy and languid aspect. The sun beat down upon us with a sultry + penetrating heat almost insupportable, and as our party crept slowly along + over the interminable level, the horses hung their heads as they waded + fetlock deep through the mud, and the men slouched into the easiest + position upon the saddle. At last, toward evening, the old familiar black + heads of thunderclouds rose fast above the horizon, and the same deep + muttering of distant thunder that had become the ordinary accompaniment of + our afternoon’s journey began to roll hoarsely over the prairie. Only a + few minutes elapsed before the whole sky was densely shrouded, and the + prairie and some clusters of woods in front assumed a purple hue beneath + the inky shadows. Suddenly from the densest fold of the cloud the flash + leaped out, quivering again and again down to the edge of the prairie; and + at the same instant came the sharp burst and the long rolling peal of the + thunder. A cool wind, filled with the smell of rain, just then overtook + us, leveling the tall grass by the side of the path. + </p> + <p> + “Come on; we must ride for it!” shouted Shaw, rushing past at full speed, + his led horse snorting at his side. The whole party broke into full + gallop, and made for the trees in front. Passing these, we found beyond + them a meadow which they half inclosed. We rode pell-mell upon the ground, + leaped from horseback, tore off our saddles; and in a moment each man was + kneeling at his horse’s feet. The hobbles were adjusted, and the animals + turned loose; then, as the wagons came wheeling rapidly to the spot, we + seized upon the tent-poles, and just as the storm broke, we were prepared + to receive it. It came upon us almost with the darkness of night; the + trees, which were close at hand, were completely shrouded by the roaring + torrents of rain. + </p> + <p> + We were sitting in the tent, when Delorier, with his broad felt hat + hanging about his ears, and his shoulders glistening with rain, thrust in + his head. + </p> + <p> + “Voulez-vous du souper, tout de suite? I can make a fire, sous la charette—I + b’lieve so—I try.” + </p> + <p> + “Never mind supper, man; come in out of the rain.” + </p> + <p> + Delorier accordingly crouched in the entrance, for modesty would not + permit him to intrude farther. + </p> + <p> + Our tent was none of the best defense against such a cataract. The rain + could not enter bodily, but it beat through the canvas in a fine drizzle, + that wetted us just as effectively. We sat upon our saddles with faces of + the utmost surliness, while the water dropped from the vizors of our caps, + and trickled down our cheeks. My india-rubber cloak conducted twenty + little rapid streamlets to the ground; and Shaw’s blanket-coat was + saturated like a sponge. But what most concerned us was the sight of + several puddles of water rapidly accumulating; one in particular, that was + gathering around the tent-pole, threatened to overspread the whole area + within the tent, holding forth but an indifferent promise of a comfortable + night’s rest. Toward sunset, however, the storm ceased as suddenly as it + began. A bright streak of clear red sky appeared above the western verge + of the prairie, the horizontal rays of the sinking sun streamed through it + and glittered in a thousand prismatic colors upon the dripping groves and + the prostrate grass. The pools in the tent dwindled and sunk into the + saturated soil. + </p> + <p> + But all our hopes were delusive. Scarcely had night set in, when the + tumult broke forth anew. The thunder here is not like the tame thunder of + the Atlantic coast. Bursting with a terrific crash directly above our + heads, it roared over the boundless waste of prairie, seeming to roll + around the whole circle of the firmament with a peculiar and awful + reverberation. The lightning flashed all night, playing with its livid + glare upon the neighboring trees, revealing the vast expanse of the plain, + and then leaving us shut in as by a palpable wall of darkness. + </p> + <p> + It did not disturb us much. Now and then a peal awakened us, and made us + conscious of the electric battle that was raging, and of the floods that + dashed upon the stanch canvas over our heads. We lay upon india-rubber + cloths, placed between our blankets and the soil. For a while they + excluded the water to admiration; but when at length it accumulated and + began to run over the edges, they served equally well to retain it, so + that toward the end of the night we were unconsciously reposing in small + pools of rain. + </p> + <p> + On finally awaking in the morning the prospect was not a cheerful one. The + rain no longer poured in torrents; but it pattered with a quiet + pertinacity upon the strained and saturated canvas. We disengaged + ourselves from our blankets, every fiber of which glistened with little + beadlike drops of water, and looked out in vain hope of discovering some + token of fair weather. The clouds, in lead-colored volumes, rested upon + the dismal verge of the prairie, or hung sluggishly overhead, while the + earth wore an aspect no more attractive than the heavens, exhibiting + nothing but pools of water, grass beaten down, and mud well trampled by + our mules and horses. Our companions’ tent, with an air of forlorn and + passive misery, and their wagons in like manner, drenched and woe-begone, + stood not far off. The captain was just returning from his morning’s + inspection of the horses. He stalked through the mist and rain, with his + plaid around his shoulders; his little pipe, dingy as an antiquarian + relic, projecting from beneath his mustache, and his brother Jack at his + heels. + </p> + <p> + “Good-morning, captain.” + </p> + <p> + “Good-morning to your honors,” said the captain, affecting the Hibernian + accent; but at that instant, as he stooped to enter the tent, he tripped + upon the cords at the entrance, and pitched forward against the guns which + were strapped around the pole in the center. + </p> + <p> + “You are nice men, you are!” said he, after an ejaculation not necessary + to be recorded, “to set a man-trap before your door every morning to catch + your visitors.” + </p> + <p> + Then he sat down upon Henry Chatillon’s saddle. We tossed a piece of + buffalo robe to Jack, who was looking about in some embarrassment. He + spread it on the ground, and took his seat, with a stolid countenance, at + his brother’s side. + </p> + <p> + “Exhilarating weather, captain!” + </p> + <p> + “Oh, delightful, delightful!” replied the captain. “I knew it would be so; + so much for starting yesterday at noon! I knew how it would turn out; and + I said so at the time.” + </p> + <p> + “You said just the contrary to us. We were in no hurry, and only moved + because you insisted on it.” + </p> + <p> + “Gentlemen,” said the captain, taking his pipe from his mouth with an air + of extreme gravity, “it was no plan of mine. There is a man among us who + is determined to have everything his own way. You may express your + opinion; but don’t expect him to listen. You may be as reasonable as you + like: oh, it all goes for nothing! That man is resolved to rule the roost + and he’ll set his face against any plan that he didn’t think of himself.” + </p> + <p> + The captain puffed for a while at his pipe, as if meditating upon his + grievances; then he began again: + </p> + <p> + “For twenty years I have been in the British army; and in all that time I + never had half so much dissension, and quarreling, and nonsense, as since + I have been on this cursed prairie. He’s the most uncomfortable man I ever + met.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” said Jack; “and don’t you know, Bill, how he drank up all the + coffee last night, and put the rest by for himself till the morning!” + </p> + <p> + “He pretends to know everything,” resumed the captain; “nobody must give + orders but he! It’s, oh! we must do this; and, oh! we must do that; and + the tent must be pitched here, and the horses must be picketed there; for + nobody knows as well as he does.” + </p> + <p> + We were a little surprised at this disclosure of domestic dissensions + among our allies, for though we knew of their existence, we were not aware + of their extent. The persecuted captain seeming wholly at a loss as to the + course of conduct that he should pursue, we recommended him to adopt + prompt and energetic measures; but all his military experience had failed + to teach him the indispensable lesson to be “hard,” when the emergency + requires it. + </p> + <p> + “For twenty years,” he repeated, “I have been in the British army, and in + that time I have been intimately acquainted with some two hundred + officers, young and old, and I never yet quarreled with any man. Oh, + ‘anything for a quiet life!’ that’s my maxim.” + </p> + <p> + We intimated that the prairie was hardly the place to enjoy a quiet life, + but that, in the present circumstances, the best thing he could do toward + securing his wished-for tranquillity, was immediately to put a period to + the nuisance that disturbed it. But again the captain’s easy good-nature + recoiled from the task. The somewhat vigorous measures necessary to gain + the desired result were utterly repugnant to him; he preferred to pocket + his grievances, still retaining the privilege of grumbling about them. + “Oh, anything for a quiet life!” he said again, circling back to his + favorite maxim. + </p> + <p> + But to glance at the previous history of our transatlantic confederates. + The captain had sold his commission, and was living in bachelor ease and + dignity in his paternal halls, near Dublin. He hunted, fished, rode + steeple-chases, ran races, and talked of his former exploits. He was + surrounded with the trophies of his rod and gun; the walls were + plentifully garnished, he told us, with moose-horns and deer-horns, + bear-skins, and fox-tails; for the captain’s double-barreled rifle had + seen service in Canada and Jamaica; he had killed salmon in Nova Scotia, + and trout, by his own account, in all the streams of the three kingdoms. + But in an evil hour a seductive stranger came from London; no less a + person than R., who, among other multitudinous wanderings, had once been + upon the western prairies, and naturally enough was anxious to visit them + again. The captain’s imagination was inflamed by the pictures of a + hunter’s paradise that his guest held forth; he conceived an ambition to + add to his other trophies the horns of a buffalo, and the claws of a + grizzly bear; so he and R. struck a league to travel in company. Jack + followed his brother, as a matter of course. Two weeks on board the + Atlantic steamer brought them to Boston; in two weeks more of hard + traveling they reached St. Louis, from which a ride of six days carried + them to the frontier; and here we found them, in full tide of preparation + for their journey. + </p> + <p> + We had been throughout on terms of intimacy with the captain, but R., the + motive power of our companions’ branch of the expedition, was scarcely + known to us. His voice, indeed, might be heard incessantly; but at camp he + remained chiefly within the tent, and on the road he either rode by + himself, or else remained in close conversation with his friend Wright, + the muleteer. As the captain left the tent that morning, I observed R. + standing by the fire, and having nothing else to do, I determined to + ascertain, if possible, what manner of man he was. He had a book under his + arm, but just at present he was engrossed in actively superintending the + operations of Sorel, the hunter, who was cooking some corn-bread over the + coals for breakfast. R. was a well-formed and rather good-looking man, + some thirty years old; considerably younger than the captain. He wore a + beard and mustache of the oakum complexion, and his attire was altogether + more elegant than one ordinarily sees on the prairie. He wore his cap on + one side of his head; his checked shirt, open in front, was in very neat + order, considering the circumstances, and his blue pantaloons, of the John + Bull cut, might once have figured in Bond Street. + </p> + <p> + “Turn over that cake, man! turn it over, quick! Don’t you see it burning?” + </p> + <p> + “It ain’t half done,” growled Sorel, in the amiable tone of a whipped + bull-dog. + </p> + <p> + “It is. Turn it over, I tell you!” + </p> + <p> + Sorel, a strong, sullen-looking Canadian, who from having spent his life + among the wildest and most remote of the Indian tribes, had imbibed much + of their dark, vindictive spirit, looked ferociously up, as if he longed + to leap upon his bourgeois and throttle him; but he obeyed the order, + coming from so experienced an artist. + </p> + <p> + “It was a good idea of yours,” said I, seating myself on the tongue of a + wagon, “to bring Indian meal with you.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, yes” said R. “It’s good bread for the prairie—good bread for + the prairie. I tell you that’s burning again.” + </p> + <p> + Here he stooped down, and unsheathing the silver-mounted hunting-knife in + his belt, began to perform the part of cook himself; at the same time + requesting me to hold for a moment the book under his arm, which + interfered with the exercise of these important functions. I opened it; it + was “Macaulay’s Lays”; and I made some remark, expressing my admiration of + the work. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, yes; a pretty good thing. Macaulay can do better than that though. I + know him very well. I have traveled with him. Where was it we first met—at + Damascus? No, no; it was in Italy.” + </p> + <p> + “So,” said I, “you have been over the same ground with your countryman, + the author of ‘Eothen’? There has been some discussion in America as to + who he is. I have heard Milne’s name mentioned.” + </p> + <p> + “Milne’s? Oh, no, no, no; not at all. It was Kinglake; Kinglake’s the man. + I know him very well; that is, I have seen him.” + </p> + <p> + Here Jack C., who stood by, interposed a remark (a thing not common with + him), observing that he thought the weather would become fair before + twelve o’clock. + </p> + <p> + “It’s going to rain all day,” said R., “and clear up in the middle of the + night.” + </p> + <p> + Just then the clouds began to dissipate in a very unequivocal manner; but + Jack, not caring to defend his point against so authoritative a + declaration, walked away whistling, and we resumed our conversation. + </p> + <p> + “Borrow, the author of ‘The Bible in Spain,’ I presume you know him too?” + </p> + <p> + “Oh, certainly; I know all those men. By the way, they told me that one of + your American writers, Judge Story, had died lately. I edited some of his + works in London; not without faults, though.” + </p> + <p> + Here followed an erudite commentary on certain points of law, in which he + particularly animadverted on the errors into which he considered that the + judge had been betrayed. At length, having touched successively on an + infinite variety of topics, I found that I had the happiness of + discovering a man equally competent to enlighten me upon them all, equally + an authority on matters of science or literature, philosophy or fashion. + The part I bore in the conversation was by no means a prominent one; it + was only necessary to set him going, and when he had run long enough upon + one topic, to divert him to another and lead him on to pour out his heaps + of treasure in succession. + </p> + <p> + “What has that fellow been saying to you?” said Shaw, as I returned to the + tent. “I have heard nothing but his talking for the last half-hour.” + </p> + <p> + R. had none of the peculiar traits of the ordinary “British snob”; his + absurdities were all his own, belonging to no particular nation or clime. + He was possessed with an active devil that had driven him over land and + sea, to no great purpose, as it seemed; for although he had the usual + complement of eyes and ears, the avenues between these organs and his + brain appeared remarkably narrow and untrodden. His energy was much more + conspicuous than his wisdom; but his predominant characteristic was a + magnanimous ambition to exercise on all occasions an awful rule and + supremacy, and this propensity equally displayed itself, as the reader + will have observed, whether the matter in question was the baking of a + hoe-cake or a point of international law. When such diverse elements as he + and the easy-tempered captain came in contact, no wonder some commotion + ensued; R. rode roughshod, from morning till night, over his military + ally. + </p> + <p> + At noon the sky was clear and we set out, trailing through mud and slime + six inches deep. That night we were spared the customary infliction of the + shower bath. + </p> + <p> + On the next afternoon we were moving slowly along, not far from a patch of + woods which lay on the right. Jack C. rode a little in advance; + </p> + <p> + The livelong day he had not spoke; + </p> + <p> + when suddenly he faced about, pointed to the woods, and roared out to his + brother: + </p> + <p> + “O Bill! here’s a cow!” + </p> + <p> + The captain instantly galloped forward, and he and Jack made a vain + attempt to capture the prize; but the cow, with a well-grounded distrust + of their intentions, took refuge among the trees. R. joined them, and they + soon drove her out. We watched their evolutions as they galloped around + here, trying in vain to noose her with their trail-ropes, which they had + converted into lariettes for the occasion. At length they resorted to + milder measures, and the cow was driven along with the party. Soon after + the usual thunderstorm came up, the wind blowing with such fury that the + streams of rain flew almost horizontally along the prairie, roaring like a + cataract. The horses turned tail to the storm, and stood hanging their + heads, bearing the infliction with an air of meekness and resignation; + while we drew our heads between our shoulders, and crouched forward, so as + to make our backs serve as a pent-house for the rest of our persons. + Meanwhile the cow, taking advantage of the tumult, ran off, to the great + discomfiture of the captain, who seemed to consider her as his own + especial prize, since she had been discovered by Jack. In defiance of the + storm, he pulled his cap tight over his brows, jerked a huge buffalo + pistol from his holster, and set out at full speed after her. This was the + last we saw of them for some time, the mist and rain making an + impenetrable veil; but at length we heard the captain’s shout, and saw him + looming through the tempest, the picture of a Hibernian cavalier, with his + cocked pistol held aloft for safety’s sake, and a countenance of anxiety + and excitement. The cow trotted before him, but exhibited evident signs of + an intention to run off again, and the captain was roaring to us to head + her. But the rain had got in behind our coat collars, and was traveling + over our necks in numerous little streamlets, and being afraid to move our + heads, for fear of admitting more, we sat stiff and immovable, looking at + the captain askance, and laughing at his frantic movements. At last the + cow made a sudden plunge and ran off; the captain grasped his pistol + firmly, spurred his horse, and galloped after, with evident designs of + mischief. In a moment we heard the faint report, deadened by the rain, and + then the conqueror and his victim reappeared, the latter shot through the + body, and quite helpless. Not long after the storm moderated and we + advanced again. The cow walked painfully along under the charge of Jack, + to whom the captain had committed her, while he himself rode forward in + his old capacity of vedette. We were approaching a long line of trees, + that followed a stream stretching across our path, far in front, when we + beheld the vedette galloping toward us, apparently much excited, but with + a broad grin on his face. + </p> + <p> + “Let that cow drop behind!” he shouted to us; “here’s her owners!” And in + fact, as we approached the line of trees, a large white object, like a + tent, was visible behind them. On approaching, however, we found, instead + of the expected Mormon camp, nothing but the lonely prairie, and a large + white rock standing by the path. The cow therefore resumed her place in + our procession. She walked on until we encamped, when R. firmly + approaching with his enormous English double-barreled rifle, calmly and + deliberately took aim at her heart, and discharged into it first one + bullet and then the other. She was then butchered on the most approved + principles of woodcraft, and furnished a very welcome item to our somewhat + limited bill of fare. + </p> + <p> + In a day or two more we reached the river called the “Big Blue.” By titles + equally elegant, almost all the streams of this region are designated. We + had struggled through ditches and little brooks all that morning; but on + traversing the dense woods that lined the banks of the Blue, we found more + formidable difficulties awaited us, for the stream, swollen by the rains, + was wide, deep, and rapid. + </p> + <p> + No sooner were we on the spot than R. had flung off his clothes, and was + swimming across, or splashing through the shallows, with the end of a rope + between his teeth. We all looked on in admiration, wondering what might be + the design of this energetic preparation; but soon we heard him shouting: + “Give that rope a turn round that stump! You, Sorel: do you hear? Look + sharp now, Boisverd! Come over to this side, some of you, and help me!” + The men to whom these orders were directed paid not the least attention to + them, though they were poured out without pause or intermission. Henry + Chatillon directed the work, and it proceeded quietly and rapidly. R.‘s + sharp brattling voice might have been heard incessantly; and he was + leaping about with the utmost activity, multiplying himself, after the + manner of great commanders, as if his universal presence and supervision + were of the last necessity. His commands were rather amusingly + inconsistent; for when he saw that the men would not do as he told them, + he wisely accommodated himself to circumstances, and with the utmost + vehemence ordered them to do precisely that which they were at the time + engaged upon, no doubt recollecting the story of Mahomet and the + refractory mountain. Shaw smiled significantly; R. observed it, and, + approaching with a countenance of lofty indignation, began to vapor a + little, but was instantly reduced to silence. + </p> + <p> + The raft was at length complete. We piled our goods upon it, with the + exception of our guns, which each man chose to retain in his own keeping. + Sorel, Boisverd, Wright and Delorier took their stations at the four + corners, to hold it together, and swim across with it; and in a moment + more, all our earthly possessions were floating on the turbid waters of + the Big Blue. We sat on the bank, anxiously watching the result, until we + saw the raft safe landed in a little cove far down on the opposite bank. + The empty wagons were easily passed across; and then each man mounting a + horse, we rode through the stream, the stray animals following of their + own accord. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0006" id="link2HCH0006"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER VI + </h2> + <h3> + THE PLATTE AND THE DESERT + </h3> + <p> + We were now arrived at the close of our solitary journeyings along the St. + Joseph’s trail. On the evening of the 23d of May we encamped near its + junction with the old legitimate trail of the Oregon emigrants. We had + ridden long that afternoon, trying in vain to find wood and water, until + at length we saw the sunset sky reflected from a pool encircled by bushes + and a rock or two. The water lay in the bottom of a hollow, the smooth + prairie gracefully rising in oceanlike swells on every side. We pitched + our tents by it; not however before the keen eye of Henry Chatillon had + discerned some unusual object upon the faintly-defined outline of the + distant swell. But in the moist, hazy atmosphere of the evening, nothing + could be clearly distinguished. As we lay around the fire after supper, a + low and distant sound, strange enough amid the loneliness of the prairie, + reached our ears—peals of laughter, and the faint voices of men and + women. For eight days we had not encountered a human being, and this + singular warning of their vicinity had an effect extremely wild and + impressive. + </p> + <p> + About dark a sallow-faced fellow descended the hill on horseback, and + splashing through the pool rode up to the tents. He was enveloped in a + huge cloak, and his broad felt hat was weeping about his ears with the + drizzling moisture of the evening. Another followed, a stout, + square-built, intelligent-looking man, who announced himself as leader of + an emigrant party encamped a mile in advance of us. About twenty wagons, + he said, were with him; the rest of his party were on the other side of + the Big Blue, waiting for a woman who was in the pains of child-birth, and + quarreling meanwhile among themselves. + </p> + <p> + These were the first emigrants that we had overtaken, although we had + found abundant and melancholy traces of their progress throughout the + whole course of the journey. Sometimes we passed the grave of one who had + sickened and died on the way. The earth was usually torn up, and covered + thickly with wolf-tracks. Some had escaped this violation. One morning a + piece of plank, standing upright on the summit of a grassy hill, attracted + our notice, and riding up to it we found the following words very roughly + traced upon it, apparently by a red-hot piece of iron: + </p> + <p> + MARY ELLIS DIED MAY 7TH, 1845. + </p> + <p> + Aged two months. + </p> + <p> + Such tokens were of common occurrence, nothing could speak more for the + hardihood, or rather infatuation, of the adventurers, or the sufferings + that await them upon the journey. + </p> + <p> + We were late in breaking up our camp on the following morning, and + scarcely had we ridden a mile when we saw, far in advance of us, drawn + against the horizon, a line of objects stretching at regular intervals + along the level edge of the prairie. An intervening swell soon hid them + from sight, until, ascending it a quarter of an hour after, we saw close + before us the emigrant caravan, with its heavy white wagons creeping on in + their slow procession, and a large drove of cattle following behind. Half + a dozen yellow-visaged Missourians, mounted on horseback, were cursing and + shouting among them; their lank angular proportions enveloped in brown + homespun, evidently cut and adjusted by the hands of a domestic female + tailor. As we approached, they greeted us with the polished salutation: + “How are ye, boys? Are ye for Oregon or California?” + </p> + <p> + As we pushed rapidly past the wagons, children’s faces were thrust out + from the white coverings to look at us; while the care-worn, thin-featured + matron, or the buxom girl, seated in front, suspended the knitting on + which most of them were engaged to stare at us with wondering curiosity. + By the side of each wagon stalked the proprietor, urging on his patient + oxen, who shouldered heavily along, inch by inch, on their interminable + journey. It was easy to see that fear and dissension prevailed among them; + some of the men—but these, with one exception, were bachelors—looked + wistfully upon us as we rode lightly and swiftly past, and then + impatiently at their own lumbering wagons and heavy-gaited oxen. Others + were unwilling to advance at all until the party they had left behind + should have rejoined them. Many were murmuring against the leader they had + chosen, and wished to depose him; and this discontent was fermented by + some ambitious spirits, who had hopes of succeeding in his place. The + women were divided between regrets for the homes they had left and + apprehension of the deserts and the savages before them. + </p> + <p> + We soon left them far behind, and fondly hoped that we had taken a final + leave; but unluckily our companions’ wagon stuck so long in a deep muddy + ditch that, before it was extricated, the van of the emigrant caravan + appeared again, descending a ridge close at hand. Wagon after wagon + plunged through the mud; and as it was nearly noon, and the place promised + shade and water, we saw with much gratification that they were resolved to + encamp. Soon the wagons were wheeled into a circle; the cattle were + grazing over the meadow, and the men with sour, sullen faces, were looking + about for wood and water. They seemed to meet with but indifferent + success. As we left the ground, I saw a tall slouching fellow with the + nasal accent of “down east,” contemplating the contents of his tin cup, + which he had just filled with water. + </p> + <p> + “Look here, you,” he said; “it’s chock full of animals!” + </p> + <p> + The cup, as he held it out, exhibited in fact an extraordinary variety and + profusion of animal and vegetable life. + </p> + <p> + Riding up the little hill and looking back on the meadow, we could easily + see that all was not right in the camp of the emigrants. The men were + crowded together, and an angry discussion seemed to be going forward. R. + was missing from his wonted place in the line, and the captain told us + that he had remained behind to get his horse shod by a blacksmith who was + attached to the emigrant party. Something whispered in our ears that + mischief was on foot; we kept on, however, and coming soon to a stream of + tolerable water, we stopped to rest and dine. Still the absentee lingered + behind. At last, at the distance of a mile, he and his horse suddenly + appeared, sharply defined against the sky on the summit of a hill; and + close behind, a huge white object rose slowly into view. + </p> + <p> + “What is that blockhead bringing with him now?” + </p> + <p> + A moment dispelled the mystery. Slowly and solemnly one behind the other, + four long trains of oxen and four emigrant wagons rolled over the crest of + the declivity and gravely descended, while R. rode in state in the van. It + seems that, during the process of shoeing the horse, the smothered + dissensions among the emigrants suddenly broke into open rupture. Some + insisted on pushing forward, some on remaining where they were, and some + on going back. Kearsley, their captain, threw up his command in disgust. + “And now, boys,” said he, “if any of you are for going ahead, just you + come along with me.” + </p> + <p> + Four wagons, with ten men, one woman, and one small child, made up the + force of the “go-ahead” faction, and R., with his usual proclivity toward + mischief, invited them to join our party. Fear of the Indians—for I + can conceive of no other motive—must have induced him to court so + burdensome an alliance. As may well be conceived, these repeated instances + of high-handed dealing sufficiently exasperated us. In this case, indeed, + the men who joined us were all that could be desired; rude indeed in + manner, but frank, manly, and intelligent. To tell them we could not + travel with them was of course out of the question. I merely reminded + Kearsley that if his oxen could not keep up with our mules he must expect + to be left behind, as we could not consent to be further delayed on the + journey; but he immediately replied, that his oxen “SHOULD keep up; and if + they couldn’t, why he allowed that he’d find out how to make ‘em!” Having + availed myself of what satisfaction could be derived from giving R. to + understand my opinion of his conduct, I returned to our side of the camp. + </p> + <p> + On the next day, as it chanced, our English companions broke the axle-tree + of their wagon, and down came the whole cumbrous machine lumbering into + the bed of a brook! Here was a day’s work cut out for us. Meanwhile, our + emigrant associates kept on their way, and so vigorously did they urge + forward their powerful oxen that, with the broken axle-tree and other + calamities, it was full a week before we overtook them; when at length we + discovered them, one afternoon, crawling quietly along the sandy brink of + the Platte. But meanwhile various incidents occurred to ourselves. + </p> + <p> + It was probable that at this stage of our journey the Pawnees would + attempt to rob us. We began therefore to stand guard in turn, dividing the + night into three watches, and appointing two men for each. Delorier and I + held guard together. We did not march with military precision to and fro + before the tents; our discipline was by no means so stringent and rigid. + We wrapped ourselves in our blankets, and sat down by the fire; and + Delorier, combining his culinary functions with his duties as sentinel, + employed himself in boiling the head of an antelope for our morning’s + repast. Yet we were models of vigilance in comparison with some of the + party; for the ordinary practice of the guard was to establish himself in + the most comfortable posture he could; lay his rifle on the ground, and + enveloping his nose in the blanket, meditate on his mistress, or whatever + subject best pleased him. This is all well enough when among Indians who + do not habitually proceed further in their hostility than robbing + travelers of their horses and mules, though, indeed, a Pawnee’s + forebearance is not always to be trusted; but in certain regions farther + to the west, the guard must beware how he exposes his person to the light + of the fire, lest perchance some keen-eyed skulking marksman should let + fly a bullet or an arrow from amid the darkness. + </p> + <p> + Among various tales that circulated around our camp fire was a rather + curious one, told by Boisverd, and not inappropriate here. Boisverd was + trapping with several companions on the skirts of the Blackfoot country. + The man on guard, well knowing that it behooved him to put forth his + utmost precaution, kept aloof from the firelight, and sat watching + intently on all sides. At length he was aware of a dark, crouching figure, + stealing noiselessly into the circle of the light. He hastily cocked his + rifle, but the sharp click of the lock caught the ear of Blackfoot, whose + senses were all on the alert. Raising his arrow, already fitted to the + string, he shot in the direction of the sound. So sure was his aim that he + drove it through the throat of the unfortunate guard, and then, with a + loud yell, bounded from the camp. + </p> + <p> + As I looked at the partner of my watch, puffing and blowing over his fire, + it occurred to me that he might not prove the most efficient auxiliary in + time of trouble. + </p> + <p> + “Delorier,” said I, “would you run away if the Pawnees should fire at us?” + </p> + <p> + “Ah! oui, oui, monsieur!” he replied very decisively. + </p> + <p> + I did not doubt the fact, but was a little surprised at the frankness of + the confession. + </p> + <p> + At this instant a most whimsical variety of voices—barks, howls, + yelps, and whines—all mingled as it were together, sounded from the + prairie, not far off, as if a whole conclave of wolves of every age and + sex were assembled there. Delorier looked up from his work with a laugh, + and began to imitate this curious medley of sounds with a most ludicrous + accuracy. At this they were repeated with redoubled emphasis, the musician + being apparently indignant at the successful efforts of a rival. They all + proceeded from the throat of one little wolf, not larger than a spaniel, + seated by himself at some distance. He was of the species called the + prairie wolf; a grim-visaged, but harmless little brute, whose worst + propensity is creeping among horses and gnawing the ropes of raw hide by + which they are picketed around the camp. But other beasts roam the + prairies, far more formidable in aspect and in character. These are the + large white and gray wolves, whose deep howl we heard at intervals from + far and near. + </p> + <p> + At last I fell into a doze, and, awakening from it, found Delorier fast + asleep. Scandalized by this breach of discipline, I was about to stimulate + his vigilance by stirring him with the stock of my rifle; but compassion + prevailing, I determined to let him sleep awhile, and then to arouse him, + and administer a suitable reproof for such a forgetfulness of duty. Now + and then I walked the rounds among the silent horses, to see that all was + right. The night was chill, damp, and dark, the dank grass bending under + the icy dewdrops. At the distance of a rod or two the tents were + invisible, and nothing could be seen but the obscure figures of the + horses, deeply breathing, and restlessly starting as they slept, or still + slowly champing the grass. Far off, beyond the black outline of the + prairie, there was a ruddy light, gradually increasing, like the glow of a + conflagration; until at length the broad disk of the moon, blood-red, and + vastly magnified by the vapors, rose slowly upon the darkness, flecked by + one or two little clouds, and as the light poured over the gloomy plain, a + fierce and stern howl, close at hand, seemed to greet it as an unwelcome + intruder. There was something impressive and awful in the place and the + hour; for I and the beasts were all that had consciousness for many a + league around. + </p> + <p> + Some days elapsed, and brought us near the Platte. Two men on horseback + approached us one morning, and we watched them with the curiosity and + interest that, upon the solitude of the plains, such an encounter always + excites. They were evidently whites, from their mode of riding, though, + contrary to the usage of that region, neither of them carried a rifle. + </p> + <p> + “Fools!” remarked Henry Chatillon, “to ride that way on the prairie; + Pawnee find them—then they catch it!” + </p> + <p> + Pawnee HAD found them, and they had come very near “catching it”; indeed, + nothing saved them from trouble but the approach of our party. Shaw and I + knew one of them; a man named Turner, whom we had seen at Westport. He and + his companion belonged to an emigrant party encamped a few miles in + advance, and had returned to look for some stray oxen, leaving their + rifles, with characteristic rashness or ignorance behind them. Their + neglect had nearly cost them dear; for just before we came up, half a + dozen Indians approached, and seeing them apparently defenseless, one of + the rascals seized the bridle of Turner’s fine horse, and ordered him to + dismount. Turner was wholly unarmed; but the other jerked a little + revolving pistol out of his pocket, at which the Pawnee recoiled; and just + then some of our men appearing in the distance, the whole party whipped + their rugged little horses, and made off. In no way daunted, Turner + foolishly persisted in going forward. + </p> + <p> + Long after leaving him, and late this afternoon, in the midst of a gloomy + and barren prairie, we came suddenly upon the great Pawnee trail, leading + from their villages on the Platte to their war and hunting grounds to the + southward. Here every summer pass the motley concourse; thousands of + savages, men, women, and children, horses and mules, laden with their + weapons and implements, and an innumerable multitude of unruly wolfish + dogs, who have not acquired the civilized accomplishment of barking, but + howl like their wild cousins of the prairie. + </p> + <p> + The permanent winter villages of the Pawnees stand on the lower Platte, + but throughout the summer the greater part of the inhabitants are + wandering over the plains, a treacherous cowardly banditti, who by a + thousand acts of pillage and murder have deserved summary chastisement at + the hands of government. Last year a Dakota warrior performed a signal + exploit at one of these villages. He approached it alone in the middle of + a dark night, and clambering up the outside of one of the lodges which are + in the form of a half-sphere, he looked in at the round hole made at the + top for the escape of smoke. The dusky light from the smoldering embers + showed him the forms of the sleeping inmates; and dropping lightly through + the opening, he unsheathed his knife, and stirring the fire coolly + selected his victims. One by one he stabbed and scalped them, when a child + suddenly awoke and screamed. He rushed from the lodge, yelled a Sioux + war-cry, shouted his name in triumph and defiance, and in a moment had + darted out upon the dark prairie, leaving the whole village behind him in + a tumult, with the howling and baying of dogs, the screams of women and + the yells of the enraged warriors. + </p> + <p> + Our friend Kearsley, as we learned on rejoining him, signalized himself by + a less bloody achievement. He and his men were good woodsmen, and well + skilled in the use of the rifle, but found themselves wholly out of their + element on the prairie. None of them had ever seen a buffalo and they had + very vague conceptions of his nature and appearance. On the day after they + reached the Platte, looking toward a distant swell, they beheld a + multitude of little black specks in motion upon its surface. + </p> + <p> + “Take your rifles, boys,” said Kearslcy, “and we’ll have fresh meat for + supper.” This inducement was quite sufficient. The ten men left their + wagons and set out in hot haste, some on horseback and some on foot, in + pursuit of the supposed buffalo. Meanwhile a high grassy ridge shut the + game from view; but mounting it after half an hour’s running and riding, + they found themselves suddenly confronted by about thirty mounted Pawnees! + The amazement and consternation were mutual. Having nothing but their bows + and arrows, the Indians thought their hour was come, and the fate that + they were no doubt conscious of richly deserving about to overtake them. + So they began, one and all, to shout forth the most cordial salutations of + friendship, running up with extreme earnestness to shake hands with the + Missourians, who were as much rejoiced as they were to escape the expected + conflict. + </p> + <p> + A low undulating line of sand-hills bounded the horizon before us. That + day we rode ten consecutive hours, and it was dusk before we entered the + hollows and gorges of these gloomy little hills. At length we gained the + summit, and the long expected valley of the Platte lay before us. We all + drew rein, and, gathering in a knot on the crest of the hill, sat joyfully + looking down upon the prospect. It was right welcome; strange too, and + striking to the imagination, and yet it had not one picturesque or + beautiful feature; nor had it any of the features of grandeur, other than + its vast extent, its solitude, and its wilderness. For league after league + a plain as level as a frozen lake was outspread beneath us; here and there + the Platte, divided into a dozen threadlike sluices, was traversing it, + and an occasional clump of wood, rising in the midst like a shadowy + island, relieved the monotony of the waste. No living thing was moving + throughout the vast landscape, except the lizards that darted over the + sand and through the rank grass and prickly-pear just at our feet. And yet + stern and wild associations gave a singular interest to the view; for here + each man lives by the strength of his arm and the valor of his heart. Here + society is reduced to its original elements, the whole fabric of art and + conventionality is struck rudely to pieces, and men find themselves + suddenly brought back to the wants and resources of their original + natures. + </p> + <p> + We had passed the more toilsome and monotonous part of the journey; but + four hundred miles still intervened between us and Fort Laramie; and to + reach that point cost us the travel of three additional weeks. During the + whole of this time we were passing up the center of a long narrow sandy + plain, reaching like an outstretched belt nearly to the Rocky Mountains. + Two lines of sand-hills, broken often into the wildest and most fantastic + forms, flanked the valley at the distance of a mile or two on the right + and left; while beyond them lay a barren, trackless waste—The Great + American Desert—extending for hundreds of miles to the Arkansas on + the one side, and the Missouri on the other. Before us and behind us, the + level monotony of the plain was unbroken as far as the eye could reach. + Sometimes it glared in the sun, an expanse of hot, bare sand; sometimes it + was veiled by long coarse grass. Huge skulls and whitening bones of + buffalo were scattered everywhere; the ground was tracked by myriads of + them, and often covered with the circular indentations where the bulls had + wallowed in the hot weather. From every gorge and ravine, opening from the + hills, descended deep, well-worn paths, where the buffalo issue twice a + day in regular procession down to drink in the Platte. The river itself + runs through the midst, a thin sheet of rapid, turbid water, half a mile + wide, and scarce two feet deep. Its low banks for the most part without a + bush or a tree, are of loose sand, with which the stream is so charged + that it grates on the teeth in drinking. The naked landscape is, of + itself, dreary and monotonous enough, and yet the wild beasts and wild men + that frequent the valley of the Platte make it a scene of interest and + excitement to the traveler. Of those who have journeyed there, scarce one, + perhaps, fails to look back with fond regret to his horse and his rifle. + </p> + <p> + Early in the morning after we reached the Platte, a long procession of + squalid savages approached our camp. Each was on foot, leading his horse + by a rope of bull-hide. His attire consisted merely of a scanty cincture + and an old buffalo robe, tattered and begrimed by use, which hung over his + shoulders. His head was close shaven, except a ridge of hair reaching over + the crown from the center of the forehead, very much like the long + bristles on the back of a hyena, and he carried his bow and arrows in his + hand, while his meager little horse was laden with dried buffalo meat, the + produce of his hunting. Such were the first specimens that we met—and + very indifferent ones they were—of the genuine savages of the + prairie. + </p> + <p> + They were the Pawnees whom Kearsley had encountered the day before, and + belonged to a large hunting party known to be ranging the prairie in the + vicinity. They strode rapidly past, within a furlong of our tents, not + pausing or looking toward us, after the manner of Indians when meditating + mischief or conscious of ill-desert. I went out and met them; and had an + amicable conference with the chief, presenting him with half a pound of + tobacco, at which unmerited bounty he expressed much gratification. These + fellows, or some of their companions had committed a dastardly outrage + upon an emigrant party in advance of us. Two men, out on horseback at a + distance, were seized by them, but lashing their horses, they broke loose + and fled. At this the Pawnees raised the yell and shot at them, + transfixing the hindermost through the back with several arrows, while his + companion galloped away and brought in the news to his party. The + panic-stricken emigrants remained for several days in camp, not daring + even to send out in quest of the dead body. + </p> + <p> + The reader will recollect Turner, the man whose narrow escape was + mentioned not long since. We heard that the men, whom the entreaties of + his wife induced to go in search of him, found him leisurely driving along + his recovered oxen, and whistling in utter contempt of the Pawnee nation. + His party was encamped within two miles of us; but we passed them that + morning, while the men were driving in the oxen, and the women packing + their domestic utensils and their numerous offspring in the spacious + patriarchal wagons. As we looked back we saw their caravan dragging its + slow length along the plain; wearily toiling on its way, to found new + empires in the West. + </p> + <p> + Our New England climate is mild and equable compared with that of the + Platte. This very morning, for instance, was close and sultry, the sun + rising with a faint oppressive heat; when suddenly darkness gathered in + the west, and a furious blast of sleet and hail drove full in our faces, + icy cold, and urged with such demoniac vehemence that it felt like a storm + of needles. It was curious to see the horses; they faced about in extreme + displeasure, holding their tails like whipped dogs, and shivering as the + angry gusts, howling louder than a concert of wolves, swept over us. + Wright’s long train of mules came sweeping round before the storm like a + flight of brown snowbirds driven by a winter tempest. Thus we all remained + stationary for some minutes, crouching close to our horses’ necks, much + too surly to speak, though once the captain looked up from between the + collars of his coat, his face blood-red, and the muscles of his mouth + contracted by the cold into a most ludicrous grin of agony. He grumbled + something that sounded like a curse, directed as we believed, against the + unhappy hour when he had first thought of leaving home. The thing was too + good to last long; and the instant the puffs of wind subsided we erected + our tents, and remained in camp for the rest of a gloomy and lowering day. + The emigrants also encamped near at hand. We, being first on the ground, + had appropriated all the wood within reach; so that our fire alone blazed + cheerfully. Around it soon gathered a group of uncouth figures, shivering + in the drizzling rain. Conspicuous among them were two or three of the + half-savage men who spend their reckless lives in trapping among the Rocky + Mountains, or in trading for the Fur Company in the Indian villages. They + were all of Canadian extraction; their hard, weather-beaten faces and + bushy mustaches looked out from beneath the hoods of their white capotes + with a bad and brutish expression, as if their owner might be the willing + agent of any villainy. And such in fact is the character of many of these + men. + </p> + <p> + On the day following we overtook Kearsley’s wagons, and thenceforward, for + a week or two, we were fellow-travelers. One good effect, at least, + resulted from the alliance; it materially diminished the serious fatigue + of standing guard; for the party being now more numerous, there were + longer intervals between each man’s turns of duty. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0007" id="link2HCH0007"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER VII + </h2> + <h3> + THE BUFFALO + </h3> + <p> + Four days on the Platte, and yet no buffalo! Last year’s signs of them + were provokingly abundant; and wood being extremely scarce, we found an + admirable substitute in bois de vache, which burns exactly like peat, + producing no unpleasant effects. The wagons one morning had left the camp; + Shaw and I were already on horseback, but Henry Chatillon still sat + cross-legged by the dead embers of the fire, playing pensively with the + lock of his rifle, while his sturdy Wyandotte pony stood quietly behind + him, looking over his head. At last he got up, patted the neck of the pony + (whom, from an exaggerated appreciation of his merits, he had christened + “Five Hundred Dollar”), and then mounted with a melancholy air. + </p> + <p> + “What is it, Henry?” + </p> + <p> + “Ah, I feel lonesome; I never been here before; but I see away yonder over + the buttes, and down there on the prairie, black—all black with + buffalo!” + </p> + <p> + In the afternoon he and I left the party in search of an antelope; until + at the distance of a mile or two on the right, the tall white wagons and + the little black specks of horsemen were just visible, so slowly advancing + that they seemed motionless; and far on the left rose the broken line of + scorched, desolate sand-hills. The vast plain waved with tall rank grass + that swept our horses’ bellies; it swayed to and fro in billows with the + light breeze, and far and near antelope and wolves were moving through it, + the hairy backs of the latter alternately appearing and disappearing as + they bounded awkwardly along; while the antelope, with the simple + curiosity peculiar to them, would often approach as closely, their little + horns and white throats just visible above the grass tops, as they gazed + eagerly at us with their round black eyes. + </p> + <p> + I dismounted, and amused myself with firing at the wolves. Henry + attentively scrutinized the surrounding landscape; at length he gave a + shout, and called on me to mount again, pointing in the direction of the + sand-hills. A mile and a half from us, two minute black specks slowly + traversed the face of one of the bare glaring declivities, and disappeared + behind the summit. “Let us go!” cried Henry, belaboring the sides of Five + Hundred Dollar; and I following in his wake, we galloped rapidly through + the rank grass toward the base of the hills. + </p> + <p> + From one of their openings descended a deep ravine, widening as it issued + on the prairie. We entered it, and galloping up, in a moment were + surrounded by the bleak sand-hills. Half of their steep sides were bare; + the rest were scantily clothed with clumps of grass, and various uncouth + plants, conspicuous among which appeared the reptile-like prickly-pear. + They were gashed with numberless ravines; and as the sky had suddenly + darkened, and a cold gusty wind arisen, the strange shrubs and the dreary + hills looked doubly wild and desolate. But Henry’s face was all eagerness. + He tore off a little hair from the piece of buffalo robe under his saddle, + and threw it up, to show the course of the wind. It blew directly before + us. The game were therefore to windward, and it was necessary to make our + best speed to get around them. + </p> + <p> + We scrambled from this ravine, and galloping away through the hollows, + soon found another, winding like a snake among the hills, and so deep that + it completely concealed us. We rode up the bottom of it, glancing through + the shrubbery at its edge, till Henry abruptly jerked his rein, and slid + out of his saddle. Full a quarter of a mile distant, on the outline of the + farthest hill, a long procession of buffalo were walking, in Indian file, + with the utmost gravity and deliberation; then more appeared, clambering + from a hollow not far off, and ascending, one behind the other, the grassy + slope of another hill; then a shaggy head and a pair of short broken horns + appeared issuing out of a ravine close at hand, and with a slow, stately + step, one by one, the enormous brutes came into view, taking their way + across the valley, wholly unconscious of an enemy. In a moment Henry was + worming his way, lying flat on the ground, through grass and + prickly-pears, toward his unsuspecting victims. He had with him both my + rifle and his own. He was soon out of sight, and still the buffalo kept + issuing into the valley. For a long time all was silent. I sat holding his + horse, and wondering what he was about, when suddenly, in rapid + succession, came the sharp reports of the two rifles, and the whole line + of buffalo, quickening their pace into a clumsy trot, gradually + disappeared over the ridge of the hill. Henry rose to his feet, and stood + looking after them. + </p> + <p> + “You have missed them,” said I. + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” said Henry; “let us go.” He descended into the ravine, loaded the + rifles, and mounted his horse. + </p> + <p> + We rode up the hill after the buffalo. The herd was out of sight when we + reached the top, but lying on the grass not far off, was one quite + lifeless, and another violently struggling in the death agony. + </p> + <p> + “You see I miss him!” remarked Henry. He had fired from a distance of more + than a hundred and fifty yards, and both balls had passed through the + lungs—the true mark in shooting buffalo. + </p> + <p> + The darkness increased, and a driving storm came on. Tying our horses to + the horns of the victims, Henry began the bloody work of dissection, + slashing away with the science of a connoisseur, while I vainly endeavored + to imitate him. Old Hendrick recoiled with horror and indignation when I + endeavored to tie the meat to the strings of raw hide, always carried for + this purpose, dangling at the back of the saddle. After some difficulty we + overcame his scruples; and heavily burdened with the more eligible + portions of the buffalo, we set out on our return. Scarcely had we emerged + from the labyrinth of gorges and ravines, and issued upon the open + prairie, when the pricking sleet came driving, gust upon gust, directly in + our faces. It was strangely dark, though wanting still an hour of sunset. + The freezing storm soon penetrated to the skin, but the uneasy trot of our + heavy-gaited horses kept us warm enough, as we forced them unwillingly in + the teeth of the sleet and rain, by the powerful suasion of our Indian + whips. The prairie in this place was hard and level. A flourishing colony + of prairie dogs had burrowed into it in every direction, and the little + mounds of fresh earth around their holes were about as numerous as the + hills in a cornfield; but not a yelp was to be heard; not the nose of a + single citizen was visible; all had retired to the depths of their + burrows, and we envied them their dry and comfortable habitations. An + hour’s hard riding showed us our tent dimly looming through the storm, one + side puffed out by the force of the wind, and the other collapsed in + proportion, while the disconsolate horses stood shivering close around, + and the wind kept up a dismal whistling in the boughs of three old + half-dead trees above. Shaw, like a patriarch, sat on his saddle in the + entrance, with a pipe in his mouth, and his arms folded, contemplating, + with cool satisfaction, the piles of meat that we flung on the ground + before him. A dark and dreary night succeeded; but the sun rose with heat + so sultry and languid that the captain excused himself on that account + from waylaying an old buffalo bull, who with stupid gravity was walking + over the prairie to drink at the river. So much for the climate of the + Platte! + </p> + <p> + But it was not the weather alone that had produced this sudden abatement + of the sportsmanlike zeal which the captain had always professed. He had + been out on the afternoon before, together with several members of his + party; but their hunting was attended with no other result than the loss + of one of their best horses, severely injured by Sorel, in vainly chasing + a wounded bull. The captain, whose ideas of hard riding were all derived + from transatlantic sources, expressed the utmost amazement at the feats of + Sorel, who went leaping ravines, and dashing at full speed up and down the + sides of precipitous hills, lashing his horse with the recklessness of a + Rocky Mountain rider. Unfortunately for the poor animal he was the + property of R., against whom Sorel entertained an unbounded aversion. The + captain himself, it seemed, had also attempted to “run” a buffalo, but + though a good and practiced horseman, he had soon given over the attempt, + being astonished and utterly disgusted at the nature of the ground he was + required to ride over. + </p> + <p> + Nothing unusual occurred on that day; but on the following morning Henry + Chatillon, looking over the oceanlike expanse, saw near the foot of the + distant hills something that looked like a band of buffalo. He was not + sure, he said, but at all events, if they were buffalo, there was a fine + chance for a race. Shaw and I at once determined to try the speed of our + horses. + </p> + <p> + “Come, captain; we’ll see which can ride hardest, a Yankee or an + Irishman.” + </p> + <p> + But the captain maintained a grave and austere countenance. He mounted his + led horse, however, though very slowly; and we set out at a trot. The game + appeared about three miles distant. As we proceeded the captain made + various remarks of doubt and indecision; and at length declared he would + have nothing to do with such a breakneck business; protesting that he had + ridden plenty of steeple-chases in his day, but he never knew what riding + was till he found himself behind a band of buffalo day before yesterday. + “I am convinced,” said the captain, “that, ‘running’ is out of the + question.* Take my advice now and don’t attempt it. It’s dangerous, and of + no use at all.” + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + *The method of hunting called “running” consists in + attacking the buffalo on horseback and shooting him with + bullets or arrows when at full-speed. In “approaching,” the + hunter conceals himself and crawls on the ground toward the + game, or lies in wait to kill them. +</pre> + <p> + “Then why did you come out with us? What do you mean to do?” + </p> + <p> + “I shall ‘approach,’” replied the captain. + </p> + <p> + “You don’t mean to ‘approach’ with your pistols, do you? We have all of us + left our rifles in the wagons.” + </p> + <p> + The captain seemed staggered at the suggestion. In his characteristic + indecision, at setting out, pistols, rifles, “running” and “approaching” + were mingled in an inextricable medley in his brain. He trotted on in + silence between us for a while; but at length he dropped behind and slowly + walked his horse back to rejoin the party. Shaw and I kept on; when lo! as + we advanced, the band of buffalo were transformed into certain clumps of + tall bushes, dotting the prairie for a considerable distance. At this + ludicrous termination of our chase, we followed the example of our late + ally, and turned back toward the party. We were skirting the brink of a + deep ravine, when we saw Henry and the broad-chested pony coming toward us + at a gallop. + </p> + <p> + “Here’s old Papin and Frederic, down from Fort Laramie!” shouted Henry, + long before he came up. We had for some days expected this encounter. + Papin was the bourgeois of Fort Laramie. He had come down the river with + the buffalo robes and the beaver, the produce of the last winter’s + trading. I had among our baggage a letter which I wished to commit to + their hands; so requesting Henry to detain the boats if he could until my + return, I set out after the wagons. They were about four miles in advance. + In half an hour I overtook them, got the letter, trotted back upon the + trail, and looking carefully, as I rode, saw a patch of broken, + storm-blasted trees, and moving near them some little black specks like + men and horses. Arriving at the place, I found a strange assembly. The + boats, eleven in number, deep-laden with the skins, hugged close to the + shore, to escape being borne down by the swift current. The rowers, + swarthy ignoble Mexicans, turned their brutish faces upward to look, as I + reached the bank. Papin sat in the middle of one of the boats upon the + canvas covering that protected the robes. He was a stout, robust fellow, + with a little gray eye, that had a peculiarly sly twinkle. “Frederic” also + stretched his tall rawboned proportions close by the bourgeois, and + “mountain-men” completed the group; some lounging in the boats, some + strolling on shore; some attired in gayly painted buffalo robes, like + Indian dandies; some with hair saturated with red paint, and beplastered + with glue to their temples; and one bedaubed with vermilion upon his + forehead and each cheek. They were a mongrel race; yet the French blood + seemed to predominate; in a few, indeed, might be seen the black snaky eye + of the Indian half-breed, and one and all, they seemed to aim at + assimilating themselves to their savage associates. + </p> + <p> + I shook hands with the bourgeois, and delivered the letter; then the boats + swung round into the stream and floated away. They had reason for haste, + for already the voyage from Fort Laramie had occupied a full month, and + the river was growing daily more shallow. Fifty times a day the boats had + been aground, indeed; those who navigate the Platte invariably spend half + their time upon sand-bars. Two of these boats, the property of private + traders, afterward separating from the rest, got hopelessly involved in + the shallows, not very far from the Pawnee villages, and were soon + surrounded by a swarm of the inhabitants. They carried off everything that + they considered valuable, including most of the robes; and amused + themselves by tying up the men left on guard and soundly whipping them + with sticks. + </p> + <p> + We encamped that night upon the bank of the river. Among the emigrants + there was an overgrown boy, some eighteen years old, with a head as round + and about as large as a pumpkin, and fever-and-ague fits had dyed his face + of a corresponding color. He wore an old white hat, tied under his chin + with a handkerchief; his body was short and stout, but his legs of + disproportioned and appalling length. I observed him at sunset, breasting + the hill with gigantic strides, and standing against the sky on the + summit, like a colossal pair of tongs. In a moment after we heard him + screaming frantically behind the ridge, and nothing doubting that he was + in the clutches of Indians or grizzly bears, some of the party caught up + their rifles and ran to the rescue. His outcries, however, proved but an + ebullition of joyous excitement; he had chased two little wolf pups to + their burrow, and he was on his knees, grubbing away like a dog at the + mouth of the hole, to get at them. + </p> + <p> + Before morning he caused more serious disquiet in the camp. It was his + turn to hold the middle guard; but no sooner was he called up, than he + coolly arranged a pair of saddle-bags under a wagon, laid his head upon + them, closed his eyes, opened his mouth and fell asleep. The guard on our + side of the camp, thinking it no part of his duty to look after the cattle + of the emigrants, contented himself with watching our own horses and + mules; the wolves, he said, were unusually noisy; but still no mischief + was anticipated until the sun rose, and not a hoof or horn was in sight! + The cattle were gone! While Tom was quietly slumbering, the wolves had + driven them away. + </p> + <p> + Then we reaped the fruits of R.‘s precious plan of traveling in company + with emigrants. To leave them in their distress was not to be thought of, + and we felt bound to wait until the cattle could be searched for, and, if + possible, recovered. But the reader may be curious to know what punishment + awaited the faithless Tom. By the wholesome law of the prairie, he who + falls asleep on guard is condemned to walk all day leading his horse by + the bridle, and we found much fault with our companions for not enforcing + such a sentence on the offender. Nevertheless had he been of our party, I + have no doubt he would in like manner have escaped scot-free. But the + emigrants went farther than mere forebearance; they decreed that since Tom + couldn’t stand guard without falling asleep, he shouldn’t stand guard at + all, and henceforward his slumbers were unbroken. Establishing such a + premium on drowsiness could have no very beneficial effect upon the + vigilance of our sentinels; for it is far from agreeable, after riding + from sunrise to sunset, to feel your slumbers interrupted by the butt of a + rifle nudging your side, and a sleepy voice growling in your ear that you + must get up, to shiver and freeze for three weary hours at midnight. + </p> + <p> + “Buffalo! buffalo!” It was but a grim old bull, roaming the prairie by + himself in misanthropic seclusion; but there might be more behind the + hills. Dreading the monotony and languor of the camp, Shaw and I saddled + our horses, buckled our holsters in their places, and set out with Henry + Chatillon in search of the game. Henry, not intending to take part in the + chase, but merely conducting us, carried his rifle with him, while we left + ours behind as incumbrances. We rode for some five or six miles, and saw + no living thing but wolves, snakes, and prairie dogs. + </p> + <p> + “This won’t do at all,” said Shaw. + </p> + <p> + “What won’t do?” + </p> + <p> + “There’s no wood about here to make a litter for the wounded man; I have + an idea that one of us will need something of the sort before the day is + over.” + </p> + <p> + There was some foundation for such an apprehension, for the ground was + none of the best for a race, and grew worse continually as we proceeded; + indeed it soon became desperately bad, consisting of abrupt hills and deep + hollows, cut by frequent ravines not easy to pass. At length, a mile in + advance, we saw a band of bulls. Some were scattered grazing over a green + declivity, while the rest were crowded more densely together in the wide + hollow below. Making a circuit to keep out of sight, we rode toward them + until we ascended a hill within a furlong of them, beyond which nothing + intervened that could possibly screen us from their view. We dismounted + behind the ridge just out of sight, drew our saddle-girths, examined our + pistols, and mounting again rode over the hill, and descended at a canter + toward them, bending close to our horses’ necks. Instantly they took the + alarm; those on the hill descended; those below gathered into a mass, and + the whole got in motion, shouldering each other along at a clumsy gallop. + We followed, spurring our horses to full speed; and as the herd rushed, + crowding and trampling in terror through an opening in the hills, we were + close at their heels, half suffocated by the clouds of dust. But as we + drew near, their alarm and speed increased; our horses showed signs of the + utmost fear, bounding violently aside as we approached, and refusing to + enter among the herd. The buffalo now broke into several small bodies, + scampering over the hills in different directions, and I lost sight of + Shaw; neither of us knew where the other had gone. Old Pontiac ran like a + frantic elephant up hill and down hill, his ponderous hoofs striking the + prairie like sledge-hammers. He showed a curious mixture of eagerness and + terror, straining to overtake the panic-stricken herd, but constantly + recoiling in dismay as we drew near. The fugitives, indeed, offered no + very attractive spectacle, with their enormous size and weight, their + shaggy manes and the tattered remnants of their last winter’s hair + covering their backs in irregular shreds and patches, and flying off in + the wind as they ran. At length I urged my horse close behind a bull, and + after trying in vain, by blows and spurring, to bring him alongside, I + shot a bullet into the buffalo from this disadvantageous position. At the + report, Pontiac swerved so much that I was again thrown a little behind + the game. The bullet, entering too much in the rear, failed to disable the + bull, for a buffalo requires to be shot at particular points, or he will + certainly escape. The herd ran up a hill, and I followed in pursuit. As + Pontiac rushed headlong down on the other side, I saw Shaw and Henry + descending the hollow on the right, at a leisurely gallop; and in front, + the buffalo were just disappearing behind the crest of the next hill, + their short tails erect, and their hoofs twinkling through a cloud of + dust. + </p> + <p> + At that moment, I heard Shaw and Henry shouting to me; but the muscles of + a stronger arm than mine could not have checked at once the furious course + of Pontiac, whose mouth was as insensible as leather. Added to this, I + rode him that morning with a common snaffle, having the day before, for + the benefit of my other horse, unbuckled from my bridle the curb which I + ordinarily used. A stronger and hardier brute never trod the prairie; but + the novel sight of the buffalo filled him with terror, and when at full + speed he was almost incontrollable. Gaining the top of the ridge, I saw + nothing of the buffalo; they had all vanished amid the intricacies of the + hills and hollows. Reloading my pistols, in the best way I could, I + galloped on until I saw them again scuttling along at the base of the + hill, their panic somewhat abated. Down went old Pontiac among them, + scattering them to the right and left, and then we had another long chase. + About a dozen bulls were before us, scouring over the hills, rushing down + the declivities with tremendous weight and impetuosity, and then laboring + with a weary gallop upward. Still Pontiac, in spite of spurring and + beating, would not close with them. One bull at length fell a little + behind the rest, and by dint of much effort I urged my horse within six or + eight yards of his side. His back was darkened with sweat; he was panting + heavily, while his tongue lolled out a foot from his jaws. Gradually I + came up abreast of him, urging Pontiac with leg and rein nearer to his + side, then suddenly he did what buffalo in such circumstances will always + do; he slackened his gallop, and turning toward us, with an aspect of + mingled rage and distress, lowered his huge shaggy head for a charge. + Pontiac with a snort, leaped aside in terror, nearly throwing me to the + ground, as I was wholly unprepared for such an evolution. I raised my + pistol in a passion to strike him on the head, but thinking better of it + fired the bullet after the bull, who had resumed his flight, then drew + rein and determined to rejoin my companions. It was high time. The breath + blew hard from Pontiac’s nostrils, and the sweat rolled in big drops down + his sides; I myself felt as if drenched in warm water. Pledging myself + (and I redeemed the pledge) to take my revenge at a future opportunity, I + looked round for some indications to show me where I was, and what course + I ought to pursue; I might as well have looked for landmarks in the midst + of the ocean. How many miles I had run or in what direction, I had no + idea; and around me the prairie was rolling in steep swells and pitches, + without a single distinctive feature to guide me. I had a little compass + hung at my neck; and ignorant that the Platte at this point diverged + considerably from its easterly course, I thought that by keeping to the + northward I should certainly reach it. So I turned and rode about two + hours in that direction. The prairie changed as I advanced, softening away + into easier undulations, but nothing like the Platte appeared, nor any + sign of a human being; the same wild endless expanse lay around me still; + and to all appearance I was as far from my object as ever. I began now to + consider myself in danger of being lost; and therefore, reining in my + horse, summoned the scanty share of woodcraft that I possessed (if that + term he applicable upon the prairie) to extricate me. Looking round, it + occurred to me that the buffalo might prove my best guides. I soon found + one of the paths made by them in their passage to the river; it ran nearly + at right angles to my course; but turning my horse’s head in the direction + it indicated, his freer gait and erected ears assured me that I was right. + </p> + <p> + But in the meantime my ride had been by no means a solitary one. The whole + face of the country was dotted far and wide with countless hundreds of + buffalo. They trooped along in files and columns, bulls cows, and calves, + on the green faces of the declivities in front. They scrambled away over + the hills to the right and left; and far off, the pale blue swells in the + extreme distance were dotted with innumerable specks. Sometimes I + surprised shaggy old bulls grazing alone, or sleeping behind the ridges I + ascended. They would leap up at my approach, stare stupidly at me through + their tangled manes, and then gallop heavily away. The antelope were very + numerous; and as they are always bold when in the neighborhood of buffalo, + they would approach quite near to look at me, gazing intently with their + great round eyes, then suddenly leap aside, and stretch lightly away over + the prairie, as swiftly as a racehorse. Squalid, ruffianlike wolves + sneaked through the hollows and sandy ravines. Several times I passed + through villages of prairie dogs, who sat, each at the mouth of his + burrow, holding his paws before him in a supplicating attitude, and + yelping away most vehemently, energetically whisking his little tail with + every squeaking cry he uttered. Prairie dogs are not fastidious in their + choice of companions; various long, checkered snakes were sunning + themselves in the midst of the village, and demure little gray owls, with + a large white ring around each eye, were perched side by side with the + rightful inhabitants. The prairie teemed with life. Again and again I + looked toward the crowded hillsides, and was sure I saw horsemen; and + riding near, with a mixture of hope and dread, for Indians were abroad, I + found them transformed into a group of buffalo. There was nothing in human + shape amid all this vast congregation of brute forms. + </p> + <p> + When I turned down the buffalo path, the prairie seemed changed; only a + wolf or two glided past at intervals, like conscious felons, never looking + to the right or left. Being now free from anxiety, I was at leisure to + observe minutely the objects around me; and here, for the first time, I + noticed insects wholly different from any of the varieties found farther + to the eastward. Gaudy butterflies fluttered about my horse’s head; + strangely formed beetles, glittering with metallic luster, were crawling + upon plants that I had never seen before; multitudes of lizards, too, were + darting like lightning over the sand. + </p> + <p> + I had run to a great distance from the river. It cost me a long ride on + the buffalo path before I saw from the ridge of a sand-hill the pale + surface of the Platte glistening in the midst of its desert valleys, and + the faint outline of the hills beyond waving along the sky. From where I + stood, not a tree nor a bush nor a living thing was visible throughout the + whole extent of the sun-scorched landscape. In half an hour I came upon + the trail, not far from the river; and seeing that the party had not yet + passed, I turned eastward to meet them, old Pontiac’s long swinging trot + again assuring me that I was right in doing so. Having been slightly ill + on leaving camp in the morning six or seven hours of rough riding had + fatigued me extremely. I soon stopped, therefore; flung my saddle on the + ground, and with my head resting on it, and my horse’s trail-rope tied + loosely to my arm, lay waiting the arrival of the party, speculating + meanwhile on the extent of the injuries Pontiac had received. At length + the white wagon coverings rose from the verge of the plain. By a singular + coincidence, almost at the same moment two horsemen appeared coming down + from the hills. They were Shaw and Henry, who had searched for me a while + in the morning, but well knowing the futility of the attempt in such a + broken country, had placed themselves on the top of the highest hill they + could find, and picketing their horses near them, as a signal to me, had + laid down and fallen asleep. The stray cattle had been recovered, as the + emigrants told us, about noon. Before sunset, we pushed forward eight + miles farther. + </p> + <p> + JUNE 7, 1846.—Four men are missing; R., Sorel and two emigrants. + They set out this morning after buffalo, and have not yet made their + appearance; whether killed or lost, we cannot tell. + </p> + <p> + I find the above in my notebook, and well remember the council held on the + occasion. Our fire was the scene of it; or the palpable superiority of + Henry Chatillon’s experience and skill made him the resort of the whole + camp upon every question of difficulty. He was molding bullets at the + fire, when the captain drew near, with a perturbed and care-worn + expression of countenance, faithfully reflected on the heavy features of + Jack, who followed close behind. Then emigrants came straggling from their + wagons toward the common center; various suggestions were made to account + for the absence of the four men, and one or two of the emigrants declared + that when out after the cattle they had seen Indians dogging them, and + crawling like wolves along the ridges of the hills. At this time the + captain slowly shook his head with double gravity, and solemnly remarked: + </p> + <p> + “It’s a serious thing to be traveling through this cursed wilderness”; an + opinion in which Jack immediately expressed a thorough coincidence. Henry + would not commit himself by declaring any positive opinion. + </p> + <p> + “Maybe he only follow the buffalo too far; maybe Indian kill him; maybe he + got lost; I cannot tell!” + </p> + <p> + With this the auditors were obliged to rest content; the emigrants, not in + the least alarmed, though curious to know what had become of their + comrades, walked back to their wagons and the captain betook himself + pensively to his tent. Shaw and I followed his example. + </p> + <p> + “It will be a bad thing for our plans,” said he as we entered, “if these + fellows don’t get back safe. The captain is as helpless on the prairie as + a child. We shall have to take him and his brother in tow; they will hang + on us like lead.” + </p> + <p> + “The prairie is a strange place,” said I. “A month ago I should have + thought it rather a startling affair to have an acquaintance ride out in + the morning and lose his scalp before night, but here it seems the most + natural thing in the world; not that I believe that R. has lost his yet.” + </p> + <p> + If a man is constitutionally liable to nervous apprehensions, a tour on + the distant prairies would prove the best prescription; for though when in + the neighborhood of the Rocky Mountains he may at times find himself + placed in circumstances of some danger, I believe that few ever breathe + that reckless atmosphere without becoming almost indifferent to any evil + chance that may befall themselves or their friends. + </p> + <p> + Shaw had a propensity for luxurious indulgence. He spread his blanket with + the utmost accuracy on the ground, picked up the sticks and stones that he + thought might interfere with his comfort, adjusted his saddle to serve as + a pillow, and composed himself for his night’s rest. I had the first guard + that evening; so, taking my rifle, I went out of the tent. It was + perfectly dark. A brisk wind blew down from the hills, and the sparks from + the fire were streaming over the prairie. One of the emigrants, named + Morton, was my companion; and laying our rifles on the grass, we sat down + together by the fire. Morton was a Kentuckian, an athletic fellow, with a + fine intelligent face, and in his manners and conversation he showed the + essential characteristics of a gentleman. Our conversation turned on the + pioneers of his gallant native State. The three hours of our watch dragged + away at last, and we went to call up the relief. + </p> + <p> + R.‘s guard succeeded mine. He was absent; but the captain, anxious lest + the camp should be left defenseless, had volunteered to stand in his + place; so I went to wake him up. There was no occasion for it, for the + captain had been awake since nightfall. A fire was blazing outside of the + tent, and by the light which struck through the canvas, I saw him and Jack + lying on their backs, with their eyes wide open. The captain responded + instantly to my call; he jumped up, seized the double-barreled rifle, and + came out of the tent with an air of solemn determination, as if about to + devote himself to the safety of the party. I went and lay down, not + doubting that for the next three hours our slumbers would be guarded with + sufficient vigilance. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0008" id="link2HCH0008"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER VIII + </h2> + <h3> + TAKING FRENCH LEAVE + </h3> + <p> + On the 8th of June, at eleven o’clock, we reached the South Fork of the + Platte, at the usual fording place. For league upon league the desert + uniformity of the prospect was almost unbroken; the hills were dotted with + little tufts of shriveled grass, but betwixt these the white sand was + glaring in the sun; and the channel of the river, almost on a level with + the plain, was but one great sand-bed, about half a mile wide. It was + covered with water, but so scantily that the bottom was scarcely hidden; + for, wide as it is, the average depth of the Platte does not at this point + exceed a foot and a half. Stopping near its bank, we gathered bois de + vache, and made a meal of buffalo meat. Far off, on the other side, was a + green meadow, where we could see the white tents and wagons of an emigrant + camp; and just opposite to us we could discern a group of men and animals + at the water’s edge. Four or five horsemen soon entered the river, and in + ten minutes had waded across and clambered up the loose sand-bank. They + were ill-looking fellows, thin and swarthy, with care-worn, anxious faces + and lips rigidly compressed. They had good cause for anxiety; it was three + days since they first encamped here, and on the night of their arrival + they had lost 123 of their best cattle, driven off by the wolves, through + the neglect of the man on guard. This discouraging and alarming calamity + was not the first that had overtaken them. Since leaving the settlements, + they had met with nothing but misfortune. Some of their party had died; + one man had been killed by the Pawnees; and about a week before, they had + been plundered by the Dakotas of all their best horses, the wretched + animals on which our visitors were mounted being the only ones that were + left. They had encamped, they told us, near sunset, by the side of the + Platte, and their oxen were scattered over the meadow, while the band of + horses were feeding a little farther off. Suddenly the ridges of the hills + were alive with a swarm of mounted Indians, at least six hundred in + number, who, with a tremendous yell, came pouring down toward the camp, + rushing up within a few rods, to the great terror of the emigrants; but + suddenly wheeling, they swept around the band of horses, and in five + minutes had disappeared with their prey through the openings of the hills. + </p> + <p> + As these emigrants were telling their story, we saw four other men + approaching. They proved to be R. and his companions, who had encountered + no mischance of any kind, but had only wandered too far in pursuit of the + game. They said they had seen no Indians, but only “millions of buffalo”; + and both R. and Sorel had meat dangling behind their saddles. + </p> + <p> + The emigrants re-crossed the river, and we prepared to follow. First the + heavy ox-wagons plunged down the bank, and dragged slowly over the + sand-beds; sometimes the hoofs of the oxen were scarcely wetted by the + thin sheet of water; and the next moment the river would be boiling + against their sides, and eddying fiercely around the wheels. Inch by inch + they receded from the shore, dwindling every moment, until at length they + seemed to be floating far in the very middle of the river. A more critical + experiment awaited us; for our little mule-cart was but ill-fitted for the + passage of so swift a stream. We watched it with anxiety till it seemed to + be a little motionless white speck in the midst of the waters; and it WAS + motionless, for it had stuck fast in a quicksand. The little mules were + losing their footing, the wheels were sinking deeper and deeper, and the + water began to rise through the bottom and drench the goods within. All of + us who had remained on the hither bank galloped to the rescue; the men + jumped into the water, adding their strength to that of the mules, until + by much effort the cart was extricated, and conveyed in safety across. + </p> + <p> + As we gained the other bank, a rough group of men surrounded us. They were + not robust, nor large of frame, yet they had an aspect of hardy endurance. + Finding at home no scope for their fiery energies, they had betaken + themselves to the prairie; and in them seemed to be revived, with + redoubled force, that fierce spirit which impelled their ancestors, scarce + more lawless than themselves, from the German forests, to inundate Europe + and break to pieces the Roman empire. A fortnight afterward this + unfortunate party passed Fort Laramie, while we were there. Not one of + their missing oxen had been recovered, though they had remained encamped a + week in search of them; and they had been compelled to abandon a great + part of their baggage and provisions, and yoke cows and heifers to their + wagons to carry them forward upon their journey, the most toilsome and + hazardous part of which lay still before them. + </p> + <p> + It is worth noticing that on the Platte one may sometimes see the + shattered wrecks of ancient claw-footed tables, well waxed and rubbed, or + massive bureaus of carved oak. These, many of them no doubt the relics of + ancestral prosperity in the colonial time, must have encountered strange + vicissitudes. Imported, perhaps, originally from England; then, with the + declining fortunes of their owners, borne across the Alleghenies to the + remote wilderness of Ohio or Kentucky; then to Illinois or Missouri; and + now at last fondly stowed away in the family wagon for the interminable + journey to Oregon. But the stern privations of the way are little + anticipated. The cherished relic is soon flung out to scorch and crack + upon the hot prairie. + </p> + <p> + We resumed our journey; but we had gone scarcely a mile, when R. called + out from the rear: + </p> + <p> + “We’ll camp here.” + </p> + <p> + “Why do you want to camp? Look at the sun. It is not three o’clock yet.” + </p> + <p> + “We’ll camp here!” + </p> + <p> + This was the only reply vouchsafed. Delorier was in advance with his cart. + Seeing the mule-wagon wheeling from the track, he began to turn his own + team in the same direction. + </p> + <p> + “Go on, Delorier,” and the little cart advanced again. As we rode on, we + soon heard the wagon of our confederates creaking and jolting on behind + us, and the driver, Wright, discharging a furious volley of oaths against + his mules; no doubt venting upon them the wrath which he dared not direct + against a more appropriate object. + </p> + <p> + Something of this sort had frequently occurred. Our English friend was by + no means partial to us, and we thought we discovered in his conduct a + deliberate intention to thwart and annoy us, especially by retarding the + movements of the party, which he knew that we, being Yankees, were anxious + to quicken. Therefore, he would insist on encamping at all unseasonable + hours, saying that fifteen miles was a sufficient day’s journey. Finding + our wishes systematically disregarded, we took the direction of affairs + into our own hands. Keeping always in advance, to the inexpressible + indignation of R., we encamped at what time and place we thought proper, + not much caring whether the rest chose to follow or not. They always did + so, however, pitching their tents near ours, with sullen and wrathful + countenances. + </p> + <p> + Traveling together on these agreeable terms did not suit our tastes; for + some time we had meditated a separation. The connection with this party + had cost us various delays and inconveniences; and the glaring want of + courtesy and good sense displayed by their virtual leader did not dispose + us to bear these annoyances with much patience. We resolved to leave camp + early in the morning, and push forward as rapidly as possible for Fort + Laramie, which we hoped to reach, by hard traveling, in four or five days. + The captain soon trotted up between us, and we explained our intentions. + </p> + <p> + “A very extraordinary proceeding, upon my word!” he remarked. Then he + began to enlarge upon the enormity of the design. The most prominent + impression in his mind evidently was that we were acting a base and + treacherous part in deserting his party, in what he considered a very + dangerous stage of the journey. To palliate the atrocity of our conduct, + we ventured to suggest that we were only four in number while his party + still included sixteen men; and as, moreover, we were to go forward and + they were to follow, at least a full proportion of the perils he + apprehended would fall upon us. But the austerity of the captain’s + features would not relax. “A very extraordinary proceeding, gentlemen!” + and repeating this, he rode off to confer with his principal. + </p> + <p> + By good luck, we found a meadow of fresh grass, and a large pool of + rain-water in the midst of it. We encamped here at sunset. Plenty of + buffalo skulls were lying around, bleaching in the sun; and sprinkled + thickly among the grass was a great variety of strange flowers. I had + nothing else to do, and so gathering a handful, I sat down on a buffalo + skull to study them. Although the offspring of a wilderness, their texture + was frail and delicate, and their colors extremely rich; pure white, dark + blue, and a transparent crimson. One traveling in this country seldom has + leisure to think of anything but the stern features of the scenery and its + accompaniments, or the practical details of each day’s journey. Like them, + he and his thoughts grow hard and rough. But now these flowers suddenly + awakened a train of associations as alien to the rude scene around me as + they were themselves; and for the moment my thoughts went back to New + England. A throng of fair and well-remembered faces rose, vividly as life, + before me. “There are good things,” thought I, “in the savage life, but + what can it offer to replace those powerful and ennobling influences that + can reach unimpaired over more than three thousand miles of mountains, + forests and deserts?” + </p> + <p> + Before sunrise on the next morning our tent was down; we harnessed our + best horses to the cart and left the camp. But first we shook hands with + our friends the emigrants, who sincerely wished us a safe journey, though + some others of the party might easily have been consoled had we + encountered an Indian war party on the way. The captain and his brother + were standing on the top of a hill, wrapped in their plaids, like spirits + of the mist, keeping an anxious eye on the band of horses below. We waved + adieu to them as we rode off the ground. The captain replied with a + salutation of the utmost dignity, which Jack tried to imitate; but being + little practiced in the gestures of polite society, his effort was not a + very successful one. + </p> + <p> + In five minutes we had gained the foot of the hills, but here we came to a + stop. Old Hendrick was in the shafts, and being the very incarnation of + perverse and brutish obstinacy, he utterly refused to move. Delorier + lashed and swore till he was tired, but Hendrick stood like a rock, + grumbling to himself and looking askance at his enemy, until he saw a + favorable opportunity to take his revenge, when he struck out under the + shaft with such cool malignity of intention that Delorier only escaped the + blow by a sudden skip into the air, such as no one but a Frenchman could + achieve. Shaw and he then joined forces, and lashed on both sides at once. + The brute stood still for a while till he could bear it no longer, when + all at once he began to kick and plunge till he threatened the utter + demolition of the cart and harness. We glanced back at the camp, which was + in full sight. Our companions, inspired by emulation, were leveling their + tents and driving in their cattle and horses. + </p> + <p> + “Take the horse out,” said I. + </p> + <p> + I took the saddle from Pontiac and put it upon Hendrick; the former was + harnessed to the cart in an instant. “Avance donc!” cried Delorier. + Pontiac strode up the hill, twitching the little cart after him as if it + were a feather’s weight; and though, as we gained the top, we saw the + wagons of our deserted comrades just getting into motion, we had little + fear that they could overtake us. Leaving the trail, we struck directly + across the country, and took the shortest cut to reach the main stream of + the Platte. A deep ravine suddenly intercepted us. We skirted its sides + until we found them less abrupt, and then plunged through the best way we + could. Passing behind the sandy ravines called “Ash Hollow,” we stopped + for a short nooning at the side of a pool of rain-water; but soon resumed + our journey, and some hours before sunset were descending the ravines and + gorges opening downward upon the Platte to the west of Ash Hollow. Our + horses waded to the fetlock in sand; the sun scorched like fire, and the + air swarmed with sand-flies and mosquitoes. + </p> + <p> + At last we gained the Platte. Following it for about five miles, we saw, + just as the sun was sinking, a great meadow, dotted with hundreds of + cattle, and beyond them an emigrant encampment. A party of about a dozen + came out to meet us, looking upon us at first with cold and suspicious + faces. Seeing four men, different in appearance and equipment from + themselves, emerging from the hills, they had taken us for the van of the + much-dreaded Mormons, whom they were very apprehensive of encountering. We + made known our true character, and then they greeted us cordially. They + expressed much surprise that so small a party should venture to traverse + that region, though in fact such attempts are not unfrequently made by + trappers and Indian traders. We rode with them to their camp. The wagons, + some fifty in number, with here and there a tent intervening, were + arranged as usual in a circle; in the area within the best horses were + picketed, and the whole circumference was glowing with the dusky light of + the fires, displaying the forms of the women and children who were crowded + around them. This patriarchal scene was curious and striking enough; but + we made our escape from the place with all possible dispatch, being + tormented by the intrusive curiosity of the men who crowded around us. + Yankee curiosity was nothing to theirs. They demanded our names, where we + came from, where we were going, and what was our business. The last query + was particularly embarrassing; since traveling in that country, or indeed + anywhere, from any other motive than gain, was an idea of which they took + no cognizance. Yet they were fine-looking fellows, with an air of + frankness, generosity, and even courtesy, having come from one of the + least barbarous of the frontier counties. + </p> + <p> + We passed about a mile beyond them, and encamped. Being too few in number + to stand guard without excessive fatigue, we extinguished our fire, lest + it should attract the notice of wandering Indians; and picketing our + horses close around us, slept undisturbed till morning. For three days we + traveled without interruption, and on the evening of the third encamped by + the well-known spring on Scott’s Bluff. + </p> + <p> + Henry Chatillon and I rode out in the morning, and descending the western + side of the Bluff, were crossing the plain beyond. Something that seemed + to me a file of buffalo came into view, descending the hills several miles + before us. But Henry reined in his horse, and keenly peering across the + prairie with a better and more practiced eye, soon discovered its real + nature. “Indians!” he said. “Old Smoke’s lodges, I b’lieve. Come! let us + go! Wah! get up, now, Five Hundred Dollar!” And laying on the lash with + good will, he galloped forward, and I rode by his side. Not long after, a + black speck became visible on the prairie, full two miles off. It grew + larger and larger; it assumed the form of a man and horse; and soon we + could discern a naked Indian, careering at full gallop toward us. When + within a furlong he wheeled his horse in a wide circle, and made him + describe various mystic figures upon the prairie; and Henry immediately + compelled Five Hundred Dollar to execute similar evolutions. “It IS Old + Smoke’s village,” said he, interpreting these signals; “didn’t I say so?” + </p> + <p> + As the Indian approached we stopped to wait for him, when suddenly he + vanished, sinking, as it were, into the earth. He had come upon one of the + deep ravines that everywhere intersect these prairies. In an instant the + rough head of his horse stretched upward from the edge and the rider and + steed came scrambling out, and bounded up to us; a sudden jerk of the rein + brought the wild panting horse to a full stop. Then followed the needful + formality of shaking hands. I forget our visitor’s name. He was a young + fellow, of no note in his nation; yet in his person and equipments he was + a good specimen of a Dakota warrior in his ordinary traveling dress. Like + most of his people, he was nearly six feet high; lithely and gracefully, + yet strongly proportioned; and with a skin singularly clear and delicate. + He wore no paint; his head was bare; and his long hair was gathered in a + clump behind, to the top of which was attached transversely, both by way + of ornament and of talisman, the mystic whistle, made of the wingbone of + the war eagle, and endowed with various magic virtues. From the back of + his head descended a line of glittering brass plates, tapering from the + size of a doubloon to that of a half-dime, a cumbrous ornament, in high + vogue among the Dakotas, and for which they pay the traders a most + extravagant price; his chest and arms were naked, the buffalo robe, worn + over them when at rest, had fallen about his waist, and was confined there + by a belt. This, with the gay moccasins on his feet, completed his attire. + For arms he carried a quiver of dogskin at his back, and a rude but + powerful bow in his hand. His horse had no bridle; a cord of hair, lashed + around his jaw, served in place of one. The saddle was of most singular + construction; it was made of wood covered with raw hide, and both pommel + and cantle rose perpendicularly full eighteen inches, so that the warrior + was wedged firmly in his seat, whence nothing could dislodge him but the + bursting of the girths. + </p> + <p> + Advancing with our new companion, we found more of his people seated in a + circle on the top of a hill; while a rude procession came straggling down + the neighboring hollow, men, women, and children, with horses dragging the + lodge-poles behind them. All that morning, as we moved forward, tall + savages were stalking silently about us. At noon we reached Horse Creek; + and as we waded through the shallow water, we saw a wild and striking + scene. The main body of the Indians had arrived before us. On the farther + bank stood a large and strong man, nearly naked, holding a white horse by + a long cord, and eyeing us as we approached. This was the chief, whom + Henry called “Old Smoke.” Just behind him his youngest and favorite squaw + sat astride of a fine mule; it was covered with caparisons of whitened + skins, garnished with blue and white beads, and fringed with little + ornaments of metal that tinkled with every movement of the animal. The + girl had a light clear complexion, enlivened by a spot of vermilion on + each cheek; she smiled, not to say grinned, upon us, showing two gleaming + rows of white teeth. In her hand, she carried the tall lance of her + unchivalrous lord, fluttering with feathers; his round white shield hung + at the side of her mule; and his pipe was slung at her back. Her dress was + a tunic of deerskin, made beautifully white by means of a species of clay + found on the prairie, and ornamented with beads, arrayed in figures more + gay than tasteful, and with long fringes at all the seams. Not far from + the chief stood a group of stately figures, their white buffalo robes + thrown over their shoulders, gazing coldly upon us; and in the rear, for + several acres, the ground was covered with a temporary encampment; men, + women, and children swarmed like bees; hundreds of dogs, of all sizes and + colors, ran restlessly about; and, close at hand, the wide shallow stream + was alive with boys, girls, and young squaws, splashing, screaming, and + laughing in the water. At the same time a long train of emigrant wagons + were crossing the creek, and dragging on in their slow, heavy procession, + passed the encampment of the people whom they and their descendants, in + the space of a century, are to sweep from the face of the earth. + </p> + <p> + The encampment itself was merely a temporary one during the heat of the + day. None of the lodges were erected; but their heavy leather coverings, + and the long poles used to support them, were scattered everywhere around, + among weapons, domestic utensils, and the rude harness of mules and + horses. The squaws of each lazy warrior had made him a shelter from the + sun, by stretching a few buffalo robes, or the corner of a lodge-covering + upon poles; and here he sat in the shade, with a favorite young squaw, + perhaps, at his side, glittering with all imaginable trinkets. Before him + stood the insignia of his rank as a warrior, his white shield of + bull-hide, his medicine bag, his bow and quiver, his lance and his pipe, + raised aloft on a tripod of three poles. Except the dogs, the most active + and noisy tenants of the camp were the old women, ugly as Macbeth’s + witches, with their hair streaming loose in the wind, and nothing but the + tattered fragment of an old buffalo robe to hide their shriveled wiry + limbs. The day of their favoritism passed two generations ago; now the + heaviest labors of the camp devolved upon them; they were to harness the + horses, pitch the lodges, dress the buffalo robes, and bring in meat for + the hunters. With the cracked voices of these hags, the clamor of dogs, + the shouting and laughing of children and girls, and the listless + tranquillity of the warriors, the whole scene had an effect too lively and + picturesque ever to be forgotten. + </p> + <p> + We stopped not far from the Indian camp, and having invited some of the + chiefs and warriors to dinner, placed before them a sumptuous repast of + biscuit and coffee. Squatted in a half circle on the ground, they soon + disposed of it. As we rode forward on the afternoon journey, several of + our late guests accompanied us. Among the rest was a huge bloated savage + of more than three hundred pounds’ weight, christened La Cochon, in + consideration of his preposterous dimensions and certain corresponding + traits of his character. “The Hog” bestrode a little white pony, scarce + able to bear up under the enormous burden, though, by way of keeping up + the necessary stimulus, the rider kept both feet in constant motion, + playing alternately against his ribs. The old man was not a chief; he + never had ambition enough to become one; he was not a warrior nor a + hunter, for he was too fat and lazy: but he was the richest man in the + whole village. Riches among the Dakotas consist in horses, and of these + The Hog had accumulated more than thirty. He had already ten times as many + as he wanted, yet still his appetite for horses was insatiable. Trotting + up to me he shook me by the hand, and gave me to understand that he was a + very devoted friend; and then he began a series of most earnest signs and + gesticulations, his oily countenance radiant with smiles, and his little + eyes peeping out with a cunning twinkle from between the masses of flesh + that almost obscured them. Knowing nothing at that time of the sign + language of the Indians, I could only guess at his meaning. So I called on + Henry to explain it. + </p> + <p> + The Hog, it seems, was anxious to conclude a matrimonial bargain. He said + he had a very pretty daughter in his lodge, whom he would give me, if I + would give him my horse. These flattering overtures I chose to reject; at + which The Hog, still laughing with undiminished good humor, gathered his + robe about his shoulders, and rode away. + </p> + <p> + Where we encamped that night, an arm of the Platte ran between high + bluffs; it was turbid and swift as heretofore, but trees were growing on + its crumbling banks, and there was a nook of grass between the water and + the hill. Just before entering this place, we saw the emigrants encamping + at two or three miles’ distance on the right; while the whole Indian + rabble were pouring down the neighboring hill in hope of the same sort of + entertainment which they had experienced from us. In the savage landscape + before our camp, nothing but the rushing of the Platte broke the silence. + Through the ragged boughs of the trees, dilapidated and half dead, we saw + the sun setting in crimson behind the peaks of the Black Hills; the + restless bosom of the river was suffused with red; our white tent was + tinged with it, and the sterile bluffs, up to the rocks that crowned them, + partook of the same fiery hue. It soon passed away; no light remained, but + that from our fire, blazing high among the dusky trees and bushes. We lay + around it wrapped in our blankets, smoking and conversing until a late + hour, and then withdrew to our tent. + </p> + <p> + We crossed a sun-scorched plain on the next morning; the line of old + cotton-wood trees that fringed the bank of the Platte forming its extreme + verge. Nestled apparently close beneath them, we could discern in the + distance something like a building. As we came nearer, it assumed form and + dimensions, and proved to be a rough structure of logs. It was a little + trading fort, belonging to two private traders; and originally intended, + like all the forts of the country, to form a hollow square, with rooms for + lodging and storage opening upon the area within. Only two sides of it had + been completed; the place was now as ill-fitted for the purposes of + defense as any of those little log-houses, which upon our constantly + shifting frontier have been so often successfully maintained against + overwhelming odds of Indians. Two lodges were pitched close to the fort; + the sun beat scorching upon the logs; no living thing was stirring except + one old squaw, who thrust her round head from the opening of the nearest + lodge, and three or four stout young pups, who were peeping with looks of + eager inquiry from under the covering. In a moment a door opened, and a + little, swarthy black-eyed Frenchman came out. His dress was rather + singular; his black curling hair was parted in the middle of his head, and + fell below his shoulders; he wore a tight frock of smoked deerskin, very + gayly ornamented with figures worked in dyed porcupine quills. His + moccasins and leggings were also gaudily adorned in the same manner; and + the latter had in addition a line of long fringes, reaching down the + seams. The small frame of Richard, for by this name Henry made him known + to us, was in the highest degree athletic and vigorous. There was no + superfluity, and indeed there seldom is among the active white men of this + country, but every limb was compact and hard; every sinew had its full + tone and elasticity, and the whole man wore an air of mingled hardihood + and buoyancy. + </p> + <p> + Richard committed our horses to a Navahoe slave, a mean looking fellow + taken prisoner on the Mexican frontier; and, relieving us of our rifles + with ready politeness, led the way into the principal apartment of his + establishment. This was a room ten feet square. The walls and floor were + of black mud, and the roof of rough timber; there was a huge fireplace + made of four flat rocks, picked up on the prairie. An Indian bow and + otter-skin quiver, several gaudy articles of Rocky Mountain finery, an + Indian medicine bag, and a pipe and tobacco pouch, garnished the walls, + and rifles rested in a corner. There was no furniture except a sort of + rough settle covered with buffalo robes, upon which lolled a tall + half-breed, with his hair glued in masses upon each temple, and saturated + with vermilion. Two or three more “mountain men” sat cross-legged on the + floor. Their attire was not unlike that of Richard himself; but the most + striking figure of the group was a naked Indian boy of sixteen, with a + handsome face, and light, active proportions, who sat in an easy posture + in the corner near the door. Not one of his limbs moved the breadth of a + hair; his eye was fixed immovably, not on any person present, but, as it + appeared, on the projecting corner of the fireplace opposite to him. + </p> + <p> + On these prairies the custom of smoking with friends is seldom omitted, + whether among Indians or whites. The pipe, therefore, was taken from the + wall, and its great red bowl crammed with the tobacco and shongsasha, + mixed in suitable proportions. Then it passed round the circle, each man + inhaling a few whiffs and handing it to his neighbor. Having spent half an + hour here, we took our leave; first inviting our new friends to drink a + cup of coffee with us at our camp, a mile farther up the river. By this + time, as the reader may conceive, we had grown rather shabby; our clothes + had burst into rags and tatters; and what was worse, we had very little + means of renovation. Fort Laramie was but seven miles before us. Being + totally averse to appearing in such plight among any society that could + boast an approximation to the civilized, we soon stopped by the river to + make our toilet in the best way we could. We hung up small looking-glasses + against the trees and shaved, an operation neglected for six weeks; we + performed our ablutions in the Platte, though the utility of such a + proceeding was questionable, the water looking exactly like a cup of + chocolate, and the banks consisting of the softest and richest yellow mud, + so that we were obliged, as a preliminary, to build a cause-way of stout + branches and twigs. Having also put on radiant moccasins, procured from a + squaw of Richard’s establishment, and made what other improvements our + narrow circumstances allowed, we took our seats on the grass with a + feeling of greatly increased respectability, to wait the arrival of our + guests. They came; the banquet was concluded, and the pipe smoked. Bidding + them adieu, we turned our horses’ heads toward the fort. + </p> + <p> + An hour elapsed. The barren hills closed across our front, and we could + see no farther; until having surmounted them, a rapid stream appeared at + the foot of the descent, running into the Platte; beyond was a green + meadow, dotted with bushes, and in the midst of these, at the point where + the two rivers joined, were the low clay walls of a fort. This was not + Fort Laramie, but another post of less recent date, which having sunk + before its successful competitor was now deserted and ruinous. A moment + after the hills, seeming to draw apart as we advanced, disclosed Fort + Laramie itself, its high bastions and perpendicular walls of clay crowning + an eminence on the left beyond the stream, while behind stretched a line + of arid and desolate ridges, and behind these again, towering aloft seven + thousand feet, arose the grim Black Hills. + </p> + <p> + We tried to ford Laramie Creek at a point nearly opposite the fort, but + the stream, swollen with the rains in the mountains, was too rapid. We + passed up along its bank to find a better crossing place. Men gathered on + the wall to look at us. “There’s Bordeaux!” called Henry, his face + brightening as he recognized his acquaintance; “him there with the + spyglass; and there’s old Vaskiss, and Tucker, and May; and, by George! + there’s Cimoneau!” This Cimoneau was Henry’s fast friend, and the only man + in the country who could rival him in hunting. + </p> + <p> + We soon found a ford. Henry led the way, the pony approaching the bank + with a countenance of cool indifference, bracing his feet and sliding into + the stream with the most unmoved composure. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + At the first plunge the horse sunk low, + And the water broke o’er the saddle-bow +</pre> + <p> + We followed; the water boiled against our saddles, but our horses bore us + easily through. The unfortunate little mules came near going down with the + current, cart and all; and we watched them with some solicitude scrambling + over the loose round stones at the bottom, and bracing stoutly against the + stream. All landed safely at last; we crossed a little plain, descended a + hollow, and riding up a steep bank found ourselves before the gateway of + Fort Laramie, under the impending blockhouse erected above it to defend + the entrance. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0009" id="link2HCH0009"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER IX + </h2> + <h3> + SCENES AT FORT LARAMIE + </h3> + <p> + Looking back, after the expiration of a year, upon Fort Laramie and its + inmates, they seem less like a reality than like some fanciful picture of + the olden time; so different was the scene from any which this tamer side + of the world can present. Tall Indians, enveloped in their white buffalo + robes, were striding across the area or reclining at full length on the + low roofs of the buildings which inclosed it. Numerous squaws, gayly + bedizened, sat grouped in front of the apartments they occupied; their + mongrel offspring, restless and vociferous, rambled in every direction + through the fort; and the trappers, traders, and ENGAGES of the + establishment were busy at their labor or their amusements. + </p> + <p> + We were met at the gate, but by no means cordially welcomed. Indeed, we + seemed objects of some distrust and suspicion until Henry Chatillon + explained that we were not traders, and we, in confirmation, handed to the + bourgeois a letter of introduction from his principals. He took it, turned + it upside down, and tried hard to read it; but his literary attainments + not being adequate to the task, he applied for relief to the clerk, a + sleek, smiling Frenchman, named Montalon. The letter read, Bordeaux (the + bourgeois) seemed gradually to awaken to a sense of what was expected of + him. Though not deficient in hospitable intentions, he was wholly + unaccustomed to act as master of ceremonies. Discarding all formalities of + reception, he did not honor us with a single word, but walked swiftly + across the area, while we followed in some admiration to a railing and a + flight of steps opposite the entrance. He signed to us that we had better + fasten our horses to the railing; then he walked up the steps, tramped + along a rude balcony, and kicking open a door displayed a large room, + rather more elaborately finished than a barn. For furniture it had a rough + bedstead, but no bed; two chairs, a chest of drawers, a tin pail to hold + water, and a board to cut tobacco upon. A brass crucifix hung on the wall, + and close at hand a recent scalp, with hair full a yard long, was + suspended from a nail. I shall again have occasion to mention this dismal + trophy, its history being connected with that of our subsequent + proceedings. + </p> + <p> + This apartment, the best in Fort Laramie, was that usually occupied by the + legitimate bourgeois, Papin; in whose absence the command devolved upon + Bordeaux. The latter, a stout, bluff little fellow, much inflated by a + sense of his new authority, began to roar for buffalo robes. These being + brought and spread upon the floor formed our beds; much better ones than + we had of late been accustomed to. Our arrangements made, we stepped out + to the balcony to take a more leisurely survey of the long looked-for + haven at which we had arrived at last. Beneath us was the square area + surrounded by little rooms, or rather cells, which opened upon it. These + were devoted to various purposes, but served chiefly for the accommodation + of the men employed at the fort, or of the equally numerous squaws, whom + they were allowed to maintain in it. Opposite to us rose the blockhouse + above the gateway; it was adorned with a figure which even now haunts my + memory; a horse at full speed, daubed upon the boards with red paint, and + exhibiting a degree of skill which might rival that displayed by the + Indians in executing similar designs upon their robes and lodges. A busy + scene was enacting in the area. The wagons of Vaskiss, an old trader, were + about to set out for a remote post in the mountains, and the Canadians + were going through their preparations with all possible bustle, while here + and there an Indian stood looking on with imperturbable gravity. + </p> + <p> + Fort Laramie is one of the posts established by the American Fur Company, + who well-nigh monopolize the Indian trade of this whole region. Here their + officials rule with an absolute sway; the arm of the United States has + little force; for when we were there, the extreme outposts of her troops + were about seven hundred miles to the eastward. The little fort is built + of bricks dried in the sun, and externally is of an oblong form, with + bastions of clay, in the form of ordinary blockhouses, at two of the + corners. The walls are about fifteen feet high, and surmounted by a + slender palisade. The roofs of the apartments within, which are built + close against the walls, serve the purpose of a banquette. Within, the + fort is divided by a partition; on one side is the square area surrounded + by the storerooms, offices, and apartments of the inmates; on the other is + the corral, a narrow place, encompassed by the high clay walls, where at + night, or in presence of dangerous Indians, the horses and mules of the + fort are crowded for safe-keeping. The main entrance has two gates, with + an arched passage intervening. A little square window, quite high above + the ground, opens laterally from an adjoining chamber into this passage; + so that when the inner gate is closed and barred, a person without may + still hold communication with those within through this narrow aperture. + This obviates the necessity of admitting suspicious Indians, for purposes + of trading, into the body of the fort; for when danger is apprehended, the + inner gate is shut fast, and all traffic is carried on by means of the + little window. This precaution, though highly necessary at some of the + company’s posts, is now seldom resorted to at Fort Laramie; where, though + men are frequently killed in its neighborhood, no apprehensions are now + entertained of any general designs of hostility from the Indians. + </p> + <p> + We did not long enjoy our new quarters undisturbed. The door was silently + pushed open, and two eyeballs and a visage as black as night looked in + upon us; then a red arm and shoulder intruded themselves, and a tall + Indian, gliding in, shook us by the hand, grunted his salutation, and sat + down on the floor. Others followed, with faces of the natural hue; and + letting fall their heavy robes from their shoulders, they took their + seats, quite at ease, in a semicircle before us. The pipe was now to be + lighted and passed round from one to another; and this was the only + entertainment that at present they expected from us. These visitors were + fathers, brothers, or other relatives of the squaws in the fort, where + they were permitted to remain, loitering about in perfect idleness. All + those who smoked with us were men of standing and repute. Two or three + others dropped in also; young fellows who neither by their years nor their + exploits were entitled to rank with the old men and warriors, and who, + abashed in the presence of their superiors, stood aloof, never withdrawing + their eyes from us. Their cheeks were adorned with vermilion, their ears + with pendants of shell, and their necks with beads. Never yet having + signalized themselves as hunters, or performed the honorable exploit of + killing a man, they were held in slight esteem, and were diffident and + bashful in proportion. Certain formidable inconveniences attended this + influx of visitors. They were bent on inspecting everything in the room; + our equipments and our dress alike underwent their scrutiny; for though + the contrary has been carelessly asserted, few beings have more curiosity + than Indians in regard to subjects within their ordinary range of thought. + As to other matters, indeed, they seemed utterly indifferent. They will + not trouble themselves to inquire into what they cannot comprehend, but + are quite contented to place their hands over their mouths in token of + wonder, and exclaim that it is “great medicine.” With this comprehensive + solution, an Indian never is at a loss. He never launches forth into + speculation and conjecture; his reason moves in its beaten track. His soul + is dormant; and no exertions of the missionaries, Jesuit or Puritan, of + the Old World or of the New, have as yet availed to rouse it. + </p> + <p> + As we were looking, at sunset, from the wall, upon the wild and desolate + plains that surround the fort, we observed a cluster of strange objects + like scaffolds rising in the distance against the red western sky. They + bore aloft some singular looking burdens; and at their foot glimmered + something white like bones. This was the place of sepulture of some Dakota + chiefs, whose remains their people are fond of placing in the vicinity of + the fort, in the hope that they may thus be protected from violation at + the hands of their enemies. Yet it has happened more than once, and quite + recently, that war parties of the Crow Indians, ranging through the + country, have thrown the bodies from the scaffolds, and broken them to + pieces amid the yells of the Dakotas, who remained pent up in the fort, + too few to defend the honored relics from insult. The white objects upon + the ground were buffalo skulls, arranged in the mystic circle commonly + seen at Indian places of sepulture upon the prairie. + </p> + <p> + We soon discovered, in the twilight, a band of fifty or sixty horses + approaching the fort. These were the animals belonging to the + establishment; who having been sent out to feed, under the care of armed + guards, in the meadows below, were now being driven into the corral for + the night. A little gate opened into this inclosure; by the side of it + stood one of the guards, an old Canadian, with gray bushy eyebrows, and a + dragoon pistol stuck into his belt; while his comrade, mounted on + horseback, his rifle laid across the saddle in front of him, and his long + hair blowing before his swarthy face, rode at the rear of the disorderly + troop, urging them up the ascent. In a moment the narrow corral was + thronged with the half-wild horses, kicking, biting, and crowding + restlessly together. + </p> + <p> + The discordant jingling of a bell, rung by a Canadian in the area, + summoned us to supper. This sumptuous repast was served on a rough table + in one of the lower apartments of the fort, and consisted of cakes of + bread and dried buffalo meat—an excellent thing for strengthening + the teeth. At this meal were seated the bourgeois and superior dignitaries + of the establishment, among whom Henry Chatillon was worthily included. No + sooner was it finished, than the table was spread a second time (the + luxury of bread being now, however, omitted), for the benefit of certain + hunters and trappers of an inferior standing; while the ordinary Canadian + ENGAGES were regaled on dried meat in one of their lodging rooms. By way + of illustrating the domestic economy of Fort Laramie, it may not be amiss + to introduce in this place a story current among the men when we were + there. + </p> + <p> + There was an old man named Pierre, whose duty it was to bring the meat + from the storeroom for the men. Old Pierre, in the kindness of his heart, + used to select the fattest and the best pieces for his companions. This + did not long escape the keen-eyed bourgeois, who was greatly disturbed at + such improvidence, and cast about for some means to stop it. At last he + hit on a plan that exactly suited him. At the side of the meat-room, and + separated from it by a clay partition, was another compartment, used for + the storage of furs. It had no other communication with the fort, except + through a square hole in the partition; and of course it was perfectly + dark. One evening the bourgeois, watching for a moment when no one + observed him, dodged into the meat-room, clambered through the hole, and + ensconced himself among the furs and buffalo robes. Soon after, old Pierre + came in with his lantern; and, muttering to himself, began to pull over + the bales of meat, and select the best pieces, as usual. But suddenly a + hollow and sepulchral voice proceeded from the inner apartment: “Pierre! + Pierre! Let that fat meat alone! Take nothing but lean!” Pierre dropped + his lantern, and bolted out into the fort, screaming, in an agony of + terror, that the devil was in the storeroom; but tripping on the + threshold, he pitched over upon the gravel, and lay senseless, stunned by + the fall. The Canadians ran out to the rescue. Some lifted the unlucky + Pierre; and others, making an extempore crucifix out of two sticks, were + proceeding to attack the devil in his stronghold, when the bourgeois, with + a crest-fallen countenance, appeared at the door. To add to the bourgeois’ + mortification, he was obliged to explain the whole stratagem to Pierre, in + order to bring the latter to his senses. + </p> + <p> + We were sitting, on the following morning, in the passage-way between the + gates, conversing with the traders Vaskiss and May. These two men, + together with our sleek friend, the clerk Montalon, were, I believe, the + only persons then in the fort who could read and write. May was telling a + curious story about the traveler Catlin, when an ugly, diminutive Indian, + wretchedly mounted, came up at a gallop, and rode past us into the fort. + On being questioned, he said that Smoke’s village was close at hand. + Accordingly only a few minutes elapsed before the hills beyond the river + were covered with a disorderly swarm of savages, on horseback and on foot. + May finished his story; and by that time the whole array had descended to + Laramie Creek, and commenced crossing it in a mass. I walked down to the + bank. The stream is wide, and was then between three and four feet deep, + with a very swift current. For several rods the water was alive with dogs, + horses, and Indians. The long poles used in erecting the lodges are + carried by the horses, being fastened by the heavier end, two or three on + each side, to a rude sort of pack saddle, while the other end drags on the + ground. About a foot behind the horse, a kind of large basket or pannier + is suspended between the poles, and firmly lashed in its place on the back + of the horse are piled various articles of luggage; the basket also is + well filled with domestic utensils, or, quite as often, with a litter of + puppies, a brood of small children, or a superannuated old man. Numbers of + these curious vehicles, called, in the bastard language of the country + travaux were now splashing together through the stream. Among them swam + countless dogs, often burdened with miniature travaux; and dashing forward + on horseback through the throng came the superbly formed warriors, the + slender figure of some lynx-eyed boy, clinging fast behind them. The women + sat perched on the pack saddles, adding not a little to the load of the + already overburdened horses. The confusion was prodigious. The dogs yelled + and howled in chorus; the puppies in the travaux set up a dismal whine as + the water invaded their comfortable retreat; the little black-eyed + children, from one year of age upward, clung fast with both hands to the + edge of their basket, and looked over in alarm at the water rushing so + near them, sputtering and making wry mouths as it splashed against their + faces. Some of the dogs, encumbered by their loads, were carried down by + the current, yelping piteously; and the old squaws would rush into the + water, seize their favorites by the neck, and drag them out. As each horse + gained the bank, he scrambled up as he could. Stray horses and colts came + among the rest, often breaking away at full speed through the crowd, + followed by the old hags, screaming after their fashion on all occasions + of excitement. Buxom young squaws, blooming in all the charms of + vermilion, stood here and there on the bank, holding aloft their master’s + lance, as a signal to collect the scattered portions of his household. In + a few moments the crowd melted away; each family, with its horses and + equipage, filing off to the plain at the rear of the fort; and here, in + the space of half an hour, arose sixty or seventy of their tapering + lodges. Their horses were feeding by hundreds over the surrounding + prairie, and their dogs were roaming everywhere. The fort was full of men, + and the children were whooping and yelling incessantly under the walls. + </p> + <p> + These newcomers were scarcely arrived, when Bordeaux was running across + the fort, shouting to his squaw to bring him his spyglass. The obedient + Marie, the very model of a squaw, produced the instrument, and Bordeaux + hurried with it up to the wall. Pointing it to the eastward, he exclaimed, + with an oath, that the families were coming. But a few moments elapsed + before the heavy caravan of the emigrant wagons could be seen, steadily + advancing from the hills. They gained the river, and without turning or + pausing plunged in; they passed through, and slowly ascending the opposing + bank, kept directly on their way past the fort and the Indian village, + until, gaining a spot a quarter of a mile distant, they wheeled into a + circle. For some time our tranquillity was undisturbed. The emigrants were + preparing their encampment; but no sooner was this accomplished than Fort + Laramie was fairly taken by storm. A crowd of broad-brimmed hats, thin + visages, and staring eyes appeared suddenly at the gate. Tall awkward men, + in brown homespun; women with cadaverous faces and long lank figures came + thronging in together, and, as if inspired by the very demon of curiosity, + ransacked every nook and corner of the fort. Dismayed at this invasion, we + withdrew in all speed to our chamber, vainly hoping that it might prove an + inviolable sanctuary. The emigrants prosecuted their investigations with + untiring vigor. They penetrated the rooms or rather dens, inhabited by the + astonished squaws. They explored the apartments of the men, and even that + of Marie and the bourgeois. At last a numerous deputation appeared at our + door, but were immediately expelled. Being totally devoid of any sense of + delicacy or propriety, they seemed resolved to search every mystery to the + bottom. + </p> + <p> + Having at length satisfied their curiosity, they next proceeded to + business. The men occupied themselves in procuring supplies for their + onward journey; either buying them with money or giving in exchange + superfluous articles of their own. + </p> + <p> + The emigrants felt a violent prejudice against the French Indians, as they + called the trappers and traders. They thought, and with some justice, that + these men bore them no good will. Many of them were firmly persuaded that + the French were instigating the Indians to attack and cut them off. On + visiting the encampment we were at once struck with the extraordinary + perplexity and indecision that prevailed among the emigrants. They seemed + like men totally out of their elements; bewildered and amazed, like a + troop of school-boys lost in the woods. It was impossible to be long among + them without being conscious of the high and bold spirit with which most + of them were animated. But the FOREST is the home of the backwoodsman. On + the remote prairie he is totally at a loss. He differs much from the + genuine “mountain man,” the wild prairie hunter, as a Canadian voyageur, + paddling his canoe on the rapids of the Ottawa, differs from an American + sailor among the storms of Cape Horn. Still my companion and I were + somewhat at a loss to account for this perturbed state of mind. It could + not be cowardice; these men were of the same stock with the volunteers of + Monterey and Buena Vista. Yet, for the most part, they were the rudest and + most ignorant of the frontier population; they knew absolutely nothing of + the country and its inhabitants; they had already experienced much + misfortune, and apprehended more; they had seen nothing of mankind, and + had never put their own resources to the test. + </p> + <p> + A full proportion of suspicion fell upon us. Being strangers we were + looked upon as enemies. Having occasion for a supply of lead and a few + other necessary articles, we used to go over to the emigrant camps to + obtain them. After some hesitation, some dubious glances, and fumbling of + the hands in the pockets, the terms would be agreed upon, the price + tendered, and the emigrant would go off to bring the article in question. + After waiting until our patience gave out, we would go in search of him, + and find him seated on the tongue of his wagon. + </p> + <p> + “Well, stranger,” he would observe, as he saw us approach, “I reckon I + won’t trade!” + </p> + <p> + Some friend of his followed him from the scene of the bargain and + suggested in his ear, that clearly we meant to cheat him, and he had + better have nothing to do with us. + </p> + <p> + This timorous mood of the emigrants was doubly unfortunate, as it exposed + them to real danger. Assume, in the presence of Indians a bold bearing, + self-confident yet vigilant, and you will find them tolerably safe + neighbors. But your safety depends on the respect and fear you are able to + inspire. If you betray timidity or indecision, you convert them from that + moment into insidious and dangerous enemies. The Dakotas saw clearly + enough the perturbation of the emigrants and instantly availed themselves + of it. They became extremely insolent and exacting in their demands. It + has become an established custom with them to go to the camp of every + party, as it arrives in succession at the fort, and demand a feast. + Smoke’s village had come with the express design, having made several + days’ journey with no other object than that of enjoying a cup of coffee + and two or three biscuits. So the “feast” was demanded, and the emigrants + dared not refuse it. + </p> + <p> + One evening, about sunset, the village was deserted. We met old men, + warriors, squaws, and children in gay attire, trooping off to the + encampment, with faces of anticipation; and, arriving here, they seated + themselves in a semicircle. Smoke occupied the center, with his warriors + on either hand; the young men and boys next succeeded, and the squaws and + children formed the horns of the crescent. The biscuit and coffee were + most promptly dispatched, the emigrants staring open-mouthed at their + savage guests. With each new emigrant party that arrived at Fort Laramie + this scene was renewed; and every day the Indians grew more rapacious and + presumptuous. One evening they broke to pieces, out of mere wantonness, + the cups from which they had been feasted; and this so exasperated the + emigrants that many of them seized their rifles and could scarcely be + restrained from firing on the insolent mob of Indians. Before we left the + country this dangerous spirit on the part of the Dakota had mounted to a + yet higher pitch. They began openly to threaten the emigrants with + destruction, and actually fired upon one or two parties of whites. A + military force and military law are urgently called for in that perilous + region; and unless troops are speedily stationed at Fort Laramie, or + elsewhere in the neighborhood, both the emigrants and other travelers will + be exposed to most imminent risks. + </p> + <p> + The Ogallalla, the Brules, and other western bands of the Dakota, are + thorough savages, unchanged by any contact with civilization. Not one of + them can speak a European tongue, or has ever visited an American + settlement. Until within a year or two, when the emigrants began to pass + through their country on the way to Oregon, they had seen no whites except + the handful employed about the Fur Company’s posts. They esteemed them a + wise people, inferior only to themselves, living in leather lodges, like + their own, and subsisting on buffalo. But when the swarm of MENEASKA, with + their oxen and wagons, began to invade them, their astonishment was + unbounded. They could scarcely believe that the earth contained such a + multitude of white men. Their wonder is now giving way to indignation; and + the result, unless vigilantly guarded against, may be lamentable in the + extreme. + </p> + <p> + But to glance at the interior of a lodge. Shaw and I used often to visit + them. Indeed, we spent most of our evenings in the Indian village; Shaw’s + assumption of the medical character giving us a fair pretext. As a sample + of the rest I will describe one of these visits. The sun had just set, and + the horses were driven into the corral. The Prairie Cock, a noted beau, + came in at the gate with a bevy of young girls, with whom he began to + dance in the area, leading them round and round in a circle, while he + jerked up from his chest a succession of monotonous sounds, to which they + kept time in a rueful chant. Outside the gate boys and young men were idly + frolicking; and close by, looking grimly upon them, stood a warrior in his + robe, with his face painted jet-black, in token that he had lately taken a + Pawnee scalp. Passing these, the tall dark lodges rose between us and the + red western sky. We repaired at once to the lodge of Old Smoke himself. It + was by no means better than the others; indeed, it was rather shabby; for + in this democratic community, the chief never assumes superior state. + Smoke sat cross-legged on a buffalo robe, and his grunt of salutation as + we entered was unusually cordial, out of respect no doubt to Shaw’s + medical character. Seated around the lodge were several squaws, and an + abundance of children. The complaint of Shaw’s patients was, for the most + part, a severe inflammation of the eyes, occasioned by exposure to the + sun, a species of disorder which he treated with some success. He had + brought with him a homeopathic medicine chest, and was, I presume, the + first who introduced that harmless system of treatment among the + Ogallalla. No sooner had a robe been spread at the head of the lodge for + our accommodation, and we had seated ourselves upon it, than a patient + made her appearance; the chief’s daughter herself, who, to do her justice, + was the best-looking girl in the village. Being on excellent terms with + the physician, she placed herself readily under his hands, and submitted + with a good grace to his applications, laughing in his face during the + whole process, for a squaw hardly knows how to smile. This case + dispatched, another of a different kind succeeded. A hideous, emaciated + old woman sat in the darkest corner of the lodge rocking to and fro with + pain and hiding her eyes from the light by pressing the palms of both + hands against her face. At Smoke’s command, she came forward, very + unwillingly, and exhibited a pair of eyes that had nearly disappeared from + excess of inflammation. No sooner had the doctor fastened his grips upon + her than she set up a dismal moaning, and writhed so in his grasp that he + lost all patience, but being resolved to carry his point, he succeeded at + last in applying his favorite remedies. + </p> + <p> + “It is strange,” he said, when the operation was finished, “that I forgot + to bring any Spanish flies with me; we must have something here to answer + for a counter-irritant!” + </p> + <p> + So, in the absence of better, he seized upon a red-hot brand from the + fire, and clapped it against the temple of the old squaw, who set up an + unearthly howl, at which the rest of the family broke out into a laugh. + </p> + <p> + During these medical operations Smoke’s eldest squaw entered the lodge, + with a sort of stone mallet in her hand. I had observed some time before a + litter of well-grown black puppies, comfortably nestled among some buffalo + robes at one side; but this newcomer speedily disturbed their enjoyment; + for seizing one of them by the hind paw, she dragged him out, and carrying + him to the entrance of the lodge, hammered him on the head till she killed + him. Being quite conscious to what this preparation tended, I looked + through a hole in the back of the lodge to see the next steps of the + process. The squaw, holding the puppy by the legs, was swinging him to and + fro through the blaze of a fire, until the hair was singed off. This done, + she unsheathed her knife and cut him into small pieces, which she dropped + into a kettle to boil. In a few moments a large wooden dish was set before + us, filled with this delicate preparation. We felt conscious of the honor. + A dog-feast is the greatest compliment a Dakota can offer to his guest; + and knowing that to refuse eating would be an affront, we attacked the + little dog and devoured him before the eyes of his unconscious parent. + Smoke in the meantime was preparing his great pipe. It was lighted when we + had finished our repast, and we passed it from one to another till the + bowl was empty. This done, we took our leave without further ceremony, + knocked at the gate of the fort, and after making ourselves known were + admitted. + </p> + <p> + One morning, about a week after reaching Fort Laramie, we were holding our + customary Indian levee, when a bustle in the area below announced a new + arrival; and looking down from our balcony, I saw a familiar red beard and + mustache in the gateway. They belonged to the captain, who with his party + had just crossed the stream. We met him on the stairs as he came up, and + congratulated him on the safe arrival of himself and his devoted + companions. But he remembered our treachery, and was grave and dignified + accordingly; a tendency which increased as he observed on our part a + disposition to laugh at him. After remaining an hour or two at the fort he + rode away with his friends, and we have heard nothing of him since. As for + R., he kept carefully aloof. It was but too evident that we had the + unhappiness to have forfeited the kind regards of our London + fellow-traveler. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0010" id="link2HCH0010"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER X + </h2> + <h3> + THE WAR PARTIES + </h3> + <p> + The summer of 1846 was a season of much warlike excitement among all the + western bands of the Dakota. In 1845 they encountered great reverses. Many + war parties had been sent out; some of them had been totally cut off, and + others had returned broken and disheartened, so that the whole nation was + in mourning. Among the rest, ten warriors had gone to the Snake country, + led by the son of a prominent Ogallalla chief, called The Whirlwind. In + passing over Laramie Plains they encountered a superior number of their + enemies, were surrounded, and killed to a man. Having performed this + exploit the Snakes became alarmed, dreading the resentment of the Dakota, + and they hastened therefore to signify their wish for peace by sending the + scalp of the slain partisan, together with a small parcel of tobacco + attached, to his tribesmen and relations. They had employed old Vaskiss, + the trader, as their messenger, and the scalp was the same that hung in + our room at the fort. But The Whirlwind proved inexorable. Though his + character hardly corresponds with his name, he is nevertheless an Indian, + and hates the Snakes with his whole soul. Long before the scalp arrived he + had made his preparations for revenge. He sent messengers with presents + and tobacco to all the Dakota within three hundred miles, proposing a + grand combination to chastise the Snakes, and naming a place and time of + rendezvous. The plan was readily adopted and at this moment many villages, + probably embracing in the whole five or six thousand souls, were slowly + creeping over the prairies and tending towards the common center at La + Bonte’s Camp, on the Platte. Here their war-like rites were to be + celebrated with more than ordinary solemnity, and a thousand warriors, as + it was said, were to set out for the enemy country. The characteristic + result of this preparation will appear in the sequel. + </p> + <p> + I was greatly rejoiced to hear of it. I had come into the country almost + exclusively with a view of observing the Indian character. Having from + childhood felt a curiosity on this subject, and having failed completely + to gratify it by reading, I resolved to have recourse to observation. I + wished to satisfy myself with regard to the position of the Indians among + the races of men; the vices and the virtues that have sprung from their + innate character and from their modes of life, their government, their + superstitions, and their domestic situation. To accomplish my purpose it + was necessary to live in the midst of them, and become, as it were, one of + them. I proposed to join a village and make myself an inmate of one of + their lodges; and henceforward this narrative, so far as I am concerned, + will be chiefly a record of the progress of this design apparently so easy + of accomplishment, and the unexpected impediments that opposed it. + </p> + <p> + We resolved on no account to miss the rendezvous at La Bonte’s Camp. Our + plan was to leave Delorier at the fort, in charge of our equipage and the + better part of our horses, while we took with us nothing but our weapons + and the worst animals we had. In all probability jealousies and quarrels + would arise among so many hordes of fierce impulsive savages, congregated + together under no common head, and many of them strangers, from remote + prairies and mountains. We were bound in common prudence to be cautious + how we excited any feeling of cupidity. This was our plan, but unhappily + we were not destined to visit La Bonte’s Camp in this manner; for one + morning a young Indian came to the fort and brought us evil tidings. The + newcomer was a dandy of the first water. His ugly face was painted with + vermilion; on his head fluttered the tail of a prairie cock (a large + species of pheasant, not found, as I have heard, eastward of the Rocky + Mountains); in his ears were hung pendants of shell, and a flaming red + blanket was wrapped around him. He carried a dragoon sword in his hand, + solely for display, since the knife, the arrow, and the rifle are the + arbiters of every prairie fight; but no one in this country goes abroad + unarmed, the dandy carried a bow and arrows in an otter-skin quiver at his + back. In this guise, and bestriding his yellow horse with an air of + extreme dignity, The Horse, for that was his name, rode in at the gate, + turning neither to the right nor the left, but casting glances askance at + the groups of squaws who, with their mongrel progeny, were sitting in the + sun before their doors. The evil tidings brought by The Horse were of the + following import: The squaw of Henry Chatillon, a woman with whom he had + been connected for years by the strongest ties which in that country exist + between the sexes, was dangerously ill. She and her children were in the + village of The Whirlwind, at the distance of a few days’ journey. Henry + was anxious to see the woman before she died, and provide for the safety + and support of his children, of whom he was extremely fond. To have + refused him this would have been gross inhumanity. We abandoned our plan + of joining Smoke’s village, and of proceeding with it to the rendezvous, + and determined to meet The Whirlwind, and go in his company. + </p> + <p> + I had been slightly ill for several weeks, but on the third night after + reaching Fort Laramie a violent pain awoke me, and I found myself attacked + by the same disorder that occasioned such heavy losses to the army on the + Rio Grande. In a day and a half I was reduced to extreme weakness, so that + I could not walk without pain and effort. Having within that time taken + six grains of opium, without the least beneficial effect, and having no + medical adviser, nor any choice of diet, I resolved to throw myself upon + Providence for recovery, using, without regard to the disorder, any + portion of strength that might remain to me. So on the 20th of June we set + out from Fort Laramie to meet The Whirlwind’s village. Though aided by the + high-bowed “mountain saddle,” I could scarcely keep my seat on horseback. + Before we left the fort we hired another man, a long-haired Canadian, with + a face like an owl’s, contrasting oddly enough with Delorier’s mercurial + countenance. This was not the only re-enforcement to our party. A vagrant + Indian trader, named Reynal, joined us, together with his squaw Margot, + and her two nephews, our dandy friend, The Horse, and his younger brother, + The Hail Storm. Thus accompanied, we betook ourselves to the prairie, + leaving the beaten trail, and passing over the desolate hills that flank + the bottoms of Laramie Creek. In all, Indians and whites, we counted eight + men and one woman. + </p> + <p> + Reynal, the trader, the image of sleek and selfish complacency, carried + The Horse’s dragoon sword in his hand, delighting apparently in this + useless parade; for, from spending half his life among Indians, he had + caught not only their habits but their ideas. Margot, a female animal of + more than two hundred pounds’ weight, was couched in the basket of a + travail, such as I have before described; besides her ponderous bulk, + various domestic utensils were attached to the vehicle, and she was + leading by a trail-rope a packhorse, who carried the covering of Reynal’s + lodge. Delorier walked briskly by the side of the cart, and Raymond came + behind, swearing at the spare horses, which it was his business to drive. + The restless young Indians, their quivers at their backs, and their bows + in their hand, galloped over the hills, often starting a wolf or an + antelope from the thick growth of wild-sage bushes. Shaw and I were in + keeping with the rest of the rude cavalcade, having in the absence of + other clothing adopted the buckskin attire of the trappers. Henry + Chatillon rode in advance of the whole. Thus we passed hill after hill and + hollow after hollow, a country arid, broken and so parched by the sun that + none of the plants familiar to our more favored soil would flourish upon + it, though there were multitudes of strange medicinal herbs, more + especially the absanth, which covered every declivity, and cacti were + hanging like reptiles at the edges of every ravine. At length we ascended + a high hill, our horses treading upon pebbles of flint, agate, and rough + jasper, until, gaining the top, we looked down on the wild bottoms of + Laramie Creek, which far below us wound like a writhing snake from side to + side of the narrow interval, amid a growth of shattered cotton-wood and + ash trees. Lines of tall cliffs, white as chalk, shut in this green strip + of woods and meadow land, into which we descended and encamped for the + night. In the morning we passed a wide grassy plain by the river; there + was a grove in front, and beneath its shadows the ruins of an old trading + fort of logs. The grove bloomed with myriads of wild roses, with their + sweet perfume fraught with recollections of home. As we emerged from the + trees, a rattlesnake, as large as a man’s arm, and more than four feet + long, lay coiled on a rock, fiercely rattling and hissing at us; a gray + hare, double the size of those in New England, leaped up from the tall + ferns; curlew were screaming over our heads, and a whole host of little + prairie dogs sat yelping at us at the mouths of their burrows on the dry + plain beyond. Suddenly an antelope leaped up from the wild-sage bushes, + gazed eagerly at us, and then, erecting his white tail, stretched away + like a greyhound. The two Indian boys found a white wolf, as large as a + calf in a hollow, and giving a sharp yell, they galloped after him; but + the wolf leaped into the stream and swam across. Then came the crack of a + rifle, the bullet whistling harmlessly over his head, as he scrambled up + the steep declivity, rattling down stones and earth into the water below. + Advancing a little, we beheld on the farther bank of the stream, a + spectacle not common even in that region; for, emerging from among the + trees, a herd of some two hundred elk came out upon the meadow, their + antlers clattering as they walked forward in dense throng. Seeing us, they + broke into a run, rushing across the opening and disappearing among the + trees and scattered groves. On our left was a barren prairie, stretching + to the horizon; on our right, a deep gulf, with Laramie Creek at the + bottom. We found ourselves at length at the edge of a steep descent; a + narrow valley, with long rank grass and scattered trees stretching before + us for a mile or more along the course of the stream. Reaching the farther + end, we stopped and encamped. An old huge cotton-wood tree spread its + branches horizontally over our tent. Laramie Creek, circling before our + camp, half inclosed us; it swept along the bottom of a line of tall white + cliffs that looked down on us from the farther bank. There were dense + copses on our right; the cliffs, too, were half hidden by shrubbery, + though behind us a few cotton-wood trees, dotting the green prairie, alone + impeded the view, and friend or enemy could be discerned in that direction + at a mile’s distance. Here we resolved to remain and await the arrival of + The Whirlwind, who would certainly pass this way in his progress toward La + Bonte’s Camp. To go in search of him was not expedient, both on account of + the broken and impracticable nature of the country and the uncertainty of + his position and movements; besides, our horses were almost worn out, and + I was in no condition to travel. We had good grass, good water, tolerable + fish from the stream, and plenty of smaller game, such as antelope and + deer, though no buffalo. There was one little drawback to our satisfaction—a + certain extensive tract of bushes and dried grass, just behind us, which + it was by no means advisable to enter, since it sheltered a numerous brood + of rattlesnakes. Henry Chatillon again dispatched The Horse to the + village, with a message to his squaw that she and her relatives should + leave the rest and push on as rapidly as possible to our camp. + </p> + <p> + Our daily routine soon became as regular as that of a well-ordered + household. The weather-beaten old tree was in the center; our rifles + generally rested against its vast trunk, and our saddles were flung on the + ground around it; its distorted roots were so twisted as to form one or + two convenient arm-chairs, where we could sit in the shade and read or + smoke; but meal-times became, on the whole, the most interesting hours of + the day, and a bountiful provision was made for them. An antelope or a + deer usually swung from a stout bough, and haunches were suspended against + the trunk. That camp is daguerreotyped on my memory; the old tree, the + white tent, with Shaw sleeping in the shadow of it, and Reynal’s miserable + lodge close by the bank of the stream. It was a wretched oven-shaped + structure, made of begrimed and tattered buffalo hides stretched over a + frame of poles; one side was open, and at the side of the opening hung the + powder horn and bullet pouch of the owner, together with his long red + pipe, and a rich quiver of otterskin, with a bow and arrows; for Reynal, + an Indian in most things but color, chose to hunt buffalo with these + primitive weapons. In the darkness of this cavern-like habitation, might + be discerned Madame Margot, her overgrown bulk stowed away among her + domestic implements, furs, robes, blankets, and painted cases of PAR’ + FLECHE, in which dried meat is kept. Here she sat from sunrise to sunset, + a bloated impersonation of gluttony and laziness, while her affectionate + proprietor was smoking, or begging petty gifts from us, or telling lies + concerning his own achievements, or perchance engaged in the more + profitable occupation of cooking some preparation of prairie delicacies. + Reynal was an adept at this work; he and Delorier have joined forces and + are hard at work together over the fire, while Raymond spreads, by way of + tablecloth, a buffalo hide, carefully whitened with pipeclay, on the grass + before the tent. Here, with ostentatious display, he arranges the teacups + and plates; and then, creeping on all fours like a dog, he thrusts his + head in at the opening of the tent. For a moment we see his round owlish + eyes rolling wildly, as if the idea he came to communicate had suddenly + escaped him; then collecting his scattered thoughts, as if by an effort, + he informs us that supper is ready, and instantly withdraws. + </p> + <p> + When sunset came, and at that hour the wild and desolate scene would + assume a new aspect, the horses were driven in. They had been grazing all + day in the neighboring meadow, but now they were picketed close about the + camp. As the prairie darkened we sat and conversed around the fire, until + becoming drowsy we spread our saddles on the ground, wrapped our blankets + around us and lay down. We never placed a guard, having by this time + become too indolent; but Henry Chatillon folded his loaded rifle in the + same blanket with himself, observing that he always took it to bed with + him when he camped in that place. Henry was too bold a man to use such a + precaution without good cause. We had a hint now and then that our + situation was none of the safest; several Crow war parties were known to + be in the vicinity, and one of them, that passed here some time before, + had peeled the bark from a neighboring tree, and engraved upon the white + wood certain hieroglyphics, to signify that they had invaded the + territories of their enemies, the Dakota, and set them at defiance. One + morning a thick mist covered the whole country. Shaw and Henry went out to + ride, and soon came back with a startling piece of intelligence; they had + found within rifle-shot of our camp the recent trail of about thirty + horsemen. They could not be whites, and they could not be Dakota, since we + knew no such parties to be in the neighborhood; therefore they must be + Crows. Thanks to that friendly mist, we had escaped a hard battle; they + would inevitably have attacked us and our Indian companions had they seen + our camp. Whatever doubts we might have entertained, were quite removed a + day or two after, by two or three Dakota, who came to us with an account + of having hidden in a ravine on that very morning, from whence they saw + and counted the Crows; they said that they followed them, carefully + keeping out of sight, as they passed up Chugwater; that here the Crows + discovered five dead bodies of Dakota, placed according to the national + custom in trees, and flinging them to the ground, they held their guns + against them and blew them to atoms. + </p> + <p> + If our camp were not altogether safe, still it was comfortable enough; at + least it was so to Shaw, for I was tormented with illness and vexed by the + delay in the accomplishment of my designs. When a respite in my disorder + gave me some returning strength, I rode out well-armed upon the prairie, + or bathed with Shaw in the stream, or waged a petty warfare with the + inhabitants of a neighborhood prairie-dog village. Around our fire at + night we employed ourselves in inveighing against the fickleness and + inconstancy of Indians, and execrating The Whirlwind and all his village. + At last the thing grew insufferable. + </p> + <p> + “To-morrow morning,” said I, “I will start for the fort, and see if I can + hear any news there.” Late that evening, when the fire had sunk low, and + all the camp were asleep, a loud cry sounded from the darkness. Henry + started up, recognized the voice, replied to it, and our dandy friend, The + Horse, rode in among us, just returned from his mission to the village. He + coolly picketed his mare, without saying a word, sat down by the fire and + began to eat, but his imperturbable philosophy was too much for our + patience. Where was the village? about fifty miles south of us; it was + moving slowly and would not arrive in less than a week; and where was + Henry’s squaw? coming as fast as she could with Mahto-Tatonka, and the + rest of her brothers, but she would never reach us, for she was dying, and + asking every moment for Henry. Henry’s manly face became clouded and + downcast; he said that if we were willing he would go in the morning to + find her, at which Shaw offered to accompany him. + </p> + <p> + We saddled our horses at sunrise. Reynal protested vehemently against + being left alone, with nobody but the two Canadians and the young Indians, + when enemies were in the neighborhood. Disregarding his complaints, we + left him, and coming to the mouth of Chugwater, separated, Shaw and Henry + turning to the right, up the bank of the stream, while I made for the + fort. + </p> + <p> + Taking leave for a while of my friend and the unfortunate squaw, I will + relate by way of episode what I saw and did at Fort Laramie. It was not + more than eighteen miles distant, and I reached it in three hours; a + shriveled little figure, wrapped from head to foot in a dingy white + Canadian capote, stood in the gateway, holding by a cord of bull’s hide a + shaggy wild horse, which he had lately caught. His sharp prominent + features, and his little keen snakelike eyes, looked out from beneath the + shadowy hood of the capote, which was drawn over his head exactly like the + cowl of a Capuchin friar. His face was extremely thin and like an old + piece of leather, and his mouth spread from ear to ear. Extending his long + wiry hand, he welcomed me with something more cordial than the ordinary + cold salute of an Indian, for we were excellent friends. He had made an + exchange of horses to our mutual advantage; and Paul, thinking himself + well-treated, had declared everywhere that the white man had a good heart. + He was a Dakota from the Missouri, a reputed son of the half-breed + interpreter, Pierre Dorion, so often mentioned in Irving’s “Astoria.” He + said that he was going to Richard’s trading house to sell his horse to + some emigrants who were encamped there, and asked me to go with him. We + forded the stream together, Paul dragging his wild charge behind him. As + we passed over the sandy plains beyond, he grew quite communicative. Paul + was a cosmopolitan in his way; he had been to the settlements of the + whites, and visited in peace and war most of the tribes within the range + of a thousand miles. He spoke a jargon of French and another of English, + yet nevertheless he was a thorough Indian; and as he told of the bloody + deeds of his own people against their enemies, his little eye would + glitter with a fierce luster. He told how the Dakota exterminated a + village of the Hohays on the Upper Missouri, slaughtering men, women, and + children; and how an overwhelming force of them cut off sixteen of the + brave Delawares, who fought like wolves to the last, amid the throng of + their enemies. He told me also another story, which I did not believe + until I had it confirmed from so many independent sources that no room was + left for doubt. I am tempted to introduce it here. + </p> + <p> + Six years ago a fellow named Jim Beckwith, a mongrel of French, American, + and negro blood, was trading for the Fur Company, in a very large village + of the Crows. Jim Beckwith was last summer at St. Louis. He is a ruffian + of the first stamp; bloody and treacherous, without honor or honesty; such + at least is the character he bears upon the prairie. Yet in his case all + the standard rules of character fail, for though he will stab a man in his + sleep, he will also perform most desperate acts of daring; such, for + instance, as the following: While he was in the Crow village, a Blackfoot + war party, between thirty and forty in number came stealing through the + country, killing stragglers and carrying off horses. The Crow warriors got + upon their trail and pressed them so closely that they could not escape, + at which the Blackfeet, throwing up a semicircular breastwork of logs at + the foot of a precipice, coolly awaited their approach. The logs and + sticks, piled four or five high, protected them in front. The Crows might + have swept over the breastwork and exterminated their enemies; but though + out-numbering them tenfold, they did not dream of storming the little + fortification. Such a proceeding would be altogether repugnant to their + notions of warfare. Whooping and yelling, and jumping from side to side + like devils incarnate, they showered bullets and arrows upon the logs; not + a Blackfoot was hurt, but several Crows, in spite of their leaping and + dodging, were shot down. In this childish manner the fight went on for an + hour or two. Now and then a Crow warrior in an ecstasy of valor and + vainglory would scream forth his war song, boasting himself the bravest + and greatest of mankind, and grasping his hatchet, would rush up and + strike it upon the breastwork, and then as he retreated to his companions, + fall dead under a shower of arrows; yet no combined attack seemed to be + dreamed of. The Blackfeet remained secure in their intrenchment. At last + Jim Beckwith lost patience. + </p> + <p> + “You are all fools and old women,” he said to the Crows; “come with me, if + any of you are brave enough, and I will show you how to fight.” + </p> + <p> + He threw off his trapper’s frock of buckskin and stripped himself naked + like the Indians themselves. He left his rifle on the ground, and taking + in his hand a small light hatchet, he ran over the prairie to the right, + concealed by a hollow from the eyes of the Blackfeet. Then climbing up the + rocks, he gained the top of the precipice behind them. Forty or fifty + young Crow warriors followed him. By the cries and whoops that rose from + below he knew that the Blackfeet were just beneath him; and running + forward, he leaped down the rock into the midst of them. As he fell he + caught one by the long loose hair and dragging him down tomahawked him; + then grasping another by the belt at his waist, he struck him also a + stunning blow, and gaining his feet, shouted the Crow war-cry. He swung + his hatchet so fiercely around him that the astonished Blackfeet bore back + and gave him room. He might, had he chosen, have leaped over the + breastwork and escaped; but this was not necessary, for with devilish + yells the Crow warriors came dropping in quick succession over the rock + among their enemies. The main body of the Crows, too, answered the cry + from the front and rushed up simultaneously. The convulsive struggle + within the breastwork was frightful; for an instant the Blackfeet fought + and yelled like pent-up tigers; but the butchery was soon complete, and + the mangled bodies lay piled up together under the precipice. Not a + Blackfoot made his escape. + </p> + <p> + As Paul finished his story we came in sight of Richard’s Fort. It stood in + the middle of the plain; a disorderly crowd of men around it, and an + emigrant camp a little in front. + </p> + <p> + “Now, Paul,” said I, “where are your Winnicongew lodges?” + </p> + <p> + “Not come yet,” said Paul, “maybe come to-morrow.” + </p> + <p> + Two large villages of a band of Dakota had come three hundred miles from + the Missouri, to join in the war, and they were expected to reach + Richard’s that morning. There was as yet no sign of their approach; so + pushing through a noisy, drunken crowd, I entered an apartment of logs and + mud, the largest in the fort; it was full of men of various races and + complexions, all more or less drunk. A company of California emigrants, it + seemed, had made the discovery at this late day that they had encumbered + themselves with too many supplies for their journey. A part, therefore, + they had thrown away or sold at great loss to the traders, but had + determined to get rid of their copious stock of Missouri whisky, by + drinking it on the spot. Here were maudlin squaws stretched on piles of + buffalo robes; squalid Mexicans, armed with bows and arrows; Indians + sedately drunk; long-haired Canadians and trappers, and American + backwoodsmen in brown homespun, the well-beloved pistol and bowie knife + displayed openly at their sides. In the middle of the room a tall, lank + man, with a dingy broadcloth coat, was haranguing the company in the style + of the stump orator. With one hand he sawed the air, and with the other + clutched firmly a brown jug of whisky, which he applied every moment to + his lips, forgetting that he had drained the contents long ago. Richard + formally introduced me to this personage, who was no less a man than + Colonel R., once the leader of the party. Instantly the colonel seizing + me, in the absence of buttons by the leather fringes of my frock, began to + define his position. His men, he said, had mutinied and deposed him; but + still he exercised over them the influence of a superior mind; in all but + the name he was yet their chief. As the colonel spoke, I looked round on + the wild assemblage, and could not help thinking that he was but ill + qualified to conduct such men across the desert to California. Conspicuous + among the rest stood three tail young men, grandsons of Daniel Boone. They + had clearly inherited the adventurous character of that prince of + pioneers; but I saw no signs of the quiet and tranquil spirit that so + remarkably distinguished him. + </p> + <p> + Fearful was the fate that months after overtook some of the members of + that party. General Kearny, on his late return from California, brought in + the account how they were interrupted by the deep snows among the + mountains, and maddened by cold and hunger fed upon each other’s flesh. + </p> + <p> + I got tired of the confusion. “Come, Paul,” said I, “we will be off.” Paul + sat in the sun, under the wall of the fort. He jumped up, mounted, and we + rode toward Fort Laramie. When we reached it, a man came out of the gate + with a pack at his back and a rifle on his shoulder; others were gathering + about him, shaking him by the hand, as if taking leave. I thought it a + strange thing that a man should set out alone and on foot for the prairie. + I soon got an explanation. Perrault—this, if I recollect right was + the Canadian’s name—had quarreled with the bourgeois, and the fort + was too hot to hold him. Bordeaux, inflated with his transient authority, + had abused him, and received a blow in return. The men then sprang at each + other, and grappled in the middle of the fort. Bordeaux was down in an + instant, at the mercy of the incensed Canadian; had not an old Indian, the + brother of his squaw, seized hold of his antagonist, he would have fared + ill. Perrault broke loose from the old Indian, and both the white men ran + to their rooms for their guns; but when Bordeaux, looking from his door, + saw the Canadian, gun in hand, standing in the area and calling on him to + come out and fight, his heart failed him; he chose to remain where he was. + In vain the old Indian, scandalized by his brother-in-law’s cowardice, + called upon him to go upon the prairie and fight it out in the white man’s + manner; and Bordeaux’s own squaw, equally incensed, screamed to her lord + and master that he was a dog and an old woman. It all availed nothing. + Bordeaux’s prudence got the better of his valor, and he would not stir. + Perrault stood showering approbrious epithets at the recent bourgeois. + Growing tired of this, he made up a pack of dried meat, and slinging it at + his back, set out alone for Fort Pierre on the Missouri, a distance of + three hundred miles, over a desert country full of hostile Indians. + </p> + <p> + I remained in the fort that night. In the morning, as I was coming out + from breakfast, conversing with a trader named McCluskey, I saw a strange + Indian leaning against the side of the gate. He was a tall, strong man, + with heavy features. + </p> + <p> + “Who is he?” I asked. “That’s The Whirlwind,” said McCluskey. “He is the + fellow that made all this stir about the war. It’s always the way with the + Sioux; they never stop cutting each other’s throats; it’s all they are fit + for; instead of sitting in their lodges, and getting robes to trade with + us in the winter. If this war goes on, we’ll make a poor trade of it next + season, I reckon.” + </p> + <p> + And this was the opinion of all the traders, who were vehemently opposed + to the war, from the serious injury that it must occasion to their + interests. The Whirlwind left his village the day before to make a visit + to the fort. His warlike ardor had abated not a little since he first + conceived the design of avenging his son’s death. The long and complicated + preparations for the expedition were too much for his fickle, inconstant + disposition. That morning Bordeaux fastened upon him, made him presents + and told him that if he went to war he would destroy his horses and kill + no buffalo to trade with the white men; in short, that he was a fool to + think of such a thing, and had better make up his mind to sit quietly in + his lodge and smoke his pipe, like a wise man. The Whirlwind’s purpose was + evidently shaken; he had become tired, like a child, of his favorite plan. + Bordeaux exultingly predicted that he would not go to war. My philanthropy + at that time was no match for my curiosity, and I was vexed at the + possibility that after all I might lose the rare opportunity of seeing the + formidable ceremonies of war. The Whirlwind, however, had merely thrown + the firebrand; the conflagration was become general. All the western bands + of the Dakota were bent on war; and as I heard from McCluskey, six large + villages already gathered on a little stream, forty miles distant, were + daily calling to the Great Spirit to aid them in their enterprise. + McCluskey had just left and represented them as on their way to La Bonte’s + Camp, which they would reach in a week, UNLESS THEY SHOULD LEARN THAT + THERE WERE NO BUFFALO THERE. I did not like this condition, for buffalo + this season were rare in the neighborhood. There were also the two + Minnicongew villages that I mentioned before; but about noon, an Indian + came from Richard’s Fort with the news that they were quarreling, breaking + up, and dispersing. So much for the whisky of the emigrants! Finding + themselves unable to drink the whole, they had sold the residue to these + Indians, and it needed no prophet to foretell the results; a spark dropped + into a powder magazine would not have produced a quicker effect. Instantly + the old jealousies and rivalries and smothered feuds that exist in an + Indian village broke out into furious quarrels. They forgot the warlike + enterprise that had already brought them three hundred miles. They seemed + like ungoverned children inflamed with the fiercest passions of men. + Several of them were stabbed in the drunken tumult; and in the morning + they scattered and moved back toward the Missouri in small parties. I + feared that, after all, the long-projected meeting and the ceremonies that + were to attend it might never take place, and I should lose so admirable + an opportunity of seeing the Indian under his most fearful and + characteristic aspect; however, in foregoing this, I should avoid a very + fair probability of being plundered and stripped, and, it might be, + stabbed or shot into the bargain. Consoling myself with this reflection, I + prepared to carry the news, such as it was, to the camp. + </p> + <p> + I caught my horse, and to my vexation found he had lost a shoe and broken + his tender white hoof against the rocks. Horses are shod at Fort Laramie + at the moderate rate of three dollars a foot; so I tied Hendrick to a beam + in the corral, and summoned Roubidou, the blacksmith. Roubidou, with the + hoof between his knees, was at work with hammer and file, and I was + inspecting the process, when a strange voice addressed me. + </p> + <p> + “Two more gone under! Well, there is more of us left yet. Here’s Jean Gars + and me off to the mountains to-morrow. Our turn will come next, I suppose. + It’s a hard life, anyhow!” + </p> + <p> + I looked up and saw a little man, not much more than five feet high, but + of very square and strong proportions. In appearance he was particularly + dingy; for his old buckskin frock was black and polished with time and + grease, and his belt, knife, pouch, and powder-horn appeared to have seen + the roughest service. The first joint of each foot was entirely gone, + having been frozen off several winters before, and his moccasins were + curtailed in proportion. His whole appearance and equipment bespoke the + “free trapper.” He had a round ruddy face, animated with a spirit of + carelessness and gayety not at all in accordance with the words he had + just spoken. + </p> + <p> + “Two more gone,” said I; “what do you mean by that?” + </p> + <p> + “Oh,” said he, “the Arapahoes have just killed two of us in the mountains. + Old Bull-Tail has come to tell us. They stabbed one behind his back, and + shot the other with his own rifle. That’s the way we live here! I mean to + give up trapping after this year. My squaw says she wants a pacing horse + and some red ribbons; I’ll make enough beaver to get them for her, and + then I’m done! I’ll go below and live on a farm.” + </p> + <p> + “Your bones will dry on the prairie, Rouleau!” said another trapper, who + was standing by; a strong, brutal-looking fellow, with a face as surly as + a bull-dog’s. + </p> + <p> + Rouleau only laughed, and began to hum a tune and shuffle a dance on his + stumps of feet. + </p> + <p> + “You’ll see us, before long, passing up our way,” said the other man. + “Well,” said I, “stop and take a cup of coffee with us”; and as it was + quite late in the afternoon, I prepared to leave the fort at once. + </p> + <p> + As I rode out, a train of emigrant wagons was passing across the stream. + “Whar are ye goin’ stranger?” Thus I was saluted by two or three voices at + once. + </p> + <p> + “About eighteen miles up the creek.” + </p> + <p> + “It’s mighty late to be going that far! Make haste, ye’d better, and keep + a bright lookout for Indians!” + </p> + <p> + I thought the advice too good to be neglected. Fording the stream, I + passed at a round trot over the plains beyond. But “the more haste, the + worse speed.” I proved the truth in the proverb by the time I reached the + hills three miles from the fort. The trail was faintly marked, and riding + forward with more rapidity than caution, I lost sight of it. I kept on in + a direct line, guided by Laramie Creek, which I could see at intervals + darkly glistening in the evening sun, at the bottom of the woody gulf on + my right. Half an hour before sunset I came upon its banks. There was + something exciting in the wild solitude of the place. An antelope sprang + suddenly from the sagebushes before me. As he leaped gracefully not thirty + yards before my horse, I fired, and instantly he spun round and fell. + Quite sure of him, I walked my horse toward him, leisurely reloading my + rifle, when to my surprise he sprang up and trotted rapidly away on three + legs into the dark recesses of the hills, whither I had no time to follow. + Ten minutes after, I was passing along the bottom of a deep valley, and + chancing to look behind me, I saw in the dim light that something was + following. Supposing it to be wolf, I slid from my seat and sat down + behind my horse to shoot it; but as it came up, I saw by its motions that + it was another antelope. It approached within a hundred yards, arched its + graceful neck, and gazed intently. I leveled at the white spot on its + chest, and was about to fire when it started off, ran first to one side + and then to the other, like a vessel tacking against a wind, and at last + stretched away at full speed. Then it stopped again, looked curiously + behind it, and trotted up as before; but not so boldly, for it soon paused + and stood gazing at me. I fired; it leaped upward and fell upon its + tracks. Measuring the distance, I found it 204 paces. When I stood by his + side, the antelope turned his expiring eye upward. It was like a beautiful + woman’s, dark and rich. “Fortunate that I am in a hurry,” thought I; “I + might be troubled with remorse, if I had time for it.” + </p> + <p> + Cutting the animal up, not in the most skilled manner, I hung the meat at + the back of my saddle, and rode on again. The hills (I could not remember + one of them) closed around me. “It is too late,” thought I, “to go + forward. I will stay here to-night, and look for the path in the morning.” + As a last effort, however, I ascended a high hill, from which, to my great + satisfaction, I could see Laramie Creek stretching before me, twisting + from side to side amid ragged patches of timber; and far off, close + beneath the shadows of the trees, the ruins of the old trading fort were + visible. I reached them at twilight. It was far from pleasant, in that + uncertain light, to be pushing through the dense trees and shrubbery of + the grove beyond. I listened anxiously for the footfall of man or beast. + Nothing was stirring but one harmless brown bird, chirping among the + branches. I was glad when I gained the open prairie once more, where I + could see if anything approached. When I came to the mouth of Chugwater, + it was totally dark. Slackening the reins, I let my horse take his own + course. He trotted on with unerring instinct, and by nine o’clock was + scrambling down the steep ascent into the meadows where we were encamped. + While I was looking in vain for the light of the fire, Hendrick, with + keener perceptions, gave a loud neigh, which was immediately answered in a + shrill note from the distance. In a moment I was hailed from the darkness + by the voice of Reynal, who had come out, rifle in hand, to see who was + approaching. + </p> + <p> + He, with his squaw, the two Canadians and the Indian boys, were the sole + inmates of the camp, Shaw and Henry Chatillon being still absent. At noon + of the following day they came back, their horses looking none the better + for the journey. Henry seemed dejected. The woman was dead, and his + children must henceforward be exposed, without a protector, to the + hardships and vicissitudes of Indian life. Even in the midst of his grief + he had not forgotten his attachment to his bourgeois, for he had procured + among his Indian relatives two beautifully ornamented buffalo robes, which + he spread on the ground as a present to us. + </p> + <p> + Shaw lighted his pipe, and told me in a few words the history of his + journey. When I went to the fort they left me, as I mentioned, at the + mouth of Chugwater. They followed the course of the little stream all day, + traversing a desolate and barren country. Several times they came upon the + fresh traces of a large war party—the same, no doubt, from whom we + had so narrowly escaped an attack. At an hour before sunset, without + encountering a human being by the way, they came upon the lodges of the + squaw and her brothers, who, in compliance with Henry’s message, had left + the Indian village in order to join us at our camp. The lodges were + already pitched, five in number, by the side of the stream. The woman lay + in one of them, reduced to a mere skeleton. For some time she had been + unable to move or speak. Indeed, nothing had kept her alive but the hope + of seeing Henry, to whom she was strongly and faithfully attached. No + sooner did he enter the lodge than she revived, and conversed with him the + greater part of the night. Early in the morning she was lifted into a + travail, and the whole party set out toward our camp. There were but five + warriors; the rest were women and children. The whole were in great alarm + at the proximity of the Crow war party, who would certainly have destroyed + them without mercy had they met. They had advanced only a mile or two, + when they discerned a horseman, far off, on the edge of the horizon. They + all stopped, gathering together in the greatest anxiety, from which they + did not recover until long after the horseman disappeared; then they set + out again. Henry was riding with Shaw a few rods in advance of the + Indians, when Mahto-Tatonka, a younger brother of the woman, hastily + called after them. Turning back, they found all the Indians crowded around + the travail in which the woman was lying. They reached her just in time to + hear the death-rattle in her throat. In a moment she lay dead in the + basket of the vehicle. A complete stillness succeeded; then the Indians + raised in concert their cries of lamentation over the corpse, and among + them Shaw clearly distinguished those strange sounds resembling the word + “Halleluyah,” which together with some other accidental coincidences has + given rise to the absurd theory that the Indians are descended from the + ten lost tribes of Israel. + </p> + <p> + The Indian usage required that Henry, as well as the other relatives of + the woman, should make valuable presents, to be placed by the side of the + body at its last resting place. Leaving the Indians, he and Shaw set out + for the camp and reached it, as we have seen, by hard pushing, at about + noon. Having obtained the necessary articles, they immediately returned. + It was very late and quite dark when they again reached the lodges. They + were all placed in a deep hollow among the dreary hills. Four of them were + just visible through the gloom, but the fifth and largest was illuminated + by the ruddy blaze of a fire within, glowing through the half-transparent + covering of raw hides. There was a perfect stillness as they approached. + The lodges seemed without a tenant. Not a living thing was stirring—there + was something awful in the scene. They rode up to the entrance of the + lodge, and there was no sound but the tramp of their horses. A squaw came + out and took charge of the animals, without speaking a word. Entering, + they found the lodge crowded with Indians; a fire was burning in the + midst, and the mourners encircled it in a triple row. Room was made for + the newcomers at the head of the lodge, a robe spread for them to sit + upon, and a pipe lighted and handed to them in perfect silence. Thus they + passed the greater part of the night. At times the fire would subside into + a heap of embers, until the dark figures seated around it were scarcely + visible; then a squaw would drop upon it a piece of buffalo-fat, and a + bright flame, instantly springing up, would reveal of a sudden the crowd + of wild faces, motionless as bronze. The silence continued unbroken. It + was a relief to Shaw when daylight returned and he could escape from this + house of mourning. He and Henry prepared to return homeward; first, + however, they placed the presents they had brought near the body of the + squaw, which, most gaudily attired, remained in a sitting posture in one + of the lodges. A fine horse was picketed not far off, destined to be + killed that morning for the service of her spirit, for the woman was lame, + and could not travel on foot over the dismal prairies to the villages of + the dead. Food, too, was provided, and household implements, for her use + upon this last journey. + </p> + <p> + Henry left her to the care of her relatives, and came immediately with + Shaw to the camp. It was some time before he entirely recovered from his + dejection. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0011" id="link2HCH0011"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XI + </h2> + <h3> + SCENES AT THE CAMP + </h3> + <p> + Reynal heard guns fired one day, at the distance of a mile or two from the + camp. He grew nervous instantly. Visions of Crow war parties began to + haunt his imagination; and when we returned (for we were all absent), he + renewed his complaints about being left alone with the Canadians and the + squaw. The day after, the cause of the alarm appeared. Four trappers, one + called Moran, another Saraphin, and the others nicknamed “Rouleau” and + “Jean Gras,” came to our camp and joined us. They it was who fired the + guns and disturbed the dreams of our confederate Reynal. They soon + encamped by our side. Their rifles, dingy and battered with hard service, + rested with ours against the old tree; their strong rude saddles, their + buffalo robes, their traps, and the few rough and simple articles of their + traveling equipment, were piled near our tent. Their mountain horses were + turned to graze in the meadow among our own; and the men themselves, no + less rough and hardy, used to lie half the day in the shade of our tree + lolling on the grass, lazily smoking, and telling stories of their + adventures; and I defy the annals of chivalry to furnish the record of a + life more wild and perilous than that of a Rocky Mountain trapper. + </p> + <p> + With this efficient re-enforcement the agitation of Reynal’s nerves + subsided. He began to conceive a sort of attachment to our old camping + ground; yet it was time to change our quarters, since remaining too long + on one spot must lead to certain unpleasant results not to be borne with + unless in a case of dire necessity. The grass no longer presented a smooth + surface of turf; it was trampled into mud and clay. So we removed to + another old tree, larger yet, that grew by the river side at a furlong’s + distance. Its trunk was full six feet in diameter; on one side it was + marked by a party of Indians with various inexplicable hieroglyphics, + commemorating some warlike enterprise, and aloft among the branches were + the remains of a scaffolding, where dead bodies had once been deposited, + after the Indian manner. + </p> + <p> + “There comes Bull-Bear,” said Henry Chatillon, as we sat on the grass at + dinner. Looking up, we saw several horsemen coming over the neighboring + hill, and in a moment four stately young men rode up and dismounted. One + of them was Bull-Bear, or Mahto-Tatonka, a compound name which he + inherited from his father, the most powerful chief in the Ogallalla band. + One of his brothers and two other young men accompanied him. We shook + hands with the visitors, and when we had finished our meal—for this + is the orthodox manner of entertaining Indians, even the best of them—we + handed to each a tin cup of coffee and a biscuit, at which they ejaculated + from the bottom of their throats, “How! how!” a monosyllable by which an + Indian contrives to express half the emotions that he is susceptible of. + Then we lighted the pipe, and passed it to them as they squatted on the + ground. + </p> + <p> + “Where is the village?” + </p> + <p> + “There,” said Mahto-Tatonka, pointing southward; “it will come in two + days.” + </p> + <p> + “Will they go to the war?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes.” + </p> + <p> + No man is a philanthropist on the prairie. We welcomed this news most + cordially, and congratulated ourselves that Bordeaux’s interested efforts + to divert The Whirlwind from his congenial vocation of bloodshed had + failed of success, and that no additional obstacles would interpose + between us and our plan of repairing to the rendezvous at La Bonte’s Camp. + </p> + <p> + For that and several succeeding days, Mahto-Tatonka and his friends + remained our guests. They devoured the relics of our meals; they filled + the pipe for us and also helped us to smoke it. Sometimes they stretched + themselves side by side in the shade, indulging in raillery and practical + jokes ill becoming the dignity of brave and aspiring warriors, such as two + of them in reality were. + </p> + <p> + Two days dragged away, and on the morning of the third we hoped + confidently to see the Indian village. It did not come; so we rode out to + look for it. In place of the eight hundred Indians we expected, we met one + solitary savage riding toward us over the prairie, who told us that the + Indians had changed their plans, and would not come within three days; + still he persisted that they were going to the war. Taking along with us + this messenger of evil tidings, we retraced our footsteps to the camp, + amusing ourselves by the way with execrating Indian inconstancy. When we + came in sight of our little white tent under the big tree, we saw that it + no longer stood alone. A huge old lodge was erected close by its side, + discolored by rain and storms, rotted with age, with the uncouth figures + of horses and men, and outstretched hands that were painted upon it, + well-nigh obliterated. The long poles which supported this squalid + habitation thrust themselves rakishly out from its pointed top, and over + its entrance were suspended a “medicine-pipe” and various other implements + of the magic art. While we were yet at a distance, we observed a greatly + increased population of various colors and dimensions, swarming around our + quiet encampment. Moran, the trapper, having been absent for a day or two, + had returned, it seemed, bringing all his family with him. He had taken to + himself a wife for whom he had paid the established price of one horse. + This looks cheap at first sight, but in truth the purchase of a squaw is a + transaction which no man should enter into without mature deliberation, + since it involves not only the payment of the first price, but the + formidable burden of feeding and supporting a rapacious horde of the + bride’s relatives, who hold themselves entitled to feed upon the + indiscreet white man. They gather round like leeches, and drain him of all + he has. + </p> + <p> + Moran, like Reynal, had not allied himself to an aristocratic circle. His + relatives occupied but a contemptible position in Ogallalla society; for + among those wild democrats of the prairie, as among us, there are virtual + distinctions of rank and place; though this great advantage they have over + us, that wealth has no part in determining such distinctions. Moran’s + partner was not the most beautiful of her sex, and he had the exceedingly + bad taste to array her in an old calico gown bought from an emigrant + woman, instead of the neat and graceful tunic of whitened deerskin worn + ordinarily by the squaws. The moving spirit of the establishment, in more + senses than one, was a hideous old hag of eighty. Human imagination never + conceived hobgoblin or witch more ugly than she. You could count all her + ribs through the wrinkles of the leathery skin that covered them. Her + withered face more resembled an old skull than the countenance of a living + being, even to the hollow, darkened sockets, at the bottom of which + glittered her little black eyes. Her arms had dwindled away into nothing + but whipcord and wire. Her hair, half black, half gray, hung in total + neglect nearly to the ground, and her sole garment consisted of the + remnant of a discarded buffalo robe tied round her waist with a string of + hide. Yet the old squaw’s meager anatomy was wonderfully strong. She + pitched the lodge, packed the horses, and did the hardest labor of the + camp. From morning till night she bustled about the lodge, screaming like + a screech-owl when anything displeased her. Then there was her brother, a + “medicine-man,” or magician, equally gaunt and sinewy with herself. His + mouth spread from ear to ear, and his appetite, as we had full occasion to + learn, was ravenous in proportion. The other inmates of the lodge were a + young bride and bridegroom; the latter one of those idle, good-for nothing + fellows who infest an Indian village as well as more civilized + communities. He was fit neither for hunting nor for war; and one might + infer as much from the stolid unmeaning expression of his face. The happy + pair had just entered upon the honeymoon. They would stretch a buffalo + robe upon poles, so as to protect them from the fierce rays of the sun, + and spreading beneath this rough canopy a luxuriant couch of furs, would + sit affectionately side by side for half the day, though I could not + discover that much conversation passed between them. Probably they had + nothing to say; for an Indian’s supply of topics for conversation is far + from being copious. There were half a dozen children, too, playing and + whooping about the camp, shooting birds with little bows and arrows, or + making miniature lodges of sticks, as children of a different complexion + build houses of blocks. + </p> + <p> + A day passed, and Indians began rapidly to come in. Parties of two or + three or more would ride up and silently seat themselves on the grass. The + fourth day came at last, when about noon horsemen suddenly appeared into + view on the summit of the neighboring ridge. They descended, and behind + them followed a wild procession, hurrying in haste and disorder down the + hill and over the plain below; horses, mules, and dogs, heavily burdened + travaux, mounted warriors, squaws walking amid the throng, and a host of + children. For a full half-hour they continued to pour down; and keeping + directly to the bend of the stream, within a furlong of us, they soon + assembled there, a dark and confused throng, until, as if by magic, 150 + tall lodges sprung up. On a sudden the lonely plain was transformed into + the site of a miniature city. Countless horses were soon grazing over the + meadows around us, and the whole prairie was animated by restless figures + careening on horseback, or sedately stalking in their long white robes. + The Whirlwind was come at last! One question yet remained to be answered: + “Will he go to the war, in order that we, with so respectable an escort, + may pass over to the somewhat perilous rendezvous at La Bonte’s Camp?” + </p> + <p> + Still this remained in doubt. Characteristic indecision perplexed their + councils. Indians cannot act in large bodies. Though their object be of + the highest importance, they cannot combine to attain it by a series of + connected efforts. King Philip, Pontiac, and Tecumseh all felt this to + their cost. The Ogallalla once had a war chief who could control them; but + he was dead, and now they were left to the sway of their own unsteady + impulses. + </p> + <p> + This Indian village and its inhabitants will hold a prominent place in the + rest of the narrative, and perhaps it may not be amiss to glance for an + instant at the savage people of which they form a part. The Dakota (I + prefer this national designation to the unmeaning French name, Sioux) + range over a vast territory, from the river St. Peter’s to the Rocky + Mountains themselves. They are divided into several independent bands, + united under no central government, and acknowledge no common head. The + same language, usages, and superstitions form the sole bond between them. + They do not unite even in their wars. The bands of the east fight the + Ojibwas on the Upper Lakes; those of the west make incessant war upon the + Snake Indians in the Rocky Mountains. As the whole people is divided into + bands, so each band is divided into villages. Each village has a chief, + who is honored and obeyed only so far as his personal qualities may + command respect and fear. Sometimes he is a mere nominal chief; sometimes + his authority is little short of absolute, and his fame and influence + reach even beyond his own village; so that the whole band to which he + belongs is ready to acknowledge him as their head. This was, a few years + since, the case with the Ogallalla. Courage, address, and enterprise may + raise any warrior to the highest honor, especially if he be the son of a + former chief, or a member of a numerous family, to support him and avenge + his quarrels; but when he has reached the dignity of chief, and the old + men and warriors, by a peculiar ceremony, have formally installed him, let + it not be imagined that he assumes any of the outward semblances of rank + and honor. He knows too well on how frail a tenure he holds his station. + He must conciliate his uncertain subjects. Many a man in the village lives + better, owns more squaws and more horses, and goes better clad than he. + Like the Teutonic chiefs of old, he ingratiates himself with his young men + by making them presents, thereby often impoverishing himself. Does he fail + in gaining their favor, they will set his authority at naught, and may + desert him at any moment; for the usages of his people have provided no + sanctions by which he may enforce his authority. Very seldom does it + happen, at least among these western bands, that a chief attains to much + power, unless he is the head of a numerous family. Frequently the village + is principally made up of his relatives and descendants, and the wandering + community assumes much of the patriarchal character. A people so loosely + united, torn, too, with ranking feuds and jealousies, can have little + power or efficiency. + </p> + <p> + The western Dakota have no fixed habitations. Hunting and fighting, they + wander incessantly through summer and winter. Some are following the herds + of buffalo over the waste of prairie; others are traversing the Black + Hills, thronging on horseback and on foot through the dark gulfs and + somber gorges beneath the vast splintering precipices, and emerging at + last upon the “Parks,” those beautiful but most perilous hunting grounds. + The buffalo supplies them with almost all the necessaries of life; with + habitations, food, clothing, and fuel; with strings for their bows, with + thread, cordage, and trail-ropes for their horses, with coverings for + their saddles, with vessels to hold water, with boats to cross streams, + with glue, and with the means of purchasing all that they desire from the + traders. When the buffalo are extinct, they too must dwindle away. + </p> + <p> + War is the breath of their nostrils. Against most of the neighboring + tribes they cherish a deadly, rancorous hatred, transmitted from father to + son, and inflamed by constant aggression and retaliation. Many times a + year, in every village, the Great Spirit is called upon, fasts are made, + the war parade is celebrated, and the warriors go out by handfuls at a + time against the enemy. This fierce and evil spirit awakens their most + eager aspirations, and calls forth their greatest energies. It is chiefly + this that saves them from lethargy and utter abasement. Without its + powerful stimulus they would be like the unwarlike tribes beyond the + mountains, who are scattered among the caves and rocks like beasts, living + on roots and reptiles. These latter have little of humanity except the + form; but the proud and ambitious Dakota warrior can sometimes boast of + heroic virtues. It is very seldom that distinction and influence are + attained among them by any other course than that of arms. Their + superstition, however, sometimes gives great power, to those among them + who pretend to the character of magicians. Their wild hearts, too, can + feel the power of oratory, and yield deference to the masters of it. + </p> + <p> + But to return. Look into our tent, or enter, if you can bear the stifling + smoke and the close atmosphere. There, wedged close together, you will see + a circle of stout warriors, passing the pipe around, joking, telling + stories, and making themselves merry, after their fashion. We were also + infested by little copper-colored naked boys and snake-eyed girls. They + would come up to us, muttering certain words, which being interpreted + conveyed the concise invitation, “Come and eat.” Then we would rise, + cursing the pertinacity of Dakota hospitality, which allowed scarcely an + hour of rest between sun and sun, and to which we were bound to do honor, + unless we would offend our entertainers. This necessity was particularly + burdensome to me, as I was scarcely able to walk, from the effects of + illness, and was of course poorly qualified to dispose of twenty meals a + day. Of these sumptuous banquets I gave a specimen in a former chapter, + where the tragical fate of the little dog was chronicled. So bounteous an + entertainment looks like an outgushing of good will; but doubtless + one-half at least of our kind hosts, had they met us alone and unarmed on + the prairie, would have robbed us of our horses, and perchance have + bestowed an arrow upon us beside. Trust not an Indian. Let your rifle be + ever in your hand. Wear next your heart the old chivalric motto SEMPER + PARATUS. + </p> + <p> + One morning we were summoned to the lodge of an old man, in good truth the + Nestor of his tribe. We found him half sitting, half reclining on a pile + of buffalo robes; his long hair, jet-black even now, though he had seen + some eighty winters, hung on either side of his thin features. Those most + conversant with Indians in their homes will scarcely believe me when I + affirm that there was dignity in his countenance and mien. His gaunt but + symmetrical frame, did not more clearly exhibit the wreck of bygone + strength, than did his dark, wasted features, still prominent and + commanding, bear the stamp of mental energies. I recalled, as I saw him, + the eloquent metaphor of the Iroquois sachem: “I am an aged hemlock; the + winds of a hundred winters have whistled through my branches, and I am + dead at the top!” Opposite the patriarch was his nephew, the young + aspirant Mahto-Tatonka; and besides these, there were one or two women in + the lodge. + </p> + <p> + The old man’s story is peculiar, and singularly illustrative of a + superstitious custom that prevails in full force among many of the Indian + tribes. He was one of a powerful family, renowned for their warlike + exploits. When a very young man, he submitted to the singular rite to + which most of the tribe subject themselves before entering upon life. He + painted his face black; then seeking out a cavern in a sequestered part of + the Black Hills, he lay for several days, fasting and praying to the Great + Spirit. In the dreams and visions produced by his weakened and excited + state, he fancied like all Indians, that he saw supernatural revelations. + Again and again the form of an antelope appeared before him. The antelope + is the graceful peace spirit of the Ogallalla; but seldom is it that such + a gentle visitor presents itself during the initiatory fasts of their + young men. The terrible grizzly bear, the divinity of war, usually appears + to fire them with martial ardor and thirst for renown. At length the + antelope spoke. He told the young dreamer that he was not to follow the + path of war; that a life of peace and tranquillity was marked out for him; + that henceforward he was to guide the people by his counsels and protect + them from the evils of their own feuds and dissensions. Others were to + gain renown by fighting the enemy; but greatness of a different kind was + in store for him. + </p> + <p> + The visions beheld during the period of this fast usually determine the + whole course of the dreamer’s life, for an Indian is bound by iron + superstitions. From that time, Le Borgne, which was the only name by which + we knew him, abandoned all thoughts of war and devoted himself to the + labors of peace. He told his vision to the people. They honored his + commission and respected him in his novel capacity. + </p> + <p> + A far different man was his brother, Mahto-Tatonka, who had transmitted + his names, his features, and many of his characteristic qualities to his + son. He was the father of Henry Chatillon’s squaw, a circumstance which + proved of some advantage to us, as securing for us the friendship of a + family perhaps the most distinguished and powerful in the whole Ogallalla + band. Mahto-Tatonka, in his rude way, was a hero. No chief could vie with + him in warlike renown, or in power over his people. He had a fearless + spirit, and a most impetuous and inflexible resolution. His will was law. + He was politic and sagacious, and with true Indian craft he always + befriended the whites, well knowing that he might thus reap great + advantages for himself and his adherents. When he had resolved on any + course of conduct, he would pay to the warriors the empty compliment of + calling them together to deliberate upon it, and when their debates were + over, he would quietly state his own opinion, which no one ever disputed. + The consequences of thwarting his imperious will were too formidable to be + encountered. Woe to those who incurred his displeasure! He would strike + them or stab them on the spot; and this act, which, if attempted by any + other chief, would instantly have cost him his life, the awe inspired by + his name enabled him to repeat again and again with impunity. In a + community where, from immemorial time, no man has acknowledged any law but + his own will, Mahto-Tatonka, by the force of his dauntless resolution, + raised himself to power little short of despotic. His haughty career came + at last to an end. He had a host of enemies only waiting for their + opportunity of revenge, and our old friend Smoke, in particular, together + with all his kinsmen, hated him most cordially. Smoke sat one day in his + lodge in the midst of his own village, when Mahto-Tatonka entered it + alone, and approaching the dwelling of his enemy, called on him in a loud + voice to come out, if he were a man, and fight. Smoke would not move. At + this, Mahto-Tatonka proclaimed him a coward and an old woman, and striding + close to the entrance of the lodge, stabbed the chief’s best horse, which + was picketed there. Smoke was daunted, and even this insult failed to call + him forth. Mahto-Tatonka moved haughtily away; all made way for him, but + his hour of reckoning was near. + </p> + <p> + One hot day, five or six years ago, numerous lodges of Smoke’s kinsmen + were gathered around some of the Fur Company’s men, who were trading in + various articles with them, whisky among the rest. Mahto-Tatonka was also + there with a few of his people. As he lay in his own lodge, a fray arose + between his adherents and the kinsmen of his enemy. The war-whoop was + raised, bullets and arrows began to fly, and the camp was in confusion. + The chief sprang up, and rushing in a fury from the lodge shouted to the + combatants on both sides to cease. Instantly—for the attack was + preconcerted—came the reports of two or three guns, and the twanging + of a dozen bows, and the savage hero, mortally wounded, pitched forward + headlong to the ground. Rouleau was present, and told me the particulars. + The tumult became general, and was not quelled until several had fallen on + both sides. When we were in the country the feud between the two families + was still rankling, and not likely soon to cease. + </p> + <p> + Thus died Mahto-Tatonka, but he left behind him a goodly army of + descendants, to perpetuate his renown and avenge his fate. Besides + daughters he had thirty sons, a number which need not stagger the + credulity of those who are best acquainted with Indian usages and + practices. We saw many of them, all marked by the same dark complexion and + the same peculiar cast of features. Of these our visitor, young + Mahto-Tatonka, was the eldest, and some reported him as likely to succeed + to his father’s honors. Though he appeared not more than twenty-one years + old, he had oftener struck the enemy, and stolen more horses and more + squaws than any young man in the village. We of the civilized world are + not apt to attach much credit to the latter species of exploits; but + horse-stealing is well known as an avenue to distinction on the prairies, + and the other kind of depredation is esteemed equally meritorious. Not + that the act can confer fame from its own intrinsic merits. Any one can + steal a squaw, and if he chooses afterward to make an adequate present to + her rightful proprietor, the easy husband for the most part rests content, + his vengeance falls asleep, and all danger from that quarter is averted. + Yet this is esteemed but a pitiful and mean-spirited transaction. The + danger is averted, but the glory of the achievement also is lost. + Mahto-Tatonka proceeded after a more gallant and dashing fashion. Out of + several dozen squaws whom he had stolen, he could boast that he had never + paid for one, but snapping his fingers in the face of the injured husband, + had defied the extremity of his indignation, and no one yet had dared to + lay the finger of violence upon him. He was following close in the + footsteps of his father. The young men and the young squaws, each in their + way, admired him. The one would always follow him to war, and he was + esteemed to have unrivaled charm in the eyes of the other. Perhaps his + impunity may excite some wonder. An arrow shot from a ravine, a stab given + in the dark, require no great valor, and are especially suited to the + Indian genius; but Mahto-Tatonka had a strong protection. It was not alone + his courage and audacious will that enabled him to career so dashingly + among his compeers. His enemies did not forget that he was one of thirty + warlike brethren, all growing up to manhood. Should they wreak their anger + upon him, many keen eyes would be ever upon them, many fierce hearts would + thirst for their blood. The avenger would dog their footsteps everywhere. + To kill Mahto-Tatonka would be no better than an act of suicide. + </p> + <p> + Though he found such favor in the eyes of the fair, he was no dandy. As + among us those of highest worth and breeding are most simple in manner and + attire, so our aspiring young friend was indifferent to the gaudy + trappings and ornaments of his companions. He was content to rest his + chances of success upon his own warlike merits. He never arrayed himself + in gaudy blanket and glittering necklaces, but left his statue-like form, + limbed like an Apollo of bronze, to win its way to favor. His voice was + singularly deep and strong. It sounded from his chest like the deep notes + of an organ. Yet after all, he was but an Indian. See him as he lies there + in the sun before our tent, kicking his heels in the air and cracking + jokes with his brother. Does he look like a hero? See him now in the hour + of his glory, when at sunset the whole village empties itself to behold + him, for to-morrow their favorite young partisan goes out against the + enemy. His superb headdress is adorned with a crest of the war eagle’s + feathers, rising in a waving ridge above his brow, and sweeping far behind + him. His round white shield hangs at his breast, with feathers radiating + from the center like a star. His quiver is at his back; his tall lance in + his hand, the iron point flashing against the declining sun, while the + long scalp-locks of his enemies flutter from the shaft. Thus, gorgeous as + a champion in his panoply, he rides round and round within the great + circle of lodges, balancing with a graceful buoyancy to the free movements + of his war horse, while with a sedate brow he sings his song to the Great + Spirit. Young rival warriors look askance at him; vermilion-cheeked girls + gaze in admiration, boys whoop and scream in a thrill of delight, and old + women yell forth his name and proclaim his praises from lodge to lodge. + </p> + <p> + Mahto-Tatonka, to come back to him, was the best of all our Indian + friends. Hour after hour and day after day, when swarms of savages of + every age, sex, and degree beset our camp, he would lie in our tent, his + lynx eye ever open to guard our property from pillage. + </p> + <p> + The Whirlwind invited us one day to his lodge. The feast was finished, and + the pipe began to circulate. It was a remarkably large and fine one, and I + expressed my admiration of its form and dimensions. + </p> + <p> + “If the Meneaska likes the pipe,” asked The Whirlwind, “why does he not + keep it?” + </p> + <p> + Such a pipe among the Ogallalla is valued at the price of a horse. A + princely gift, thinks the reader, and worthy of a chieftain and a warrior. + The Whirlwind’s generosity rose to no such pitch. He gave me the pipe, + confidently expecting that I in return should make him a present of equal + or superior value. This is the implied condition of every gift among the + Indians as among the Orientals, and should it not be complied with the + present is usually reclaimed by the giver. So I arranged upon a gaudy + calico handkerchief, an assortment of vermilion, tobacco, knives, and + gunpowder, and summoning the chief to camp, assured him of my friendship + and begged his acceptance of a slight token of it. Ejaculating HOW! HOW! + he folded up the offerings and withdrew to his lodge. + </p> + <p> + Several days passed and we and the Indians remained encamped side by side. + They could not decide whether or not to go to war. Toward evening, scores + of them would surround our tent, a picturesque group. Late one afternoon a + party of them mounted on horseback came suddenly in sight from behind some + clumps of bushes that lined the bank of the stream, leading with them a + mule, on whose back was a wretched negro, only sustained in his seat by + the high pommel and cantle of the Indian saddle. His cheeks were withered + and shrunken in the hollow of his jaws; his eyes were unnaturally dilated, + and his lips seemed shriveled and drawn back from his teeth like those of + a corpse. When they brought him up before our tent, and lifted him from + the saddle, he could not walk or stand, but he crawled a short distance, + and with a look of utter misery sat down on the grass. All the children + and women came pouring out of the lodges round us, and with screams and + cries made a close circle about him, while he sat supporting himself with + his hands, and looking from side to side with a vacant stare. The wretch + was starving to death! For thirty-three days he had wandered alone on the + prairie, without weapon of any kind; without shoes, moccasins, or any + other clothing than an old jacket and pantaloons; without intelligence and + skill to guide his course, or any knowledge of the productions of the + prairie. All this time he had subsisted on crickets and lizards, wild + onions, and three eggs which he found in the nest of a prairie dove. He + had not seen a human being. Utterly bewildered in the boundless, hopeless + desert that stretched around him, offering to his inexperienced eye no + mark by which to direct his course, he had walked on in despair till he + could walk no longer, and then crawled on his knees until the bone was + laid bare. He chose the night for his traveling, lying down by day to + sleep in the glaring sun, always dreaming, as he said, of the broth and + corn cake he used to eat under his old master’s shed in Missouri. Every + man in the camp, both white and red, was astonished at his wonderful + escape not only from starvation but from the grizzly bears which abound in + that neighborhood, and the wolves which howled around him every night. + </p> + <p> + Reynal recognized him the moment the Indians brought him in. He had run + away from his master about a year before and joined the party of M. + Richard, who was then leaving the frontier for the mountains. He had lived + with Richard ever since, until in the end of May he with Reynal and + several other men went out in search of some stray horses, when he got + separated from the rest in a storm, and had never been heard of up to this + time. Knowing his inexperience and helplessness, no one dreamed that he + could still be living. The Indians had found him lying exhausted on the + ground. + </p> + <p> + As he sat there with the Indians gazing silently on him, his haggard face + and glazed eye were disgusting to look upon. Delorier made him a bowl of + gruel, but he suffered it to remain untasted before him. At length he + languidly raised the spoon to his lips; again he did so, and again; and + then his appetite seemed suddenly inflamed into madness, for he seized the + bowl, swallowed all its contents in a few seconds, and eagerly demanded + meat. This we refused, telling him to wait until morning, but he begged so + eagerly that we gave him a small piece, which he devoured, tearing it like + a dog. He said he must have more. We told him that his life was in danger + if he ate so immoderately at first. He assented, and said he knew he was a + fool to do so, but he must have meat. This we absolutely refused, to the + great indignation of the senseless squaws, who, when we were not watching + him, would slyly bring dried meat and POMMES BLANCHES, and place them on + the ground by his side. Still this was not enough for him. When it grew + dark he contrived to creep away between the legs of the horses and crawl + over to the Indian village, about a furlong down the stream. Here he fed + to his heart’s content, and was brought back again in the morning, when + Jean Gras, the trapper, put him on horseback and carried him to the fort. + He managed to survive the effects of his insane greediness, and though + slightly deranged when we left this part of the country, he was otherwise + in tolerable health, and expressed his firm conviction that nothing could + ever kill him. + </p> + <p> + When the sun was yet an hour high, it was a gay scene in the village. The + warriors stalked sedately among the lodges, or along the margin of the + streams, or walked out to visit the bands of horses that were feeding over + the prairie. Half the village population deserted the close and heated + lodges and betook themselves to the water; and here you might see boys and + girls and young squaws splashing, swimming, and diving beneath the + afternoon sun, with merry laughter and screaming. But when the sun was + just resting above the broken peaks, and the purple mountains threw their + prolonged shadows for miles over the prairie; when our grim old tree, + lighted by the horizontal rays, assumed an aspect of peaceful repose, such + as one loves after scenes of tumult and excitement; and when the whole + landscape of swelling plains and scattered groves was softened into a + tranquil beauty, then our encampment presented a striking spectacle. Could + Salvator Rosa have transferred it to his canvas, it would have added new + renown to his pencil. Savage figures surrounded our tent, with quivers at + their backs, and guns, lances, or tomahawks in their hands. Some sat on + horseback, motionless as equestrian statues, their arms crossed on their + breasts, their eyes fixed in a steady unwavering gaze upon us. Some stood + erect, wrapped from head to foot in their long white robes of buffalo + hide. Some sat together on the grass, holding their shaggy horses by a + rope, with their broad dark busts exposed to view as they suffered their + robes to fall from their shoulders. Others again stood carelessly among + the throng, with nothing to conceal the matchless symmetry of their forms; + and I do not exaggerate when I say that only on the prairie and in the + Vatican have I seen such faultless models of the human figure. See that + warrior standing by the tree, towering six feet and a half in stature. + Your eyes may trace the whole of his graceful and majestic height, and + discover no defect or blemish. With his free and noble attitude, with the + bow in his hand, and the quiver at his back, he might seem, but for his + face, the Pythian Apollo himself. Such a figure rose before the + imagination of West, when on first seeing the Belvidere in the Vatican, he + exclaimed, “By God, a Mohawk!” + </p> + <p> + When the sky darkened and the stars began to appear; when the prairie was + involved in gloom and the horses were driven in and secured around the + camp, the crowd began to melt away. Fires gleamed around, duskily + revealing the rough trappers and the graceful Indians. One of the families + near us would always be gathered about a bright blaze, that displayed the + shadowy dimensions of their lodge, and sent its lights far up among the + masses of foliage above, gilding the dead and ragged branches. Withered + witchlike hags flitted around the blaze, and here for hour after hour sat + a circle of children and young girls, laughing and talking, their round + merry faces glowing in the ruddy light. We could hear the monotonous notes + of the drum from the Indian village, with the chant of the war song, + deadened in the distance, and the long chorus of quavering yells, where + the war dance was going on in the largest lodge. For several nights, too, + we could hear wild and mournful cries, rising and dying away like the + melancholy voice of a wolf. They came from the sisters and female + relatives of Mahto-Tatonka, who were gashing their limbs with knives, and + bewailing the death of Henry Chatillon’s squaw. The hour would grow late + before all retired to rest in the camp. Then the embers of the fires would + be glowing dimly, the men would be stretched in their blankets on the + ground, and nothing could be heard but the restless motions of the crowded + horses. + </p> + <p> + I recall these scenes with a mixed feeling of pleasure and pain. At this + time I was so reduced by illness that I could seldom walk without reeling + like a drunken man, and when I rose from my seat upon the ground the + landscape suddenly grew dim before my eyes, the trees and lodges seemed to + sway to and fro, and the prairie to rise and fall like the swells of the + ocean. Such a state of things is by no means enviable anywhere. In a + country where a man’s life may at any moment depend on the strength of his + arm, or it may be on the activity of his legs, it is more particularly + inconvenient. Medical assistance of course there was none; neither had I + the means of pursuing a system of diet; and sleeping on a damp ground, + with an occasional drenching from a shower, would hardly be recommended as + beneficial. I sometimes suffered the extremity of languor and exhaustion, + and though at the time I felt no apprehensions of the final result, I have + since learned that my situation was a critical one. + </p> + <p> + Besides other formidable inconveniences I owe it in a great measure to the + remote effects of that unlucky disorder that from deficient eyesight I am + compelled to employ the pen of another in taking down this narrative from + my lips; and I have learned very effectually that a violent attack of + dysentery on the prairie is a thing too serious for a joke. I tried repose + and a very sparing diet. For a long time, with exemplary patience, I + lounged about the camp, or at the utmost staggered over to the Indian + village, and walked faint and dizzy among the lodges. It would not do, and + I bethought me of starvation. During five days I sustained life on one + small biscuit a day. At the end of that time I was weaker than before, but + the disorder seemed shaken in its stronghold and very gradually I began to + resume a less rigid diet. No sooner had I done so than the same detested + symptoms revisited me; my old enemy resumed his pertinacious assaults, yet + not with his former violence or constancy, and though before I regained + any fair portion of my ordinary strength weeks had elapsed, and months + passed before the disorder left me, yet thanks to old habits of activity, + and a merciful Providence, I was able to sustain myself against it. + </p> + <p> + I used to lie languid and dreamy before our tent and muse on the past and + the future, and when most overcome with lassitude, my eyes turned always + toward the distant Black Hills. There is a spirit of energy and vigor in + mountains, and they impart it to all who approach their presence. At that + time I did not know how many dark superstitions and gloomy legends are + associated with those mountains in the minds of the Indians, but I felt an + eager desire to penetrate their hidden recesses, to explore the awful + chasms and precipices, the black torrents, the silent forests, that I + fancied were concealed there. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0012" id="link2HCH0012"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XII + </h2> + <h3> + ILL LUCK + </h3> + <p> + A Canadian came from Fort Laramie, and brought a curious piece of + intelligence. A trapper, fresh from the mountains, had become enamored of + a Missouri damsel belonging to a family who with other emigrants had been + for some days encamped in the neighborhood of the fort. If bravery be the + most potent charm to win the favor of the fair, then no wooer could be + more irresistible than a Rocky Mountain trapper. In the present instance, + the suit was not urged in vain. The lovers concerted a scheme, which they + proceeded to carry into effect with all possible dispatch. The emigrant + party left the fort, and on the next succeeding night but one encamped as + usual, and placed a guard. A little after midnight the enamored trapper + drew near, mounted on a strong horse and leading another by the bridle. + Fastening both animals to a tree, he stealthily moved toward the wagons, + as if he were approaching a band of buffalo. Eluding the vigilance of the + guard, who was probably half asleep, he met his mistress by appointment at + the outskirts of the camp, mounted her on his spare horse, and made off + with her through the darkness. The sequel of the adventure did not reach + our ears, and we never learned how the imprudent fair one liked an Indian + lodge for a dwelling, and a reckless trapper for a bridegroom. + </p> + <p> + At length The Whirlwind and his warriors determined to move. They had + resolved after all their preparations not to go to the rendezvous at La + Bonte’s Camp, but to pass through the Black Hills and spend a few weeks in + hunting the buffalo on the other side, until they had killed enough to + furnish them with a stock of provisions and with hides to make their + lodges for the next season. This done, they were to send out a small + independent war party against the enemy. Their final determination left us + in some embarrassment. Should we go to La Bonte’s Camp, it was not + impossible that the other villages would prove as vacillating and + indecisive as The Whirlwinds, and that no assembly whatever would take + place. Our old companion Reynal had conceived a liking for us, or rather + for our biscuit and coffee, and for the occasional small presents which we + made him. He was very anxious that we should go with the village which he + himself intended to accompany. He declared he was certain that no Indians + would meet at the rendezvous, and said moreover that it would be easy to + convey our cart and baggage through the Black Hills. In saying this, he + told as usual an egregious falsehood. Neither he nor any white man with us + had ever seen the difficult and obscure defiles through which the Indians + intended to make their way. I passed them afterward, and had much ado to + force my distressed horse along the narrow ravines, and through chasms + where daylight could scarcely penetrate. Our cart might as easily have + been conveyed over the summit of Pike’s Peak. Anticipating the + difficulties and uncertainties of an attempt to visit the rendezvous, we + recalled the old proverb about “A bird in the hand,” and decided to follow + the village. + </p> + <p> + Both camps, the Indians’ and our own, broke up on the morning of the 1st + of July. I was so weak that the aid of a potent auxiliary, a spoonful of + whisky swallowed at short intervals, alone enabled me to sit on my hardy + little mare Pauline through the short journey of that day. For half a mile + before us and half a mile behind, the prairie was covered far and wide + with the moving throng of savages. The barren, broken plain stretched away + to the right and left, and far in front rose the gloomy precipitous ridge + of the Black Hills. We pushed forward to the head of the scattered column, + passing the burdened travaux, the heavily laden pack horses, the gaunt old + women on foot, the gay young squaws on horseback, the restless children + running among the crowd, old men striding along in their white buffalo + robes, and groups of young warriors mounted on their best horses. Henry + Chatillon, looking backward over the distant prairie, exclaimed suddenly + that a horseman was approaching, and in truth we could just discern a + small black speck slowly moving over the face of a distant swell, like a + fly creeping on a wall. It rapidly grew larger as it approached. + </p> + <p> + “White man, I b’lieve,” said Henry; “look how he ride! Indian never ride + that way. Yes; he got rifle on the saddle before him.” + </p> + <p> + The horseman disappeared in a hollow of the prairie, but we soon saw him + again, and as he came riding at a gallop toward us through the crowd of + Indians, his long hair streaming in the wind behind him, we recognized the + ruddy face and old buckskin frock of Jean Gras the trapper. He was just + arrived from Fort Laramie, where he had been on a visit, and said he had a + message for us. A trader named Bisonette, one of Henry’s friends, was + lately come from the settlements, and intended to go with a party of men + to La Bonte’s Camp, where, as Jean Gras assured us, ten or twelve villages + of Indians would certainly assemble. Bisonette desired that we would cross + over and meet him there, and promised that his men should protect our + horses and baggage while we went among the Indians. Shaw and I stopped our + horses and held a council, and in an evil hour resolved to go. + </p> + <p> + For the rest of that day’s journey our course and that of the Indians was + the same. In less than an hour we came to where the high barren prairie + terminated, sinking down abruptly in steep descent; and standing on these + heights, we saw below us a great level meadow. Laramie Creek bounded it on + the left, sweeping along in the shadow of the declivities, and passing + with its shallow and rapid current just below us. We sat on horseback, + waiting and looking on, while the whole savage array went pouring past us, + hurrying down the descent and spreading themselves over the meadow below. + In a few moments the plain was swarming with the moving multitude, some + just visible, like specks in the distance, others still passing on, + pressing down, and fording the stream with bustle and confusion. On the + edge of the heights sat half a dozen of the elder warriors, gravely + smoking and looking down with unmoved faces on the wild and striking + spectacle. + </p> + <p> + Up went the lodges in a circle on the margin of the stream. For the sake + of quiet we pitched our tent among some trees at half a mile’s distance. + In the afternoon we were in the village. The day was a glorious one, and + the whole camp seemed lively and animated in sympathy. Groups of children + and young girls were laughing gayly on the outside of the lodges. The + shields, the lances, and the bows were removed from the tall tripods on + which they usually hung before the dwellings of their owners. The warriors + were mounting their horses, and one by one riding away over the prairie + toward the neighboring hills. + </p> + <p> + Shaw and I sat on the grass near the lodge of Reynal. An old woman, with + true Indian hospitality, brought a bowl of boiled venison and placed it + before us. We amused ourselves with watching half a dozen young squaws who + were playing together and chasing each other in and out of one of the + lodges. Suddenly the wild yell of the war-whoop came pealing from the + hills. A crowd of horsemen appeared, rushing down their sides and riding + at full speed toward the village, each warrior’s long hair flying behind + him in the wind like a ship’s streamer. As they approached, the confused + throng assumed a regular order, and entering two by two, they circled + round the area at full gallop, each warrior singing his war song as he + rode. Some of their dresses were splendid. They wore superb crests of + feathers and close tunics of antelope skins, fringed with the scalp-locks + of their enemies; their shields too were often fluttering with the war + eagle’s feathers. All had bows and arrows at their back; some carried long + lances, and a few were armed with guns. The White Shield, their partisan, + rode in gorgeous attire at their head, mounted on a black-and-white horse. + Mahto-Tatonka and his brothers took no part in this parade, for they were + in mourning for their sister, and were all sitting in their lodges, their + bodies bedaubed from head to foot with white clay, and a lock of hair cut + from each of their foreheads. + </p> + <p> + The warriors circled three times round the village; and as each + distinguished champion passed, the old women would scream out his name in + honor of his bravery, and to incite the emulation of the younger warriors. + Little urchins, not two years old, followed the warlike pageant with + glittering eyes, and looked with eager wonder and admiration at those + whose honors were proclaimed by the public voice of the village. Thus + early is the lesson of war instilled into the mind of an Indian, and such + are the stimulants which incite his thirst for martial renown. + </p> + <p> + The procession rode out of the village as it had entered it, and in half + an hour all the warriors had returned again, dropping quietly in, singly + or in parties of two or three. + </p> + <p> + As the sun rose next morning we looked across the meadow, and could see + the lodges leveled and the Indians gathering together in preparation to + leave the camp. Their course lay to the westward. We turned toward the + north with our men, the four trappers following us, with the Indian family + of Moran. We traveled until night. I suffered not a little from pain and + weakness. We encamped among some trees by the side of a little brook, and + here during the whole of the next day we lay waiting for Bisonette, but no + Bisonette appeared. Here also two of our trapper friends left us, and set + out for the Rocky Mountains. On the second morning, despairing of + Bisonette’s arrival we resumed our journey, traversing a forlorn and + dreary monotony of sun-scorched plains, where no living thing appeared + save here and there an antelope flying before us like the wind. When noon + came we saw an unwonted and most welcome sight; a rich and luxuriant + growth of trees, marking the course of a little stream called Horseshoe + Creek. We turned gladly toward it. There were lofty and spreading trees, + standing widely asunder, and supporting a thick canopy of leaves, above a + surface of rich, tall grass. The stream ran swiftly, as clear as crystal, + through the bosom of the wood, sparkling over its bed of white sand and + darkening again as it entered a deep cavern of leaves and boughs. I was + thoroughly exhausted, and flung myself on the ground, scarcely able to + move. All that afternoon I lay in the shade by the side of the stream, and + those bright woods and sparkling waters are associated in my mind with + recollections of lassitude and utter prostration. When night came I sat + down by the fire, longing, with an intensity of which at this moment I can + hardly conceive, for some powerful stimulant. + </p> + <p> + In the morning as glorious a sun rose upon us as ever animated that + desolate wilderness. We advanced and soon were surrounded by tall bare + hills, overspread from top to bottom with prickly-pears and other cacti, + that seemed like clinging reptiles. A plain, flat and hard, and with + scarcely the vestige of grass, lay before us, and a line of tall misshapen + trees bounded the onward view. There was no sight or sound of man or + beast, or any living thing, although behind those trees was the + long-looked-for place of rendezvous, where we fondly hoped to have found + the Indians congregated by thousands. We looked and listened anxiously. We + pushed forward with our best speed, and forced our horses through the + trees. There were copses of some extent beyond, with a scanty stream + creeping through their midst; and as we pressed through the yielding + branches, deer sprang up to the right and left. At length we caught a + glimpse of the prairie beyond. Soon we emerged upon it, and saw, not a + plain covered with encampments and swarming with life, but a vast unbroken + desert stretching away before us league upon league, without a bush or a + tree or anything that had life. We drew rein and gave to the winds our + sentiments concerning the whole aboriginal race of America. Our journey + was in vain and much worse than in vain. For myself, I was vexed and + disappointed beyond measure; as I well knew that a slight aggravation of + my disorder would render this false step irrevocable, and make it quite + impossible to accomplish effectively the design which had led me an + arduous journey of between three and four thousand miles. To fortify + myself as well as I could against such a contingency, I resolved that I + would not under any circumstances attempt to leave the country until my + object was completely gained. + </p> + <p> + And where were the Indians? They were assembled in great numbers at a spot + about twenty miles distant, and there at that very moment they were + engaged in their warlike ceremonies. The scarcity of buffalo in the + vicinity of La Bonte’s Camp, which would render their supply of provisions + scanty and precarious, had probably prevented them from assembling there; + but of all this we knew nothing until some weeks after. + </p> + <p> + Shaw lashed his horse and galloped forward, I, though much more vexed than + he, was not strong enough to adopt this convenient vent to my feelings; so + I followed at a quiet pace, but in no quiet mood. We rode up to a solitary + old tree, which seemed the only place fit for encampment. Half its + branches were dead, and the rest were so scantily furnished with leaves + that they cast but a meager and wretched shade, and the old twisted trunk + alone furnished sufficient protection from the sun. We threw down our + saddles in the strip of shadow that it cast, and sat down upon them. In + silent indignation we remained smoking for an hour or more, shifting our + saddles with the shifting shadow, for the sun was intolerably hot. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0013" id="link2HCH0013"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XIII + </h2> + <h3> + HUNTING INDIANS + </h3> + <p> + At last we had reached La Bonte’s Camp, toward which our eyes had turned + so long. Of all weary hours, those that passed between noon and sunset of + the day when we arrived there may bear away the palm of exquisite + discomfort. I lay under the tree reflecting on what course to pursue, + watching the shadows which seemed never to move, and the sun which + remained fixed in the sky, and hoping every moment to see the men and + horses of Bisonette emerging from the woods. Shaw and Henry had ridden out + on a scouting expedition, and did not return until the sun was setting. + There was nothing very cheering in their faces nor in the news they + brought. + </p> + <p> + “We have been ten miles from here,” said Shaw. “We climbed the highest + butte we could find, and could not see a buffalo or Indian; nothing but + prairie for twenty miles around us.” + </p> + <p> + Henry’s horse was quite disabled by clambering up and down the sides of + ravines, and Shaw’s was severely fatigued. + </p> + <p> + After supper that evening, as we sat around the fire, I proposed to Shaw + to wait one day longer in hopes of Bisonette’s arrival, and if he should + not come to send Delorier with the cart and baggage back to Fort Laramie, + while we ourselves followed The Whirlwind’s village and attempted to + overtake it as it passed the mountains. Shaw, not having the same motive + for hunting Indians that I had, was averse to the plan; I therefore + resolved to go alone. This design I adopted very unwillingly, for I knew + that in the present state of my health the attempt would be extremely + unpleasant, and, as I considered, hazardous. I hoped that Bisonette would + appear in the course of the following day, and bring us some information + by which to direct our course, and enable me to accomplish my purpose by + means less objectionable. + </p> + <p> + The rifle of Henry Chatillon was necessary for the subsistence of the + party in my absence; so I called Raymond, and ordered him to prepare to + set out with me. Raymond rolled his eyes vacantly about, but at length, + having succeeded in grappling with the idea, he withdrew to his bed under + the cart. He was a heavy-molded fellow, with a broad face exactly like an + owl’s, expressing the most impenetrable stupidity and entire + self-confidence. As for his good qualities, he had a sort of stubborn + fidelity, an insensibility to danger, and a kind of instinct or sagacity, + which sometimes led him right, where better heads than his were at a loss. + Besides this, he knew very well how to handle a rifle and picket a horse. + </p> + <p> + Through the following day the sun glared down upon us with a pitiless, + penetrating heat. The distant blue prairie seemed quivering under it. The + lodge of our Indian associates was baking in the rays, and our rifles, as + they leaned against the tree, were too hot for the touch. There was a dead + silence through our camp and all around it, unbroken except by the hum of + gnats and mosquitoes. The men, resting their foreheads on their arms, were + sleeping under the cart. The Indians kept close within their lodge except + the newly married pair, who were seated together under an awning of + buffalo robes, and the old conjurer, who, with his hard, emaciated face + and gaunt ribs, was perched aloft like a turkey-buzzard among the dead + branches of an old tree, constantly on the lookout for enemies. He would + have made a capital shot. A rifle bullet, skillfully planted, would have + brought him tumbling to the ground. Surely, I thought, there could be no + more harm in shooting such a hideous old villain, to see how ugly he would + look when he was dead, than in shooting the detestable vulture which he + resembled. We dined, and then Shaw saddled his horse. + </p> + <p> + “I will ride back,” said he, “to Horseshoe Creek, and see if Bisonette is + there.” + </p> + <p> + “I would go with you,” I answered, “but I must reserve all the strength I + have.” + </p> + <p> + The afternoon dragged away at last. I occupied myself in cleaning my rifle + and pistols, and making other preparations for the journey. After supper, + Henry Chatillon and I lay by the fire, discussing the properties of that + admirable weapon, the rifle, in the use of which he could fairly outrival + Leatherstocking himself. + </p> + <p> + It was late before I wrapped myself in my blanket and lay down for the + night, with my head on my saddle. Shaw had not returned, but this gave no + uneasiness, for we presumed that he had fallen in with Bisonette, and was + spending the night with him. For a day or two past I had gained in + strength and health, but about midnight an attack of pain awoke me, and + for some hours I felt no inclination to sleep. The moon was quivering on + the broad breast of the Platte; nothing could be heard except those low + inexplicable sounds, like whisperings and footsteps, which no one who has + spent the night alone amid deserts and forests will be at a loss to + understand. As I was falling asleep, a familiar voice, shouting from the + distance, awoke me again. A rapid step approached the camp, and Shaw on + foot, with his gun in his hand, hastily entered. + </p> + <p> + “Where’s your horse?” said I, raising myself on my elbow. + </p> + <p> + “Lost!” said Shaw. “Where’s Delorier?” + </p> + <p> + “There,” I replied, pointing to a confused mass of blankets and buffalo + robes. + </p> + <p> + Shaw touched them with the butt of his gun, and up sprang our faithful + Canadian. + </p> + <p> + “Come, Delorier; stir up the fire, and get me something to eat.” + </p> + <p> + “Where’s Bisonette?” asked I. + </p> + <p> + “The Lord knows; there’s nobody at Horseshoe Creek.” + </p> + <p> + Shaw had gone back to the spot where we had encamped two days before, and + finding nothing there but the ashes of our fires, he had tied his horse to + the tree while he bathed in the stream. Something startled his horse, who + broke loose, and for two hours Shaw tried in vain to catch him. Sunset + approached, and it was twelve miles to camp. So he abandoned the attempt, + and set out on foot to join us. The greater part of his perilous and + solitary work was performed in darkness. His moccasins were worn to + tatters and his feet severely lacerated. He sat down to eat, however, with + the usual equanimity of his temper not at all disturbed by his misfortune, + and my last recollection before falling asleep was of Shaw, seated + cross-legged before the fire, smoking his pipe. The horse, I may as well + mention here, was found the next morning by Henry Chatillon. + </p> + <p> + When I awoke again there was a fresh damp smell in the air, a gray + twilight involved the prairie, and above its eastern verge was a streak of + cold red sky. I called to the men, and in a moment a fire was blazing + brightly in the dim morning light, and breakfast was getting ready. We sat + down together on the grass, to the last civilized meal which Raymond and I + were destined to enjoy for some time. + </p> + <p> + “Now, bring in the horses.” + </p> + <p> + My little mare Pauline was soon standing by the fire. She was a fleet, + hardy, and gentle animal, christened after Paul Dorion, from whom I had + procured her in exchange for Pontiac. She did not look as if equipped for + a morning pleasure ride. In front of the black, high-bowed mountain + saddle, holsters, with heavy pistols, were fastened. A pair of saddle + bags, a blanket tightly rolled, a small parcel of Indian presents tied up + in a buffalo skin, a leather bag of flour, and a smaller one of tea were + all secured behind, and a long trail-rope was wound round her neck. + Raymond had a strong black mule, equipped in a similar manner. We crammed + our powder-horns to the throat, and mounted. + </p> + <p> + “I will meet you at Fort Laramie on the 1st of August,” said I to Shaw. + </p> + <p> + “That is,” replied he, “if we don’t meet before that. I think I shall + follow after you in a day or two.” + </p> + <p> + This in fact he attempted, and he would have succeeded if he had not + encountered obstacles against which his resolute spirit was of no avail. + Two days after I left him he sent Delorier to the fort with the cart and + baggage, and set out for the mountains with Henry Chatillon; but a + tremendous thunderstorm had deluged the prairie, and nearly obliterated + not only our trail but that of the Indians themselves. They followed along + the base of the mountains, at a loss in which direction to go. They + encamped there, and in the morning Shaw found himself poisoned by ivy in + such a manner that it was impossible for him to travel. So they turned + back reluctantly toward Fort Laramie. Shaw’s limbs were swollen to double + their usual size, and he rode in great pain. They encamped again within + twenty miles of the fort, and reached it early on the following morning. + Shaw lay seriously ill for a week, and remained at the fort till I + rejoined him some time after. + </p> + <p> + To return to my own story. We shook hands with our friends, rode out upon + the prairie, and clambering the sandy hollows that were channeled in the + sides of the hills gained the high plains above. If a curse had been + pronounced upon the land it could not have worn an aspect of more dreary + and forlorn barrenness. There were abrupt broken hills, deep hollows, and + wide plains; but all alike glared with an insupportable whiteness under + the burning sun. The country, as if parched by the heat, had cracked into + innumerable fissures and ravines, that not a little impeded our progress. + Their steep sides were white and raw, and along the bottom we several + times discovered the broad tracks of the terrific grizzly bear, nowhere + more abundant than in this region. The ridges of the hills were hard as + rock, and strewn with pebbles of flint and coarse red jasper; looking from + them, there was nothing to relieve the desert uniformity of the prospect, + save here and there a pine-tree clinging at the edge of a ravine, and + stretching out its rough, shaggy arms. Under the scorching heat these + melancholy trees diffused their peculiar resinous odor through the sultry + air. There was something in it, as I approached them, that recalled old + associations; the pine-clad mountains of New England, traversed in days of + health and buoyancy, rose like a reality before my fancy. In passing that + arid waste I was goaded with a morbid thirst produced by my disorder, and + I thought with a longing desire on the crystal treasure poured in such + wasteful profusion from our thousand hills. Shutting my eyes, I more than + half believed that I heard the deep plunging and gurgling of waters in the + bowels of the shaded rocks. I could see their dark ice glittering far down + amid the crevices, and the cold drops trickling from the long green + mosses. + </p> + <p> + When noon came, we found a little stream, with a few trees and bushes; and + here we rested for an hour. Then we traveled on, guided by the sun, until, + just before sunset, we reached another stream, called Bitter Cotton-wood + Creek. A thick growth of bushes and old storm-beaten trees grew at + intervals along its bank. Near the foot of one of the trees we flung down + our saddles, and hobbling our horses turned them loose to feed. The little + stream was clear and swift, and ran musically on its white sands. Small + water birds were splashing in the shallows, and filling the air with their + cries and flutterings. The sun was just sinking among gold and crimson + clouds behind Mount Laramie. I well remember how I lay upon a log by the + margin of the water, and watched the restless motions of the little fish + in a deep still nook below. Strange to say, I seemed to have gained + strength since the morning, and almost felt a sense of returning health. + </p> + <p> + We built our fire. Night came, and the wolves began to howl. One deep + voice commenced, and it was answered in awful responses from the hills, + the plains, and the woods along the stream above and below us. Such sounds + need not and do not disturb one’s sleep upon the prairie. We picketed the + mare and the mule close at our feet, and did not wake until daylight. Then + we turned them loose, still hobbled, to feed for an hour before starting. + We were getting ready our morning’s meal, when Raymond saw an antelope at + half a mile’s distance, and said he would go and shoot it. + </p> + <p> + “Your business,” said. I, “is to look after the animals. I am too weak to + do much, if anything happens to them, and you must keep within sight of + the camp.” + </p> + <p> + Raymond promised, and set out with his rifle in his hand. The animals had + passed across the stream, and were feeding among the long grass on the + other side, much tormented by the attacks of the numerous large + green-headed flies. As I watched them, I saw them go down into a hollow, + and as several minutes elapsed without their reappearing, I waded through + the stream to look after them. To my vexation and alarm I discovered them + at a great distance, galloping away at full speed, Pauline in advance, + with her hobbles broken, and the mule, still fettered, following with + awkward leaps. I fired my rifle and shouted to recall Raymond. In a moment + he came running through the stream, with a red handkerchief bound round + his head. I pointed to the fugitives, and ordered him to pursue them. + Muttering a “Sacre!” between his teeth, he set out at full speed, still + swinging his rifle in his hand. I walked up to the top of a hill, and + looking away over the prairie, could just distinguish the runaways, still + at full gallop. Returning to the fire, I sat down at the foot of a tree. + Wearily and anxiously hour after hour passed away. The old loose bark + dangling from the trunk behind me flapped to and fro in the wind, and the + mosquitoes kept up their incessant drowsy humming; but other than this, + there was no sight nor sound of life throughout the burning landscape. The + sun rose higher and higher, until the shadows fell almost perpendicularly, + and I knew that it must be noon. It seemed scarcely possible that the + animals could be recovered. If they were not, my situation was one of + serious difficulty. Shaw, when I left him had decided to move that + morning, but whither he had not determined. To look for him would be a + vain attempt. Fort Laramie was forty miles distant, and I could not walk a + mile without great effort. Not then having learned the sound philosophy of + yielding to disproportionate obstacles, I resolved to continue in any + event the pursuit of the Indians. Only one plan occurred to me; this was + to send Raymond to the fort with an order for more horses, while I + remained on the spot, awaiting his return, which might take place within + three days. But the adoption of this resolution did not wholly allay my + anxiety, for it involved both uncertainty and danger. To remain stationary + and alone for three days, in a country full of dangerous Indians, was not + the most flattering of prospects; and protracted as my Indian hunt must be + by such delay, it was not easy to foretell its ultimate result. Revolving + these matters, I grew hungry; and as our stock of provisions, except four + or five pounds of flour, was by this time exhausted, I left the camp to + see what game I could find. Nothing could be seen except four or five + large curlew, which, with their loud screaming, were wheeling over my + head, and now and then alighting upon the prairie. I shot two of them, and + was about returning, when a startling sight caught my eye. A small, dark + object, like a human head, suddenly appeared, and vanished among the thick + hushes along the stream below. In that country every stranger is a + suspected enemy. Instinctively I threw forward the muzzle of my rifle. In + a moment the bushes were violently shaken, two heads, but not human heads, + protruded, and to my great joy I recognized the downcast, disconsolate + countenance of the black mule and the yellow visage of Pauline. Raymond + came upon the mule, pale and haggard, complaining of a fiery pain in his + chest. I took charge of the animals while he kneeled down by the side of + the stream to drink. He had kept the runaways in sight as far as the Side + Fork of Laramie Creek, a distance of more than ten miles; and here with + great difficulty he had succeeded in catching them. I saw that he was + unarmed, and asked him what he had done with his rifle. It had encumbered + him in his pursuit, and he had dropped it on the prairie, thinking that he + could find it on his return; but in this he had failed. The loss might + prove a very formidable one. I was too much rejoiced however at the + recovery of the animals to think much about it; and having made some tea + for Raymond in a tin vessel which we had brought with us, I told him that + I would give him two hours for resting before we set out again. He had + eaten nothing that day; but having no appetite, he lay down immediately to + sleep. I picketed the animals among the richest grass that I could find, + and made fires of green wood to protect them from the flies; then sitting + down again by the tree, I watched the slow movements of the sun, + begrudging every moment that passed. + </p> + <p> + The time I had mentioned expired, and I awoke Raymond. We saddled and set + out again, but first we went in search of the lost rifle, and in the + course of an hour Raymond was fortunate enough to find it. Then we turned + westward, and moved over the hills and hollows at a slow pace toward the + Black Hills. The heat no longer tormented us, for a cloud was before the + sun. Yet that day shall never be marked with white in my calendar. The air + began to grow fresh and cool, the distant mountains frowned more gloomily, + there was a low muttering of thunder, and dense black masses of cloud rose + heavily behind the broken peaks. At first they were gayly fringed with + silver by the afternoon sun, but soon the thick blackness overspread the + whole sky, and the desert around us was wrapped in deep gloom. I scarcely + heeded it at the time, but now I cannot but feel that there was an awful + sublimity in the hoarse murmuring of the thunder, in the somber shadows + that involved the mountains and the plain. The storm broke. It came upon + us with a zigzag blinding flash, with a terrific crash of thunder, and + with a hurricane that howled over the prairie, dashing floods of water + against us. Raymond looked round, and cursed the merciless elements. There + seemed no shelter near, but we discerned at length a deep ravine gashed in + the level prairie, and saw half way down its side an old pine tree, whose + rough horizontal boughs formed a sort of penthouse against the tempest. We + found a practicable passage, and hastily descending, fastened our animals + to some large loose stones at the bottom; then climbing up, we drew our + blankets over our heads, and seated ourselves close beneath the old tree. + Perhaps I was no competent judge of time, but it seemed to me that we were + sitting there a full hour, while around us poured a deluge of rain, + through which the rocks on the opposite side of the gulf were barely + visible. The first burst of the tempest soon subsided, but the rain poured + steadily. At length Raymond grew impatient, and scrambling out of the + ravine, he gained the level prairie above. + </p> + <p> + “What does the weather look like?” asked I, from my seat under the tree. + </p> + <p> + “It looks bad,” he answered; “dark all around,” and again he descended and + sat down by my side. Some ten minutes elapsed. + </p> + <p> + “Go up again,” said I, “and take another look;” and he clambered up the + precipice. “Well, how is it?” + </p> + <p> + “Just the same, only I see one little bright spot over the top of the + mountain.” + </p> + <p> + The rain by this time had begun to abate; and going down to the bottom of + the ravine, we loosened the animals, who were standing up to their knees + in water. Leading them up the rocky throat of the ravine, we reached the + plain above. “Am I,” I thought to myself, “the same man who a few months + since, was seated, a quiet student of BELLES-LETTRES, in a cushioned + arm-chair by a sea-coal fire?” + </p> + <p> + All around us was obscurity; but the bright spot above the mountaintops + grew wider and ruddier, until at length the clouds drew apart, and a flood + of sunbeams poured down from heaven, streaming along the precipices, and + involving them in a thin blue haze, as soft and lovely as that which wraps + the Apennines on an evening in spring. Rapidly the clouds were broken and + scattered, like routed legions of evil spirits. The plain lay basking in + sunbeams around us; a rainbow arched the desert from north to south, and + far in front a line of woods seemed inviting us to refreshment and repose. + When we reached them, they were glistening with prismatic dewdrops, and + enlivened by the song and flutterings of a hundred birds. Strange winged + insects, benumbed by the rain, were clinging to the leaves and the bark of + the trees. + </p> + <p> + Raymond kindled a fire with great difficulty. The animals turned eagerly + to feed on the soft rich grass, while I, wrapping myself in my blanket, + lay down and gazed on the evening landscape. The mountains, whose stern + features had lowered upon us with so gloomy and awful a frown, now seemed + lighted up with a serene, benignant smile, and the green waving + undulations of the plain were gladdened with the rich sunshine. Wet, ill, + and wearied as I was, my spirit grew lighter at the view, and I drew from + it an augury of good for my future prospects. + </p> + <p> + When morning came, Raymond awoke, coughing violently, though I had + apparently received no injury. We mounted, crossed the little stream, + pushed through the trees, and began our journey over the plain beyond. And + now, as we rode slowly along, we looked anxiously on every hand for traces + of the Indians, not doubting that the village had passed somewhere in that + vicinity; but the scanty shriveled grass was not more than three or four + inches high, and the ground was of such unyielding hardness that a host + might have marched over it and left scarcely a trace of its passage. Up + hill and down hill, and clambering through ravines, we continued our + journey. As we were skirting the foot of a hill I saw Raymond, who was + some rods in advance, suddenly jerking the reins of his mule. Sliding from + his seat, and running in a crouching posture up a hollow, he disappeared; + and then in an instant I heard the sharp quick crack of his rifle. A + wounded antelope came running on three legs over the hill. I lashed + Pauline and made after him. My fleet little mare soon brought me by his + side, and after leaping and bounding for a few moments in vain, he stood + still, as if despairing of escape. His glistening eyes turned up toward my + face with so piteous a look that it was with feelings of infinite + compunction that I shot him through the head with a pistol. Raymond + skinned and cut him up, and we hung the forequarters to our saddles, much + rejoiced that our exhausted stock of provisions was renewed in such good + time. + </p> + <p> + Gaining the top of a hill, we could see along the cloudy verge of the + prairie before us lines of trees and shadowy groves that marked the course + of Laramie Creek. Some time before noon we reached its banks and began + anxiously to search them for footprints of the Indians. We followed the + stream for several miles, now on the shore and now wading in the water, + scrutinizing every sand-bar and every muddy bank. So long was the search + that we began to fear that we had left the trail undiscovered behind us. + At length I heard Raymond shouting, and saw him jump from his mule to + examine some object under the shelving bank. I rode up to his side. It was + the clear and palpable impression of an Indian moccasin. Encouraged by + this we continued our search, and at last some appearances on a soft + surface of earth not far from the shore attracted my eye; and going to + examine them I found half a dozen tracks, some made by men and some by + children. Just then Raymond observed across the stream the mouth of a + small branch entering it from the south. He forded the water, rode in at + the opening, and in a moment I heard him shouting again, so I passed over + and joined him. The little branch had a broad sandy bed, along which the + water trickled in a scanty stream; and on either bank the bushes were so + close that the view was completely intercepted. I found Raymond stooping + over the footprints of three or four horses. Proceeding we found those of + a man, then those of a child, then those of more horses; and at last the + bushes on each bank were beaten down and broken, and the sand plowed up + with a multitude of footsteps, and scored across with the furrows made by + the lodge-poles that had been dragged through. It was now certain that we + had found the trail. I pushed through the bushes, and at a little distance + on the prairie beyond found the ashes of a hundred and fifty lodge fires, + with bones and pieces of buffalo robes scattered around them, and in some + instances the pickets to which horses had been secured still standing in + the ground. Elated by our success we selected a convenient tree, and + turning the animals loose, prepared to make a meal from the fat haunch of + our victim. + </p> + <p> + Hardship and exposure had thriven with me wonderfully. I had gained both + health and strength since leaving La Bonte’s Camp. Raymond and I made a + hearty meal together in high spirits, for we rashly presumed that having + found one end of the trail we should have little difficulty in reaching + the other. But when the animals were led in we found that our old ill luck + had not ceased to follow us close. As I was saddling Pauline I saw that + her eye was as dull as lead, and the hue of her yellow coat visibly + darkened. I placed my foot in the stirrup to mount, when instantly she + staggered and fell flat on her side. Gaining her feet with an effort she + stood by the fire with a drooping head. Whether she had been bitten by a + snake or poisoned by some noxious plant or attacked by a sudden disorder, + it was hard to say; but at all events her sickness was sufficiently + ill-timed and unfortunate. I succeeded in a second attempt to mount her, + and with a slow pace we moved forward on the trail of the Indians. It led + us up a hill and over a dreary plain; and here, to our great + mortification, the traces almost disappeared, for the ground was hard as + adamant; and if its flinty surface had ever retained the print of a hoof, + the marks had been washed away by the deluge of yesterday. An Indian + village, in its disorderly march, is scattered over the prairie, often to + the width of full half a mile; so that its trail is nowhere clearly + marked, and the task of following it is made doubly wearisome and + difficult. By good fortune plenty of large ant-hills, a yard or more in + diameter, were scattered over the plain, and these were frequently broken + by the footprints of men and horses, and marked by traces of the + lodge-poles. The succulent leaves of the prickly-pear, also bruised from + the same causes, helped a little to guide us; so inch by inch we moved + along. Often we lost the trail altogether, and then would recover it + again, but late in the afternoon we found ourselves totally at fault. We + stood alone without clew to guide us. The broken plain expanded for league + after league around us, and in front the long dark ridge of mountains was + stretching from north to south. Mount Laramie, a little on our right, + towered high above the rest and from a dark valley just beyond one of its + lower declivities, we discerned volumes of white smoke slowly rolling up + into the clear air. + </p> + <p> + “I think,” said Raymond, “some Indians must be there. Perhaps we had + better go.” But this plan was not rashly to be adopted, and we determined + still to continue our search after the lost trail. Our good stars prompted + us to this decision, for we afterward had reason to believe, from + information given us by the Indians, that the smoke was raised as a decoy + by a Crow war party. + </p> + <p> + Evening was coming on, and there was no wood or water nearer than the foot + of the mountains. So thither we turned, directing our course toward the + point where Laramie Creek issues forth upon the prairie. When we reached + it the bare tops of the mountains were still brightened with sunshine. The + little river was breaking with a vehement and angry current from its dark + prison. There was something in the near vicinity of the mountains, in the + loud surging of the rapids, wonderfully cheering and exhilarating; for + although once as familiar as home itself, they had been for months + strangers to my experience. There was a rich grass-plot by the river’s + bank, surrounded by low ridges, which would effectually screen ourselves + and our fire from the sight of wandering Indians. Here among the grass I + observed numerous circles of large stones, which, as Raymond said, were + traces of a Dakota winter encampment. We lay down and did not awake till + the sun was up. A large rock projected from the shore, and behind it the + deep water was slowly eddying round and round. The temptation was + irresistible. I threw off my clothes, leaped in, suffered myself to be + borne once round with the current, and then, seizing the strong root of a + water plant, drew myself to the shore. The effect was so invigorating and + refreshing that I mistook it for returning health. “Pauline,” thought I, + as I led the little mare up to be saddled, “only thrive as I do, and you + and I will have sport yet among the buffalo beyond these mountains.” But + scarcely were we mounted and on our way before the momentary glow passed. + Again I hung as usual in my seat, scarcely able to hold myself erect. + </p> + <p> + “Look yonder,” said Raymond; “you see that big hollow there; the Indians + must have gone that way, if they went anywhere about here.” + </p> + <p> + We reached the gap, which was like a deep notch cut into the mountain + ridge, and here we soon discerned an ant-hill furrowed with the mark of a + lodge-pole. This was quite enough; there could be no doubt now. As we rode + on, the opening growing narrower, the Indians had been compelled to march + in closer order, and the traces became numerous and distinct. The gap + terminated in a rocky gateway, leading into a rough passage upward, + between two precipitous mountains. Here grass and weeds were bruised to + fragments by the throng that had passed through. We moved slowly over the + rocks, up the passage; and in this toilsome manner we advanced for an hour + or two, bare precipices, hundreds of feet high, shooting up on either + hand. Raymond, with his hardy mule, was a few rods before me, when we came + to the foot of an ascent steeper than the rest, and which I trusted might + prove the highest point of the defile. Pauline strained upward for a few + yards, moaning and stumbling, and then came to a dead stop, unable to + proceed further. I dismounted, and attempted to lead her; but my own + exhausted strength soon gave out; so I loosened the trail-rope from her + neck, and tying it round my arm, crawled up on my hands and knees. I + gained the top, totally exhausted, the sweat drops trickling from my + forehead. Pauline stood like a statue by my side, her shadow falling upon + the scorching rock; and in this shade, for there was no other, I lay for + some time, scarcely able to move a limb. All around the black crags, sharp + as needles at the top, stood glowing in the sun, without a tree, or a + bush, or a blade of grass, to cover their precipitous sides. The whole + scene seemed parched with a pitiless, insufferable heat. + </p> + <p> + After a while I could mount again, and we moved on, descending the rocky + defile on its western side. Thinking of that morning’s journey, it has + sometimes seemed to me that there was something ridiculous in my position; + a man, armed to the teeth, but wholly unable to fight, and equally so to + run away, traversing a dangerous wilderness, on a sick horse. But these + thoughts were retrospective, for at the time I was in too grave a mood to + entertain a very lively sense of the ludicrous. + </p> + <p> + Raymond’s saddle-girth slipped; and while I proceeded he was stopping + behind to repair the mischief. I came to the top of a little declivity, + where a most welcome sight greeted my eye; a nook of fresh green grass + nestled among the cliffs, sunny clumps of bushes on one side, and shaggy + old pine trees leaning forward from the rocks on the other. A shrill, + familiar voice saluted me, and recalled me to days of boyhood; that of the + insect called the “locust” by New England schoolboys, which was fast + clinging among the heated boughs of the old pine trees. Then, too, as I + passed the bushes, the low sound of falling water reached my ear. Pauline + turned of her own accord, and pushing through the boughs we found a black + rock, over-arched by the cool green canopy. An icy stream was pouring from + its side into a wide basin of white sand, from whence it had no visible + outlet, but filtered through into the soil below. While I filled a tin cup + at the spring, Pauline was eagerly plunging her head deep in the pool. + Other visitors had been there before us. All around in the soft soil were + the footprints of elk, deer, and the Rocky Mountain sheep; and the grizzly + bear too had left the recent prints of his broad foot, with its frightful + array of claws. Among these mountains was his home. + </p> + <p> + Soon after leaving the spring we found a little grassy plain, encircled by + the mountains, and marked, to our great joy, with all the traces of an + Indian camp. Raymond’s practiced eye detected certain signs by which he + recognized the spot where Reynal’s lodge had been pitched and his horses + picketed. I approached, and stood looking at the place. Reynal and I had, + I believe, hardly a feeling in common. I disliked the fellow, and it + perplexed me a good deal to understand why I should look with so much + interest on the ashes of his fire, when between him and me there seemed no + other bond of sympathy than the slender and precarious one of a kindred + race. + </p> + <p> + In half an hour from this we were clear of the mountains. There was a + plain before us, totally barren and thickly peopled in many parts with the + little prairie dogs, who sat at the mouths of their burrows and yelped at + us as we passed. The plain, as we thought, was about six miles wide; but + it cost us two hours to cross it. Then another mountain range rose before + us, grander and more wild than the last had been. Far out of the dense + shrubbery that clothed the steeps for a thousand feet shot up black crags, + all leaning one way, and shattered by storms and thunder into grim and + threatening shapes. As we entered a narrow passage on the trail of the + Indians, they impended frightfully on one side, above our heads. + </p> + <p> + Our course was through dense woods, in the shade and twinkling sunlight of + overhanging boughs. I would I could recall to mind all the startling + combinations that presented themselves, as winding from side to side of + the passage, to avoid its obstructions, we could see, glancing at + intervals through the foliage, the awful forms of the gigantic cliffs, + that seemed at times to hem us in on the right and on the left, before us + and behind! Another scene in a few moments greeted us; a tract of gray and + sunny woods, broken into knolls and hollows, enlivened by birds and + interspersed with flowers. Among the rest I recognized the mellow whistle + of the robin, an old familiar friend whom I had scarce expected to meet in + such a place. Humble-bees too were buzzing heavily about the flowers; and + of these a species of larkspur caught my eye, more appropriate, it should + seem, to cultivated gardens than to a remote wilderness. Instantly it + recalled a multitude of dormant and delightful recollections. + </p> + <p> + Leaving behind us this spot and its associations, a sight soon presented + itself, characteristic of that warlike region. In an open space, fenced in + by high rocks, stood two Indian forts, of a square form, rudely built of + sticks and logs. They were somewhat ruinous, having probably been + constructed the year before. Each might have contained about twenty men. + Perhaps in this gloomy spot some party had been beset by their enemies, + and those scowling rocks and blasted trees might not long since have + looked down on a conflict unchronicled and unknown. Yet if any traces of + bloodshed remained they were completely hidden by the bushes and tall rank + weeds. + </p> + <p> + Gradually the mountains drew apart, and the passage expanded into a plain, + where again we found traces of an Indian encampment. There were trees and + bushes just before us, and we stopped here for an hour’s rest and + refreshment. When we had finished our meal Raymond struck fire, and + lighting his pipe, sat down at the foot of a tree to smoke. For some time + I observed him puffing away with a face of unusual solemnity. Then slowly + taking the pipe from his lips, he looked up and remarked that we had + better not go any farther. + </p> + <p> + “Why not?” asked I. + </p> + <p> + He said that the country was becoming very dangerous, that we were + entering the range of the Snakes, Arapahoes and Grosventre Blackfeet, and + that if any of their wandering parties should meet us, it would cost us + our lives; but he added, with a blunt fidelity that nearly reconciled me + to his stupidity, that he would go anywhere I wished. I told him to bring + up the animals, and mounting them we proceeded again. I confess that, as + we moved forward, the prospect seemed but a dreary and doubtful one. I + would have given the world for my ordinary elasticity of body and mind, + and for a horse of such strength and spirit as the journey required. + </p> + <p> + Closer and closer the rocks gathered round us, growing taller and steeper, + and pressing more and more upon our path. We entered at length a defile + which I never had seen rivaled. The mountain was cracked from top to + bottom, and we were creeping along the bottom of the fissure, in dampness + and gloom, with the clink of hoofs on the loose shingly rocks, and the + hoarse murmuring of a petulant brook which kept us company. Sometimes the + water, foaming among the stones, overspread the whole narrow passage; + sometimes, withdrawing to one side, it gave us room to pass dry-shod. + Looking up, we could see a narrow ribbon of bright blue sky between the + dark edges of the opposing cliffs. This did not last long. The passage + soon widened, and sunbeams found their way down, flashing upon the black + waters. The defile would spread out to many rods in width; bushes, trees, + and flowers would spring by the side of the brook; the cliffs would be + feathered with shrubbery, that clung in every crevice, and fringed with + trees, that grew along their sunny edges. Then we would be moving again in + the darkness. The passage seemed about four miles long, and before we + reached the end of it, the unshod hoofs of our animals were lamentably + broken, and their legs cut by the sharp stones. Issuing from the mountain + we found another plain. All around it stood a circle of lofty precipices, + that seemed the impersonation of silence and solitude. Here again the + Indians had encamped, as well they might, after passing with their women, + children and horses through the gulf behind us. In one day we had made a + journey which had cost them three to accomplish. + </p> + <p> + The only outlet to this amphitheater lay over a hill some two hundred feet + high, up which we moved with difficulty. Looking from the top, we saw that + at last we were free of the mountains. The prairie spread before us, but + so wild and broken that the view was everywhere obstructed. Far on our + left one tall hill swelled up against the sky, on the smooth, pale green + surface of which four slowly moving black specks were discernible. They + were evidently buffalo, and we hailed the sight as a good augury; for + where the buffalo were, there too the Indians would probably be found. We + hoped on that very night to reach the village. We were anxious to do so + for a double reason, wishing to bring our wearisome journey to an end, and + knowing, moreover, that though to enter the village in broad daylight + would be a perfectly safe experiment, yet to encamp in its vicinity would + be dangerous. But as we rode on, the sun was sinking, and soon was within + half an hour of the horizon. We ascended a hill and looked round us for a + spot for our encampment. The prairie was like a turbulent ocean, suddenly + congealed when its waves were at the highest, and it lay half in light and + half in shadow, as the rich sunshine, yellow as gold, was pouring over it. + The rough bushes of the wild sage were growing everywhere, its dull pale + green overspreading hill and hollow. Yet a little way before us, a bright + verdant line of grass was winding along the plain, and here and there + throughout its course water was glistening darkly. We went down to it, + kindled a fire, and turned our horses loose to feed. It was a little + trickling brook, that for some yards on either bank turned the barren + prairie into fertility, and here and there it spread into deep pools, + where the beaver had dammed it up. + </p> + <p> + We placed our last remaining piece of the antelope before a scanty fire, + mournfully reflecting on our exhausted stock of provisions. Just then an + enormous gray hare, peculiar to these prairies, came jumping along, and + seated himself within fifty yards to look at us. I thoughtlessly raised my + rifle to shoot him, but Raymond called out to me not to fire for fear the + report should reach the ears of the Indians. That night for the first time + we considered that the danger to which we were exposed was of a somewhat + serious character; and to those who are unacquainted with Indians, it may + seem strange that our chief apprehensions arose from the supposed + proximity of the people whom we intended to visit. Had any straggling + party of these faithful friends caught sight of us from the hill-top, they + would probably have returned in the night to plunder us of our horses and + perhaps of our scalps. But we were on the prairie, where the GENIUS LOCI + is at war with all nervous apprehensions; and I presume that neither + Raymond nor I thought twice of the matter that evening. + </p> + <p> + While he was looking after the animals, I sat by the fire engaged in the + novel task of baking bread. The utensils were of the most simple and + primitive kind, consisting of two sticks inclining over the bed of coals, + one end thrust into the ground while the dough was twisted in a spiral + form round the other. Under such circumstances all the epicurean in a + man’s nature is apt to awaken within him. I revisited in fancy the far + distant abodes of good fare, not indeed Frascati’s, or the Trois Freres + Provencaux, for that were too extreme a flight; but no other than the + homely table of my old friend and host, Tom Crawford, of the White + Mountains. By a singular revulsion, Tom himself, whom I well remember to + have looked upon as the impersonation of all that is wild and + backwoodsman-like, now appeared before me as the ministering angel of + comfort and good living. Being fatigued and drowsy I began to doze, and my + thoughts, following the same train of association, assumed another form. + Half-dreaming, I saw myself surrounded with the mountains of New England, + alive with water-falls, their black crags tinctured with milk-white mists. + For this reverie I paid a speedy penalty; for the bread was black on one + side and soft on the other. + </p> + <p> + For eight hours Raymond and I, pillowed on our saddles, lay insensible as + logs. Pauline’s yellow head was stretched over me when I awoke. I got up + and examined her. Her feet indeed were bruised and swollen by the + accidents of yesterday, but her eye was brighter, her motions livelier, + and her mysterious malady had visibly abated. We moved on, hoping within + an hour to come in sight of the Indian village; but again disappointment + awaited us. The trail disappeared, melting away upon a hard and stony + plain. Raymond and I separating, rode from side to side, scrutinizing + every yard of ground, until at length I discerned traces of the + lodge-poles passing by the side of a ridge of rocks. We began again to + follow them. + </p> + <p> + “What is that black spot out there on the prairie?” + </p> + <p> + “It looks like a dead buffalo,” answered Raymond. + </p> + <p> + We rode out to it, and found it to be the huge carcass of a bull killed by + the Indians as they had passed. Tangled hair and scraps of hide were + scattered all around, for the wolves had been making merry over it, and + had hollowed out the entire carcass. It was covered with myriads of large + black crickets, and from its appearance must certainly have lain there for + four or five days. The sight was a most disheartening one, and I observed + to Raymond that the Indians might still be fifty or sixty miles before us. + But he shook his head, and replied that they dared not go so far for fear + of their enemies, the Snakes. + </p> + <p> + Soon after this we lost the trail again, and ascended a neighboring ridge, + totally at a loss. Before us lay a plain perfectly flat, spreading on the + right and left, without apparent limit, and bounded in front by a long + broken line of hills, ten or twelve miles distant. All was open and + exposed to view, yet not a buffalo nor an Indian was visible. + </p> + <p> + “Do you see that?” said Raymond; “Now we had better turn round.” + </p> + <p> + But as Raymond’s bourgeois thought otherwise, we descended the hill and + began to cross the plain. We had come so far that I knew perfectly well + neither Pauline’s limbs nor my own could carry me back to Fort Laramie. I + considered that the lines of expediency and inclination tallied exactly, + and that the most prudent course was to keep forward. The ground + immediately around us was thickly strewn with the skulls and bones of + buffalo, for here a year or two before the Indians had made a “surround”; + yet no living game presented itself. At length, however, an antelope + sprang up and gazed at us. We fired together, and by a singular fatality + we both missed, although the animal stood, a fair mark, within eighty + yards. This ill success might perhaps be charged to our own eagerness, for + by this time we had no provision left except a little flour. We could + discern several small lakes, or rather extensive pools of water, + glistening in the distance. As we approached them, wolves and antelopes + bounded away through the tall grass that grew in their vicinity, and + flocks of large white plover flew screaming over their surface. Having + failed of the antelope, Raymond tried his hand at the birds with the same + ill success. The water also disappointed us. Its muddy margin was so + beaten up by the crowd of buffalo that our timorous animals were afraid to + approach. So we turned away and moved toward the hills. The rank grass, + where it was not trampled down by the buffalo, fairly swept our horses’ + necks. + </p> + <p> + Again we found the same execrable barren prairie offering no clew by which + to guide our way. As we drew near the hills an opening appeared, through + which the Indians must have gone if they had passed that way at all. + Slowly we began to ascend it. I felt the most dreary forebodings of ill + success, when on looking round I could discover neither dent of hoof, nor + footprint, nor trace of lodge-pole, though the passage was encumbered by + the ghastly skulls of buffalo. We heard thunder muttering; a storm was + coming on. + </p> + <p> + As we gained the top of the gap, the prospect beyond began to disclose + itself. First, we saw a long dark line of ragged clouds upon the horizon, + while above them rose the peak of the Medicine-Bow, the vanguard of the + Rocky Mountains; then little by little the plain came into view, a vast + green uniformity, forlorn and tenantless, though Laramie Creek glistened + in a waving line over its surface, without a bush or a tree upon its + banks. As yet, the round projecting shoulder of a hill intercepted a part + of the view. I rode in advance, when suddenly I could distinguish a few + dark spots on the prairie, along the bank of the stream. + </p> + <p> + “Buffalo!” said I. Then a sudden hope flashed upon me, and eagerly and + anxiously I looked again. + </p> + <p> + “Horses!” exclaimed Raymond, with a tremendous oath, lashing his mule + forward as he spoke. More and more of the plain disclosed itself, and in + rapid succession more and more horses appeared, scattered along the river + bank, or feeding in bands over the prairie. Then, suddenly, standing in a + circle by the stream, swarming with their savage inhabitants, we saw + rising before us the tall lodges of the Ogallalla. Never did the heart of + wanderer more gladden at the sight of home than did mine at the sight of + those wild habitations! + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0014" id="link2HCH0014"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XIV + </h2> + <h3> + THE OGALLALLA VILLAGE + </h3> + <p> + Such a narrative as this is hardly the place for portraying the mental + features of the Indians. The same picture, slightly changed in shade and + coloring, would serve with very few exceptions for all the tribes that lie + north of the Mexican territories. But with this striking similarity in + their modes of thought, the tribes of the lake and ocean shores, of the + forests and of the plains, differ greatly in their manner of life. Having + been domesticated for several weeks among one of the wildest of the wild + hordes that roam over the remote prairies, I had extraordinary + opportunities of observing them, and I flatter myself that a faithful + picture of the scenes that passed daily before my eyes may not be devoid + of interest and value. These men were thorough savages. Neither their + manners nor their ideas were in the slightest degree modified by contact + with civilization. They knew nothing of the power and real character of + the white men, and their children would scream in terror at the sight of + me. Their religion, their superstitions, and their prejudices were the + same that had been handed down to them from immemorial time. They fought + with the same weapons that their fathers fought with and wore the same + rude garments of skins. + </p> + <p> + Great changes are at hand in that region. With the stream of emigration to + Oregon and California, the buffalo will dwindle away, and the large + wandering communities who depend on them for support must be broken and + scattered. The Indians will soon be corrupted by the example of the + whites, abased by whisky, and overawed by military posts; so that within a + few years the traveler may pass in tolerable security through their + country. Its danger and its charm will have disappeared together. + </p> + <p> + As soon as Raymond and I discovered the village from the gap in the hills, + we were seen in our turn; keen eyes were constantly on the watch. As we + rode down upon the plain the side of the village nearest us was darkened + with a crowd of naked figures gathering around the lodges. Several men + came forward to meet us. I could distinguish among them the green blanket + of the Frenchman Reynal. When we came up the ceremony of shaking hands had + to be gone through with in due form, and then all were eager to know what + had become of the rest of my party. I satisfied them on this point, and we + all moved forward together toward the village. + </p> + <p> + “You’ve missed it,” said Reynal; “if you’d been here day before yesterday, + you’d have found the whole prairie over yonder black with buffalo as far + as you could see. There were no cows, though; nothing but bulls. We made a + ‘surround’ every day till yesterday. See the village there; don’t that + look like good living?” + </p> + <p> + In fact I could see, even at that distance, that long cords were stretched + from lodge to lodge, over which the meat, cut by the squaws into thin + sheets, was hanging to dry in the sun. I noticed too that the village was + somewhat smaller than when I had last seen it, and I asked Reynal the + cause. He said that the old Le Borgne had felt too weak to pass over the + mountains, and so had remained behind with all his relations, including + Mahto-Tatonka and his brothers. The Whirlwind too had been unwilling to + come so far, because, as Reynal said, he was afraid. Only half a dozen + lodges had adhered to him, the main body of the village setting their + chief’s authority at naught, and taking the course most agreeable to their + inclinations. + </p> + <p> + “What chiefs are there in the village now?” said I. + </p> + <p> + “Well,” said Reynal, “there’s old Red-Water, and the Eagle-Feather, and + the Big Crow, and the Mad Wolf and the Panther, and the White Shield, and—what’s + his name?—the half-breed Cheyenne.” + </p> + <p> + By this time we were close to the village, and I observed that while the + greater part of the lodges were very large and neat in their appearance, + there was at one side a cluster of squalid, miserable huts. I looked + toward them, and made some remark about their wretched appearance. But I + was touching upon delicate ground. + </p> + <p> + “My squaw’s relations live in those lodges,” said Reynal very warmly, “and + there isn’t a better set in the whole village.” + </p> + <p> + “Are there any chiefs among them?” asked I. + </p> + <p> + “Chiefs?” said Reynal; “yes, plenty!” + </p> + <p> + “What are their names?” I inquired. + </p> + <p> + “Their names? Why, there’s the Arrow-Head. If he isn’t a chief he ought to + be one. And there’s the Hail-Storm. He’s nothing but a boy, to be sure; + but he’s bound to be a chief one of these days!” + </p> + <p> + Just then we passed between two of the lodges, and entered the great area + of the village. Superb naked figures stood silently gazing on us. + </p> + <p> + “Where’s the Bad Wound’s lodge?” said I to Reynal. + </p> + <p> + “There, you’ve missed it again! The Bad Wound is away with The Whirlwind. + If you could have found him here, and gone to live in his lodge, he would + have treated you better than any man in the village. But there’s the Big + Crow’s lodge yonder, next to old Red-Water’s. He’s a good Indian for the + whites, and I advise you to go and live with him.” + </p> + <p> + “Are there many squaws and children in his lodge?” said I. + </p> + <p> + “No; only one squaw and two or three children. He keeps the rest in a + separate lodge by themselves.” + </p> + <p> + So, still followed by a crowd of Indians, Raymond and I rode up to the + entrance of the Big Crow’s lodge. A squaw came out immediately and took + our horses. I put aside the leather nap that covered the low opening, and + stooping, entered the Big Crow’s dwelling. There I could see the chief in + the dim light, seated at one side, on a pile of buffalo robes. He greeted + me with a guttural “How, cola!” I requested Reynal to tell him that + Raymond and I were come to live with him. The Big Crow gave another low + exclamation. If the reader thinks that we were intruding somewhat + cavalierly, I beg him to observe that every Indian in the village would + have deemed himself honored that white men should give such preference to + his hospitality. + </p> + <p> + The squaw spread a buffalo robe for us in the guest’s place at the head of + the lodge. Our saddles were brought in, and scarcely were we seated upon + them before the place was thronged with Indians, who came crowding in to + see us. The Big Crow produced his pipe and filled it with the mixture of + tobacco and shongsasha, or red willow bark. Round and round it passed, and + a lively conversation went forward. Meanwhile a squaw placed before the + two guests a wooden bowl of boiled buffalo meat, but unhappily this was + not the only banquet destined to be inflicted on us. Rapidly, one after + another, boys and young squaws thrust their heads in at the opening, to + invite us to various feasts in different parts of the village. For half an + hour or more we were actively engaged in passing from lodge to lodge, + tasting in each of the bowl of meat set before us, and inhaling a whiff or + two from our entertainer’s pipe. A thunderstorm that had been threatening + for some time now began in good earnest. We crossed over to Reynal’s + lodge, though it hardly deserved this name, for it consisted only of a few + old buffalo robes, supported on poles, and was quite open on one side. + Here we sat down, and the Indians gathered round us. + </p> + <p> + “What is it,” said I, “that makes the thunder?” + </p> + <p> + “It’s my belief,” said Reynal, “that it is a big stone rolling over the + sky.” + </p> + <p> + “Very likely,” I replied; “but I want to know what the Indians think about + it.” + </p> + <p> + So he interpreted my question, which seemed to produce some doubt and + debate. There was evidently a difference of opinion. At last old + Mene-Seela, or Red-Water, who sat by himself at one side, looked up with + his withered face, and said he had always known what the thunder was. It + was a great black bird; and once he had seen it, in a dream, swooping down + from the Black Hills, with its loud roaring wings; and when it flapped + them over a lake, they struck lightning from the water. + </p> + <p> + “The thunder is bad,” said another old man, who sat muffled in his buffalo + robe; “he killed my brother last summer.” + </p> + <p> + Reynal, at my request, asked for an explanation; but the old man remained + doggedly silent, and would not look up. Some time after I learned how the + accident occurred. The man who was killed belonged to an association + which, among other mystic functions, claimed the exclusive power and + privilege of fighting the thunder. Whenever a storm which they wished to + avert was threatening, the thunder-fighters would take their bows and + arrows, their guns, their magic drum, and a sort of whistle, made out of + the wingbone of the war eagle. Thus equipped, they would run out and fire + at the rising cloud, whooping, yelling, whistling, and beating their drum, + to frighten it down again. One afternoon a heavy black cloud was coming + up, and they repaired to the top of a hill, where they brought all their + magic artillery into play against it. But the undaunted thunder, refusing + to be terrified, kept moving straight onward, and darted out a bright + flash which struck one of the party dead, as he was in the very act of + shaking his long iron-pointed lance against it. The rest scattered and ran + yelling in an ecstasy of superstitious terror back to their lodges. + </p> + <p> + The lodge of my host Kongra-Tonga, or the Big Crow, presented a + picturesque spectacle that evening. A score or more of Indians were seated + around in a circle, their dark naked forms just visible by the dull light + of the smoldering fire in the center, the pipe glowing brightly in the + gloom as it passed from hand to hand round the lodge. Then a squaw would + drop a piece of buffalo-fat on the dull embers. Instantly a bright + glancing flame would leap up, darting its clear light to the very apex of + the tall conical structure, where the tops of the slender poles that + supported its covering of leather were gathered together. It gilded the + features of the Indians, as with animated gestures they sat around it, + telling their endless stories of war and hunting. It displayed rude + garments of skins that hung around the lodge; the bow, quiver, and lance + suspended over the resting-place of the chief, and the rifles and + powder-horns of the two white guests. For a moment all would be bright as + day; then the flames would die away, and fitful flashes from the embers + would illumine the lodge, and then leave it in darkness. Then all the + light would wholly fade, and the lodge and all within it be involved again + in obscurity. + </p> + <p> + As I left the lodge next morning, I was saluted by howling and yelling + from all around the village, and half its canine population rushed forth + to the attack. Being as cowardly as they were clamorous, they kept jumping + around me at the distance of a few yards, only one little cur, about ten + inches long, having spirit enough to make a direct assault. He dashed + valiantly at the leather tassel which in the Dakota fashion was trailing + behind the heel of my moccasin, and kept his hold, growling and snarling + all the while, though every step I made almost jerked him over on his + back. As I knew that the eyes of the whole village were on the watch to + see if I showed any sign of apprehension, I walked forward without looking + to the right or left, surrounded wherever I went by this magic circle of + dogs. When I came to Reynal’s lodge I sat down by it, on which the dogs + dispersed growling to their respective quarters. Only one large white one + remained, who kept running about before me and showing his teeth. I called + him, but he only growled the more. I looked at him well. He was fat and + sleek; just such a dog as I wanted. “My friend,” thought I, “you shall pay + for this! I will have you eaten this very morning!” + </p> + <p> + I intended that day to give the Indians a feast, by way of conveying a + favorable impression of my character and dignity; and a white dog is the + dish which the customs of the Dakota prescribe for all occasions of + formality and importance. I consulted Reynal; he soon discovered that an + old woman in the next lodge was owner of the white dog. I took a gaudy + cotton handkerchief, and laying it on the ground, arranged some vermilion, + beads, and other trinkets upon it. Then the old squaw was summoned. I + pointed to the dog and to the handkerchief. She gave a scream of delight, + snatched up the prize, and vanished with it into her lodge. For a few more + trifles I engaged the services of two other squaws, each of whom took the + white dog by one of his paws, and led him away behind the lodges, while he + kept looking up at them with a face of innocent surprise. Having killed + him they threw him into a fire to singe; then chopped him up and put him + into two large kettles to boil. Meanwhile I told Raymond to fry in + buffalo-fat what little flour we had left, and also to make a kettle of + tea as an additional item of the repast. + </p> + <p> + The Big Crow’s squaw was set briskly at work sweeping out the lodge for + the approaching festivity. I confided to my host himself the task of + inviting the guests, thinking that I might thereby shift from my own + shoulders the odium of fancied neglect and oversight. + </p> + <p> + When feasting is in question, one hour of the day serves an Indian as well + as another. My entertainment came off about eleven o’clock. At that hour, + Reynal and Raymond walked across the area of the village, to the + admiration of the inhabitants, carrying the two kettles of dog-meat slung + on a pole between them. These they placed in the center of the lodge, and + then went back for the bread and the tea. Meanwhile I had put on a pair of + brilliant moccasins, and substituted for my old buckskin frock a coat + which I had brought with me in view of such public occasions. I also made + careful use of the razor, an operation which no man will neglect who + desires to gain the good opinion of Indians. Thus attired, I seated myself + between Reynal and Raymond at the head of the lodge. Only a few minutes + elapsed before all the guests had come in and were seated on the ground, + wedged together in a close circle around the lodge. Each brought with him + a wooden bowl to hold his share of the repast. When all were assembled, + two of the officials called “soldiers” by the white men, came forward with + ladles made of the horn of the Rocky Mountain sheep, and began to + distribute the feast, always assigning a double share to the old men and + chiefs. The dog vanished with astonishing celerity, and each guest turned + his dish bottom upward to show that all was gone. Then the bread was + distributed in its turn, and finally the tea. As the soldiers poured it + out into the same wooden bowls that had served for the substantial part of + the meal, I thought it had a particularly curious and uninviting color. + </p> + <p> + “Oh!” said Reynal, “there was not tea enough, so I stirred some soot in + the kettle, to make it look strong.” + </p> + <p> + Fortunately an Indian’s palate is not very discriminating. The tea was + well sweetened, and that was all they cared for. + </p> + <p> + Now the former part of the entertainment being concluded, the time for + speech-making was come. The Big Crow produced a flat piece of wood on + which he cut up tobacco and shongsasha, and mixed them in due proportions. + The pipes were filled and passed from hand to hand around the company. + Then I began my speech, each sentence being interpreted by Reynal as I + went on, and echoed by the whole audience with the usual exclamations of + assent and approval. As nearly as I can recollect, it was as follows: + </p> + <p> + I had come, I told them, from a country so far distant, that at the rate + they travel, they could not reach it in a year. + </p> + <p> + “Howo how!” + </p> + <p> + “There the Meneaska were more numerous than the blades of grass on the + prairie. The squaws were far more beautiful than any they had ever seen, + and all the men were brave warriors.” + </p> + <p> + “How! how! how!” + </p> + <p> + Here I was assailed by sharp twinges of conscience, for I fancied I could + perceive a fragrance of perfumery in the air, and a vision rose before me + of white kid gloves and silken mustaches with the mild and gentle + countenances of numerous fair-haired young men. But I recovered myself and + began again. + </p> + <p> + “While I was living in the Meneaska lodges, I had heard of the Ogallalla, + how great and brave a nation they were, how they loved the whites, and how + well they could hunt the buffalo and strike their enemies. I resolved to + come and see if all that I heard was true.” + </p> + <p> + “How! how! how! how!” + </p> + <p> + “As I had come on horseback through the mountains, I had been able to + bring them only a very few presents.” + </p> + <p> + “How!” + </p> + <p> + “But I had enough tobacco to give them all a small piece. They might smoke + it, and see how much better it was than the tobacco which they got from + the traders.” + </p> + <p> + “How! how! how!” + </p> + <p> + “I had plenty of powder, lead, knives, and tobacco at Fort Laramie. These + I was anxious to give them, and if any of them should come to the fort + before I went away, I would make them handsome presents.” + </p> + <p> + “How! howo how! how!” + </p> + <p> + Raymond then cut up and distributed among them two or three pounds of + tobacco, and old Mene-Seela began to make a reply. It was quite long, but + the following was the pith of it: + </p> + <p> + “He had always loved the whites. They were the wisest people on earth. He + believed they could do everything, and he was always glad when any of them + came to live in the Ogallalla lodges. It was true I had not made them many + presents, but the reason of it was plain. It was clear that I liked them, + or I never should have come so far to find their village.” + </p> + <p> + Several other speeches of similar import followed, and then this more + serious matter being disposed of, there was an interval of smoking, + laughing, and conversation; but old Mene-Seela suddenly interrupted it + with a loud voice: + </p> + <p> + “Now is a good time,” he said, “when all the old men and chiefs are here + together, to decide what the people shall do. We came over the mountain to + make our lodges for next year. Our old ones are good for nothing; they are + rotten and worn out. But we have been disappointed. We have killed buffalo + bulls enough, but we have found no herds of cows, and the skins of bulls + are too thick and heavy for our squaws to make lodges of. There must be + plenty of cows about the Medicine-Bow Mountain. We ought to go there. To + be sure it is farther westward than we have ever been before, and perhaps + the Snakes will attack us, for those hunting-grounds belong to them. But + we must have new lodges at any rate; our old ones will not serve for + another year. We ought not to be afraid of the Snakes. Our warriors are + brave, and they are all ready for war. Besides, we have three white men + with their rifles to help us.” + </p> + <p> + I could not help thinking that the old man relied a little too much on the + aid of allies, one of whom was a coward, another a blockhead, and the + third an invalid. This speech produced a good deal of debate. As Reynal + did not interpret what was said, I could only judge of the meaning by the + features and gestures of the speakers. At the end of it, however, the + greater number seemed to have fallen in with Mene-Seela’s opinion. A short + silence followed, and then the old man struck up a discordant chant, which + I was told was a song of thanks for the entertainment I had given them. + </p> + <p> + “Now,” said he, “let us go and give the white men a chance to breathe.” + </p> + <p> + So the company all dispersed into the open air, and for some time the old + chief was walking round the village, singing his song in praise of the + feast, after the usual custom of the nation. + </p> + <p> + At last the day drew to a close, and as the sun went down the horses came + trooping from the surrounding plains to be picketed before the dwellings + of their respective masters. Soon within the great circle of lodges + appeared another concentric circle of restless horses; and here and there + fires were glowing and flickering amid the gloom of the dusky figures + around them. I went over and sat by the lodge of Reynal. The + Eagle-Feather, who was a son of Mene-Seela, and brother of my host the Big + Crow, was seated there already, and I asked him if the village would move + in the morning. He shook his head, and said that nobody could tell, for + since old Mahto-Tatonka had died, the people had been like children that + did not know their own minds. They were no better than a body without a + head. So I, as well as the Indians themselves, fell asleep that night + without knowing whether we should set out in the morning toward the + country of the Snakes. + </p> + <p> + At daybreak, however, as I was coming up from the river after my morning’s + ablutions, I saw that a movement was contemplated. Some of the lodges were + reduced to nothing but bare skeletons of poles; the leather covering of + others was flapping in the wind as the squaws were pulling it off. One or + two chiefs of note had resolved, it seemed, on moving; and so having set + their squaws at work, the example was tacitly followed by the rest of the + village. One by one the lodges were sinking down in rapid succession, and + where the great circle of the village had been only a moment before, + nothing now remained but a ring of horses and Indians, crowded in + confusion together. The ruins of the lodges were spread over the ground, + together with kettles, stone mallets, great ladles of horn, buffalo robes, + and cases of painted hide, filled with dried meat. Squaws bustled about in + their busy preparations, the old hags screaming to one another at the + stretch of their leathern lungs. The shaggy horses were patiently standing + while the lodge-poles were lashed to their sides, and the baggage piled + upon their backs. The dogs, with their tongues lolling out, lay lazily + panting, and waiting for the time of departure. Each warrior sat on the + ground by the decaying embers of his fire, unmoved amid all the confusion, + while he held in his hand the long trail-rope of his horse. + </p> + <p> + As their preparations were completed, each family moved off the ground. + The crowd was rapidly melting away. I could see them crossing the river, + and passing in quick succession along the profile of the hill on the + farther bank. When all were gone, I mounted and set out after them, + followed by Raymond, and as we gained the summit, the whole village came + in view at once, straggling away for a mile or more over the barren plains + before us. Everywhere the iron points of lances were glittering. The sun + never shone upon a more strange array. Here were the heavy-laden pack + horses, some wretched old women leading them, and two or three children + clinging to their backs. Here were mules or ponies covered from head to + tail with gaudy trappings, and mounted by some gay young squaw, grinning + bashfulness and pleasure as the Meneaska looked at her. Boys with + miniature bows and arrows were wandering over the plains, little naked + children were running along on foot, and numberless dogs were scampering + among the feet of the horses. The young braves, gaudy with paint and + feathers, were riding in groups among the crowd, and often galloping, two + or three at once along the line, to try the speed of their horses. Here + and there you might see a rank of sturdy pedestrians stalking along in + their white buffalo robes. These were the dignitaries of the village, the + old men and warriors, to whose age and experience that wandering democracy + yielded a silent deference. With the rough prairie and the broken hills + for its background, the restless scene was striking and picturesque beyond + description. Days and weeks made me familiar with it, but never impaired + its effect upon my fancy. + </p> + <p> + As we moved on the broken column grew yet more scattered and disorderly, + until, as we approached the foot of a hill, I saw the old men before + mentioned seating themselves in a line upon the ground, in advance of the + whole. They lighted a pipe and sat smoking, laughing, and telling stories, + while the people, stopping as they successively came up, were soon + gathered in a crowd behind them. Then the old men rose, drew their buffalo + robes over their shoulders, and strode on as before. Gaining the top of + the hill, we found a very steep declivity before us. There was not a + minute’s pause. The whole descended in a mass, amid dust and confusion. + The horses braced their feet as they slid down, women and children were + screaming, dogs yelping as they were trodden upon, while stones and earth + went rolling to the bottom. In a few moments I could see the village from + the summit, spreading again far and wide over the plain below. + </p> + <p> + At our encampment that afternoon I was attacked anew by my old disorder. + In half an hour the strength that I had been gaining for a week past had + vanished again, and I became like a man in a dream. But at sunset I lay + down in the Big Crow’s lodge and slept, totally unconscious till the + morning. The first thing that awakened me was a hoarse flapping over my + head, and a sudden light that poured in upon me. The camp was breaking up, + and the squaws were moving the covering from the lodge. I arose and shook + off my blanket with the feeling of perfect health; but scarcely had I + gained my feet when a sense of my helpless condition was once more forced + upon me, and I found myself scarcely able to stand. Raymond had brought up + Pauline and the mule, and I stooped to raise my saddle from the ground. My + strength was quite inadequate to the task. “You must saddle her,” said I + to Raymond, as I sat down again on a pile of buffalo robes: + </p> + <p> + “Et hoec etiam fortasse meminisse juvabit.” + </p> + <p> + I thought, while with a painful effort I raised myself into the saddle. + Half an hour after, even the expectation that Virgil’s line expressed + seemed destined to disappointment. As we were passing over a great plain, + surrounded by long broken ridges, I rode slowly in advance of the Indians, + with thoughts that wandered far from the time and from the place. Suddenly + the sky darkened, and thunder began to mutter. Clouds were rising over the + hills, as dreary and dull as the first forebodings of an approaching + calamity; and in a moment all around was wrapped in shadow. I looked + behind. The Indians had stopped to prepare for the approaching storm, and + the dark, dense mass of savages stretched far to the right and left. Since + the first attack of my disorder the effects of rain upon me had usually + been injurious in the extreme. I had no strength to spare, having at that + moment scarcely enough to keep my seat on horseback. Then, for the first + time, it pressed upon me as a strong probability that I might never leave + those deserts. “Well,” thought I to myself, “a prairie makes quick and + sharp work. Better to die here, in the saddle to the last, than to stifle + in the hot air of a sick chamber, and a thousand times better than to drag + out life, as many have done, in the helpless inaction of lingering + disease.” So, drawing the buffalo robe on which I sat over my head, I + waited till the storm should come. It broke at last with a sudden burst of + fury, and passing away as rapidly as it came, left the sky clear again. My + reflections served me no other purpose than to look back upon as a piece + of curious experience; for the rain did not produce the ill effects that I + had expected. We encamped within an hour. Having no change of clothes, I + contrived to borrow a curious kind of substitute from Reynal: and this + done, I went home, that is, to the Big Crow’s lodge to make the entire + transfer that was necessary. Half a dozen squaws were in the lodge, and + one of them taking my arm held it against her own, while a general laugh + and scream of admiration were raised at the contrast in the color of the + skin. + </p> + <p> + Our encampment that afternoon was not far distant from a spur of the Black + Hills, whose ridges, bristling with fir trees, rose from the plains a mile + or two on our right. That they might move more rapidly toward their + proposed hunting-grounds, the Indians determined to leave at this place + their stock of dried meat and other superfluous articles. Some left even + their lodges, and contented themselves with carrying a few hides to make a + shelter from the sun and rain. Half the inhabitants set out in the + afternoon, with loaded pack horses, toward the mountains. Here they + suspended the dried meat upon trees, where the wolves and grizzly bears + could not get at it. All returned at evening. Some of the young men + declared that they had heard the reports of guns among the mountains to + the eastward, and many surmises were thrown out as to the origin of these + sounds. For my part, I was in hopes that Shaw and Henry Chatillon were + coming to join us. I would have welcomed them cordially, for I had no + other companions than two brutish white men and five hundred savages. I + little suspected that at that very moment my unlucky comrade was lying on + a buffalo robe at Fort Laramie, fevered with ivy poison, and solacing his + woes with tobacco and Shakespeare. + </p> + <p> + As we moved over the plains on the next morning, several young men were + riding about the country as scouts; and at length we began to see them + occasionally on the tops of the hills, shaking their robes as a signal + that they saw buffalo. Soon after, some bulls came in sight. Horsemen + darted away in pursuit, and we could see from the distance that one or two + of the buffalo were killed. Raymond suddenly became inspired. I looked at + him as he rode by my side; his face had actually grown intelligent! + </p> + <p> + “This is the country for me!” he said; “if I could only carry the buffalo + that are killed here every month down to St. Louis I’d make my fortune in + one winter. I’d grow as rich as old Papin, or Mackenzie either. I call + this the poor man’s market. When I’m hungry I have only got to take my + rifle and go out and get better meat than the rich folks down below can + get with all their money. You won’t catch me living in St. Louis another + winter.” + </p> + <p> + “No,” said Reynal, “you had better say that after you and your Spanish + woman almost starved to death there. What a fool you were ever to take her + to the settlements.” + </p> + <p> + “Your Spanish woman?” said I; “I never heard of her before. Are you + married to her?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” answered Raymond, again looking intelligent; “the priests don’t + marry their women, and why should I marry mine?” + </p> + <p> + This honorable mention of the Mexican clergy introduced the subject of + religion, and I found that my two associates, in common with other white + men in the country, were as indifferent to their future welfare as men + whose lives are in constant peril are apt to be. Raymond had never heard + of the Pope. A certain bishop, who lived at Taos or at Santa Fe, embodied + his loftiest idea of an ecclesiastical dignitary. Reynal observed that a + priest had been at Fort Laramie two years ago, on his way to the Nez Perce + mission, and that he had confessed all the men there and given them + absolution. “I got a good clearing out myself that time,” said Reynal, + “and I reckon that will do for me till I go down to the settlements + again.” + </p> + <p> + Here he interrupted himself with an oath and exclaimed: “Look! look! The + Panther is running an antelope!” + </p> + <p> + The Panther, on his black and white horse, one of the best in the village, + came at full speed over the hill in hot pursuit of an antelope that darted + away like lightning before him. The attempt was made in mere sport and + bravado, for very few are the horses that can for a moment compete in + swiftness with this little animal. The antelope ran down the hill toward + the main body of the Indians who were moving over the plain below. Sharp + yells were given and horsemen galloped out to intercept his flight. At + this he turned sharply to the left and scoured away with such incredible + speed that he distanced all his pursuers and even the vaunted horse of the + Panther himself. A few moments after we witnessed a more serious sport. A + shaggy buffalo bull bounded out from a neighboring hollow, and close + behind him came a slender Indian boy, riding without stirrups or saddle + and lashing his eager little horse to full speed. Yard after yard he drew + closer to his gigantic victim, though the bull, with his short tail erect + and his tongue lolling out a foot from his foaming jaws, was straining his + unwieldy strength to the utmost. A moment more and the boy was close + alongside of him. It was our friend the Hail-Storm. He dropped the rein on + his horse’s neck and jerked an arrow like lightning from the quiver at his + shoulder. + </p> + <p> + “I tell you,” said Reynal, “that in a year’s time that boy will match the + best hunter in the village. There he has given it to him! and there goes + another! You feel well, now, old bull, don’t you, with two arrows stuck in + your lights? There, he has given him another! Hear how the Hail-Storm + yells when he shoots! Yes, jump at him; try it again, old fellow! You may + jump all day before you get your horns into that pony!” + </p> + <p> + The bull sprang again and again at his assailant, but the horse kept + dodging with wonderful celerity. At length the bull followed up his attack + with a furious rush, and the Hail-Storm was put to flight, the shaggy + monster following close behind. The boy clung in his seat like a leech, + and secure in the speed of his little pony, looked round toward us and + laughed. In a moment he was again alongside of the bull, who was now + driven to complete desperation. His eyeballs glared through his tangled + mane, and the blood flew from his mouth and nostrils. Thus, still battling + with each other, the two enemies disappeared over the hill. + </p> + <p> + Many of the Indians rode at full gallop toward the spot. We followed at a + more moderate pace, and soon saw the bull lying dead on the side of the + hill. The Indians were gathered around him, and several knives were + already at work. These little instruments were plied with such wonderful + address that the twisted sinews were cut apart, the ponderous bones fell + asunder as if by magic, and in a moment the vast carcass was reduced to a + heap of bloody ruins. The surrounding group of savages offered no very + attractive spectacle to a civilized eye. Some were cracking the huge + thigh-bones and devouring the marrow within; others were cutting away + pieces of the liver and other approved morsels, and swallowing them on the + spot with the appetite of wolves. The faces of most of them, besmeared + with blood from ear to ear, looked grim and horrible enough. My friend the + White Shield proffered me a marrowbone, so skillfully laid open that all + the rich substance within was exposed to view at once. Another Indian held + out a large piece of the delicate lining of the paunch; but these + courteous offerings I begged leave to decline. I noticed one little boy + who was very busy with his knife about the jaws and throat of the buffalo, + from which he extracted some morsel of peculiar delicacy. It is but fair + to say that only certain parts of the animal are considered eligible in + these extempore banquets. The Indians would look with abhorrence on anyone + who should partake indiscriminately of the newly killed carcass. + </p> + <p> + We encamped that night, and marched westward through the greater part of + the following day. On the next morning we again resumed our journey. It + was the 17th of July, unless my notebook misleads me. At noon we stopped + by some pools of rain-water, and in the afternoon again set forward. This + double movement was contrary to the usual practice of the Indians, but all + were very anxious to reach the hunting ground, kill the necessary number + of buffalo, and retreat as soon as possible from the dangerous + neighborhood. I pass by for the present some curious incidents that + occurred during these marches and encampments. Late in the afternoon of + the last-mentioned day we came upon the banks of a little sandy stream, of + which the Indians could not tell the name; for they were very ill + acquainted with that part of the country. So parched and arid were the + prairies around that they could not supply grass enough for the horses to + feed upon, and we were compelled to move farther and farther up the stream + in search of ground for encampment. The country was much wilder than + before. The plains were gashed with ravines and broken into hollows and + steep declivities, which flanked our course, as, in long-scattered array, + the Indians advanced up the side of the stream. Mene-Seela consulted an + extraordinary oracle to instruct him where the buffalo were to be found. + When he with the other chiefs sat down on the grass to smoke and converse, + as they often did during the march, the old man picked up one of those + enormous black-and-green crickets, which the Dakota call by a name that + signifies “They who point out the buffalo.” The Root-Diggers, a wretched + tribe beyond the mountains, turn them to good account by making them into + a sort of soup, pronounced by certain unscrupulous trappers to be + extremely rich. Holding the bloated insect respectfully between his + fingers and thumb, the old Indian looked attentively at him and inquired, + “Tell me, my father, where must we go to-morrow to find the buffalo?” The + cricket twisted about his long horns in evident embarrassment. At last he + pointed, or seemed to point, them westward. Mene-Seela, dropping him + gently on the grass, laughed with great glee, and said that if we went + that way in the morning we should be sure to kill plenty of game. + </p> + <p> + Toward evening we came upon a fresh green meadow, traversed by the stream, + and deep-set among tall sterile bluffs. The Indians descended its steep + bank; and as I was at the rear, I was one of the last to reach this point. + Lances were glittering, feathers fluttering, and the water below me was + crowded with men and horses passing through, while the meadow beyond was + swarming with the restless crowd of Indians. The sun was just setting, and + poured its softened light upon them through an opening in the hills. + </p> + <p> + I remarked to Reynal that at last we had found a good camping-ground. + </p> + <p> + “Oh, it is very good,” replied he ironically; “especially if there is a + Snake war party about, and they take it into their heads to shoot down at + us from the top of these hills. It is no plan of mine, camping in such a + hole as this!” + </p> + <p> + The Indians also seemed apprehensive. High up on the top of the tallest + bluff, conspicuous in the bright evening sunlight, sat a naked warrior on + horseback, looking around, as it seemed, over the neighboring country; and + Raymond told me that many of the young men had gone out in different + directions as scouts. + </p> + <p> + The shadows had reached to the very summit of the bluffs before the lodges + were erected and the village reduced again to quiet and order. A cry was + suddenly raised, and men, women, and children came running out with + animated faces, and looked eagerly through the opening on the hills by + which the stream entered from the westward. I could discern afar off some + dark, heavy masses, passing over the sides of a low hill. They + disappeared, and then others followed. These were bands of buffalo cows. + The hunting-ground was reached at last, and everything promised well for + the morrow’s sport. Being fatigued and exhausted, I went and lay down in + Kongra-Tonga’s lodge, when Raymond thrust in his head, and called upon me + to come and see some sport. A number of Indians were gathered, laughing, + along the line of lodges on the western side of the village, and at some + distance, I could plainly see in the twilight two huge black monsters + stalking, heavily and solemnly, directly toward us. They were buffalo + bulls. The wind blew from them to the village, and such was their + blindness and stupidity that they were advancing upon the enemy without + the least consciousness of his presence. Raymond told me that two men had + hidden themselves with guns in a ravine about twenty yards in front of us. + The two bulls walked slowly on, heavily swinging from side to side in + their peculiar gait of stupid dignity. They approached within four or five + rods of the ravine where the Indians lay in ambush. Here at last they + seemed conscious that something was wrong, for they both stopped and stood + perfectly still, without looking either to the right or to the left. + Nothing of them was to be seen but two huge black masses of shaggy mane, + with horns, eyes, and nose in the center, and a pair of hoofs visible at + the bottom. At last the more intelligent of them seemed to have concluded + that it was time to retire. Very slowly, and with an air of the gravest + and most majestic deliberation, he began to turn round, as if he were + revolving on a pivot. Little by little his ugly brown side was exposed to + view. A white smoke sprang out, as it were from the ground; a sharp report + came with it. The old bull gave a very undignified jump and galloped off. + At this his comrade wheeled about with considerable expedition. The other + Indian shot at him from the ravine, and then both the bulls were running + away at full speed, while half the juvenile population of the village + raised a yell and ran after them. The first bull was soon stopped, and + while the crowd stood looking at him at a respectable distance, he reeled + and rolled over on his side. The other, wounded in a less vital part, + galloped away to the hills and escaped. + </p> + <p> + In half an hour it was totally dark. I lay down to sleep, and ill as I + was, there was something very animating in the prospect of the general + hunt that was to take place on the morrow. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0015" id="link2HCH0015"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XV + </h2> + <h3> + THE HUNTING CAMP + </h3> + <p> + Long before daybreak the Indians broke up their camp. The women of + Mene-Seela’s lodge were as usual among the first that were ready for + departure, and I found the old man himself sitting by the embers of the + decayed fire, over which he was warming his withered fingers, as the + morning was very chilly and damp. The preparations for moving were even + more confused and disorderly than usual. While some families were leaving + the ground the lodges of others were still standing untouched. At this old + Mene-Seela grew impatient, and walking out to the middle of the village + stood with his robe wrapped close around him, and harangued the people in + a loud, sharp voice. Now, he said, when they were on an enemy’s + hunting-grounds, was not the time to behave like children; they ought to + be more active and united than ever. His speech had some effect. The + delinquents took down their lodges and loaded their pack horses; and when + the sun rose, the last of the men, women, and children had left the + deserted camp. + </p> + <p> + This movement was made merely for the purpose of finding a better and + safer position. So we advanced only three or four miles up the little + stream, before each family assumed its relative place in the great ring of + the village, and all around the squaws were actively at work in preparing + the camp. But not a single warrior dismounted from his horse. All the men + that morning were mounted on inferior animals, leading their best horses + by a cord, or confiding them to the care of boys. In small parties they + began to leave the ground and ride rapidly away over the plains to the + westward. I had taken no food that morning, and not being at all ambitious + of further abstinence, I went into my host’s lodge, which his squaws had + erected with wonderful celerity, and sat down in the center, as a gentle + hint that I was hungry. A wooden bowl was soon set before me, filled with + the nutritious preparation of dried meat called pemmican by the northern + voyagers and wasna by the Dakota. Taking a handful to break my fast upon, + I left the lodge just in time to see the last band of hunters disappear + over the ridge of the neighboring hill. I mounted Pauline and galloped in + pursuit, riding rather by the balance than by any muscular strength that + remained to me. From the top of the hill I could overlook a wide extent of + desolate and unbroken prairie, over which, far and near, little parties of + naked horsemen were rapidly passing. I soon came up to the nearest, and we + had not ridden a mile before all were united into one large and compact + body. All was haste and eagerness. Each hunter was whipping on his horse, + as if anxious to be the first to reach the game. In such movements among + the Indians this is always more or less the case; but it was especially so + in the present instance, because the head chief of the village was absent, + and there were but few “soldiers,” a sort of Indian police, who among + their other functions usually assumed the direction of a buffalo hunt. No + man turned to the right hand or to the left. We rode at a swift canter + straight forward, uphill and downhill, and through the stiff, obstinate + growth of the endless wild-sage bushes. For an hour and a half the same + red shoulders, the same long black hair rose and fell with the motion of + the horses before me. Very little was said, though once I observed an old + man severely reproving Raymond for having left his rifle behind him, when + there was some probability of encountering an enemy before the day was + over. As we galloped across a plain thickly set with sagebushes, the + foremost riders vanished suddenly from sight, as if diving into the earth. + The arid soil was cracked into a deep ravine. Down we all went in + succession and galloped in a line along the bottom, until we found a point + where, one by one, the horses could scramble out. Soon after we came upon + a wide shallow stream, and as we rode swiftly over the hard sand-beds and + through the thin sheets of rippling water, many of the savage horsemen + threw themselves to the ground, knelt on the sand, snatched a hasty + draught, and leaping back again to their seats, galloped on again as + before. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile scouts kept in advance of the party; and now we began to see + them on the ridge of the hills, waving their robes in token that buffalo + were visible. These however proved to be nothing more than old straggling + bulls, feeding upon the neighboring plains, who would stare for a moment + at the hostile array and then gallop clumsily off. At length we could + discern several of these scouts making their signals to us at once; no + longer waving their robes boldly from the top of the hill, but standing + lower down, so that they could not be seen from the plains beyond. Game + worth pursuing had evidently been discovered. The excited Indians now + urged forward their tired horses even more rapidly than before. Pauline, + who was still sick and jaded, began to groan heavily; and her yellow sides + were darkened with sweat. As we were crowding together over a lower + intervening hill, I heard Reynal and Raymond shouting to me from the left; + and looking in that direction, I saw them riding away behind a party of + about twenty mean-looking Indians. These were the relatives of Reynal’s + squaw Margot, who, not wishing to take part in the general hunt, were + riding toward a distant hollow, where they could discern a small band of + buffalo which they meant to appropriate to themselves. I answered to the + call by ordering Raymond to turn back and follow me. He reluctantly + obeyed, though Reynal, who had relied on his assistance in skinning, + cutting up, and carrying to camp the buffalo that he and his party should + kill, loudly protested and declared that we should see no sport if we went + with the rest of the Indians. Followed by Raymond I pursued the main body + of hunters, while Reynal in a great rage whipped his horse over the hill + after his ragamuffin relatives. The Indians, still about a hundred in + number, rode in a dense body at some distance in advance. They galloped + forward, and a cloud of dust was flying in the wind behind them. I could + not overtake them until they had stopped on the side of the hill where the + scouts were standing. Here, each hunter sprang in haste from the tired + animal which he had ridden, and leaped upon the fresh horse that he had + brought with him. There was not a saddle or a bridle in the whole party. A + piece of buffalo robe girthed over the horse’s back served in the place of + the one, and a cord of twisted hair lashed firmly round his lower jaw + answered for the other. Eagle feathers were dangling from every mane and + tail, as insignia of courage and speed. As for the rider, he wore no other + clothing than a light cincture at his waist, and a pair of moccasins. He + had a heavy whip, with a handle of solid elk-horn, and a lash of knotted + bull-hide, fastened to his wrist by an ornamental band. His bow was in his + hand, and his quiver of otter or panther skin hung at his shoulder. Thus + equipped, some thirty of the hunters galloped away toward the left, in + order to make a circuit under cover of the hills, that the buffalo might + be assailed on both sides at once. The rest impatiently waited until time + enough had elapsed for their companions to reach the required position. + Then riding upward in a body, we gained the ridge of the hill, and for the + first time came in sight of the buffalo on the plain beyond. + </p> + <p> + They were a band of cows, four or five hundred in number, who were crowded + together near the bank of a wide stream that was soaking across the + sand-beds of the valley. This was a large circular basin, sun-scorched and + broken, scantily covered with herbage and encompassed with high barren + hills, from an opening in which we could see our allies galloping out upon + the plain. The wind blew from that direction. The buffalo were aware of + their approach, and had begun to move, though very slowly and in a compact + mass. I have no further recollection of seeing the game until we were in + the midst of them, for as we descended the hill other objects engrossed my + attention. Numerous old bulls were scattered over the plain, and + ungallantly deserting their charge at our approach, began to wade and + plunge through the treacherous quick-sands or the stream, and gallop away + toward the hills. One old veteran was struggling behind all the rest with + one of his forelegs, which had been broken by some accident, dangling + about uselessly at his side. His appearance, as he went shambling along on + three legs, was so ludicrous that I could not help pausing for a moment to + look at him. As I came near, he would try to rush upon me, nearly throwing + himself down at every awkward attempt. Looking up, I saw the whole body of + Indians full a hundred yards in advance. I lashed Pauline in pursuit and + reached them just in time, for as we mingled among them, each hunter, as + if by a common impulse, violently struck his horse, each horse sprang + forward convulsively, and scattering in the charge in order to assail the + entire herd at once, we all rushed headlong upon the buffalo. We were + among them in an instant. Amid the trampling and the yells I could see + their dark figures running hither and thither through clouds of dust, and + the horsemen darting in pursuit. While we were charging on one side, our + companions had attacked the bewildered and panic-stricken herd on the + other. The uproar and confusion lasted but for a moment. The dust cleared + away, and the buffalo could be seen scattering as from a common center, + flying over the plain singly, or in long files and small compact bodies, + while behind each followed the Indians, lashing their horses to furious + speed, forcing them close upon their prey, and yelling as they launched + arrow after arrow into their sides. The large black carcasses were strewn + thickly over the ground. Here and there wounded buffalo were standing, + their bleeding sides feathered with arrows; and as I rode past them their + eyes would glare, they would bristle like gigantic cats, and feebly + attempt to rush up and gore my horse. + </p> + <p> + I left camp that morning with a philosophic resolution. Neither I nor my + horse were at that time fit for such sport, and I had determined to remain + a quiet spectator; but amid the rush of horses and buffalo, the uproar and + the dust, I found it impossible to sit still; and as four or five buffalo + ran past me in a line, I drove Pauline in pursuit. We went plunging close + at their heels through the water and the quick-sands, and clambering the + bank, chased them through the wild-sage bushes that covered the rising + ground beyond. But neither her native spirit nor the blows of the knotted + bull-hide could supply the place of poor Pauline’s exhausted strength. We + could not gain an inch upon the poor fugitives. At last, however, they + came full upon a ravine too wide to leap over; and as this compelled them + to turn abruptly to the left, I contrived to get within ten or twelve + yards of the hindmost. At this she faced about, bristled angrily, and made + a show of charging. I shot at her with a large holster pistol, and hit her + somewhere in the neck. Down she tumbled into the ravine, whither her + companions had descended before her. I saw their dark backs appearing and + disappearing as they galloped along the bottom; then, one by one, they + came scrambling out on the other side and ran off as before, the wounded + animal following with unabated speed. + </p> + <p> + Turning back, I saw Raymond coming on his black mule to meet me; and as we + rode over the field together, we counted dozens of carcasses lying on the + plain, in the ravines and on the sandy bed of the stream. Far away in the + distance, horses and buffalo were still scouring along, with little clouds + of dust rising behind them; and over the sides of the hills we could see + long files of the frightened animals rapidly ascending. The hunters began + to return. The boys, who had held the horses behind the hill, made their + appearance, and the work of flaying and cutting up began in earnest all + over the field. I noticed my host Kongra-Tonga beyond the stream, just + alighting by the side of a cow which he had killed. Riding up to him I + found him in the act of drawing out an arrow, which, with the exception of + the notch at the end, had entirely disappeared in the animal. I asked him + to give it to me, and I still retain it as a proof, though by no means the + most striking one that could be offered, of the force and dexterity with + which the Indians discharge their arrows. + </p> + <p> + The hides and meat were piled upon the horses, and the hunters began to + leave the ground. Raymond and I, too, getting tired of the scene, set out + for the village, riding straight across the intervening desert. There was + no path, and as far as I could see, no landmarks sufficient to guide us; + but Raymond seemed to have an instinctive perception of the point on the + horizon toward which we ought to direct our course. Antelope were bounding + on all sides, and as is always the case in the presence of buffalo, they + seemed to have lost their natural shyness and timidity. Bands of them + would run lightly up the rocky declivities, and stand gazing down upon us + from the summit. At length we could distinguish the tall white rocks and + the old pine trees that, as we well remembered, were just above the site + of the encampment. Still, we could see nothing of the village itself + until, ascending a grassy hill, we found the circle of lodges, dingy with + storms and smoke, standing on the plain at our very feet. + </p> + <p> + I entered the lodge of my host. His squaw instantly brought me food and + water, and spread a buffalo robe for me to lie upon; and being much + fatigued, I lay down and fell asleep. In about an hour the entrance of + Kongra-Tonga, with his arms smeared with blood to the elbows, awoke me. He + sat down in his usual seat on the left side of the lodge. His squaw gave + him a vessel of water for washing, set before him a bowl of boiled meat, + and as he was eating pulled off his bloody moccasins and placed fresh ones + on his feet; then outstretching his limbs, my host composed himself to + sleep. + </p> + <p> + And now the hunters, two or three at a time, began to come rapidly in, and + each, consigning his horses to the squaws, entered his lodge with the air + of a man whose day’s work was done. The squaws flung down the load from + the burdened horses, and vast piles of meat and hides were soon + accumulated before every lodge. By this time it was darkening fast, and + the whole village was illumined by the glare of fires blazing all around. + All the squaws and children were gathered about the piles of meat, + exploring them in search of the daintiest portions. Some of these they + roasted on sticks before the fires, but often they dispensed with this + superfluous operation. Late into the night the fires were still glowing + upon the groups of feasters engaged in this savage banquet around them. + </p> + <p> + Several hunters sat down by the fire in Kongra-Tonga’s lodge to talk over + the day’s exploits. Among the rest, Mene-Seela came in. Though he must + have seen full eighty winters, he had taken an active share in the day’s + sport. He boasted that he had killed two cows that morning, and would have + killed a third if the dust had not blinded him so that he had to drop his + bow and arrows and press both hands against his eyes to stop the pain. The + firelight fell upon his wrinkled face and shriveled figure as he sat + telling his story with such inimitable gesticulation that every man in the + lodge broke into a laugh. + </p> + <p> + Old Mene-Seela was one of the few Indians in the village with whom I would + have trusted myself alone without suspicion, and the only one from whom I + would have received a gift or a service without the certainty that it + proceeded from an interested motive. He was a great friend to the whites. + He liked to be in their society, and was very vain of the favors he had + received from them. He told me one afternoon, as we were sitting together + in his son’s lodge, that he considered the beaver and the whites the + wisest people on earth; indeed, he was convinced they were the same; and + an incident which had happened to him long before had assured him of this. + So he began the following story, and as the pipe passed in turn to him, + Reynal availed himself of these interruptions to translate what had + preceded. But the old man accompanied his words with such admirable + pantomime that translation was hardly necessary. + </p> + <p> + He said that when he was very young, and had never yet seen a white man, + he and three or four of his companions were out on a beaver hunt, and he + crawled into a large beaver lodge, to examine what was there. Sometimes he + was creeping on his hands and knees, sometimes he was obliged to swim, and + sometimes to lie flat on his face and drag himself along. In this way he + crawled a great distance underground. It was very dark, cold and close, so + that at last he was almost suffocated, and fell into a swoon. When he + began to recover, he could just distinguish the voices of his companions + outside, who had given him up for lost, and were singing his death song. + At first he could see nothing, but soon he discerned something white + before him, and at length plainly distinguished three people, entirely + white; one man and two women, sitting at the edge of a black pool of + water. He became alarmed and thought it high time to retreat. Having + succeeded, after great trouble, in reaching daylight again, he went + straight to the spot directly above the pool of water where he had seen + the three mysterious beings. Here he beat a hole with his war club in the + ground, and sat down to watch. In a moment the nose of an old male beaver + appeared at the opening. Mene-Seela instantly seized him and dragged him + up, when two other beavers, both females, thrust out their heads, and + these he served in the same way. “These,” continued the old man, “must + have been the three white people whom I saw sitting at the edge of the + water.” + </p> + <p> + Mene-Seela was the grand depository of the legends and traditions of the + village. I succeeded, however, in getting from him only a few fragments. + Like all Indians, he was excessively superstitious, and continually saw + some reason for withholding his stories. “It is a bad thing,” he would + say, “to tell the tales in summer. Stay with us till next winter, and I + will tell you everything I know; but now our war parties are going out, + and our young men will be killed if I sit down to tell stories before the + frost begins.” + </p> + <p> + But to leave this digression. We remained encamped on this spot five days, + during three of which the hunters were at work incessantly, and immense + quantities of meat and hides were brought in. Great alarm, however, + prevailed in the village. All were on the alert. The young men were + ranging through the country as scouts, and the old men paid careful + attention to omens and prodigies, and especially to their dreams. In order + to convey to the enemy (who, if they were in the neighborhood, must + inevitably have known of our presence) the impression that we were + constantly on the watch, piles of sticks and stones were erected on all + the surrounding hills, in such a manner as to appear at a distance like + sentinels. Often, even to this hour, that scene will rise before my mind + like a visible reality: the tall white rocks; the old pine trees on their + summits; the sandy stream that ran along their bases and half encircled + the village; and the wild-sage bushes, with their dull green hue and their + medicinal odor, that covered all the neighboring declivities. Hour after + hour the squaws would pass and repass with their vessels of water between + the stream and the lodges. For the most part no one was to be seen in the + camp but women and children, two or three super-annuated old men, and a + few lazy and worthless young ones. These, together with the dogs, now + grown fat and good-natured with the abundance in the camp, were its only + tenants. Still it presented a busy and bustling scene. In all quarters the + meat, hung on cords of hide, was drying in the sun, and around the lodges + the squaws, young and old, were laboring on the fresh hides that were + stretched upon the ground, scraping the hair from one side and the still + adhering flesh from the other, and rubbing into them the brains of the + buffalo, in order to render them soft and pliant. + </p> + <p> + In mercy to myself and my horse, I never went out with the hunters after + the first day. Of late, however, I had been gaining strength rapidly, as + was always the case upon every respite of my disorder. I was soon able to + walk with ease. Raymond and I would go out upon the neighboring prairies + to shoot antelope, or sometimes to assail straggling buffalo, on foot, an + attempt in which we met with rather indifferent success. To kill a bull + with a rifle-ball is a difficult art, in the secret of which I was as yet + very imperfectly initiated. As I came out of Kongra-Tonga’s lodge one + morning, Reynal called to me from the opposite side of the village, and + asked me over to breakfast. The breakfast was a substantial one. It + consisted of the rich, juicy hump-ribs of a fat cow; a repast absolutely + unrivaled. It was roasting before the fire, impaled upon a stout stick, + which Reynal took up and planted in the ground before his lodge; when he, + with Raymond and myself, taking our seats around it, unsheathed our knives + and assailed it with good will. It spite of all medical experience, this + solid fare, without bread or salt, seemed to agree with me admirably. + </p> + <p> + “We shall have strangers here before night,” said Reynal. + </p> + <p> + “How do you know that?” I asked. + </p> + <p> + “I dreamed so. I am as good at dreaming as an Indian. There is the + Hail-Storm; he dreamed the same thing, and he and his crony, the Rabbit, + have gone out on discovery.” + </p> + <p> + I laughed at Reynal for his credulity, went over to my host’s lodge, took + down my rifle, walked out a mile or two on the prairie, saw an old bull + standing alone, crawled up a ravine, shot him and saw him escape. Then, + quite exhausted and rather ill-humored, I walked back to the village. By a + strange coincidence, Reynal’s prediction had been verified; for the first + persons whom I saw were the two trappers, Rouleau and Saraphin, coming to + meet me. These men, as the reader may possibly recollect, had left our + party about a fortnight before. They had been trapping for a while among + the Black Hills, and were now on their way to the Rocky Mountains, + intending in a day or two to set out for the neighboring Medicine Bow. + They were not the most elegant or refined of companions, yet they made a + very welcome addition to the limited society of the village. For the rest + of that day we lay smoking and talking in Reynal’s lodge. This indeed was + no better than a little hut, made of hides stretched on poles, and + entirely open in front. It was well carpeted with soft buffalo robes, and + here we remained, sheltered from the sun, surrounded by various domestic + utensils of Madame Margot’s household. All was quiet in the village. + Though the hunters had not gone out that day, they lay sleeping in their + lodges, and most of the women were silently engaged in their heavy tasks. + A few young men were playing a lazy game of ball in the center of the + village; and when they became tired, some girls supplied their place with + a more boisterous sport. At a little distance, among the lodges, some + children and half-grown squaws were playfully tossing up one of their + number in a buffalo robe, an exact counterpart of the ancient pastime from + which Sancho Panza suffered so much. Farther out on the prairie, a host of + little naked boys were roaming about, engaged in various rough games, or + pursuing birds and ground-squirrels with their bows and arrows; and woe to + the unhappy little animals that fell into their merciless, torture-loving + hands! A squaw from the next lodge, a notable active housewife named Weah + Washtay, or the Good Woman, brought us a large bowl of wasna, and went + into an ecstasy of delight when I presented her with a green glass ring, + such as I usually wore with a view to similar occasions. + </p> + <p> + The sun went down and half the sky was growing fiery red, reflected on the + little stream as it wound away among the sagebushes. Some young men left + the village, and soon returned, driving in before them all the horses, + hundreds in number, and of every size, age, and color. The hunters came + out, and each securing those that belonged to him, examined their + condition, and tied them fast by long cords to stakes driven in front of + his lodge. It was half an hour before the bustle subsided and tranquillity + was restored again. By this time it was nearly dark. Kettles were hung + over the blazing fires, around which the squaws were gathered with their + children, laughing and talking merrily. A circle of a different kind was + formed in the center of the village. This was composed of the old men and + warriors of repute, who with their white buffalo robes drawn close around + their shoulders, sat together, and as the pipe passed from hand to hand, + their conversation had not a particle of the gravity and reserve usually + ascribed to Indians. I sat down with them as usual. I had in my hand half + a dozen squibs and serpents, which I had made one day when encamped upon + Laramie Creek, out of gunpowder and charcoal, and the leaves of “Fremont’s + Expedition,” rolled round a stout lead pencil. I waited till I contrived + to get hold of the large piece of burning BOIS DE VACHE which the Indians + kept by them on the ground for lighting their pipes. With this I lighted + all the fireworks at once, and tossed them whizzing and sputtering into + the air, over the heads of the company. They all jumped up and ran off + with yelps of astonishment and consternation. After a moment or two, they + ventured to come back one by one, and some of the boldest, picking up the + cases of burnt paper that were scattered about, examined them with eager + curiosity to discover their mysterious secret. From that time forward I + enjoyed great repute as a “fire-medicine.” + </p> + <p> + The camp was filled with the low hum of cheerful voices. There were other + sounds, however, of a very different kind, for from a large lodge, lighted + up like a gigantic lantern by the blazing fire within, came a chorus of + dismal cries and wailings, long drawn out, like the howling of wolves, and + a woman, almost naked, was crouching close outside, crying violently, and + gashing her legs with a knife till they were covered with blood. Just a + year before, a young man belonging to this family had gone out with a war + party and had been slain by the enemy, and his relatives were thus + lamenting his loss. Still other sounds might be heard; loud earnest cries + often repeated from amid the gloom, at a distance beyond the village. They + proceeded from some young men who, being about to set out in a few days on + a warlike expedition, were standing at the top of a hill, calling on the + Great Spirit to aid them in their enterprise. While I was listening, + Rouleau, with a laugh on his careless face, called to me and directed my + attention to another quarter. In front of the lodge where Weah Washtay + lived another squaw was standing, angrily scolding an old yellow dog, who + lay on the ground with his nose resting between his paws, and his eyes + turned sleepily up to her face, as if he were pretending to give + respectful attention, but resolved to fall asleep as soon as it was all + over. + </p> + <p> + “You ought to be ashamed of yourself!” said the old woman. “I have fed you + well, and taken care of you ever since you were small and blind, and could + only crawl about and squeal a little, instead of howling as you do now. + When you grew old, I said you were a good dog. You were strong and gentle + when the load was put on your back, and you never ran among the feet of + the horses when we were all traveling together over the prairie. But you + had a bad heart! Whenever a rabbit jumped out of the bushes, you were + always the first to run after him and lead away all the other dogs behind + you. You ought to have known that it was very dangerous to act so. When + you had got far out on the prairie, and no one was near to help you, + perhaps a wolf would jump out of the ravine; and then what could you do? + You would certainly have been killed, for no dog can fight well with a + load on his back. Only three days ago you ran off in that way, and turned + over the bag of wooden pins with which I used to fasten up the front of + the lodge. Look up there, and you will see that it is all flapping open. + And now to-night you have stolen a great piece of fat meat which was + roasting before the fire for my children. I tell you, you have a bad + heart, and you must die!” + </p> + <p> + So saying, the squaw went into the lodge, and coming out with a large + stone mallet, killed the unfortunate dog at one blow. This speech is + worthy of notice as illustrating a curious characteristic of the Indians: + the ascribing intelligence and a power of understanding speech to the + inferior animals, to whom, indeed, according to many of their traditions, + they are linked in close affinity, and they even claim the honor of a + lineal descent from bears, wolves, deer, or tortoises. + </p> + <p> + As it grew late, and the crowded population began to disappear, I too + walked across the village to the lodge of my host, Kongra-Tonga. As I + entered I saw him, by the flickering blaze of the fire in the center, + reclining half asleep in his usual place. His couch was by no means an + uncomfortable one. It consisted of soft buffalo robes laid together on the + ground, and a pillow made of whitened deerskin stuffed with feathers and + ornamented with beads. At his back was a light framework of poles and + slender reeds, against which he could lean with ease when in a sitting + posture; and at the top of it, just above his head, his bow and quiver + were hanging. His squaw, a laughing, broad-faced woman, apparently had not + yet completed her domestic arrangements, for she was bustling about the + lodge, pulling over the utensils and the bales of dried meats that were + ranged carefully round it. Unhappily, she and her partner were not the + only tenants of the dwelling, for half a dozen children were scattered + about, sleeping in every imaginable posture. My saddle was in its place at + the head of the lodge and a buffalo robe was spread on the ground before + it. Wrapping myself in my blanket I lay down, but had I not been extremely + fatigued the noise in the next lodge would have prevented my sleeping. + There was the monotonous thumping of the Indian drum, mixed with + occasional sharp yells, and a chorus chanted by twenty voices. A grand + scene of gambling was going forward with all the appropriate formalities. + The players were staking on the chance issue of the game their ornaments, + their horses, and as the excitement rose, their garments, and even their + weapons, for desperate gambling is not confined to the hells of Paris. The + men of the plains and the forests no less resort to it as a violent but + grateful relief to the tedious monotony of their lives, which alternate + between fierce excitement and listless inaction. I fell asleep with the + dull notes of the drum still sounding on my ear, but these furious orgies + lasted without intermission till daylight. I was soon awakened by one of + the children crawling over me, while another larger one was tugging at my + blanket and nestling himself in a very disagreeable proximity. I + immediately repelled these advances by punching the heads of these + miniature savages with a short stick which I always kept by me for the + purpose; and as sleeping half the day and eating much more than is good + for them makes them extremely restless, this operation usually had to be + repeated four or five times in the course of the night. My host himself + was the author of another most formidable annoyance. All these Indians, + and he among the rest, think themselves bound to the constant performance + of certain acts as the condition on which their success in life depends, + whether in war, love, hunting, or any other employment. These “medicines,” + as they are called in that country, which are usually communicated in + dreams, are often absurd enough. Some Indians will strike the butt of the + pipe against the ground every time they smoke; others will insist that + everything they say shall be interpreted by contraries; and Shaw once met + an old man who conceived that all would be lost unless he compelled every + white man he met to drink a bowl of cold water. My host was particularly + unfortunate in his allotment. The Great Spirit had told him in a dream + that he must sing a certain song in the middle of every night; and + regularly at about twelve o’clock his dismal monotonous chanting would + awaken me, and I would see him seated bolt upright on his couch, going + through his dolorous performances with a most business-like air. There + were other voices of the night still more inharmonious. Twice or thrice, + between sunset and dawn, all the dogs in the village, and there were + hundreds of them, would bay and yelp in chorus; a most horrible clamor, + resembling no sound that I have ever heard, except perhaps the frightful + howling of wolves that we used sometimes to hear long afterward when + descending the Arkansas on the trail of General Kearny’s army. The canine + uproar is, if possible, more discordant than that of the wolves. Heard at + a distance, slowly rising on the night, it has a strange unearthly effect, + and would fearfully haunt the dreams of a nervous man; but when you are + sleeping in the midst of it the din is outrageous. One long loud howl from + the next lodge perhaps begins it, and voice after voice takes up the sound + till it passes around the whole circumference of the village, and the air + is filled with confused and discordant cries, at once fierce and mournful. + It lasts but for a moment and then dies away into silence. + </p> + <p> + Morning came, and Kongra-Tonga, mounting his horse, rode out with the + hunters. It may not be amiss to glance at him for an instant in his + domestic character of husband and father. Both he and his squaw, like most + other Indians, were very fond of their children, whom they indulged to + excess, and never punished, except in extreme cases when they would throw + a bowl of cold water over them. Their offspring became sufficiently + undutiful and disobedient under this system of education, which tends not + a little to foster that wild idea of liberty and utter intolerance of + restraint which lie at the very foundation of the Indian character. It + would be hard to find a fonder father than Kongra-Tonga. There was one + urchin in particular, rather less than two feet high, to whom he was + exceedingly attached; and sometimes spreading a buffalo robe in the lodge, + he would seat himself upon it, place his small favorite upright before + him, and chant in a low tone some of the words used as an accompaniment to + the war dance. The little fellow, who could just manage to balance himself + by stretching out both arms, would lift his feet and turn slowly round and + round in time to his father’s music, while my host would laugh with + delight, and look smiling up into my face to see if I were admiring this + precocious performance of his offspring. In his capacity of husband he was + somewhat less exemplary. The squaw who lived in the lodge with him had + been his partner for many years. She took good care of his children and + his household concerns. He liked her well enough, and as far as I could + see they never quarreled; but all his warmer affections were reserved for + younger and more recent favorites. Of these he had at present only one, + who lived in a lodge apart from his own. One day while in his camp he + became displeased with her, pushed her out, threw after her her ornaments, + dresses, and everything she had, and told her to go home to her father. + Having consummated this summary divorce, for which he could show good + reasons, he came back, seated himself in his usual place, and began to + smoke with an air of utmost tranquillity and self-satisfaction. + </p> + <p> + I was sitting in the lodge with him on that very afternoon, when I felt + some curiosity to learn the history of the numerous scars that appeared on + his naked body. Of some of them, however, I did not venture to inquire, + for I already understood their origin. Each of his arms was marked as if + deeply gashed with a knife at regular intervals, and there were other + scars also, of a different character, on his back and on either breast. + They were the traces of those formidable tortures which these Indians, in + common with a few other tribes, inflict upon themselves at certain + seasons; in part, it may be, to gain the glory of courage and endurance, + but chiefly as an act of self-sacrifice to secure the favor of the Great + Spirit. The scars upon the breast and back were produced by running + through the flesh strong splints of wood, to which ponderous + buffalo-skulls are fastened by cords of hide, and the wretch runs forward + with all his strength, assisted by two companions, who take hold of each + arm, until the flesh tears apart and the heavy loads are left behind. + Others of Kongra-Tonga’s scars were the result of accidents; but he had + many which he received in war. He was one of the most noted warriors in + the village. In the course of his life he had slain as he boasted to me, + fourteen men, and though, like other Indians, he was a great braggart and + utterly regardless of truth, yet in this statement common report bore him + out. Being much flattered by my inquiries he told me tale after tale, true + or false, of his warlike exploits; and there was one among the rest + illustrating the worst features of the Indian character too well for me to + omit. Pointing out of the opening of the lodge toward the Medicine-Bow + Mountain, not many miles distant he said that he was there a few summers + ago with a war party of his young men. Here they found two Snake Indians, + hunting. They shot one of them with arrows and chased the other up the + side of the mountain till they surrounded him on a level place, and + Kongra-Tonga himself, jumping forward among the trees, seized him by the + arm. Two of his young men then ran up and held him fast while he scalped + him alive. Then they built a great fire, and cutting the tendons of their + captive’s wrists and feet, threw him in, and held him down with long poles + until he was burnt to death. He garnished his story with a great many + descriptive particulars much too revolting to mention. His features were + remarkably mild and open, without the fierceness of expression common + among these Indians; and as he detailed these devilish cruelties, he + looked up into my face with the same air of earnest simplicity which a + little child would wear in relating to its mother some anecdote of its + youthful experience. + </p> + <p> + Old Mene-Seela’s lodge could offer another illustration of the ferocity of + Indian warfare. A bright-eyed, active little boy was living there. He had + belonged to a village of the Gros-Ventre Blackfeet, a small but bloody and + treacherous band, in close alliance with the Arapahoes. About a year + before, Kongra-Tonga and a party of warriors had found about twenty lodges + of these Indians upon the plains a little to the eastward of our present + camp; and surrounding them in the night, they butchered men, women, and + children without mercy, preserving only this little boy alive. He was + adopted into the old man’s family, and was now fast becoming identified + with the Ogallalla children, among whom he mingled on equal terms. There + was also a Crow warrior in the village, a man of gigantic stature and most + symmetrical proportions. Having been taken prisoner many years before and + adopted by a squaw in place of a son whom she had lost, he had forgotten + his old national antipathies, and was now both in act and inclination an + Ogallalla. + </p> + <p> + It will be remembered that the scheme of the grand warlike combination + against the Snake and Crow Indians originated in this village; and though + this plan had fallen to the ground, the embers of the martial ardor + continued to glow brightly. Eleven young men had prepared themselves to go + out against the enemy. The fourth day of our stay in this camp was fixed + upon for their departure. At the head of this party was a well-built + active little Indian, called the White Shield, whom I had always noticed + for the great neatness of his dress and appearance. His lodge too, though + not a large one, was the best in the village, his squaw was one of the + prettiest girls, and altogether his dwelling presented a complete model of + an Ogallalla domestic establishment. I was often a visitor there, for the + White Shield being rather partial to white men, used to invite me to + continual feasts at all hours of the day. Once when the substantial part + of the entertainment was concluded, and he and I were seated cross-legged + on a buffalo robe smoking together very amicably, he took down his warlike + equipments, which were hanging around the lodge, and displayed them with + great pride and self-importance. Among the rest was a most superb + headdress of feathers. Taking this from its case, he put it on and stood + before me, as if conscious of the gallant air which it gave to his dark + face and his vigorous, graceful figure. He told me that upon it were the + feathers of three war-eagles, equal in value to the same number of good + horses. He took up also a shield gayly painted and hung with feathers. The + effect of these barbaric ornaments was admirable, for they were arranged + with no little skill and taste. His quiver was made of the spotted skin of + a small panther, such as are common among the Black Hills, from which the + tail and distended claws were still allowed to hang. The White Shield + concluded his entertainment in a manner characteristic of an Indian. He + begged of me a little powder and ball, for he had a gun as well as bow and + arrows; but this I was obliged to refuse, because I had scarcely enough + for my own use. Making him, however, a parting present of a paper of + vermilion, I left him apparently quite contented. + </p> + <p> + Unhappily on the next morning the White Shield took cold and was attacked + with a violent inflammation of the throat. Immediately he seemed to lose + all spirit, and though before no warrior in the village had borne himself + more proudly, he now moped about from lodge to lodge with a forlorn and + dejected air. At length he came and sat down, close wrapped in his robe, + before the lodge of Reynal, but when he found that neither he nor I knew + how to relieve him, he arose and stalked over to one of the medicine-men + of the village. This old imposter thumped him for some time with both + fists, howled and yelped over him, and beat a drum close to his ear to + expel the evil spirit that had taken possession of him. This vigorous + treatment failing of the desired effect, the White Shield withdrew to his + own lodge, where he lay disconsolate for some hours. Making his appearance + once more in the afternoon, he again took his seat on the ground before + Reynal’s lodge, holding his throat with his hand. For some time he sat + perfectly silent with his eyes fixed mournfully on the ground. At last he + began to speak in a low tone: + </p> + <p> + “I am a brave man,” he said; “all the young men think me a great warrior, + and ten of them are ready to go with me to the war. I will go and show + them the enemy. Last summer the Snakes killed my brother. I cannot live + unless I revenge his death. To-morrow we will set out and I will take + their scalps.” + </p> + <p> + The White Shield, as he expressed this resolution, seemed to have lost all + the accustomed fire and spirit of his look, and hung his head as if in a + fit of despondency. + </p> + <p> + As I was sitting that evening at one of the fires, I saw him arrayed in + his splendid war dress, his cheeks painted with vermilion, leading his + favorite war horse to the front of his lodge. He mounted and rode round + the village, singing his war song in a loud hoarse voice amid the shrill + acclamations of the women. Then dismounting, he remained for some minutes + prostrate upon the ground, as if in an act of supplication. On the + following morning I looked in vain for the departure of the warriors. All + was quiet in the village until late in the forenoon, when the White + Shield, issuing from his lodge, came and seated himself in his old place + before us. Reynal asked him why he had not gone out to find the enemy. + </p> + <p> + “I cannot go,” answered the White Shield in a dejected voice. “I have + given my war arrows to the Meneaska.” + </p> + <p> + “You have only given him two of your arrows,” said Reynal. “If you ask + him, he will give them back again.” + </p> + <p> + For some time the White Shield said nothing. At last he spoke in a gloomy + tone: + </p> + <p> + “One of my young men has had bad dreams. The spirits of the dead came and + threw stones at him in his sleep.” + </p> + <p> + If such a dream had actually taken place it might have broken up this or + any other war party, but both Reynal and I were convinced at the time that + it was a mere fabrication to excuse his remaining at home. + </p> + <p> + The White Shield was a warrior of noted prowess. Very probably, he would + have received a mortal wound without a show of pain, and endured without + flinching the worst tortures that an enemy could inflict upon him. The + whole power of an Indian’s nature would be summoned to encounter such a + trial; every influence of his education from childhood would have prepared + him for it; the cause of his suffering would have been visibly and + palpably before him, and his spirit would rise to set his enemy at + defiance, and gain the highest glory of a warrior by meeting death with + fortitude. But when he feels himself attacked by a mysterious evil, before + whose insidious assaults his manhood is wasted, and his strength drained + away, when he can see no enemy to resist and defy, the boldest warrior + falls prostrate at once. He believes that a bad spirit has taken + possession of him, or that he is the victim of some charm. When suffering + from a protracted disorder, an Indian will often abandon himself to his + supposed destiny, pine away and die, the victim of his own imagination. + The same effect will often follow from a series of calamities, or a long + run of ill success, and the sufferer has been known to ride into the midst + of an enemy’s camp, or attack a grizzly bear single-handed, to get rid of + a life which he supposed to lie under the doom of misfortune. + </p> + <p> + Thus after all his fasting, dreaming, and calling upon the Great Spirit, + the White Shield’s war party was pitifully broken up. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0016" id="link2HCH0016"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XVI + </h2> + <h3> + THE TRAPPERS + </h3> + <p> + In speaking of the Indians, I have almost forgotten two bold adventurers + of another race, the trappers Rouleau and Saraphin. These men were bent on + a most hazardous enterprise. A day’s journey to the westward was the + country over which the Arapahoes are accustomed to range, and for which + the two trappers were on the point of setting out. These Arapahoes, of + whom Shaw and I afterward fell in with a large village, are ferocious + barbarians, of a most brutal and wolfish aspect, and of late they had + declared themselves enemies to the whites, and threatened death to the + first who should venture within their territory. The occasion of the + declaration was as follows: + </p> + <p> + In the previous spring, 1845, Colonel Kearny left Fort Leavenworth with + several companies of dragoons, and marching with extraordinary celerity + reached Fort Laramie, whence he passed along the foot of the mountains to + Bent’s Fort and then, turning eastward again, returned to the point from + whence he set out. While at Fort Larantie, he sent a part of his command + as far westward as Sweetwater, while he himself remained at the fort, and + dispatched messages to the surrounding Indians to meet him there in + council. Then for the first time the tribes of that vicinity saw the white + warriors, and, as might have been expected, they were lost in astonishment + at their regular order, their gay attire, the completeness of their + martial equipment, and the great size and power of their horses. Among the + rest, the Arapahoes came in considerable numbers to the fort. They had + lately committed numerous acts of outrage, and Colonel Kearny threatened + that if they killed any more white men he would turn loose his dragoons + upon them, and annihilate their whole nation. In the evening, to add + effect to his speech, he ordered a howitzer to be fired and a rocket to be + thrown up. Many of the Arapahoes fell prostrate on the ground, while + others ran screaming with amazement and terror. On the following day they + withdrew to their mountains, confounded with awe at the appearance of the + dragoons, at their big gun which went off twice at one shot, and the fiery + messenger which they had sent up to the Great Spirit. For many months they + remained quiet, and did no further mischief. At length, just before we + came into the country, one of them, by an act of the basest treachery, + killed two white men, Boot and May, who were trapping among the mountains. + For this act it was impossible to discover a motive. It seemed to spring + from one of those inexplicable impulses which often actuate Indians and + appear no better than the mere outbreaks of native ferocity. No sooner was + the murder committed than the whole tribe were in extreme consternation. + They expected every day that the avenging dragoons would arrive, little + thinking that a desert of nine hundred miles in extent lay between the + latter and their mountain fastnesses. A large deputation of them came to + Fort Laramie, bringing a valuable present of horses, in compensation for + the lives of the murdered men. These Bordeaux refused to accept. They then + asked him if he would be satisfied with their delivering up the murderer + himself; but he declined this offer also. The Arapahoes went back more + terrified than ever. Weeks passed away, and still no dragoons appeared. A + result followed which all those best acquainted with Indians had + predicted. They conceived that fear had prevented Bordeaux from accepting + their gifts, and that they had nothing to apprehend from the vengeance of + the whites. From terror they rose to the height of insolence and + presumption. They called the white men cowards and old women; and a + friendly Dakota came to Fort Laramie and reported that they were + determined to kill the first of the white dogs whom they could lay hands + on. + </p> + <p> + Had a military officer, intrusted with suitable powers, been stationed at + Fort Laramie, and having accepted the offer of the Arapahoes to deliver up + the murderer, had ordered him to be immediately led out and shot, in + presence of his tribe, they would have been awed into tranquillity, and + much danger and calamity averted; but now the neighborhood of the + Medicine-Bow Mountain and the region beyond it was a scene of extreme + peril. Old Mene-Seela, a true friend of the whites, and many other of the + Indians gathered about the two trappers, and vainly endeavored to turn + them from their purpose; but Rouleau and Saraphin only laughed at the + danger. On the morning preceding that on which they were to leave the + camp, we could all discern faint white columns of smoke rising against the + dark base of the Medicine-Bow. Scouts were out immediately, and reported + that these proceeded from an Arapahoe camp, abandoned only a few hours + before. Still the two trappers continued their preparations for departure. + </p> + <p> + Saraphin was a tall, powerful fellow, with a sullen and sinister + countenance. His rifle had very probably drawn other blood than that of + buffalo or even Indians. Rouleau had a broad ruddy face marked with as few + traces of thought or care as a child’s. His figure was remarkably square + and strong, but the first joints of both his feet were frozen off, and his + horse had lately thrown and trampled upon him, by which he had been + severely injured in the chest. But nothing could check his inveterate + propensity for laughter and gayety. He went all day rolling about the camp + on his stumps of feet, talking and singing and frolicking with the Indian + women, as they were engaged at their work. In fact Rouleau had an unlucky + partiality for squaws. He always had one whom he must needs bedizen with + beads, ribbons, and all the finery of an Indian wardrobe; and though he + was of course obliged to leave her behind him during his expeditions, yet + this hazardous necessity did not at all trouble him, for his disposition + was the very reverse of jealous. If at any time he had not lavished the + whole of the precarious profits of his vocation upon his dark favorite, he + always devoted the rest to feasting his comrades. If liquor was not to be + had—and this was usually the case—strong coffee was + substituted. As the men of that region are by no means remarkable for + providence or self-restraint, whatever was set before them on these + occasions, however extravagant in price, or enormous in quantity, was sure + to be disposed of at one sitting. Like other trappers, Rouleau’s life was + one of contrast and variety. It was only at certain seasons, and for a + limited time, that he was absent on his expeditions. For the rest of the + year he would be lounging about the fort, or encamped with his friends in + its vicinity, lazily hunting or enjoying all the luxury of inaction; but + when once in pursuit of beaver, he was involved in extreme privations and + desperate perils. When in the midst of his game and his enemies, hand and + foot, eye and ear, are incessantly active. Frequently he must content + himself with devouring his evening meal uncooked, lest the light of his + fire should attract the eyes of some wandering Indian; and sometimes + having made his rude repast, he must leave his fire still blazing, and + withdraw to a distance under cover of the darkness, that his disappointed + enemy, drawn thither by the light, may find his victim gone, and be unable + to trace his footsteps in the gloom. This is the life led by scores of men + in the Rocky Mountains and their vicinity. I once met a trapper whose + breast was marked with the scars of six bullets and arrows, one of his + arms broken by a shot and one of his knees shattered; yet still, with the + undaunted mettle of New England, from which part of the country he had + come, he continued to follow his perilous occupation. To some of the + children of cities it may seem strange that men with no object in view + should continue to follow a life of such hardship and desperate adventure; + yet there is a mysterious, restless charm in the basilisk eye of danger, + and few men perhaps remain long in that wild region without learning to + love peril for its own sake, and to laugh carelessly in the face of death. + </p> + <p> + On the last day of our stay in this camp, the trappers were ready for + departure. When in the Black Hills they had caught seven beaver, and they + now left their skins in charge of Reynal, to be kept until their return. + Their strong, gaunt horses were equipped with rusty Spanish bits and rude + Mexican saddles, to which wooden stirrups were attached, while a buffalo + robe was rolled up behind them, and a bundle of beaver traps slung at the + pommel. These, together with their rifles, their knives, their + powder-horns and bullet-pouches, flint and steel and a tincup, composed + their whole traveling equipment. They shook hands with us and rode away; + Saraphin with his grim countenance, like a surly bulldog’s, was in + advance; but Rouleau, clambering gayly into his seat, kicked his horse’s + sides, flourished his whip in the air, and trotted briskly over the + prairie, trolling forth a Canadian song at the top of his lungs. Reynal + looked after them with his face of brutal selfishness. + </p> + <p> + “Well,” he said, “if they are killed, I shall have the beaver. They’ll + fetch me fifty dollars at the fort, anyhow.” + </p> + <p> + This was the last I saw of them. + </p> + <p> + We had been for five days in the hunting camp, and the meat, which all + this time had hung drying in the sun, was now fit for transportation. + Buffalo hides also had been procured in sufficient quantities for making + the next season’s lodges; but it remained to provide the long slender + poles on which they were to be supported. These were only to be had among + the tall pine woods of the Black Hills, and in that direction therefore + our next move was to be made. It is worthy of notice that amid the general + abundance which during this time had prevailed in the camp there were no + instances of individual privation; for although the hide and the tongue of + the buffalo belong by exclusive right to the hunter who has killed it, yet + anyone else is equally entitled to help himself from the rest of the + carcass. Thus, the weak, the aged, and even the indolent come in for a + share of the spoils, and many a helpless old woman, who would otherwise + perish from starvation, is sustained in profuse abundance. + </p> + <p> + On the 25th of July, late in the afternoon, the camp broke up, with the + usual tumult and confusion, and we were all moving once more, on horseback + and on foot, over the plains. We advanced, however, but a few miles. The + old men, who during the whole march had been stoutly striding along on + foot in front of the people, now seated themselves in a circle on the + ground, while all the families, erecting their lodges in the prescribed + order around them, formed the usual great circle of the camp; meanwhile + these village patriarchs sat smoking and talking. I threw my bridle to + Raymond, and sat down as usual along with them. There was none of that + reserve and apparent dignity which an Indian always assumes when in + council, or in the presence of white men whom he distrusts. The party, on + the contrary, was an extremely merry one; and as in a social circle of a + quite different character, “if there was not much wit, there was at least + a great deal of laughter.” + </p> + <p> + When the first pipe was smoked out, I rose and withdrew to the lodge of my + host. Here I was stooping, in the act of taking off my powder-horn and + bullet-pouch, when suddenly, and close at hand, pealing loud and shrill, + and in right good earnest, came the terrific yell of the war-whoop. + Kongra-Tonga’s squaw snatched up her youngest child, and ran out of the + lodge. I followed, and found the whole village in confusion, resounding + with cries and yells. The circle of old men in the center had vanished. + The warriors with glittering eyes came darting, their weapons in their + hands, out of the low opening of the lodges, and running with wild yells + toward the farther end of the village. Advancing a few rods in that + direction, I saw a crowd in furious agitation, while others ran up on + every side to add to the confusion. Just then I distinguished the voices + of Raymond and Reynal, shouting to me from a distance, and looking back, I + saw the latter with his rifle in his hand, standing on the farther bank of + a little stream that ran along the outskirts of the camp. He was calling + to Raymond and myself to come over and join him, and Raymond, with his + usual deliberate gait and stolid countenance, was already moving in that + direction. + </p> + <p> + This was clearly the wisest course, unless we wished to involve ourselves + in the fray; so I turned to go, but just then a pair of eyes, gleaming + like a snake’s, and an aged familiar countenance was thrust from the + opening of a neighboring lodge, and out bolted old Mene-Seela, full of + fight, clutching his bow and arrows in one hand and his knife in the + other. At that instant he tripped and fell sprawling on his face, while + his weapons flew scattering away in every direction. The women with loud + screams were hurrying with their children in their arms to place them out + of danger, and I observed some hastening to prevent mischief, by carrying + away all the weapons they could lay hands on. On a rising ground close to + the camp stood a line of old women singing a medicine song to allay the + tumult. As I approached the side of the brook I heard gun-shots behind me, + and turning back, I saw that the crowd had separated into two lines of + naked warriors confronting each other at a respectful distance, and + yelling and jumping about to dodge the shot of their adversaries, while + they discharged bullets and arrows against each other. At the same time + certain sharp, humming sounds in the air over my head, like the flight of + beetles on a summer evening, warned me that the danger was not wholly + confined to the immediate scene of the fray. So wading through the brook, + I joined Reynal and Raymond, and we sat down on the grass, in the posture + of an armed neutrality, to watch the result. + </p> + <p> + Happily it may be for ourselves, though quite contrary to our expectation, + the disturbance was quelled almost as soon as it had commenced. When I + looked again, the combatants were once more mingled together in a mass. + Though yells sounded, occasionally from the throng, the firing had + entirely ceased, and I observed five or six persons moving busily about, + as if acting the part of peacemakers. One of the village heralds or criers + proclaimed in a loud voice something which my two companions were too much + engrossed in their own observations to translate for me. The crowd began + to disperse, though many a deep-set black eye still glittered with an + unnatural luster, as the warriors slowly withdrew to their lodges. This + fortunate suppression of the disturbance was owing to a few of the old + men, less pugnacious than Mene-Seela, who boldly ran in between the + combatants and aided by some of the “soldiers,” or Indian police, + succeeded in effecting their object. + </p> + <p> + It seemed very strange to me that although many arrows and bullets were + discharged, no one was mortally hurt, and I could only account for this by + the fact that both the marksman and the object of his aim were leaping + about incessantly during the whole time. By far the greater part of the + villagers had joined in the fray, for although there were not more than a + dozen guns in the whole camp, I heard at least eight or ten shots fired. + </p> + <p> + In a quarter of an hour all was comparatively quiet. A large circle of + warriors were again seated in the center of the village, but this time I + did not venture to join them, because I could see that the pipe, contrary + to the usual order, was passing from the left hand to the right around the + circle, a sure sign that a “medicine-smoke” of reconciliation was going + forward, and that a white man would be an unwelcome intruder. When I again + entered the still agitated camp it was nearly dark, and mournful cries, + howls and wailings resounded from many female voices. Whether these had + any connection with the late disturbance, or were merely lamentations for + relatives slain in some former war expeditions, I could not distinctly + ascertain. + </p> + <p> + To inquire too closely into the cause of the quarrel was by no means + prudent, and it was not until some time after that I discovered what had + given rise to it. Among the Dakota there are many associations, or + fraternities, connected with the purposes of their superstitions, their + warfare, or their social life. There was one called “The Arrow-Breakers,” + now in a great measure disbanded and dispersed. In the village there were, + however, four men belonging to it, distinguished by the peculiar + arrangement of their hair, which rose in a high bristling mass above their + foreheads, adding greatly to their apparent height, and giving them a most + ferocious appearance. The principal among them was the Mad Wolf, a warrior + of remarkable size and strength, great courage, and the fierceness of a + demon. I had always looked upon him as the most dangerous man in the + village; and though he often invited me to feasts, I never entered his + lodge unarmed. The Mad Wolf had taken a fancy to a fine horse belonging to + another Indian, who was called the Tall Bear; and anxious to get the + animal into his possession, he made the owner a present of another horse + nearly equal in value. According to the customs of the Dakota, the + acceptance of this gift involved a sort of obligation to make an equitable + return; and the Tall Bear well understood that the other had in view the + obtaining of his favorite buffalo horse. He however accepted the present + without a word of thanks, and having picketed the horse before his lodge, + he suffered day after day to pass without making the expected return. The + Mad Wolf grew impatient and angry; and at last, seeing that his bounty was + not likely to produce the desired return, he resolved to reclaim it. So + this evening, as soon as the village was encamped, he went to the lodge of + the Tall Bear, seized upon the horse that he had given him, and led him + away. At this the Tall Bear broke into one of those fits of sullen rage + not uncommon among the Indians. He ran up to the unfortunate horse, and + gave him three mortals stabs with his knife. Quick as lightning the Mad + Wolf drew his bow to its utmost tension, and held the arrow quivering + close to the breast of his adversary. The Tall Bear, as the Indians who + were near him said, stood with his bloody knife in his hand, facing the + assailant with the utmost calmness. Some of his friends and relatives, + seeing his danger, ran hastily to his assistance. The remaining three + Arrow-Breakers, on the other hand, came to the aid of their associate. + Many of their friends joined them, the war-cry was raised on a sudden, and + the tumult became general. + </p> + <p> + The “soldiers,” who lent their timely aid in putting it down, are by far + the most important executive functionaries in an Indian village. The + office is one of considerable honor, being confided only to men of courage + and repute. They derive their authority from the old men and chief + warriors of the village, who elect them in councils occasionally convened + for the purpose, and thus can exercise a degree of authority which no one + else in the village would dare to assume. While very few Ogallalla chiefs + could venture without instant jeopardy of their lives to strike or lay + hands upon the meanest of their people, the “soldiers” in the discharge of + their appropriate functions, have full license to make use of these and + similar acts of coercion. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0017" id="link2HCH0017"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XVII + </h2> + <h3> + THE BLACK HILLS + </h3> + <p> + We traveled eastward for two days, and then the gloomy ridges of the Black + Hills rose up before us. The village passed along for some miles beneath + their declivities, trailing out to a great length over the arid prairie, + or winding at times among small detached hills or distorted shapes. + Turning sharply to the left, we entered a wide defile of the mountains, + down the bottom of which a brook came winding, lined with tall grass and + dense copses, amid which were hidden many beaver dams and lodges. We + passed along between two lines of high precipices and rocks, piled in + utter disorder one upon another, and with scarcely a tree, a bush, or a + clump of grass to veil their nakedness. The restless Indian boys were + wandering along their edges and clambering up and down their rugged sides, + and sometimes a group of them would stand on the verge of a cliff and look + down on the array as it passed in review beneath them. As we advanced, the + passage grew more narrow; then it suddenly expanded into a round grassy + meadow, completely encompassed by mountains; and here the families stopped + as they came up in turn, and the camp rose like magic. + </p> + <p> + The lodges were hardly erected when, with their usual precipitation, the + Indians set about accomplishing the object that had brought them there; + that is, the obtaining poles for supporting their new lodges. Half the + population, men, women and boys, mounted their horses and set out for the + interior of the mountains. As they rode at full gallop over the shingly + rocks and into the dark opening of the defile beyond, I thought I had + never read or dreamed of a more strange or picturesque cavalcade. We + passed between precipices more than a thousand feet high, sharp and + splintering at the tops, their sides beetling over the defile or + descending in abrupt declivities, bristling with black fir trees. On our + left they rose close to us like a wall, but on the right a winding brook + with a narrow strip of marshy soil intervened. The stream was clogged with + old beaver dams, and spread frequently into wide pools. There were thick + bushes and many dead and blasted trees along its course, though frequently + nothing remained but stumps cut close to the ground by the beaver, and + marked with the sharp chisel-like teeth of those indefatigable laborers. + Sometimes we were driving among trees, and then emerging upon open spots, + over which, Indian-like, all galloped at full speed. As Pauline bounded + over the rocks I felt her saddle-girth slipping, and alighted to draw it + tighter; when the whole array swept past me in a moment, the women with + their gaudy ornaments tinkling as they rode, the men whooping, and + laughing, and lashing forward their horses. Two black-tailed deer bounded + away among the rocks; Raymond shot at them from horseback; the sharp + report of his rifle was answered by another equally sharp from the + opposing cliffs, and then the echoes, leaping in rapid succession from + side to side, died away rattling far amid the mountains. + </p> + <p> + After having ridden in this manner for six or eight miles, the appearance + of the scene began to change, and all the declivities around us were + covered with forests of tall, slender pine trees. The Indians began to + fall off to the right and left, and dispersed with their hatchets and + knives among these woods, to cut the poles which they had come to seek. + Soon I was left almost alone; but in the deep stillness of those lonely + mountains, the stroke of hatchets and the sound of voices might be heard + from far and near. + </p> + <p> + Reynal, who imitated the Indians in their habits as well as the worst + features of their character, had killed buffalo enough to make a lodge for + himself and his squaw, and now he was eager to get the poles necessary to + complete it. He asked me to let Raymond go with him and assist in the + work. I assented, and the two men immediately entered the thickest part of + the wood. Having left my horse in Raymond’s keeping, I began to climb the + mountain. I was weak and weary and made slow progress, often pausing to + rest, but after an hour had elapsed, I gained a height, whence the little + valley out of which I had climbed seemed like a deep, dark gulf, though + the inaccessible peak of the mountain was still towering to a much greater + distance above. Objects familiar from childhood surrounded me; crags and + rocks, a black and sullen brook that gurgled with a hollow voice deep + among the crevices, a wood of mossy distorted trees and prostrate trunks + flung down by age and storms, scattered among the rocks, or damming the + foaming waters of the little brook. The objects were the same, yet they + were thrown into a wilder and more startling scene, for the black crags + and the savage trees assumed a grim and threatening aspect, and close + across the valley the opposing mountain confronted me, rising from the + gulf for thousands of feet, with its bare pinnacles and its ragged + covering of pines. Yet the scene was not without its milder features. As I + ascended, I found frequent little grassy terraces, and there was one of + these close at hand, across which the brook was stealing, beneath the + shade of scattered trees that seemed artificially planted. Here I made a + welcome discovery, no other than a bed of strawberries, with their white + flowers and their red fruit, close nestled among the grass by the side of + the brook, and I sat down by them, hailing them as old acquaintances; for + among those lonely and perilous mountains they awakened delicious + associations of the gardens and peaceful homes of far-distant New England. + </p> + <p> + Yet wild as they were, these mountains were thickly peopled. As I climbed + farther, I found the broad dusty paths made by the elk, as they filed + across the mountainside. The grass on all the terraces was trampled down + by deer; there were numerous tracks of wolves, and in some of the rougher + and more precipitous parts of the ascent, I found foot-prints different + from any that I had ever seen, and which I took to be those of the Rocky + Mountain sheep. I sat down upon a rock; there was a perfect stillness. No + wind was stirring, and not even an insect could be heard. I recollected + the danger of becoming lost in such a place, and therefore I fixed my eye + upon one of the tallest pinnacles of the opposite mountain. It rose sheer + upright from the woods below, and by an extraordinary freak of nature + sustained aloft on its very summit a large loose rock. Such a landmark + could never be mistaken, and feeling once more secure, I began again to + move forward. A white wolf jumped up from among some bushes, and leaped + clumsily away; but he stopped for a moment, and turned back his keen eye + and his grim bristling muzzle. I longed to take his scalp and carry it + back with me, as an appropriate trophy of the Black Hills, but before I + could fire, he was gone among the rocks. Soon I heard a rustling sound, + with a cracking of twigs at a little distance, and saw moving above the + tall bushes the branching antlers of an elk. I was in the midst of a + hunter’s paradise. + </p> + <p> + Such are the Black Hills, as I found them in July; but they wear a + different garb when winter sets in, when the broad boughs of the fir tree + are bent to the ground by the load of snow, and the dark mountains are + whitened with it. At that season the mountain-trappers, returned from + their autumn expeditions, often build their rude cabins in the midst of + these solitudes, and live in abundance and luxury on the game that harbors + there. I have heard them relate, how with their tawny mistresses, and + perhaps a few young Indian companions, they have spent months in total + seclusion. They would dig pitfalls, and set traps for the white wolves, + the sables, and the martens, and though through the whole night the awful + chorus of the wolves would resound from the frozen mountains around them, + yet within their massive walls of logs they would lie in careless ease and + comfort before the blazing fire, and in the morning shoot the elk and the + deer from their very door. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0018" id="link2HCH0018"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XVIII + </h2> + <h3> + A MOUNTAIN HUNT + </h3> + <p> + The camp was full of the newly-cut lodge-poles; some, already prepared, + were stacked together, white and glistening, to dry and harden in the sun; + others were lying on the ground, and the squaws, the boys, and even some + of the warriors were busily at work peeling off the bark and paring them + with their knives to the proper dimensions. Most of the hides obtained at + the last camp were dressed and scraped thin enough for use, and many of + the squaws were engaged in fitting them together and sewing them with + sinews, to form the coverings for the lodges. Men were wandering among the + bushes that lined the brook along the margin of the camp, cutting sticks + of red willow, or shongsasha, the bark of which, mixed with tobacco, they + use for smoking. Reynal’s squaw was hard at work with her awl and buffalo + sinews upon her lodge, while her proprietor, having just finished an + enormous breakfast of meat, was smoking a social pipe along with Raymond + and myself. He proposed at length that we should go out on a hunt. “Go to + the Big Crow’s lodge,” said he, “and get your rifle. I’ll bet the gray + Wyandotte pony against your mare that we start an elk or a black-tailed + deer, or likely as not, a bighorn, before we are two miles out of camp. + I’ll take my squaw’s old yellow horse; you can’t whip her more than four + miles an hour, but she is as good for the mountains as a mule.” + </p> + <p> + I mounted the black mule which Raymond usually rode. She was a very fine + and powerful animal, gentle and manageable enough by nature; but of late + her temper had been soured by misfortune. About a week before I had + chanced to offend some one of the Indians, who out of revenge went + secretly into the meadow and gave her a severe stab in the haunch with his + knife. The wound, though partially healed, still galled her extremely, and + made her even more perverse and obstinate than the rest of her species. + </p> + <p> + The morning was a glorious one, and I was in better health than I had been + at any time for the last two months. Though a strong frame and well + compacted sinews had borne me through hitherto, it was long since I had + been in a condition to feel the exhilaration of the fresh mountain wind + and the gay sunshine that brightened the crags and trees. We left the + little valley and ascended a rocky hollow in the mountain. Very soon we + were out of sight of the camp, and of every living thing, man, beast, + bird, or insect. I had never before, except on foot, passed over such + execrable ground, and I desire never to repeat the experiment. The black + mule grew indignant, and even the redoubtable yellow horse stumbled every + moment, and kept groaning to himself as he cut his feet and legs among the + sharp rocks. + </p> + <p> + It was a scene of silence and desolation. Little was visible except + beetling crags and the bare shingly sides of the mountains, relieved by + scarcely a trace of vegetation. At length, however, we came upon a forest + tract, and had no sooner done so than we heartily wished ourselves back + among the rocks again; for we were on a steep descent, among trees so + thick that we could see scarcely a rod in any direction. + </p> + <p> + If one is anxious to place himself in a situation where the hazardous and + the ludicrous are combined in about equal proportions, let him get upon a + vicious mule, with a snaffle bit, and try to drive her through the woods + down a slope of 45 degrees. Let him have on a long rifle, a buckskin frock + with long fringes, and a head of long hair. These latter appendages will + be caught every moment and twitched away in small portions by the twigs, + which will also whip him smartly across the face, while the large branches + above thump him on the head. His mule, if she be a true one, will + alternately stop short and dive violently forward, and his position upon + her back will be somewhat diversified and extraordinary. At one time he + will clasp her affectionately, to avoid the blow of a bough overhead; at + another, he will throw himself back and fling his knee forward against the + side of her neck, to keep it from being crushed between the rough bark of + a tree and the equally unyielding ribs of the animal herself. Reynal was + cursing incessantly during the whole way down. Neither of us had the + remotest idea where we were going; and though I have seen rough riding, I + shall always retain an evil recollection of that five minutes’ scramble. + </p> + <p> + At last we left our troubles behind us, emerging into the channel of a + brook that circled along the foot of the descent; and here, turning + joyfully to the left, we rode in luxury and ease over the white pebbles + and the rippling water, shaded from the glaring sun by an overarching + green transparency. These halcyon moments were of short duration. The + friendly brook, turning sharply to one side, went brawling and foaming + down the rocky hill into an abyss, which, as far as we could discern, had + no bottom; so once more we betook ourselves to the detested woods. When + next we came forth from their dancing shadow and sunlight, we found + ourselves standing in the broad glare of day, on a high jutting point of + the mountain. Before us stretched a long, wide, desert valley, winding + away far amid the mountains. No civilized eye but mine had ever looked + upon that virgin waste. Reynal was gazing intently; he began to speak at + last: + </p> + <p> + “Many a time, when I was with the Indians, I have been hunting for gold + all through the Black Hills. There’s plenty of it here; you may be certain + of that. I have dreamed about it fifty times, and I never dreamed yet but + what it came true. Look over yonder at those black rocks piled up against + that other big rock. Don’t it look as if there might be something there? + It won’t do for a white man to be rummaging too much about these + mountains; the Indians say they are full of bad spirits; and I believe + myself that it’s no good luck to be hunting about here after gold. Well, + for all that, I would like to have one of these fellows up here, from down + below, to go about with his witch-hazel rod, and I’ll guarantee that it + would not be long before he would light on a gold mine. Never mind; we’ll + let the gold alone for to-day. Look at those trees down below us in the + hollow; we’ll go down there, and I reckon we’ll get a black-tailed deer.” + </p> + <p> + But Reynal’s predictions were not verified. We passed mountain after + mountain, and valley after valley; we explored deep ravines; yet still to + my companion’s vexation and evident surprise, no game could be found. So, + in the absence of better, we resolved to go out on the plains and look for + an antelope. With this view we began to pass down a narrow valley, the + bottom of which was covered with the stiff wild-sage bushes and marked + with deep paths, made by the buffalo, who, for some inexplicable reason, + are accustomed to penetrate, in their long grave processions, deep among + the gorges of these sterile mountains. + </p> + <p> + Reynal’s eye was ranging incessantly among the rocks and along the edges + of the black precipices, in hopes of discovering the mountain sheep + peering down upon us in fancied security from that giddy elevation. + Nothing was visible for some time. At length we both detected something in + motion near the foot of one of the mountains, and in a moment afterward a + black-tailed deer, with his spreading antlers, stood gazing at us from the + top of a rock, and then, slowly turning away, disappeared behind it. In an + instant Reynal was out of his saddle, and running toward the spot. I, + being too weak to follow, sat holding his horse and waiting the result. I + lost sight of him, then heard the report of his rifle, deadened among the + rocks, and finally saw him reappear, with a surly look that plainly + betrayed his ill success. Again we moved forward down the long valley, + when soon after we came full upon what seemed a wide and very shallow + ditch, incrusted at the bottom with white clay, dried and cracked in the + sun. Under this fair outside, Reynal’s eye detected the signs of lurking + mischief. He called me to stop, and then alighting, picked up a stone and + threw it into the ditch. To my utter amazement it fell with a dull splash, + breaking at once through the thin crust, and spattering round the hole a + yellowish creamy fluid, into which it sank and disappeared. A stick, five + or six feet long lay on the ground, and with this we sounded the insidious + abyss close to its edge. It was just possible to touch the bottom. Places + like this are numerous among the Rocky Mountains. The buffalo, in his + blind and heedless walk, often plunges into them unawares. Down he sinks; + one snort of terror, one convulsive struggle, and the slime calmly flows + above his shaggy head, the languid undulations of its sleek and placid + surface alone betraying how the powerful monster writhes in his + death-throes below. + </p> + <p> + We found after some trouble a point where we could pass the abyss, and now + the valley began to open upon the plains which spread to the horizon + before us. On one of their distant swells we discerned three or four black + specks, which Reynal pronounced to be buffalo. + </p> + <p> + “Come,” said he, “we must get one of them. My squaw wants more sinews to + finish her lodge with, and I want some glue myself.” + </p> + <p> + He immediately put the yellow horse at such a gallop as he was capable of + executing, while I set spurs to the mule, who soon far outran her plebeian + rival. When we had galloped a mile or more, a large rabbit, by ill luck, + sprang up just under the feet of the mule, who bounded violently aside in + full career. Weakened as I was, I was flung forcibly to the ground, and my + rifle, falling close to my head, went off with a shock. Its sharp spiteful + report rang for some moments in my ear. Being slightly stunned, I lay for + an instant motionless, and Reynal, supposing me to be shot, rode up and + began to curse the mule. Soon recovering myself, I rose, picked up the + rifle and anxiously examined it. It was badly injured. The stock was + cracked, and the main screw broken, so that the lock had to be tied in its + place with a string; yet happily it was not rendered totally + unserviceable. I wiped it out, reloaded it, and handing it to Reynal, who + meanwhile had caught the mule and led her up to me, I mounted again. No + sooner had I done so, than the brute began to rear and plunge with extreme + violence; but being now well prepared for her, and free from incumbrance, + I soon reduced her to submission. Then taking the rifle again from Reynal, + we galloped forward as before. + </p> + <p> + We were now free of the mountain and riding far out on the broad prairie. + The buffalo were still some two miles in advance of us. When we came near + them, we stopped where a gentle swell of the plain concealed us from their + view, and while I held his horse Reynal ran forward with his rifle, till I + lost sight of him beyond the rising ground. A few minutes elapsed; I heard + the report of his piece, and saw the buffalo running away at full speed on + the right, and immediately after, the hunter himself unsuccessful as + before, came up and mounted his horse in excessive ill-humor. He cursed + the Black Hills and the buffalo, swore that he was a good hunter, which + indeed was true, and that he had never been out before among those + mountains without killing two or three deer at least. + </p> + <p> + We now turned toward the distant encampment. As we rode along, antelope in + considerable numbers were flying lightly in all directions over the plain, + but not one of them would stand and be shot at. When we reached the foot + of the mountain ridge that lay between us and the village, we were too + impatient to take the smooth and circuitous route; so turning short to the + left, we drove our wearied animals directly upward among the rocks. Still + more antelope were leaping about among these flinty hillsides. Each of us + shot at one, though from a great distance, and each missed his mark. At + length we reached the summit of the last ridge. Looking down, we saw the + bustling camp in the valley at our feet, and ingloriously descended to it. + As we rode among the lodges, the Indians looked in vain for the fresh meat + that should have hung behind our saddles, and the squaws uttered various + suppressed ejaculations, to the great indignation of Reynal. Our + mortification was increased when we rode up to his lodge. Here we saw his + young Indian relative, the Hail-Storm, his light graceful figure on the + ground in an easy attitude, while with his friend the Rabbit, who sat by + his side, he was making an abundant meal from a wooden bowl of wasna, + which the squaw had placed between them. Near him lay the fresh skin of a + female elk, which he had just killed among the mountains, only a mile or + two from the camp. No doubt the boy’s heart was elated with triumph, but + he betrayed no sign of it. He even seemed totally unconscious of our + approach, and his handsome face had all the tranquillity of Indian + self-control; a self-control which prevents the exhibition of emotion, + without restraining the emotion itself. It was about two months since I + had known the Hail-Storm, and within that time his character had + remarkably developed. When I first saw him, he was just emerging from the + habits and feelings of the boy into the ambition of the hunter and + warrior. He had lately killed his first deer, and this had excited his + aspirations after distinction. Since that time he had been continually in + search of game, and no young hunter in the village had been so active or + so fortunate as he. It will perhaps be remembered how fearlessly he + attacked the buffalo bull, as we were moving toward our camp at the + Medicine-Bow Mountain. All this success had produced a marked change in + his character. As I first remembered him he always shunned the society of + the young squaws, and was extremely bashful and sheepish in their + presence; but now, in the confidence of his own reputation, he began to + assume the airs and the arts of a man of gallantry. He wore his red + blanket dashingly over his left shoulder, painted his cheeks every day + with vermilion, and hung pendants of shells in his ears. If I observed + aright, he met with very good success in his new pursuits; still the + Hail-Storm had much to accomplish before he attained the full standing of + a warrior. Gallantly as he began to bear himself among the women and + girls, he still was timid and abashed in the presence of the chiefs and + old men; for he had never yet killed a man, or stricken the dead body of + an enemy in battle. I have no doubt that the handsome smooth-faced boy + burned with keen desire to flash his maiden scalping-knife, and I would + not have encamped alone with him without watching his movements with a + distrustful eye. + </p> + <p> + His elder brother, the Horse, was of a different character. He was nothing + but a lazy dandy. He knew very well how to hunt, but preferred to live by + the hunting of others. He had no appetite for distinction, and the + Hail-Storm, though a few years younger than he, already surpassed him in + reputation. He had a dark and ugly face, and he passed a great part of his + time in adorning it with vermilion, and contemplating it by means of a + little pocket looking-glass which I gave him. As for the rest of the day, + he divided it between eating and sleeping, and sitting in the sun on the + outside of a lodge. Here he would remain for hour after hour, arrayed in + all his finery, with an old dragoon’s sword in his hand, and evidently + flattering himself that he was the center of attraction to the eyes of the + surrounding squaws. Yet he sat looking straight forward with a face of the + utmost gravity, as if wrapped in profound meditation, and it was only by + the occasional sidelong glances which he shot at his supposed admirers + that one could detect the true course of his thoughts. + </p> + <p> + Both he and his brother may represent a class in the Indian community; + neither should the Hail-Storm’s friend, the Rabbit, be passed by without + notice. The Hail-Storm and he were inseparable; they ate, slept, and + hunted together, and shared with one another almost all that they + possessed. If there be anything that deserves to be called romantic in the + Indian character, it is to be sought for in friendships such as this, + which are quite common among many of the prairie tribes. + </p> + <p> + Slowly, hour after hour, that weary afternoon dragged away. I lay in + Reynal’s lodge, overcome by the listless torpor that pervaded the whole + encampment. The day’s work was finished, or if it were not, the + inhabitants had resolved not to finish it at all, and all were dozing + quietly within the shelter of the lodges. A profound lethargy, the very + spirit of indolence, seemed to have sunk upon the village. Now and then I + could hear the low laughter of some girl from within a neighboring lodge, + or the small shrill voices of a few restless children, who alone were + moving in the deserted area. The spirit of the place infected me; I could + not even think consecutively; I was fit only for musing and reverie, when + at last, like the rest, I fell asleep. + </p> + <p> + When evening came and the fires were lighted round the lodges, a select + family circle convened in the neighborhood of Reynal’s domicile. It was + composed entirely of his squaw’s relatives, a mean and ignoble clan, among + whom none but the Hail-Storm held forth any promise of future distinction. + Even his protests were rendered not a little dubious by the character of + the family, less however from any principle of aristocratic distinction + than from the want of powerful supporters to assist him in his + undertakings, and help to avenge his quarrels. Raymond and I sat down + along with them. There were eight or ten men gathered around the fire, + together with about as many women, old and young, some of whom were + tolerably good-looking. As the pipe passed round among the men, a lively + conversation went forward, more merry than delicate, and at length two or + three of the elder women (for the girls were somewhat diffident and + bashful) began to assail Raymond with various pungent witticisms. Some of + the men took part and an old squaw concluded by bestowing on him a + ludicrous nick name, at which a general laugh followed at his expense. + Raymond grinned and giggled, and made several futile attempts at repartee. + Knowing the impolicy and even danger of suffering myself to be placed in a + ludicrous light among the Indians, I maintained a rigid inflexible + countenance, and wholly escaped their sallies. + </p> + <p> + In the morning I found, to my great disgust, that the camp was to retain + its position for another day. I dreaded its languor and monotony, and to + escape it, I set out to explore the surrounding mountains. I was + accompanied by a faithful friend, my rifle, the only friend indeed on + whose prompt assistance in time of trouble I could implicitly rely. Most + of the Indians in the village, it is true, professed good-will toward the + whites, but the experience of others and my own observation had taught me + the extreme folly of confidence, and the utter impossibility of foreseeing + to what sudden acts the strange unbridled impulses of an Indian may urge + him. When among this people danger is never so near as when you are + unprepared for it, never so remote as when you are armed and on the alert + to meet it any moment. Nothing offers so strong a temptation to their + ferocious instincts as the appearance of timidity, weakness, or security. + </p> + <p> + Many deep and gloomy gorges, choked with trees and bushes, opened from the + sides of the hills, which were shaggy with forests wherever the rocks + permitted vegetation to spring. A great number of Indians were stalking + along the edges of the woods, and boys were whooping and laughing on the + mountain-sides, practicing eye and hand, and indulging their destructive + propensities by following birds and small animals and killing them with + their little bows and arrows. There was one glen, stretching up between + steep cliffs far into the bosom of the mountain. I began to ascend along + its bottom, pushing my way onward among the rocks, trees, and bushes that + obstructed it. A slender thread of water trickled along its center, which + since issuing from the heart of its native rock could scarcely have been + warmed or gladdened by a ray of sunshine. After advancing for some time, I + conceived myself to be entirely alone; but coming to a part of the glen in + a great measure free of trees and undergrowth, I saw at some distance the + black head and red shoulders of an Indian among the bushes above. The + reader need not prepare himself for a startling adventure, for I have none + to relate. The head and shoulders belonged to Mene-Seela, my best friend + in the village. As I had approached noiselessly with my moccasined feet, + the old man was quite unconscious of my presence; and turning to a point + where I could gain an unobstructed view of him, I saw him seated alone, + immovable as a statue, among the rocks and trees. His face was turned + upward, and his eyes seemed riveted on a pine tree springing from a cleft + in the precipice above. The crest of the pine was swaying to and fro in + the wind, and its long limbs waved slowly up and down, as if the tree had + life. Looking for a while at the old man, I was satisfied that he was + engaged in an act of worship or prayer, or communion of some kind with a + supernatural being. I longed to penetrate his thoughts, but I could do + nothing more than conjecture and speculate. I knew that though the + intellect of an Indian can embrace the idea of an all-wise, all-powerful + Spirit, the supreme Ruler of the universe, yet his mind will not always + ascend into communion with a being that seems to him so vast, remote, and + incomprehensible; and when danger threatens, when his hopes are broken, + when the black wing of sorrow overshadows him, he is prone to turn for + relief to some inferior agency, less removed from the ordinary scope of + his faculties. He has a guardian spirit, on whom he relies for succor and + guidance. To him all nature is instinct with mystic influence. Among those + mountains not a wild beast was prowling, a bird singing, or a leaf + fluttering, that might not tend to direct his destiny or give warning of + what was in store for him; and he watches the world of nature around him + as the astrologer watches the stars. So closely is he linked with it that + his guardian spirit, no unsubstantial creation of the fancy, is usually + embodied in the form of some living thing—a bear, a wolf, an eagle, + or a serpent; and Mene-Seela, as he gazed intently on the old pine tree, + might believe it to inshrine the fancied guide and protector of his life. + </p> + <p> + Whatever was passing in the mind of the old man, it was no part of sense + or of delicacy to disturb him. Silently retracing my footsteps, I + descended the glen until I came to a point where I could climb the steep + precipices that shut it in, and gain the side of the mountain. Looking up, + I saw a tall peak rising among the woods. Something impelled me to climb; + I had not felt for many a day such strength and elasticity of limb. An + hour and a half of slow and often intermittent labor brought me to the + very summit; and emerging from the dark shadows of the rocks and pines, I + stepped forth into the light, and walking along the sunny verge of a + precipice, seated myself on its extreme point. Looking between the + mountain peaks to the westward, the pale blue prairie was stretching to + the farthest horizon like a serene and tranquil ocean. The surrounding + mountains were in themselves sufficiently striking and impressive, but + this contrast gave redoubled effect to their stern features. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0019" id="link2HCH0019"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XIX + </h2> + <h3> + PASSAGE OF THE MOUNTAINS + </h3> + <p> + When I took leave of Shaw at La Bonte’s Camp, I promised that I would meet + him at Fort Laramie on the 1st of August. That day, according to my + reckoning, was now close at hand. It was impossible, at best, to fulfill + my engagement exactly, and my meeting with him must have been postponed + until many days after the appointed time, had not the plans of the Indians + very well coincided with my own. They too, intended to pass the mountains + and move toward the fort. To do so at this point was impossible, because + there was no opening; and in order to find a passage we were obliged to go + twelve or fourteen miles southward. Late in the afternoon the camp got in + motion, defiling back through the mountains along the same narrow passage + by which they had entered. I rode in company with three or four young + Indians at the rear, and the moving swarm stretched before me, in the + ruddy light of sunset, or in the deep shadow of the mountains far beyond + my sight. It was an ill-omened spot they chose to encamp upon. When they + were there just a year before, a war party of ten men, led by The + Whirlwind’s son, had gone out against the enemy, and not one had ever + returned. This was the immediate cause of this season’s warlike + preparations. I was not a little astonished when I came to the camp, at + the confusion of horrible sounds with which it was filled; howls, shrieks, + and wailings were heard from all the women present, many of whom not + content with this exhibition of grief for the loss of their friends and + relatives, were gashing their legs deeply with knives. A warrior in the + village, who had lost a brother in the expedition; chose another mode of + displaying his sorrow. The Indians, who, though often rapacious, are + utterly devoid of avarice, are accustomed in times of mourning, or on + other solemn occasions, to give away the whole of their possessions, and + reduce themselves to nakedness and want. The warrior in question led his + two best horses into the center of the village, and gave them away to his + friends; upon which songs and acclamations in praise of his generosity + mingled with the cries of the women. + </p> + <p> + On the next morning we entered once more among the mountains. There was + nothing in their appearance either grand or picturesque, though they were + desolate to the last degree, being mere piles of black and broken rocks, + without trees or vegetation of any kind. As we passed among them along a + wide valley, I noticed Raymond riding by the side of a younger squaw, to + whom he was addressing various insinuating compliments. All the old squaws + in the neighborhood watched his proceedings in great admiration, and the + girl herself would turn aside her head and laugh. Just then the old mule + thought proper to display her vicious pranks; she began to rear and plunge + most furiously. Raymond was an excellent rider, and at first he stuck fast + in his seat; but the moment after, I saw the mule’s hind-legs flourishing + in the air, and my unlucky follower pitching head foremost over her ears. + There was a burst of screams and laughter from all the women, in which his + mistress herself took part, and Raymond was instantly assailed by such a + shower of witticisms, that he was glad to ride forward out of hearing. + </p> + <p> + Not long after, as I rode near him, I heard him shouting to me. He was + pointing toward a detached rocky hill that stood in the middle of the + valley before us, and from behind it a long file of elk came out at full + speed and entered an opening in the side of the mountain. They had + scarcely disappeared when whoops and exclamations came from fifty voices + around me. The young men leaped from their horses, flung down their heavy + buffalo robes, and ran at full speed toward the foot of the nearest + mountain. Reynal also broke away at a gallop in the same direction, “Come + on! come on!” he called to us. “Do you see that band of bighorn up yonder? + If there’s one of them, there’s a hundred!” + </p> + <p> + In fact, near the summit of the mountain, I could see a large number of + small white objects, moving rapidly upward among the precipices, while + others were filing along its rocky profile. Anxious to see the sport, I + galloped forward, and entering a passage in the side of the mountain, + ascended the loose rocks as far as my horse could carry me. Here I + fastened her to an old pine tree that stood alone, scorching in the sun. + At that moment Raymond called to me from the right that another band of + sheep was close at hand in that direction. I ran up to the top of the + opening, which gave me a full view into the rocky gorge beyond; and here I + plainly saw some fifty or sixty sheep, almost within rifle-shot, + clattering upward among the rocks, and endeavoring, after their usual + custom, to reach the highest point. The naked Indians bounded up lightly + in pursuit. In a moment the game and hunters disappeared. Nothing could be + seen or heard but the occasional report of a gun, more and more distant, + reverberating among the rocks. + </p> + <p> + I turned to descend, and as I did so I could see the valley below alive + with Indians passing rapidly through it, on horseback and on foot. A + little farther on, all were stopping as they came up; the camp was + preparing, and the lodges rising. I descended to this spot, and soon after + Reynal and Raymond returned. They bore between them a sheep which they had + pelted to death with stones from the edge of a ravine, along the bottom of + which it was attempting to escape. One by one the hunters came dropping + in; yet such is the activity of the Rocky Mountain sheep that, although + sixty or seventy men were out in pursuit, not more than half a dozen + animals were killed. Of these only one was a full-grown male. He had a + pair of horns twisted like a ram’s, the dimensions of which were almost + beyond belief. I have seen among the Indians ladles with long handles, + capable of containing more than a quart, cut from such horns. + </p> + <p> + There is something peculiarly interesting in the character and habits of + the mountain sheep, whose chosen retreats are above the region of + vegetation and storms, and who leap among the giddy precipices of their + aerial home as actively as the antelope skims over the prairies below. + </p> + <p> + Through the whole of the next morning we were moving forward, among the + hills. On the following day the heights gathered around us, and the + passage of the mountains began in earnest. Before the village left its + camping ground, I set forward in company with the Eagle-Feather, a man of + powerful frame, but of bad and sinister face. His son, a light-limbed boy, + rode with us, and another Indian, named the Panther, was also of the + party. Leaving the village out of sight behind us, we rode together up a + rocky defile. After a while, however, the Eagle-Feather discovered in the + distance some appearance of game, and set off with his son in pursuit of + it, while I went forward with the Panther. This was a mere NOM DE GUERRE; + for, like many Indians, he concealed his real name out of some + superstitious notion. He was a very noble looking fellow. As he suffered + his ornamented buffalo robe to fall into folds about his loins, his + stately and graceful figure was fully displayed; and while he sat his + horse in an easy attitude, the long feathers of the prairie cock + fluttering from the crown of his head, he seemed the very model of a wild + prairie-rider. He had not the same features as those of other Indians. + Unless his handsome face greatly belied him, he was free from the + jealousy, suspicion, and malignant cunning of his people. For the most + part, a civilized white man can discover but very few points of sympathy + between his own nature and that of an Indian. With every disposition to do + justice to their good qualities, he must be conscious that an impassable + gulf lies between him and his red brethren of the prairie. Nay, so alien + to himself do they appear that, having breathed for a few months or a few + weeks the air of this region, he begins to look upon them as a troublesome + and dangerous species of wild beast, and, if expedient, he could shoot + them with as little compunction as they themselves would experience after + performing the same office upon him. Yet, in the countenance of the + Panther, I gladly read that there were at least some points of sympathy + between him and me. We were excellent friends, and as we rode forward + together through rocky passages, deep dells, and little barren plains, he + occupied himself very zealously in teaching me the Dakota language. After + a while, we came to a little grassy recess, where some gooseberry bushes + were growing at the foot of a rock; and these offered such temptation to + my companion, that he gave over his instruction, and stopped so long to + gather the fruit that before we were in motion again the van of the + village came in view. An old woman appeared, leading down her pack horse + among the rocks above. Savage after savage followed, and the little dell + was soon crowded with the throng. + </p> + <p> + That morning’s march was one not easily to be forgotten. It led us through + a sublime waste, a wilderness of mountains and pine forests, over which + the spirit of loneliness and silence seemed brooding. Above and below + little could be seen but the same dark green foliage. It overspread the + valleys, and the mountains were clothed with it from the black rocks that + crowned their summits to the impetuous streams that circled round their + base. Scenery like this, it might seem, could have no very cheering effect + on the mind of a sick man (for to-day my disease had again assailed me) in + the midst of a horde of savages; but if the reader has ever wandered, with + a true hunter’s spirit, among the forests of Maine, or the more + picturesque solitudes of the Adirondack Mountains, he will understand how + the somber woods and mountains around me might have awakened any other + feelings than those of gloom. In truth they recalled gladdening + recollections of similar scenes in a distant and far different land. After + we had been advancing for several hours through passages always narrow, + often obstructed and difficult, I saw at a little distance on our right a + narrow opening between two high wooded precipices. All within seemed + darkness and mystery. In the mood in which I found myself something + strongly impelled me to enter. Passing over the intervening space I guided + my horse through the rocky portal, and as I did so instinctively drew the + covering from my rifle, half expecting that some unknown evil lay in + ambush within those dreary recesses. The place was shut in among tall + cliffs, and so deeply shadowed by a host of old pine trees that, though + the sun shone bright on the side of the mountain, nothing but a dim + twilight could penetrate within. As far as I could see it had no tenants + except a few hawks and owls, who, dismayed at my intrusion, flapped + hoarsely away among the shaggy branches. I moved forward, determined to + explore the mystery to the bottom, and soon became involved among the + pines. The genius of the place exercised a strange influence upon my mind. + Its faculties were stimulated into extraordinary activity, and as I passed + along many half-forgotten incidents, and the images of persons and things + far distant, rose rapidly before me with surprising distinctness. In that + perilous wilderness, eight hundred miles removed beyond the faintest + vestige of civilization, the scenes of another hemisphere, the seat of + ancient refinement, passed before me more like a succession of vivid + paintings than any mere dreams of the fancy. I saw the church of St. + Peter’s illumined on the evening of Easter Day, the whole majestic pile, + from the cross to the foundation stone, penciled in fire and shedding a + radiance, like the serene light of the moon, on the sea of upturned faces + below. I saw the peak of Mount Etna towering above its inky mantle of + clouds and lightly curling its wreaths of milk-white smoke against the + soft sky flushed with the Sicilian sunset. I saw also the gloomy vaulted + passages and the narrow cells of the Passionist convent where I once had + sojourned for a few days with the fanatical monks, its pale, stern inmates + in their robes of black, and the grated window from whence I could look + out, a forbidden indulgence, upon the melancholy Coliseum and the + crumbling ruins of the Eternal City. The mighty glaciers of the Splugen + too rose before me, gleaming in the sun like polished silver, and those + terrible solitudes, the birthplace of the Rhine, where bursting from the + bowels of its native mountains, it lashes and foams down the rocky abyss + into the little valley of Andeer. These recollections, and many more, + crowded upon me, until remembering that it was hardly wise to remain long + in such a place, I mounted again and retraced my steps. Issuing from + between the rocks I saw a few rods before me the men, women, and children, + dogs and horses, still filing slowly across the little glen. A bare round + hill rose directly above them. I rode to the top, and from this point I + could look down on the savage procession as it passed just beneath my + feet, and far on the left I could see its thin and broken line, visible + only at intervals, stretching away for miles among the mountains. On the + farthest ridge horsemen were still descending like mere specks in the + distance. + </p> + <p> + I remained on the hill until all had passed, and then, descending, + followed after them. A little farther on I found a very small meadow, set + deeply among steep mountains; and here the whole village had encamped. The + little spot was crowded with the confused and disorderly host. Some of the + lodges were already completely prepared, or the squaws perhaps were busy + in drawing the heavy coverings of skin over the bare poles. Others were as + yet mere skeletons, while others still—poles, covering, and all—lay + scattered in complete disorder on the ground among buffalo robes, bales of + meat, domestic utensils, harness, and weapons. Squaws were screaming to + one another, horses rearing and plunging dogs yelping, eager to be + disburdened of their loads, while the fluttering of feathers and the gleam + of barbaric ornaments added liveliness to the scene. The small children + ran about amid the crowd, while many of the boys were scrambling among the + overhanging rocks, and standing, with their little bows in their hands, + looking down upon a restless throng. In contrast with the general + confusion, a circle of old men and warriors sat in the midst, smoking in + profound indifference and tranquillity. The disorder at length subsided. + The horses were driven away to feed along the adjacent valley, and the + camp assumed an air of listless repose. It was scarcely past noon; a vast + white canopy of smoke from a burning forest to the eastward overhung the + place, and partially obscured the sun; yet the heat was almost + insupportable. The lodges stood crowded together without order in the + narrow space. Each was a perfect hothouse, within which the lazy + proprietor lay sleeping. The camp was silent as death. Nothing stirred + except now and then an old woman passing from lodge to lodge. The girls + and young men sat together in groups under the pine trees upon the + surrounding heights. The dogs lay panting on the ground, too lazy even to + growl at the white man. At the entrance of the meadow there was a cold + spring among the rocks, completely overshadowed by tall trees and dense + undergrowth. In this cold and shady retreat a number of girls were + assembled, sitting together on rocks and fallen logs, discussing the + latest gossip of the village, or laughing and throwing water with their + hands at the intruding Meneaska. The minutes seemed lengthened into hours. + I lay for a long time under a tree, studying the Ogallalla tongue, with + the zealous instructions of my friend the Panther. When we were both tired + of this I went and lay down by the side of a deep, clear pool formed by + the water of the spring. A shoal of little fishes of about a pin’s length + were playing in it, sporting together, as it seemed, very amicably; but on + closer observation, I saw that they were engaged in a cannibal warfare + among themselves. Now and then a small one would fall a victim, and + immediately disappear down the maw of his voracious conqueror. Every + moment, however, the tyrant of the pool, a monster about three inches + long, with staring goggle eyes, would slowly issue forth with quivering + fins and tail from under the shelving bank. The small fry at this would + suspend their hostilities, and scatter in a panic at the appearance of + overwhelming force. + </p> + <p> + “Soft-hearted philanthropists,” thought I, “may sigh long for their + peaceful millennium; for from minnows up to men, life is an incessant + battle.” + </p> + <p> + Evening approached at last, the tall mountain-tops around were still gay + and bright in sunshine, while our deep glen was completely shadowed. I + left the camp and ascended a neighboring hill, whose rocky summit + commanded a wide view over the surrounding wilderness. The sun was still + glaring through the stiff pines on the ridge of the western mountain. In a + moment he was gone, and as the landscape rapidly darkened, I turned again + toward the village. As I descended the hill, the howling of wolves and the + barking of foxes came up out of the dim woods from far and near. The camp + was glowing with a multitude of fires, and alive with dusky naked figures, + whose tall shadows flitted among the surroundings crags. + </p> + <p> + I found a circle of smokers seated in their usual place; that is, on the + ground before the lodge of a certain warrior, who seemed to be generally + known for his social qualities. I sat down to smoke a parting pipe with my + savage friends. That day was the 1st of August, on which I had promised to + meet Shaw at Fort Laramie. The Fort was less than two days’ journey + distant, and that my friend need not suffer anxiety on my account, I + resolved to push forward as rapidly as possible to the place of meeting. I + went to look after the Hail-Storm, and having found him, I offered him a + handful of hawks’-bells and a paper of vermilion, on condition that he + would guide me in the morning through the mountains within sight of + Laramie Creek. + </p> + <p> + The Hail-Storm ejaculated “How!” and accepted the gift. Nothing more was + said on either side; the matter was settled, and I lay down to sleep in + Kongra-Tonga’s lodge. + </p> + <p> + Long before daylight Raymond shook me by the shoulder. + </p> + <p> + “Everything is ready,” he said. + </p> + <p> + I went out. The morning was chill, damp, and dark; and the whole camp + seemed asleep. The Hail-Storm sat on horseback before the lodge, and my + mare Pauline and the mule which Raymond rode were picketed near it. We + saddled and made our other arrangements for the journey, but before these + were completed the camp began to stir, and the lodge-coverings fluttered + and rustled as the squaws pulled them down in preparation for departure. + Just as the light began to appear we left the ground, passing up through a + narrow opening among the rocks which led eastward out of the meadow. + Gaining the top of this passage, I turned round and sat looking back upon + the camp, dimly visible in the gray light of the morning. All was alive + with the bustle of preparation. I turned away, half unwilling to take a + final leave of my savage associates. We turned to the right, passing among + the rocks and pine trees so dark that for a while we could scarcely see + our way. The country in front was wild and broken, half hill, half plain, + partly open and partly covered with woods of pine and oak. Barriers of + lofty mountains encompassed it; the woods were fresh and cool in the early + morning; the peaks of the mountains were wreathed with mist, and sluggish + vapors were entangled among the forests upon their sides. At length the + black pinnacle of the tallest mountain was tipped with gold by the rising + sun. About that time the Hail-Storm, who rode in front gave a low + exclamation. Some large animal leaped up from among the bushes, and an + elk, as I thought, his horns thrown back over his neck, darted past us + across the open space, and bounded like a mad thing away among the + adjoining pines. Raymond was soon out of his saddle, but before he could + fire, the animal was full two hundred yards distant. The ball struck its + mark, though much too low for mortal effect. The elk, however, wheeled in + its flight, and ran at full speed among the trees, nearly at right angles + to his former course. I fired and broke his shoulder; still he moved on, + limping down into the neighboring woody hollow, whither the young Indian + followed and killed him. When we reached the spot we discovered him to be + no elk, but a black-tailed deer, an animal nearly twice the size of the + common deer, and quite unknown to the East. We began to cut him up; the + reports of the rifles had reached the ears of the Indians, and before our + task was finished several of them came to the spot. Leaving the hide of + the deer to the Hail-Storm, we hung as much of the meat as we wanted + behind our saddles, left the rest to the Indians, and resumed our journey. + Meanwhile the village was on its way, and had gone so far that to get in + advance of it was impossible. Therefore we directed our course so as to + strike its line of march at the nearest point. In a short time, through + the dark trunks of the pines, we could see the figures of the Indians as + they passed. Once more we were among them. They were moving with even more + than their usual precipitation, crowded close together in a narrow pass + between rocks and old pine trees. We were on the eastern descent of the + mountain, and soon came to a rough and difficult defile, leading down a + very steep declivity. The whole swarm poured down together, filling the + rocky passageway like some turbulent mountain stream. The mountains before + us were on fire, and had been so for weeks. The view in front was obscured + by a vast dim sea of smoke and vapor, while on either hand the tall + cliffs, bearing aloft their crest of pines, thrust their heads boldly + through it, and the sharp pinnacles and broken ridges of the mountains + beyond them were faintly traceable as through a veil. The scene in itself + was most grand and imposing, but with the savage multitude, the armed + warriors, the naked children, the gayly appareled girls, pouring + impetuously down the heights, it would have formed a noble subject for a + painter, and only the pen of a Scott could have done it justice in + description. + </p> + <p> + We passed over a burnt tract where the ground was hot beneath the horses’ + feet, and between the blazing sides of two mountains. Before long we had + descended to a softer region, where we found a succession of little + valleys watered by a stream, along the borders of which grew abundance of + wild gooseberries and currants, and the children and many of the men + straggled from the line of march to gather them as we passed along. + Descending still farther, the view changed rapidly. The burning mountains + were behind us, and through the open valleys in front we could see the + ocean-like prairie, stretching beyond the sight. After passing through a + line of trees that skirted the brook, the Indians filed out upon the + plains. I was thirsty and knelt down by the little stream to drink. As I + mounted again I very carelessly left my rifle among the grass, and my + thoughts being otherwise absorbed, I rode for some distance before + discovering its absence. As the reader may conceive, I lost no time in + turning about and galloping back in search of it. Passing the line of + Indians, I watched every warrior as he rode by me at a canter, and at + length discovered my rifle in the hands of one of them, who, on my + approaching to claim it, immediately gave it up. Having no other means of + acknowledging the obligation, I took off one of my spurs and gave it to + him. He was greatly delighted, looking upon it as a distinguished mark of + favor, and immediately held out his foot for me to buckle it on. As soon + as I had done so, he struck it with force into the side of his horse, who + gave a violent leap. The Indian laughed and spurred harder than before. At + this the horse shot away like an arrow, amid the screams and laughter of + the squaws, and the ejaculations of the men, who exclaimed: “Washtay!—Good!” + at the potent effect of my gift. The Indian had no saddle, and nothing in + place of a bridle except a leather string tied round the horse’s jaw. The + animal was of course wholly uncontrollable, and stretched away at full + speed over the prairie, till he and his rider vanished behind a distant + swell. I never saw the man again, but I presume no harm came to him. An + Indian on horseback has more lives than a cat. + </p> + <p> + The village encamped on a scorching prairie, close to the foot of the + mountains. The beat was most intense and penetrating. The coverings of the + lodges were raised a foot or more from the ground, in order to procure + some circulation of air; and Reynal thought proper to lay aside his + trapper’s dress of buckskin and assume the very scanty costume of an + Indian. Thus elegantly attired, he stretched himself in his lodge on a + buffalo robe, alternately cursing the heat and puffing at the pipe which + he and I passed between us. There was present also a select circle of + Indian friends and relatives. A small boiled puppy was served up as a + parting feast, to which was added, by way of dessert, a wooden bowl of + gooseberries, from the mountains. + </p> + <p> + “Look there,” said Reynal, pointing out of the opening of his lodge; “do + you see that line of buttes about fifteen miles off? Well, now, do you see + that farthest one, with the white speck on the face of it? Do you think + you ever saw it before?” + </p> + <p> + “It looks to me,” said I, “like the hill that we were camped under when we + were on Laramie Creek, six or eight weeks ago.” + </p> + <p> + “You’ve hit it,” answered Reynal. + </p> + <p> + “Go and bring in the animals, Raymond,” said I: “we’ll camp there + to-night, and start for the Fort in the morning.” + </p> + <p> + The mare and the mule were soon before the lodge. We saddled them, and in + the meantime a number of Indians collected about us. The virtues of + Pauline, my strong, fleet, and hardy little mare, were well known in camp, + and several of the visitors were mounted upon good horses which they had + brought me as presents. I promptly declined their offers, since accepting + them would have involved the necessity of transferring poor Pauline into + their barbarous hands. We took leave of Reynal, but not of the Indians, + who are accustomed to dispense with such superfluous ceremonies. Leaving + the camp we rode straight over the prairie toward the white-faced bluff, + whose pale ridges swelled gently against the horizon, like a cloud. An + Indian went with us, whose name I forget, though the ugliness of his face + and the ghastly width of his mouth dwell vividly in my recollection. The + antelope were numerous, but we did not heed them. We rode directly toward + our destination, over the arid plains and barren hills, until, late in the + afternoon, half spent with heat, thirst, and fatigue, we saw a gladdening + sight; the long line of trees and the deep gulf that mark the course of + Laramie Creek. Passing through the growth of huge dilapidated old + cottonwood trees that bordered the creek, we rode across to the other + side. + </p> + <p> + The rapid and foaming waters were filled with fish playing and splashing + in the shallows. As we gained the farther bank, our horses turned eagerly + to drink, and we, kneeling on the sand, followed their example. We had not + gone far before the scene began to grow familiar. + </p> + <p> + “We are getting near home, Raymond,” said I. + </p> + <p> + There stood the Big Tree under which we had encamped so long; there were + the white cliffs that used to look down upon our tent when it stood at the + bend of the creek; there was the meadow in which our horses had grazed for + weeks, and a little farther on, the prairie-dog village where I had + beguiled many a languid hour in persecuting the unfortunate inhabitants. + </p> + <p> + “We are going to catch it now,” said Raymond, turning his broad, vacant + face up toward the sky. + </p> + <p> + In truth, the landscape, the cliffs and the meadow, the stream and the + groves were darkening fast. Black masses of cloud were swelling up in the + south, and the thunder was growling ominously. + </p> + <p> + “We will camp here,” I said, pointing to a dense grove of trees lower down + the stream. Raymond and I turned toward it, but the Indian stopped and + called earnestly after us. When we demanded what was the matter, he said + that the ghosts of two warriors were always among those trees, and that if + we slept there, they would scream and throw stones at us all night, and + perhaps steal our horses before morning. Thinking it as well to humor him, + we left behind us the haunt of these extraordinary ghosts, and passed on + toward Chugwater, riding at full gallop, for the big drops began to patter + down. Soon we came in sight of the poplar saplings that grew about the + mouth of the little stream. We leaped to the ground, threw off our + saddles, turned our horses loose, and drawing our knives, began to slash + among the bushes to cut twigs and branches for making a shelter against + the rain. Bending down the taller saplings as they grew, we piled the + young shoots upon them; and thus made a convenient penthouse, but all our + labor was useless. The storm scarcely touched us. Half a mile on our right + the rain was pouring down like a cataract, and the thunder roared over the + prairie like a battery of cannon; while we by good fortune received only a + few heavy drops from the skirt of the passing cloud. The weather cleared + and the sun set gloriously. Sitting close under our leafy canopy, we + proceeded to discuss a substantial meal of wasna which Weah-Washtay had + given me. The Indian had brought with him his pipe and a bag of + shongsasha; so before lying down to sleep, we sat for some time smoking + together. Previously, however, our wide-mouthed friend had taken the + precaution of carefully examining the neighborhood. He reported that eight + men, counting them on his fingers, had been encamped there not long + before. Bisonette, Paul Dorion, Antoine Le Rouge, Richardson, and four + others, whose names he could not tell. All this proved strictly correct. + By what instinct he had arrived at such accurate conclusions, I am utterly + at a loss to divine. + </p> + <p> + It was still quite dark when I awoke and called Raymond. The Indian was + already gone, having chosen to go on before us to the Fort. Setting out + after him, we rode for some time in complete darkness, and when the sun at + length rose, glowing like a fiery ball of copper, we were ten miles + distant from the Fort. At length, from the broken summit of a tall sandy + bluff we could see Fort Laramie, miles before us, standing by the side of + the stream like a little gray speck in the midst of the bounding + desolation. I stopped my horse, and sat for a moment looking down upon it. + It seemed to me the very center of comfort and civilization. We were not + long in approaching it, for we rode at speed the greater part of the way. + Laramie Creek still intervened between us and the friendly walls. Entering + the water at the point where we had struck upon the bank, we raised our + feet to the saddle behind us, and thus, kneeling as it were on horseback, + passed dry-shod through the swift current. As we rode up the bank, a + number of men appeared in the gateway. Three of them came forward to meet + us. In a moment I distinguished Shaw; Henry Chatillon followed with his + face of manly simplicity and frankness, and Delorier came last, with a + broad grin of welcome. The meeting was not on either side one of mere + ceremony. For my own part, the change was a most agreeable one from the + society of savages and men little better than savages, to that of my + gallant and high-minded companion and our noble-hearted guide. My + appearance was equally gratifying to Shaw, who was beginning to entertain + some very uncomfortable surmises concerning me. + </p> + <p> + Bordeaux greeted me very cordially, and shouted to the cook. This + functionary was a new acquisition, having lately come from Fort Pierre + with the trading wagons. Whatever skill he might have boasted, he had not + the most promising materials to exercise it upon. He set before me, + however, a breakfast of biscuit, coffee, and salt pork. It seemed like a + new phase of existence, to be seated once more on a bench, with a knife + and fork, a plate and teacup, and something resembling a table before me. + The coffee seemed delicious, and the bread was a most welcome novelty, + since for three weeks I had eaten scarcely anything but meat, and that for + the most part without salt. The meal also had the relish of good company, + for opposite to me sat Shaw in elegant dishabille. If one is anxious + thoroughly to appreciate the value of a congenial companion, he has only + to spend a few weeks by himself in an Ogallalla village. And if he can + contrive to add to his seclusion a debilitating and somewhat critical + illness, his perceptions upon this subject will be rendered considerably + more vivid. + </p> + <p> + Shaw had been upward of two weeks at the Fort. I found him established in + his old quarters, a large apartment usually occupied by the absent + bourgeois. In one corner was a soft and luxuriant pile of excellent + buffalo robes, and here I lay down. Shaw brought me three books. + </p> + <p> + “Here,” said he, “is your Shakespeare and Byron, and here is the Old + Testament, which has as much poetry in it as the other two put together.” + </p> + <p> + I chose the worst of the three, and for the greater part of that day lay + on the buffalo robes, fairly reveling in the creations of that resplendent + genius which has achieved no more signal triumph than that of half + beguiling us to forget the pitiful and unmanly character of its possessor. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0020" id="link2HCH0020"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XX + </h2> + <h3> + THE LONELY JOURNEY + </h3> + <p> + On the day of my arrival at Fort Laramie, Shaw and I were lounging on two + buffalo robes in the large apartment hospitably assigned to us; Henry + Chatillon also was present, busy about the harness and weapons, which had + been brought into the room, and two or three Indians were crouching on the + floor, eyeing us with their fixed, unwavering gaze. + </p> + <p> + “I have been well off here,” said Shaw, “in all respects but one; there is + no good shongsasha to be had for love or money.” + </p> + <p> + I gave him a small leather bag containing some of excellent quality, which + I had brought from the Black Hills. + </p> + <p> + “Now, Henry,” said he, “hand me Papin’s chopping-board, or give it to that + Indian, and let him cut the mixture; they understand it better than any + white man.” + </p> + <p> + The Indian, without saying a word, mixed the bark and the tobacco in due + proportions, filled the pipe and lighted it. This done, my companion and I + proceeded to deliberate on our future course of proceeding; first, + however, Shaw acquainted me with some incidents which had occurred at the + fort during my absence. + </p> + <p> + About a week previous four men had arrived from beyond the mountains; + Sublette, Reddick, and two others. Just before reaching the Fort they had + met a large party of Indians, chiefly young men. All of them belonged to + the village of our old friend Smoke, who, with his whole band of + adherents, professed the greatest friendship for the whites. The travelers + therefore approached, and began to converse without the least suspicion. + Suddenly, however, their bridles were violently seized and they were + ordered to dismount. Instead of complying, they struck their horses with + full force, and broke away from the Indians. As they galloped off they + heard a yell behind them, mixed with a burst of derisive laughter, and the + reports of several guns. None of them were hurt though Reddick’s bridle + rein was cut by a bullet within an inch of his hand. After this taste of + Indian hostility they felt for the moment no disposition to encounter + further risks. They intended to pursue the route southward along the foot + of the mountains to Bent’s Fort; and as our plans coincided with theirs, + they proposed to join forces. Finding, however, that I did not return, + they grew impatient of inaction, forgot their late escape, and set out + without us, promising to wait our arrival at Bent’s Fort. From thence we + were to make the long journey to the settlements in company, as the path + was not a little dangerous, being infested by hostile Pawnees and + Comanches. + </p> + <p> + We expected, on reaching Bent’s Fort, to find there still another + re-enforcement. A young Kentuckian of the true Kentucky blood, generous, + impetuous, and a gentleman withal, had come out to the mountains with + Russel’s party of California emigrants. One of his chief objects, as he + gave out, was to kill an Indian; an exploit which he afterwards succeeded + in achieving, much to the jeopardy of ourselves and others who had to pass + through the country of the dead Pawnee’s enraged relatives. Having become + disgusted with his emigrant associates he left them, and had some time + before set out with a party of companions for the head of the Arkansas. He + sent us previously a letter, intimating that he would wait until we + arrived at Bent’s Fort, and accompany us thence to the settlements. When, + however, he came to the Fort, he found there a party of forty men about to + make the homeward journey. He wisely preferred to avail himself of so + strong an escort. Mr. Sublette and his companions also set out, in order + to overtake this company; so that on reaching Bent’s Fort, some six weeks + after, we found ourselves deserted by our allies and thrown once more upon + our own resources. + </p> + <p> + But I am anticipating. When, before leaving the settlement we had made + inquiries concerning this part of the country of General Kearny, Mr. + Mackenzie, Captain Wyeth, and others well acquainted with it, they had all + advised us by no means to attempt this southward journey with fewer than + fifteen or twenty men. The danger consists in the chance of encountering + Indian war parties. Sometimes throughout the whole length of the journey + (a distance of 350 miles) one does not meet a single human being; + frequently, however, the route is beset by Arapahoes and other unfriendly + tribes; in which case the scalp of the adventurer is in imminent peril. As + to the escort of fifteen or twenty men, such a force of whites could at + that time scarcely be collected by the whole country; and had the case + been otherwise, the expense of securing them, together with the necessary + number of horses, would have been extremely heavy. We had resolved, + however, upon pursuing this southward course. There were, indeed, two + other routes from Fort Laramie; but both of these were less interesting, + and neither was free from danger. Being unable therefore to procure the + fifteen or twenty men recommended, we determined to set out with those we + had already in our employ, Henry Chatillon, Delorier, and Raymond. The men + themselves made no objection, nor would they have made any had the journey + been more dangerous; for Henry was without fear, and the other two without + thought. + </p> + <p> + Shaw and I were much better fitted for this mode of traveling than we had + been on betaking ourselves to the prairies for the first time a few months + before. The daily routine had ceased to be a novelty. All the details of + the journey and the camp had become familiar to us. We had seen life under + a new aspect; the human biped had been reduced to his primitive condition. + We had lived without law to protect, a roof to shelter, or garment of + cloth to cover us. One of us at least had been without bread, and without + salt to season his food. Our idea of what is indispensable to human + existence and enjoyment had been wonderfully curtailed, and a horse, a + rifle, and a knife seemed to make up the whole of life’s necessaries. For + these once obtained, together with the skill to use them, all else that is + essential would follow in their train, and a host of luxuries besides. One + other lesson our short prairie experience had taught us; that of profound + contentment in the present, and utter contempt for what the future might + bring forth. + </p> + <p> + These principles established, we prepared to leave Fort Laramie. On the + fourth day of August, early in the afternoon, we bade a final adieu to its + hospitable gateway. Again Shaw and I were riding side by side on the + prairie. For the first fifty miles we had companions with us; Troche, a + little trapper, and Rouville, a nondescript in the employ of the Fur + Company, who were going to join the trader Bisonette at his encampment + near the head of Horse Creek. We rode only six or eight miles that + afternoon before we came to a little brook traversing the barren prairie. + All along its course grew copses of young wild-cherry trees, loaded with + ripe fruit, and almost concealing the gliding thread of water with their + dense growth, while on each side rose swells of rich green grass. Here we + encamped; and being much too indolent to pitch our tent, we flung our + saddles on the ground, spread a pair of buffalo robes, lay down upon them, + and began to smoke. Meanwhile, Delorier busied himself with his hissing + frying-pan, and Raymond stood guard over the band of grazing horses. + Delorier had an active assistant in Rouville, who professed great skill in + the culinary art, and seizing upon a fork, began to lend his zealous aid + in making ready supper. Indeed, according to his own belief, Rouville was + a man of universal knowledge, and he lost no opportunity to display his + manifold accomplishments. He had been a circus-rider at St. Louis, and + once he rode round Fort Laramie on his head, to the utter bewilderment of + all the Indians. He was also noted as the wit of the Fort; and as he had + considerable humor and abundant vivacity, he contributed more that night + to the liveliness of the camp than all the rest of the party put together. + At one instant he would be kneeling by Delorier, instructing him in the + true method of frying antelope steaks, then he would come and seat himself + at our side, dilating upon the orthodox fashion of braiding up a horse’s + tail, telling apocryphal stories how he had killed a buffalo bull with a + knife, having first cut off his tail when at full speed, or relating + whimsical anecdotes of the bourgeois Papin. At last he snatched up a + volume of Shakespeare that was lying on the grass, and halted and stumbled + through a line or two to prove that he could read. He went gamboling about + the camp, chattering like some frolicsome ape; and whatever he was doing + at one moment, the presumption was a sure one that he would not be doing + it the next. His companion Troche sat silently on the grass, not speaking + a word, but keeping a vigilant eye on a very ugly little Utah squaw, of + whom he was extremely jealous. + </p> + <p> + On the next day we traveled farther, crossing the wide sterile basin + called Goche’s Hole. Toward night we became involved among deep ravines; + and being also unable to find water, our journey was protracted to a very + late hour. On the next morning we had to pass a long line of bluffs, whose + raw sides, wrought upon by rains and storms, were of a ghastly whiteness + most oppressive to the sight. As we ascended a gap in these hills, the way + was marked by huge foot-prints, like those of a human giant. They were the + track of the grizzly bear; and on the previous day also we had seen + abundance of them along the dry channels of the streams we had passed. + Immediately after this we were crossing a barren plain, spreading in long + and gentle undulations to the horizon. Though the sun was bright, there + was a light haze in the atmosphere. The distant hills assumed strange, + distorted forms, and the edge of the horizon was continually changing its + aspect. Shaw and I were riding together, and Henry Chatillon was alone, a + few rods before us; he stopped his horse suddenly, and turning round with + the peculiar eager and earnest expression which he always wore when + excited, he called to us to come forward. We galloped to his side. Henry + pointed toward a black speck on the gray swell of the prairie, apparently + about a mile off. “It must be a bear,” said he; “come, now, we shall all + have some sport. Better fun to fight him than to fight an old buffalo + bull; grizzly bear so strong and smart.” + </p> + <p> + So we all galloped forward together, prepared for a hard fight; for these + bears, though clumsy in appearance and extremely large, are incredibly + fierce and active. The swell of the prairie concealed the black object + from our view. Immediately after it appeared again. But now it seemed + quite near to us; and as we looked at it in astonishment, it suddenly + separated into two parts, each of which took wing and flew away. We + stopped our horses and looked round at Henry, whose face exhibited a + curious mixture of mirth and mortification. His hawk’s eye had been so + completely deceived by the peculiar atmosphere that he had mistaken two + large crows at the distance of fifty rods for a grizzly bear a mile off. + To the journey’s end Henry never heard the last of the grizzly bear with + wings. + </p> + <p> + In the afternoon we came to the foot of a considerable hill. As we + ascended it Rouville began to ask questions concerning our conditions and + prospects at home, and Shaw was edifying him with a minute account of an + imaginary wife and child, to which he listened with implicit faith. + Reaching the top of the hill we saw the windings of Horse Creek on the + plains below us, and a little on the left we could distinguish the camp of + Bisonette among the trees and copses along the course of the stream. + Rouville’s face assumed just then a most ludicrously blank expression. We + inquired what was the matter, when it appeared that Bisonette had sent him + from this place to Fort Laramie with the sole object of bringing back a + supply of tobacco. Our rattle-brain friend, from the time of his reaching + the Fort up to the present moment, had entirely forgotten the object of + his journey, and had ridden a dangerous hundred miles for nothing. + Descending to Horse Creek we forded it, and on the opposite bank a + solitary Indian sat on horseback under a tree. He said nothing, but turned + and led the way toward the camp. Bisonette had made choice of an admirable + position. The stream, with its thick growth of trees, inclosed on three + sides a wide green meadow, where about forty Dakota lodges were pitched in + a circle, and beyond them half a dozen lodges of the friendly Cheyenne. + Bisonette himself lived in the Indian manner. Riding up to his lodge, we + found him seated at the head of it, surrounded by various appliances of + comfort not common on the prairie. His squaw was near him, and rosy + children were scrambling about in printed-calico gowns; Paul Dorion also, + with his leathery face and old white capote, was seated in the lodge, + together with Antoine Le Rouge, a half-breed Pawnee, Sibille, a trader, + and several other white men. + </p> + <p> + “It will do you no harm,” said Bisonette, “to stay here with us for a day + or two, before you start for the Pueblo.” + </p> + <p> + We accepted the invitation, and pitched our tent on a rising ground above + the camp and close to the edge of the trees. Bisonette soon invited us to + a feast, and we suffered abundance of the same sort of attention from his + Indian associates. The reader may possibly recollect that when I joined + the Indian village, beyond the Black Hills, I found that a few families + were absent, having declined to pass the mountains along with the rest. + The Indians in Bisonette’s camp consisted of these very families, and many + of them came to me that evening to inquire after their relatives and + friends. They were not a little mortified to learn that while they, from + their own timidity and indolence, were almost in a starving condition, the + rest of the village had provided their lodges for the next season, laid in + a great stock of provisions, and were living in abundance and luxury. + Bisonette’s companions had been sustaining themselves for some time on + wild cherries, which the squaws pounded up, stones and all, and spread on + buffalo robes, to dry in the sun; they were then eaten without further + preparation, or used as an ingredient in various delectable compounds. + </p> + <p> + On the next day the camp was in commotion with a new arrival. A single + Indian had come with his family the whole way from the Arkansas. As he + passed among the lodges he put on an expression of unusual dignity and + importance, and gave out that he had brought great news to tell the + whites. Soon after the squaws had erected his lodge, he sent his little + son to invite all the white men, and all the most distinguished Indians, + to a feast. The guests arrived and sat wedged together, shoulder to + shoulder, within the hot and suffocating lodge. The Stabber, for that was + our entertainer’s name, had killed an old buffalo bull on his way. This + veteran’s boiled tripe, tougher than leather, formed the main item of the + repast. For the rest, it consisted of wild cherries and grease boiled + together in a large copper kettle. The feast was distributed, and for a + moment all was silent, strenuous exertion; then each guest, with one or + two exceptions, however, turned his wooden dish bottom upward to prove + that he had done full justice to his entertainer’s hospitality. The + Stabber next produced his chopping board, on which he prepared the mixture + for smoking, and filled several pipes, which circulated among the company. + This done, he seated himself upright on his couch, and began with much + gesticulation to tell his story. I will not repeat his childish jargon. It + was so entangled, like the greater part of an Indian’s stories, with + absurd and contradictory details, that it was almost impossible to + disengage from it a single particle of truth. All that we could gather was + the following: + </p> + <p> + He had been on the Arkansas, and there he had seen six great war parties + of whites. He had never believed before that the whole world contained + half so many white men. They all had large horses, long knives, and short + rifles, and some of them were attired alike in the most splendid war + dresses he had ever seen. From this account it was clear that bodies of + dragoons and perhaps also of volunteer cavalry had been passing up the + Arkansas. The Stabber had also seen a great many of the white lodges of + the Meneaska, drawn by their long-horned buffalo. These could be nothing + else than covered ox-wagons used no doubt in transporting stores for the + troops. Soon after seeing this, our host had met an Indian who had lately + come from among the Comanches. The latter had told him that all the + Mexicans had gone out to a great buffalo hunt. That the Americans had hid + themselves in a ravine. When the Mexicans had shot away all their arrows, + the Americans had fired their guns, raised their war-whoop, rushed out, + and killed them all. We could only infer from this that war had been + declared with Mexico, and a battle fought in which the Americans were + victorious. When, some weeks after, we arrived at the Pueblo, we heard of + General Kearny’s march up the Arkansas and of General Taylor’s victories + at Matamoras. + </p> + <p> + As the sun was setting that evening a great crowd gathered on the plain by + the side of our tent, to try the speed of their horses. These were of + every shape, size, and color. Some came from California, some from the + States, some from among the mountains, and some from the wild bands of the + prairie. They were of every hue—white, black, red, and gray, or + mottled and clouded with a strange variety of colors. They all had a wild + and startled look, very different from the staid and sober aspect of a + well-bred city steed. Those most noted for swiftness and spirit were + decorated with eagle-feathers dangling from their manes and tails. Fifty + or sixty Dakotas were present, wrapped from head to foot in their heavy + robes of whitened hide. There were also a considerable number of the + Cheyenne, many of whom wore gaudy Mexican ponchos swathed around their + shoulders, but leaving the right arm bare. Mingled among the crowd of + Indians were a number of Canadians, chiefly in the employ of Bisonette; + men, whose home is in the wilderness, and who love the camp fire better + than the domestic hearth. They are contented and happy in the midst of + hardship, privation, and danger. Their cheerfulness and gayety is + irrepressible, and no people on earth understand better how “to daff the + world aside and bid it pass.” Besides these, were two or three + half-breeds, a race of rather extraordinary composition, being according + to the common saying half Indian, half white man, and half devil. Antoine + Le Rouge was the most conspicuous among them, with his loose pantaloons + and his fluttering calico skirt. A handkerchief was bound round his head + to confine his black snaky hair, and his small eyes twinkled beneath it, + with a mischievous luster. He had a fine cream-colored horse whose speed + he must needs try along with the rest. So he threw off the rude + high-peaked saddle, and substituting a piece of buffalo robe, leaped + lightly into his seat. The space was cleared, the word was given, and he + and his Indian rival darted out like lightning from among the crowd, each + stretching forward over his horse’s neck and plying his heavy Indian whip + with might and main. A moment, and both were lost in the gloom; but + Antoine soon came riding back victorious, exultingly patting the neck of + his quivering and panting horse. + </p> + <p> + About midnight, as I lay asleep, wrapped in a buffalo robe on the ground + by the side of our cart, Raymond came up and woke me. Something he said, + was going forward which I would like to see. Looking down into camp I saw, + on the farther side of it, a great number of Indians gathered around a + fire, the bright glare of which made them visible through the thick + darkness; while from the midst of them proceeded a loud, measured chant + which would have killed Paganini outright, broken occasionally by a burst + of sharp yells. I gathered the robe around me, for the night was cold, and + walked down to the spot. The dark throng of Indians was so dense that they + almost intercepted the light of the flame. As I was pushing among them + with but little ceremony, a chief interposed himself, and I was given to + understand that a white man must not approach the scene of their + solemnities too closely. By passing round to the other side, where there + was a little opening in the crowd, I could see clearly what was going + forward, without intruding my unhallowed presence into the inner circle. + The society of the “Strong Hearts” were engaged in one of their dances. + The Strong Hearts are a warlike association, comprising men of both the + Dakota and Cheyenne nations, and entirely composed, or supposed to be so, + of young braves of the highest mettle. Its fundamental principle is the + admirable one of never retreating from any enterprise once commenced. All + these Indian associations have a tutelary spirit. That of the Strong + Hearts is embodied in the fox, an animal which a white man would hardly + have selected for a similar purpose, though his subtle and cautious + character agrees well enough with an Indian’s notions of what is honorable + in warfare. The dancers were circling round and round the fire, each + figure brightly illumined at one moment by the yellow light, and at the + next drawn in blackest shadow as it passed between the flame and the + spectator. They would imitate with the most ludicrous exactness the + motions and the voice of their sly patron the fox. Then a startling yell + would be given. Many other warriors would leap into the ring, and with + faces upturned toward the starless sky, they would all stamp, and whoop, + and brandish their weapons like so many frantic devils. + </p> + <p> + Until the next afternoon we were still remaining with Bisonette. My + companion and I with our three attendants then left his camp for the + Pueblo, a distance of three hundred miles, and we supposed the journey + would occupy about a fortnight. During this time we all earnestly hoped + that we might not meet a single human being, for should we encounter any, + they would in all probability be enemies, ferocious robbers and murderers, + in whose eyes our rifles would be our only passports. For the first two + days nothing worth mentioning took place. On the third morning, however, + an untoward incident occurred. We were encamped by the side of a little + brook in an extensive hollow of the plain. Delorier was up long before + daylight, and before he began to prepare breakfast he turned loose all the + horses, as in duty bound. There was a cold mist clinging close to the + ground, and by the time the rest of us were awake the animals were + invisible. It was only after a long and anxious search that we could + discover by their tracks the direction they had taken. They had all set + off for Fort Laramie, following the guidance of a mutinous old mule, and + though many of them were hobbled they had driven three miles before they + could be overtaken and driven back. + </p> + <p> + For the following two or three days we were passing over an arid desert. + The only vegetation was a few tufts of short grass, dried and shriveled by + the heat. There was an abundance of strange insects and reptiles. Huge + crickets, black and bottle green, and wingless grasshoppers of the most + extravagant dimensions, were tumbling about our horses’ feet, and lizards + without numbers were darting like lightning among the tufts of grass. The + most curious animal, however, was that commonly called the horned frog. I + caught one of them and consigned him to the care of Delorier, who tied him + up in a moccasin. About a month after this I examined the prisoner’s + condition, and finding him still lively and active, I provided him with a + cage of buffalo hide, which was hung up in the cart. In this manner he + arrived safely at the settlements. From thence he traveled the whole way + to Boston packed closely in a trunk, being regaled with fresh air + regularly every night. When he reached his destination he was deposited + under a glass case, where he sat for some months in great tranquillity and + composure, alternately dilating and contracting his white throat to the + admiration of his visitors. At length, one morning, about the middle of + winter, he gave up the ghost. His death was attributed to starvation, a + very probable conclusion, since for six months he had taken no food + whatever, though the sympathy of his juvenile admirers had tempted his + palate with a great variety of delicacies. We found also animals of a + somewhat larger growth. The number of prairie dogs was absolutely + astounding. Frequently the hard and dry prairie would be thickly covered, + for many miles together, with the little mounds which they make around the + mouth of their burrows, and small squeaking voices yelping at us as we + passed along. The noses of the inhabitants would be just visible at the + mouth of their holes, but no sooner was their curiosity satisfied than + they would instantly vanish. Some of the bolder dogs—though in fact + they are no dogs at all, but little marmots rather smaller than a rabbit—would + sit yelping at us on the top of their mounds, jerking their tails + emphatically with every shrill cry they uttered. As the danger grew nearer + they would wheel about, toss their heels into the air, and dive in a + twinkling down into their burrows. Toward sunset, and especially if rain + were threatening, the whole community would make their appearance above + ground. We would see them gathered in large knots around the burrow of + some favorite citizen. There they would all sit erect, their tails spread + out on the ground, and their paws hanging down before their white breasts, + chattering and squeaking with the utmost vivacity upon some topic of + common interest, while the proprietor of the burrow, with his head just + visible on the top of his mound, would sit looking down with a complacent + countenance on the enjoyment of his guests. Meanwhile, others would be + running about from burrow to burrow, as if on some errand of the last + importance to their subterranean commonwealth. The snakes were apparently + the prairie dog’s worst enemies, at least I think too well of the latter + to suppose that they associate on friendly terms with these slimy + intruders, who may be seen at all times basking among their holes, into + which they always retreat when disturbed. Small owls, with wise and grave + countenances, also make their abode with the prairie dogs, though on what + terms they live together I could never ascertain. The manners and customs, + the political and domestic economy of these little marmots is worthy of + closer attention than one is able to give when pushing by forced marches + through their country, with his thoughts engrossed by objects of greater + moment. + </p> + <p> + On the fifth day after leaving Bisonette’s camp we saw late in the + afternoon what we supposed to be a considerable stream, but on our + approaching it we found to our mortification nothing but a dry bed of sand + into which all the water had sunk and disappeared. We separated, some + riding in one direction and some in another along its course. Still we + found no traces of water, not even so much as a wet spot in the sand. The + old cotton-wood trees that grew along the bank, lamentably abused by + lightning and tempest, were withering with the drought, and on the dead + limbs, at the summit of the tallest, half a dozen crows were hoarsely + cawing like birds of evil omen as they were. We had no alternative but to + keep on. There was no water nearer than the South Fork of the Platte, + about ten miles distant. We moved forward, angry and silent, over a desert + as flat as the outspread ocean. + </p> + <p> + The sky had been obscured since the morning by thin mists and vapors, but + now vast piles of clouds were gathered together in the west. They rose to + a great height above the horizon, and looking up toward them I + distinguished one mass darker than the rest and of a peculiar conical + form. I happened to look again and still could see it as before. At some + moments it was dimly seen, at others its outline was sharp and distinct; + but while the clouds around it were shifting, changing, and dissolving + away, it still towered aloft in the midst of them, fixed and immovable. It + must, thought I, be the summit of a mountain, and yet its heights + staggered me. My conclusion was right, however. It was Long’s Peak, once + believed to be one of the highest of the Rocky Mountain chain, though more + recent discoveries have proved the contrary. The thickening gloom soon hid + it from view and we never saw it again, for on the following day and for + some time after, the air was so full of mist that the view of distant + objects was entirely intercepted. + </p> + <p> + It grew very late. Turning from our direct course we made for the river at + its nearest point, though in the utter darkness it was not easy to direct + our way with much precision. Raymond rode on one side and Henry on the + other. We could hear each of them shouting that he had come upon a deep + ravine. We steered at random between Scylla and Charybdis, and soon after + became, as it seemed, inextricably involved with deep chasms all around + us, while the darkness was such that we could not see a rod in any + direction. We partially extricated ourselves by scrambling, cart and all, + through a shallow ravine. We came next to a steep descent down which we + plunged without well knowing what was at the bottom. There was a great + crackling of sticks and dry twigs. Over our heads were certain large + shadowy objects, and in front something like the faint gleaming of a dark + sheet of water. Raymond ran his horse against a tree; Henry alighted, and + feeling on the ground declared that there was grass enough for the horses. + Before taking off his saddle each man led his own horses down to the water + in the best way he could. Then picketing two or three of the evil-disposed + we turned the rest loose and lay down among the dry sticks to sleep. In + the morning we found ourselves close to the South Fork of the Platte on a + spot surrounded by bushes and rank grass. Compensating ourselves with a + hearty breakfast for the ill fare of the previous night, we set forward + again on our journey. When only two or three rods from the camp I saw Shaw + stop his mule, level his gun, and after a long aim fire at some object in + the grass. Delorier next jumped forward and began to dance about, + belaboring the unseen enemy with a whip. Then he stooped down and drew out + of the grass by the neck an enormous rattlesnake, with his head completely + shattered by Shaw’s bullet. As Delorier held him out at arm’s length with + an exulting grin his tail, which still kept slowly writhing about, almost + touched the ground, and the body in the largest part was as thick as a + stout man’s arm. He had fourteen rattles, but the end of his tail was + blunted, as if he could once have boasted of many more. From this time + till we reached the Pueblo we killed at least four or five of these snakes + every day as they lay coiled and rattling on the hot sand. Shaw was the + St. Patrick of the party, and whenever he or any one else killed a snake + he always pulled off his tail and stored it away in his bullet-pouch, + which was soon crammed with an edifying collection of rattles, great and + small. Delorier, with his whip, also came in for a share of the praise. A + day or two after this he triumphantly produced a small snake about a span + and a half long, with one infant rattle at the end of his tail. + </p> + <p> + We forded the South Fork of the Platte. On its farther bank were the + traces of a very large camp of Arapahoes. The ashes of some three hundred + fires were visible among the scattered trees, together with the remains of + sweating lodges, and all the other appurtenances of a permanent camp. The + place however had been for some months deserted. A few miles farther on we + found more recent signs of Indians; the trail of two or three lodges, + which had evidently passed the day before, where every foot-print was + perfectly distinct in the dry, dusty soil. We noticed in particular the + track of one moccasin, upon the sole of which its economical proprietor + had placed a large patch. These signs gave us but little uneasiness, as + the number of the warriors scarcely exceeded that of our own party. At + noon we rested under the walls of a large fort, built in these solitudes + some years since by M. St. Vrain. It was now abandoned and fast falling + into ruin. The walls of unbaked bricks were cracked from top to bottom. + Our horses recoiled in terror from the neglected entrance, where the heavy + gates were torn from their hinges and flung down. The area within was + overgrown with weeds, and the long ranges of apartments, once occupied by + the motley concourse of traders, Canadians, and squaws, were now miserably + dilapidated. Twelve miles further on, near the spot where we encamped, + were the remains of still another fort, standing in melancholy desertion + and neglect. + </p> + <p> + Early on the following morning we made a startling discovery. We passed + close by a large deserted encampment of Arapahoes. There were about fifty + fires still smouldering on the ground, and it was evident from numerous + signs that the Indians must have left the place within two hours of our + reaching it. Their trail crossed our own at right angles, and led in the + direction of a line of hills half a mile on our left. There were women and + children in the party, which would have greatly diminished the danger of + encountering them. Henry Chatillon examined the encampment and the trail + with a very professional and businesslike air. + </p> + <p> + “Supposing we had met them, Henry?” said I. + </p> + <p> + “Why,” said he, “we hold out our hands to them, and give them all we’ve + got; they take away everything, and then I believe they no kill us. + Perhaps,” added he, looking up with a quiet, unchanged face, “perhaps we + no let them rob us. Maybe before they come near, we have a chance to get + into a ravine, or under the bank of the river; then, you know, we fight + them.” + </p> + <p> + About noon on that day we reached Cherry Creek. Here was a great abundance + of wild cherries, plums, gooseberries, and currants. The stream, however, + like most of the others which we passed, was dried up with the heat, and + we had to dig holes in the sand to find water for ourselves and our + horses. Two days after, we left the banks of the creek which we had been + following for some time, and began to cross the high dividing ridge which + separates the waters of the Platte from those of the Arkansas. The scenery + was altogether changed. In place of the burning plains we were passing now + through rough and savage glens and among hills crowned with a dreary + growth of pines. We encamped among these solitudes on the night of the + 16th of August. A tempest was threatening. The sun went down among volumes + of jet-black cloud, edged with a bloody red. But in spite of these + portentous signs, we neglected to put up the tent, and being extremely + fatigued, lay down on the ground and fell asleep. The storm broke about + midnight, and we erected the tent amid darkness and confusion. In the + morning all was fair again, and Pike’s Peak, white with snow, was towering + above the wilderness afar off. + </p> + <p> + We pushed through an extensive tract of pine woods. Large black squirrels + were leaping among the branches. From the farther edge of this forest we + saw the prairie again, hollowed out before us into a vast basin, and about + a mile in front we could discern a little black speck moving upon its + surface. It could be nothing but a buffalo. Henry primed his rifle afresh + and galloped forward. To the left of the animal was a low rocky mound, of + which Henry availed himself in making his approach. After a short time we + heard the faint report of the rifle. The bull, mortally wounded from a + distance of nearly three hundred yards, ran wildly round and round in a + circle. Shaw and I then galloped forward, and passing him as he ran, + foaming with rage and pain, we discharged our pistols into his side. Once + or twice he rushed furiously upon us, but his strength was rapidly + exhausted. Down he fell on his knees. For one instant he glared up at his + enemies with burning eyes through his black tangled mane, and then rolled + over on his side. Though gaunt and thin, he was larger and heavier than + the largest ox. Foam and blood flew together from his nostrils as he lay + bellowing and pawing the ground, tearing up grass and earth with his + hoofs. His sides rose and fell like a vast pair of bellows, the blood + spouting up in jets from the bullet-holes. Suddenly his glaring eyes + became like a lifeless jelly. He lay motionless on the ground. Henry + stooped over him, and making an incision with his knife, pronounced the + meat too rank and tough for use; so, disappointed in our hopes of an + addition to our stock of provisions, we rode away and left the carcass to + the wolves. + </p> + <p> + In the afternoon we saw the mountains rising like a gigantic wall at no + great distance on our right. “Des sauvages! des sauvages!” exclaimed + Delorier, looking round with a frightened face, and pointing with his whip + toward the foot of the mountains. In fact, we could see at a distance a + number of little black specks, like horsemen in rapid motion. Henry + Chatillon, with Shaw and myself, galloped toward them to reconnoiter, when + to our amusement we saw the supposed Arapahoes resolved into the black + tops of some pine trees which grew along a ravine. The summits of these + pines, just visible above the verge of the prairie, and seeming to move as + we ourselves were advancing, looked exactly like a line of horsemen. + </p> + <p> + We encamped among ravines and hollows, through which a little brook was + foaming angrily. Before sunrise in the morning the snow-covered mountains + were beautifully tinged with a delicate rose color. A noble spectacle + awaited us as we moved forward. Six or eight miles on our right, Pike’s + Peak and his giant brethren rose out of the level prairie, as if springing + from the bed of the ocean. From their summits down to the plain below they + were involved in a mantle of clouds, in restless motion, as if urged by + strong winds. For one instant some snowy peak, towering in awful solitude, + would be disclosed to view. As the clouds broke along the mountain, we + could see the dreary forests, the tremendous precipices, the white patches + of snow, the gulfs and chasms as black as night, all revealed for an + instant, and then disappearing from the view. One could not but recall the + stanza of “Childe Harold”: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Morn dawns, and with it stern Albania’s hills, + Dark Suli’s rocks, and Pindus’ inland peak, + Robed half in mist, bedewed with snowy rills, + Array’d in many a dun and purple streak, + Arise; and, as the clouds along them break, + Disclose the dwelling of the mountaineer: + Here roams the wolf, the eagle whets his beak, + Birds, beasts of prey, and wilder men appear, + And gathering storms around convulse the closing year. +</pre> + <p> + Every line save one of this description was more than verified here. There + were no “dwellings of the mountaineer” among these heights. Fierce + savages, restlessly wandering through summer and winter, alone invade + them. “Their hand is against every man, and every man’s hand against + them.” + </p> + <p> + On the day after, we had left the mountains at some distance. A black + cloud descended upon them, and a tremendous explosion of thunder followed, + reverberating among the precipices. In a few moments everything grew black + and the rain poured down like a cataract. We got under an old cotton-wood + tree which stood by the side of a stream, and waited there till the rage + of the torrent had passed. + </p> + <p> + The clouds opened at the point where they first had gathered, and the + whole sublime congregation of mountains was bathed at once in warm + sunshine. They seemed more like some luxurious vision of Eastern romance + than like a reality of that wilderness; all were melted together into a + soft delicious blue, as voluptuous as the sky of Naples or the transparent + sea that washes the sunny cliffs of Capri. On the left the whole sky was + still of an inky blackness; but two concentric rainbows stood in brilliant + relief against it, while far in front the ragged cloud still streamed + before the wind, and the retreating thunder muttered angrily. + </p> + <p> + Through that afternoon and the next morning we were passing down the banks + of the stream called La Fontaine qui Bouille, from the boiling spring + whose waters flow into it. When we stopped at noon, we were within six or + eight miles of the Pueblo. Setting out again, we found by the fresh tracks + that a horseman had just been out to reconnoiter us; he had circled half + round the camp, and then galloped back full speed for the Pueblo. What + made him so shy of us we could not conceive. After an hour’s ride we + reached the edge of a hill, from which a welcome sight greeted us. The + Arkansas ran along the valley below, among woods and groves, and closely + nestled in the midst of wide cornfields and green meadows where cattle + were grazing rose the low mud walls of the Pueblo. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0021" id="link2HCH0021"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XXI + </h2> + <h3> + THE PUEBLO AND BENT’S FORT + </h3> + <p> + We approached the gate of the Pueblo. It was a wretched species of fort of + most primitive construction, being nothing more than a large square + inclosure, surrounded by a wall of mud, miserably cracked and dilapidated. + The slender pickets that surmounted it were half broken down, and the gate + dangled on its wooden hinges so loosely, that to open or shut it seemed + likely to fling it down altogether. Two or three squalid Mexicans, with + their broad hats, and their vile faces overgrown with hair, were lounging + about the bank of the river in front of it. They disappeared as they saw + us approach; and as we rode up to the gate a light active little figure + came out to meet us. It was our old friend Richard. He had come from Fort + Laramie on a trading expedition to Taos; but finding, when he reached the + Pueblo, that the war would prevent his going farther, he was quietly + waiting till the conquest of the country should allow him to proceed. He + seemed to consider himself bound to do the honors of the place. Shaking us + warmly by the hands, he led the way into the area. + </p> + <p> + Here we saw his large Santa Fe wagons standing together. A few squaws and + Spanish women, and a few Mexicans, as mean and miserable as the place + itself, were lazily sauntering about. Richard conducted us to the state + apartment of the Pueblo, a small mud room, very neatly finished, + considering the material, and garnished with a crucifix, a looking-glass, + a picture of the Virgin, and a rusty horse pistol. There were no chairs, + but instead of them a number of chests and boxes ranged about the room. + There was another room beyond, less sumptuously decorated, and here three + or four Spanish girls, one of them very pretty, were baking cakes at a mud + fireplace in the corner. They brought out a poncho, which they spread upon + the floor by way of table-cloth. A supper, which seemed to us luxurious, + was soon laid out upon it, and folded buffalo robes were placed around it + to receive the guests. Two or three Americans, besides ourselves, were + present. We sat down Turkish fashion, and began to inquire the news. + Richard told us that, about three weeks before, General Kearny’s army had + left Bent’s Fort to march against Santa Fe; that when last heard from they + were approaching the mountainous defiles that led to the city. One of the + Americans produced a dingy newspaper, containing an account of the battles + of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. While we were discussing these + matters, the doorway was darkened by a tall, shambling fellow, who stood + with his hands in his pockets taking a leisurely survey of the premises + before he entered. He wore brown homespun pantaloons, much too short for + his legs, and a pistol and bowie knife stuck in his belt. His head and one + eye were enveloped in a huge bandage of white linen. Having completed his + observations, he came slouching in and sat down on a chest. Eight or ten + more of the same stamp followed, and very coolly arranging themselves + about the room, began to stare at the company. Shaw and I looked at each + other. We were forcibly reminded of the Oregon emigrants, though these + unwelcome visitors had a certain glitter of the eye, and a compression of + the lips, which distinguished them from our old acquaintances of the + prairie. They began to catechise us at once, inquiring whence we had come, + what we meant to do next, and what were our future prospects in life. + </p> + <p> + The man with the bandaged head had met with an untoward accident a few + days before. He was going down to the river to bring water, and was + pushing through the young willows which covered the low ground, when he + came unawares upon a grizzly bear, which, having just eaten a buffalo + bull, had lain down to sleep off the meal. The bear rose on his hind legs, + and gave the intruder such a blow with his paw that he laid his forehead + entirely bare, clawed off the front of his scalp, and narrowly missed one + of his eyes. Fortunately he was not in a very pugnacious mood, being + surfeited with his late meal. The man’s companions, who were close behind, + raised a shout and the bear walked away, crushing down the willows in his + leisurely retreat. + </p> + <p> + These men belonged to a party of Mormons, who, out of a well-grounded fear + of the other emigrants, had postponed leaving the settlements until all + the rest were gone. On account of this delay they did not reach Fort + Laramie until it was too late to continue their journey to California. + Hearing that there was good land at the head of the Arkansas, they crossed + over under the guidance of Richard, and were now preparing to spend the + winter at a spot about half a mile from the Pueblo. + </p> + <p> + When we took leave of Richard, it was near sunset. Passing out of the + gate, we could look down the little valley of the Arkansas; a beautiful + scene, and doubly so to our eyes, so long accustomed to deserts and + mountains. Tall woods lined the river, with green meadows on either hand; + and high bluffs, quietly basking in the sunlight, flanked the narrow + valley. A Mexican on horseback was driving a herd of cattle toward the + gate, and our little white tent, which the men had pitched under a large + tree in the meadow, made a very pleasing feature in the scene. When we + reached it, we found that Richard had sent a Mexican to bring us an + abundant supply of green corn and vegetables, and invite us to help + ourselves to whatever we wished from the fields around the Pueblo. + </p> + <p> + The inhabitants were in daily apprehensions of an inroad from more + formidable consumers than ourselves. Every year at the time when the corn + begins to ripen, the Arapahoes, to the number of several thousands, come + and encamp around the Pueblo. The handful of white men, who are entirely + at the mercy of this swarm of barbarians, choose to make a merit of + necessity; they come forward very cordially, shake them by the hand, and + intimate that the harvest is entirely at their disposal. The Arapahoes + take them at their word, help themselves most liberally, and usually turn + their horses into the cornfields afterward. They have the foresight, + however, to leave enough of the crops untouched to serve as an inducement + for planting the fields again for their benefit in the next spring. + </p> + <p> + The human race in this part of the world is separated into three + divisions, arranged in the order of their merits; white men, Indians, and + Mexicans; to the latter of whom the honorable title of “whites” is by no + means conceded. + </p> + <p> + In spite of the warm sunset of that evening the next morning was a dreary + and cheerless one. It rained steadily, clouds resting upon the very + treetops. We crossed the river to visit the Mormon settlement. As we + passed through the water, several trappers on horseback entered it from + the other side. Their buckskin frocks were soaked through by the rain, and + clung fast to their limbs with a most clammy and uncomfortable look. The + water was trickling down their faces, and dropping from the ends of their + rifles, and from the traps which each carried at the pommel of his saddle. + Horses and all, they had a most disconsolate and woebegone appearance, + which we could not help laughing at, forgetting how often we ourselves had + been in a similar plight. + </p> + <p> + After half an hour’s riding we saw the white wagons of the Mormons drawn + up among the trees. Axes were sounding, trees were falling, and log-huts + going up along the edge of the woods and upon the adjoining meadow. As we + came up the Mormons left their work and seated themselves on the timber + around us, when they began earnestly to discuss points of theology, + complain of the ill-usage they had received from the “Gentiles,” and sound + a lamentation over the loss of their great temple at Nauvoo. After + remaining with them an hour we rode back to our camp, happy that the + settlements had been delivered from the presence of such blind and + desperate fanatics. + </p> + <p> + On the morning after this we left the Pueblo for Bent’s Fort. The conduct + of Raymond had lately been less satisfactory than before, and we had + discharged him as soon as we arrived at the former place; so that the + party, ourselves included, was now reduced to four. There was some + uncertainty as to our future course. The trail between Bent’s Fort and the + settlements, a distance computed at six hundred miles, was at this time in + a dangerous state; for since the passage of General Kearny’s army, great + numbers of hostile Indians, chiefly Pawnees and Comanches, had gathered + about some parts of it. A little after this time they became so numerous + and audacious, that scarcely a single party, however large, passed between + the fort and the frontier without some token of their hostility. The + newspapers of the time sufficiently display this state of things. Many men + were killed, and great numbers of horses and mules carried off. Not long + since I met with the gentleman, who, during the autumn, came from Santa Fe + to Bent’s Fort, when he found a party of seventy men, who thought + themselves too weak to go down to the settlements alone, and were waiting + there for a re-enforcement. Though this excessive timidity fully proves + the ignorance and credulity of the men, it may also evince the state of + alarm which prevailed in the country. When we were there in the month of + August, the danger had not become so great. There was nothing very + attractive in the neighborhood. We supposed, moreover, that we might wait + there half the winter without finding any party to go down with us; for + Mr. Sublette and the others whom we had relied upon had, as Richard told + us, already left Bent’s Fort. Thus far on our journey Fortune had kindly + befriended us. We resolved therefore to take advantage of her gracious + mood and trusting for a continuance of her favors, to set out with Henry + and Delorier, and run the gauntlet of the Indians in the best way we + could. + </p> + <p> + Bent’s Fort stands on the river, about seventy-five miles below the + Pueblo. At noon of the third day we arrived within three or four miles of + it, pitched our tent under a tree, hung our looking-glasses against its + trunk and having made our primitive toilet, rode toward the fort. We soon + came in sight of it, for it is visible from a considerable distance, + standing with its high clay walls in the midst of the scorching plains. It + seemed as if a swarm of locusts had invaded the country. The grass for + miles around was cropped close by the horses of General Kearny’s soldiery. + When we came to the fort, we found that not only had the horses eaten up + the grass, but their owners had made away with the stores of the little + trading post; so that we had great difficulty in procuring the few + articles which we required for our homeward journey. The army was gone, + the life and bustle passed away, and the fort was a scene of dull and lazy + tranquillity. A few invalid officers and soldiers sauntered about the + area, which was oppressively hot; for the glaring sun was reflected down + upon it from the high white walls around. The proprietors were absent, and + we were received by Mr. Holt, who had been left in charge of the fort. He + invited us to dinner, where, to our admiration, we found a table laid with + a white cloth, with castors in the center and chairs placed around it. + This unwonted repast concluded, we rode back to our camp. + </p> + <p> + Here, as we lay smoking round the fire after supper, we saw through the + dusk three men approaching from the direction of the fort. They rode up + and seated themselves near us on the ground. The foremost was a tall, + well-formed man, with a face and manner such as inspire confidence at + once. He wore a broad hat of felt, slouching and tattered, and the rest of + his attire consisted of a frock and leggings of buckskin, rubbed with the + yellow clay found among the mountains. At the heel of one of his moccasins + was buckled a huge iron spur, with a rowel five or six inches in diameter. + His horse, who stood quietly looking over his head, had a rude Mexican + saddle, covered with a shaggy bearskin, and furnished with a pair of + wooden stirrups of most preposterous size. The next man was a sprightly, + active little fellow, about five feet and a quarter high, but very strong + and compact. His face was swarthy as a Mexican’s and covered with a close, + curly black beard. An old greasy calico handkerchief was tied round his + head, and his close buckskin dress was blackened and polished by grease + and hard service. The last who came up was a large strong man, dressed in + the coarse homespun of the frontiers, who dragged his long limbs over the + ground as if he were too lazy for the effort. He had a sleepy gray eye, a + retreating chin, an open mouth and a protruding upper lip, which gave him + an air of exquisite indolence and helplessness. He was armed with an old + United States yager, which redoubtable weapon, though he could never hit + his mark with it, he was accustomed to cherish as the very sovereign of + firearms. + </p> + <p> + The first two men belonged to a party who had just come from California + with a large band of horses, which they had disposed of at Bent’s Fort. + Munroe, the taller of the two, was from Iowa. He was an excellent fellow, + open, warm-hearted and intelligent. Jim Gurney, the short man, was a + Boston sailor, who had come in a trading vessel to California, and taken + the fancy to return across the continent. The journey had already made him + an expert “mountain man,” and he presented the extraordinary phenomenon of + a sailor who understood how to manage a horse. The third of our visitors + named Ellis, was a Missourian, who had come out with a party of Oregon + emigrants, but having got as far as Bridge’s Fort, he had fallen + home-sick, or as Jim averred, love-sick—and Ellis was just the man + to be balked in a love adventure. He thought proper to join the California + men and return homeward in their company. + </p> + <p> + They now requested that they might unite with our party, and make the + journey to the settlements in company with us. We readily assented, for we + liked the appearance of the first two men, and were very glad to gain so + efficient a re-enforcement. We told them to meet us on the next evening at + a spot on the river side, about six miles below the fort. Having smoked a + pipe together, our new allies left us, and we lay down to sleep. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0022" id="link2HCH0022"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XXII + </h2> + <h3> + TETE ROUGE, THE VOLUNTEER + </h3> + <p> + The next morning, having directed Delorier to repair with his cart to the + place of meeting, we came again to the fort to make some arrangements for + the journey. After completing these we sat down under a sort of perch, to + smoke with some Cheyenne Indians whom we found there. In a few minutes we + saw an extraordinary little figure approach us in a military dress. He had + a small, round countenance, garnished about the eyes with the kind of + wrinkles commonly known as crow’s feet and surrounded by an abundant crop + of red curls, with a little cap resting on the top of them. Altogether, he + had the look of a man more conversant with mint juleps and oyster suppers + than with the hardships of prairie service. He came up to us and entreated + that we would take him home to the settlements, saying that unless he went + with us he should have to stay all winter at the fort. We liked our + petitioner’s appearance so little that we excused ourselves from complying + with his request. At this he begged us so hard to take pity on him, looked + so disconsolate, and told so lamentable a story that at last we consented, + though not without many misgivings. + </p> + <p> + The rugged Anglo-Saxon of our new recruit’s real name proved utterly + unmanageable on the lips of our French attendants, and Henry Chatillon, + after various abortive attempts to pronounce it, one day coolly christened + him Tete Rouge, in honor of his red curls. He had at different times been + clerk of a Mississippi steamboat, and agent in a trading establishment at + Nauvoo, besides filling various other capacities, in all of which he had + seen much more of “life” than was good for him. In the spring, thinking + that a summer’s campaign would be an agreeable recreation, he had joined a + company of St. Louis volunteers. + </p> + <p> + “There were three of us,” said Tete Rouge, “me and Bill Stevens and John + Hopkins. We thought we would just go out with the army, and when we had + conquered the country, we would get discharged and take our pay, you know, + and go down to Mexico. They say there is plenty of fun going on there. + Then we could go back to New Orleans by way of Vera Cruz.” + </p> + <p> + But Tete Rouge, like many a stouter volunteer, had reckoned without his + host. Fighting Mexicans was a less amusing occupation than he had + supposed, and his pleasure trip was disagreeably interrupted by brain + fever, which attacked him when about halfway to Bent’s Fort. He jolted + along through the rest of the journey in a baggage wagon. When they came + to the fort he was taken out and left there, together with the rest of the + sick. Bent’s Fort does not supply the best accommodations for an invalid. + Tete Rouge’s sick chamber was a little mud room, where he and a companion + attacked by the same disease were laid together, with nothing but a + buffalo robe between them and the ground. The assistant surgeon’s deputy + visited them once a day and brought them each a huge dose of calomel, the + only medicine, according to his surviving victim, which he was acquainted + with. + </p> + <p> + Tete Rouge woke one morning, and turning to his companion, saw his eyes + fixed upon the beams above with the glassy stare of a dead man. At this + the unfortunate volunteer lost his senses outright. In spite of the + doctor, however, he eventually recovered; though between the brain fever + and the calomel, his mind, originally none of the strongest, was so much + shaken that it had not quite recovered its balance when we came to the + fort. In spite of the poor fellow’s tragic story, there was something so + ludicrous in his appearance, and the whimsical contrast between his + military dress and his most unmilitary demeanor, that we could not help + smiling at them. We asked him if he had a gun. He said they had taken it + from him during his illness, and he had not seen it since; “but perhaps,” + he observed, looking at me with a beseeching air, “you will lend me one of + your big pistols if we should meet with any Indians.” I next inquired if + he had a horse; he declared he had a magnificent one, and at Shaw’s + request a Mexican led him in for inspection. He exhibited the outline of a + good horse, but his eyes were sunk in the sockets, and every one of his + ribs could be counted. There were certain marks too about his shoulders, + which could be accounted for by the circumstance, that during Tete Rouge’s + illness, his companions had seized upon the insulted charger, and + harnessed him to a cannon along with the draft horses. To Tete Rouge’s + astonishment we recommended him by all means to exchange the horse, if he + could, for a mule. Fortunately the people at the fort were so anxious to + get rid of him that they were willing to make some sacrifice to effect the + object, and he succeeded in getting a tolerable mule in exchange for the + broken-down steed. + </p> + <p> + A man soon appeared at the gate, leading in the mule by a cord which he + placed in the hands of Tete Rouge, who, being somewhat afraid of his new + acquisition, tried various flatteries and blandishments to induce her to + come forward. The mule, knowing that she was expected to advance, stopped + short in consequence, and stood fast as a rock, looking straight forward + with immovable composure. Being stimulated by a blow from behind she + consented to move, and walked nearly to the other side of the fort before + she stopped again. Hearing the by-standers laugh, Tete Rouge plucked up + spirit and tugged hard at the rope. The mule jerked backward, spun herself + round, and made a dash for the gate. Tete Rouge, who clung manfully to the + rope, went whisking through the air for a few rods, when he let go and + stood with his mouth open, staring after the mule, who galloped away over + the prairie. She was soon caught and brought back by a Mexican, who + mounted a horse and went in pursuit of her with his lasso. + </p> + <p> + Having thus displayed his capacity for prairie travel, Tete Rouge + proceeded to supply himself with provisions for the journey, and with this + view he applied to a quartermaster’s assistant who was in the fort. This + official had a face as sour as vinegar, being in a state of chronic + indignation because he had been left behind the army. He was as anxious as + the rest to get rid of Tete Rouge. So, producing a rusty key, he opened a + low door which led to a half-subterranean apartment, into which the two + disappeared together. After some time they came out again, Tete Rouge + greatly embarrassed by a multiplicity of paper parcels containing the + different articles of his forty days’ rations. They were consigned to the + care of Delorier, who about that time passed by with the cart on his way + to the appointed place of meeting with Munroe and his companions. + </p> + <p> + We next urged Tete Rouge to provide himself, if he could, with a gun. He + accordingly made earnest appeals to the charity of various persons in the + fort, but totally without success, a circumstance which did not greatly + disturb us, since in the event of a skirmish he would be much more apt to + do mischief to himself or his friends than to the enemy. When all these + arrangements were completed we saddled our horses and were preparing to + leave the fort, when looking round we discovered that our new associate + was in fresh trouble. A man was holding the mule for him in the middle of + the fort, while he tried to put the saddle on her back, but she kept + stepping sideways and moving round and round in a circle until he was + almost in despair. It required some assistance before all his difficulties + could be overcome. At length he clambered into the black war saddle on + which he was to have carried terror into the ranks of the Mexicans. + </p> + <p> + “Get up,” said Tete Rouge, “come now, go along, will you.” + </p> + <p> + The mule walked deliberately forward out of the gate. Her recent conduct + had inspired him with so much awe that he never dared to touch her with + his whip. We trotted forward toward the place of meeting, but before he + had gone far we saw that Tete Rouge’s mule, who perfectly understood her + rider, had stopped and was quietly grazing, in spite of his protestations, + at some distance behind. So getting behind him, we drove him and the + contumacious mule before us, until we could see through the twilight the + gleaming of a distant fire. Munroe, Jim, and Ellis were lying around it; + their saddles, packs, and weapons were scattered about and their horses + picketed near them. Delorier was there too with our little cart. Another + fire was soon blazing high. We invited our new allies to take a cup of + coffee with us. When both the others had gone over to their side of the + camp, Jim Gurney still stood by the blaze, puffing hard at his little + black pipe, as short and weather-beaten as himself. + </p> + <p> + “Well!” he said, “here are eight of us; we’ll call it six—for them + two boobies, Ellis over yonder, and that new man of yours, won’t count for + anything. We’ll get through well enough, never fear for that, unless the + Comanches happen to get foul of us.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0023" id="link2HCH0023"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XXIII + </h2> + <h3> + INDIAN ALARMS + </h3> + <p> + We began our journey for the frontier settlements on the 27th of August, + and certainly a more ragamuffin cavalcade never was seen on the banks of + the Upper Arkansas. Of the large and fine horses with which we had left + the frontier in the spring, not one remained; we had supplied their place + with the rough breed of the prairie, as hardy as mules and almost as ugly; + we had also with us a number of the latter detestable animals. In spite of + their strength and hardihood, several of the band were already worn down + by hard service and hard fare, and as none of them were shod, they were + fast becoming foot-sore. Every horse and mule had a cord of twisted + bull-hide coiled around his neck, which by no means added to the beauty of + his appearance. Our saddles and all our equipments were by this time + lamentably worn and battered, and our weapons had become dull and rusty. + The dress of the riders fully corresponded with the dilapidated furniture + of our horses, and of the whole party none made a more disreputable + appearance than my friend and I. Shaw had for an upper garment an old red + flannel shirt, flying open in front and belted around him like a frock; + while I, in absence of other clothing, was attired in a time-worn suit of + leather. + </p> + <p> + Thus, happy and careless as so many beggars, we crept slowly from day to + day along the monotonous banks of the Arkansas. Tete Rouge gave constant + trouble, for he could never catch his mule, saddle her, or indeed do + anything else without assistance. Every day he had some new ailment, real + or imaginary, to complain of. At one moment he would be woebegone and + disconsolate, and the next he would be visited with a violent flow of + spirits, to which he could only give vent by incessant laughing, + whistling, and telling stories. When other resources failed, we used to + amuse ourselves by tormenting him; a fair compensation for the trouble he + cost us. Tete Rouge rather enjoyed being laughed at, for he was an odd + compound of weakness, eccentricity, and good-nature. He made a figure + worthy of a painter as he paced along before us, perched on the back of + his mule, and enveloped in a huge buffalo-robe coat, which some charitable + person had given him at the fort. This extraordinary garment, which would + have contained two men of his size, he chose, for some reason best known + to himself, to wear inside out, and he never took it off, even in the + hottest weather. It was fluttering all over with seams and tatters, and + the hide was so old and rotten that it broke out every day in a new place. + Just at the top of it a large pile of red curls was visible, with his + little cap set jauntily upon one side, to give him a military air. His + seat in the saddle was no less remarkable than his person and equipment. + He pressed one leg close against his mule’s side, and thrust the other out + at an angle of 45 degrees. His pantaloons were decorated with a military + red stripe, of which he was extremely vain; but being much too short, the + whole length of his boots was usually visible below them. His blanket, + loosely rolled up into a large bundle, dangled at the back of his saddle, + where he carried it tied with a string. Four or five times a day it would + fall to the ground. Every few minutes he would drop his pipe, his knife, + his flint and steel, or a piece of tobacco, and have to scramble down to + pick them up. In doing this he would contrive to get in everybody’s way; + and as the most of the party were by no means remarkable for a fastidious + choice of language, a storm of anathemas would be showered upon him, half + in earnest and half in jest, until Tete Rouge would declare that there was + no comfort in life, and that he never saw such fellows before. + </p> + <p> + Only a day or two after leaving Bent’s Fort Henry Chatillon rode forward + to hunt, and took Ellis along with him. After they had been some time + absent we saw them coming down the hill, driving three dragoon-horses, + which had escaped from their owners on the march, or perhaps had given out + and been abandoned. One of them was in tolerable condition, but the others + were much emaciated and severely bitten by the wolves. Reduced as they + were we carried two of them to the settlements, and Henry exchanged the + third with the Arapahoes for an excellent mule. + </p> + <p> + On the day after, when we had stopped to rest at noon, a long train of + Santa Fe wagons came up and trailed slowly past us in their picturesque + procession. They belonged to a trader named Magoffin, whose brother, with + a number of other men, came over and sat down around us on the grass. The + news they brought was not of the most pleasing complexion. According to + their accounts, the trail below was in a very dangerous state. They had + repeatedly detected Indians prowling at night around their camps; and the + large party which had left Bent’s Fort a few weeks previous to our own + departure had been attacked, and a man named Swan, from Massachusetts, had + been killed. His companions had buried the body; but when Magoffin found + his grave, which was near a place called the Caches, the Indians had dug + up and scalped him, and the wolves had shockingly mangled his remains. As + an offset to this intelligence, they gave us the welcome information that + the buffalo were numerous at a few days’ journey below. + </p> + <p> + On the next afternoon, as we moved along the bank of the river, we saw the + white tops of wagons on the horizon. It was some hours before we met them, + when they proved to be a train of clumsy ox-wagons, quite different from + the rakish vehicles of the Santa Fe traders, and loaded with government + stores for the troops. They all stopped, and the drivers gathered around + us in a crowd. I thought that the whole frontier might have been ransacked + in vain to furnish men worse fitted to meet the dangers of the prairie. + Many of them were mere boys, fresh from the plow, and devoid of knowledge + and experience. In respect to the state of the trail, they confirmed all + that the Santa Fe men had told us. In passing between the Pawnee Fork and + the Caches, their sentinels had fired every night at real or imaginary + Indians. They said also that Ewing, a young Kentuckian in the party that + had gone down before us, had shot an Indian who was prowling at evening + about the camp. Some of them advised us to turn back, and others to hasten + forward as fast as we could; but they all seemed in such a state of + feverish anxiety, and so little capable of cool judgment, that we attached + slight weight to what they said. They next gave us a more definite piece + of intelligence; a large village of Arapahoes was encamped on the river + below. They represented them to be quite friendly; but some distinction + was to be made between a party of thirty men, traveling with oxen, which + are of no value in an Indian’s eyes and a mere handful like ourselves, + with a tempting band of mules and horses. This story of the Arapahoes + therefore caused us some anxiety. + </p> + <p> + Just after leaving the government wagons, as Shaw and I were riding along + a narrow passage between the river bank and a rough hill that pressed + close upon it, we heard Tete Rouge’s voice behind us. “Hallo!” he called + out; “I say, stop the cart just for a minute, will you?” + </p> + <p> + “What’s the matter, Tete?” asked Shaw, as he came riding up to us with a + grin of exultation. He had a bottle of molasses in one hand, and a large + bundle of hides on the saddle before him, containing, as he triumphantly + informed us, sugar, biscuits, coffee, and rice. These supplies he had + obtained by a stratagem on which he greatly plumed himself, and he was + extremely vexed and astonished that we did not fall in with his views of + the matter. He had told Coates, the master-wagoner, that the commissary at + the fort had given him an order for sick-rations, directed to the master + of any government train which he might meet upon the road. This order he + had unfortunately lost, but he hoped that the rations would not be refused + on that account, as he was suffering from coarse fare and needed them very + much. As soon as he came to camp that night Tete Rouge repaired to the box + at the back of the cart, where Delorier used to keep his culinary + apparatus, took possession of a saucepan, and after building a little fire + of his own, set to work preparing a meal out of his ill-gotten booty. This + done, he seized on a tin plate and spoon, and sat down under the cart to + regale himself. His preliminary repast did not at all prejudice his + subsequent exertions at supper; where, in spite of his miniature + dimensions, he made a better figure than any of us. Indeed, about this + time his appetite grew quite voracious. He began to thrive wonderfully. + His small body visibly expanded, and his cheeks, which when we first took + him were rather yellow and cadaverous, now dilated in a wonderful manner, + and became ruddy in proportion. Tete Rouge, in short, began to appear like + another man. + </p> + <p> + Early in the afternoon of the next day, looking along the edge of the + horizon in front, we saw that at one point it was faintly marked with pale + indentations, like the teeth of a saw. The lodges of the Arapahoes, rising + between us and the sky, caused this singular appearance. It wanted still + two or three hours of sunset when we came opposite their camp. There were + full two hundred lodges standing in the midst of a grassy meadow at some + distance beyond the river, while for a mile around and on either bank of + the Arkansas were scattered some fifteen hundred horses and mules grazing + together in bands, or wandering singly about the prairie. The whole were + visible at once, for the vast expanse was unbroken by hills, and there was + not a tree or a bush to intercept the view. + </p> + <p> + Here and there walked an Indian, engaged in watching the horses. No sooner + did we see them than Tete Rouge begged Delorier to stop the cart and hand + him his little military jacket, which was stowed away there. In this he + instantly invested himself, having for once laid the old buffalo coat + aside, assumed a most martial posture in the saddle, set his cap over his + left eye with an air of defiance, and earnestly entreated that somebody + would lend him a gun or a pistol only for half an hour. Being called upon + to explain these remarkable proceedings, Tete Rouge observed that he knew + from experience what effect the presence of a military man in his uniform + always had upon the mind of an Indian, and he thought the Arapahoes ought + to know that there was a soldier in the party. + </p> + <p> + Meeting Arapahoes here on the Arkansas was a very different thing from + meeting the same Indians among their native mountains. There was another + circumstance in our favor. General Kearny had seen them a few weeks + before, as he came up the river with his army, and renewing his threats of + the previous year, he told them that if they ever again touched the hair + of a white man’s head he would exterminate their nation. This placed them + for the time in an admirable frame of mind, and the effect of his menaces + had not yet disappeared. I was anxious to see the village and its + inhabitants. We thought it also our best policy to visit them openly, as + if unsuspicious of any hostile design; and Shaw and I, with Henry + Chatillon, prepared to cross the river. The rest of the party meanwhile + moved forward as fast as they could, in order to get as far as possible + from our suspicious neighbors before night came on. + </p> + <p> + The Arkansas at this point, and for several hundred miles below, is + nothing but a broad sand-bed, over which a few scanty threads of water are + swiftly gliding, now and then expanding into wide shallows. At several + places, during the autumn, the water sinks into the sand and disappears + altogether. At this season, were it not for the numerous quicksands, the + river might be forded almost anywhere without difficulty, though its + channel is often a quarter of a mile wide. Our horses jumped down the + bank, and wading through the water, or galloping freely over the hard + sand-beds, soon reached the other side. Here, as we were pushing through + the tall grass, we saw several Indians not far off; one of them waited + until we came up, and stood for some moments in perfect silence before us, + looking at us askance with his little snakelike eyes. Henry explained by + signs what we wanted, and the Indian, gathering his buffalo robe about his + shoulders, led the way toward the village without speaking a word. + </p> + <p> + The language of the Arapahoes is so difficult, and its pronunciations so + harsh and guttural, that no white man, it is said, has ever been able to + master it. Even Maxwell the trader, who has been most among them, is + compelled to resort to the curious sign language common to most of the + prairie tribes. With this Henry Chatillon was perfectly acquainted. + </p> + <p> + Approaching the village, we found the ground all around it strewn with + great piles of waste buffalo meat in incredible quantities. The lodges + were pitched in a very wide circle. They resembled those of the Dakota in + everything but cleanliness and neatness. Passing between two of them, we + entered the great circular area of the camp, and instantly hundreds of + Indians, men, women and children, came flocking out of their habitations + to look at us; at the same time, the dogs all around the village set up a + fearful baying. Our Indian guide walked toward the lodge of the chief. + Here we dismounted; and loosening the trail-ropes from our horses’ necks, + held them securely, and sat down before the entrance, with our rifles laid + across our laps. The chief came out and shook us by the hand. He was a + mean-looking fellow, very tall, thin-visaged, and sinewy, like the rest of + the nation, and with scarcely a vestige of clothing. We had not been + seated half a minute before a multitude of Indians came crowding around us + from every part of the village, and we were shut in by a dense wall of + savage faces. Some of the Indians crouched around us on the ground; others + again sat behind them; others, stooping, looked over their heads; while + many more stood crowded behind, stretching themselves upward, and peering + over each other’s shoulders, to get a view of us. I looked in vain among + this multitude of faces to discover one manly or generous expression; all + were wolfish, sinister, and malignant, and their complexions, as well as + their features, unlike those of the Dakota, were exceedingly bad. The + chief, who sat close to the entrance, called to a squaw within the lodge, + who soon came out and placed a wooden bowl of meat before us. To our + surprise, however, no pipe was offered. Having tasted of the meat as a + matter of form, I began to open a bundle of presents—tobacco, + knives, vermilion, and other articles which I had brought with me. At this + there was a grin on every countenance in the rapacious crowd; their eyes + began to glitter, and long thin arms were eagerly stretched toward us on + all sides to receive the gifts. + </p> + <p> + The Arapahoes set great value upon their shields, which they transmit + carefully from father to son. I wished to get one of them; and displaying + a large piece of scarlet cloth, together with some tobacco and a knife, I + offered them to any one who would bring me what I wanted. After some delay + a tolerable shield was produced. They were very anxious to know what we + meant to do with it, and Henry told them that we were going to fight their + enemies, the Pawnees. This instantly produced a visible impression in our + favor, which was increased by the distribution of the presents. Among + these was a large paper of awls, a gift appropriate to the women; and as + we were anxious to see the beauties of the Arapahoe village Henry + requested that they might be called to receive them. A warrior gave a + shout as if he were calling a pack of dogs together. The squaws, young and + old, hags of eighty and girls of sixteen, came running with screams and + laughter out of the lodges; and as the men gave way for them they gathered + round us and stretched out their arms, grinning with delight, their native + ugliness considerably enhanced by the excitement of the moment. + </p> + <p> + Mounting our horses, which during the whole interview we had held close to + us, we prepared to leave the Arapahoes. The crowd fell back on each side + and stood looking on. When we were half across the camp an idea occurred + to us. The Pawnees were probably in the neighborhood of the Caches; we + might tell the Arapahoes of this and instigate them to send down a war + party and cut them off, while we ourselves could remain behind for a while + and hunt the buffalo. At first thought this plan of setting our enemies to + destroy one another seemed to us a masterpiece of policy; but we + immediately recollected that should we meet the Arapahoe warriors on the + river below they might prove quite as dangerous as the Pawnees themselves. + So rejecting our plan as soon as it presented itself, we passed out of the + village on the farther side. We urged our horses rapidly through the tall + grass which rose to their necks. Several Indians were walking through it + at a distance, their heads just visible above its waving surface. It bore + a kind of seed as sweet and nutritious as oats; and our hungry horses, in + spite of whip and rein, could not resist the temptation of snatching at + this unwonted luxury as we passed along. When about a mile from the + village I turned and looked back over the undulating ocean of grass. The + sun was just set; the western sky was all in a glow, and sharply defined + against it, on the extreme verge of the plain, stood the numerous lodges + of the Arapahoe camp. + </p> + <p> + Reaching the bank of the river, we followed it for some distance farther, + until we discerned through the twilight the white covering of our little + cart on the opposite bank. When we reached it we found a considerable + number of Indians there before us. Four or five of them were seated in a + row upon the ground, looking like so many half-starved vultures. Tete + Rouge, in his uniform, was holding a close colloquy with another by the + side of the cart. His gesticulations, his attempts at sign-making, and the + contortions of his countenance, were most ludicrous; and finding all these + of no avail, he tried to make the Indian understand him by repeating + English words very loudly and distinctly again and again. The Indian sat + with his eye fixed steadily upon him, and in spite of the rigid immobility + of his features, it was clear at a glance that he perfectly understood his + military companion’s character and thoroughly despised him. The exhibition + was more amusing than politic, and Tete Rouge was directed to finish what + he had to say as soon as possible. Thus rebuked, he crept under the cart + and sat down there; Henry Chatillon stopped to look at him in his + retirement, and remarked in his quiet manner that an Indian would kill ten + such men and laugh all the time. + </p> + <p> + One by one our visitors rose and stalked away. As the darkness thickened + we were saluted by dismal sounds. The wolves are incredibly numerous in + this part of the country, and the offal around the Arapahoe camp had drawn + such multitudes of them together that several hundred were howling in + concert in our immediate neighborhood. There was an island in the river, + or rather an oasis in the midst of the sands at about the distance of a + gunshot, and here they seemed gathered in the greatest numbers. A horrible + discord of low mournful wailings, mingled with ferocious howls, arose from + it incessantly for several hours after sunset. We could distinctly see the + wolves running about the prairie within a few rods of our fire, or + bounding over the sand-beds of the river and splashing through the water. + There was not the slightest danger to be feared from them, for they are + the greatest cowards on the prairie. + </p> + <p> + In respect to the human wolves in our neighborhood, we felt much less at + our ease. We seldom erected our tent except in bad weather, and that night + each man spread his buffalo robe upon the ground with his loaded rifle + laid at his side or clasped in his arms. Our horses were picketed so close + around us that one of them repeatedly stepped over me as I lay. We were + not in the habit of placing a guard, but every man that night was anxious + and watchful; there was little sound sleeping in camp, and some one of the + party was on his feet during the greater part of the time. For myself, I + lay alternately waking and dozing until midnight. Tete Rouge was reposing + close to the river bank, and about this time, when half asleep and half + awake, I was conscious that he shifted his position and crept on all-fours + under the cart. Soon after I fell into a sound sleep from which I was + aroused by a hand shaking me by the shoulder. Looking up, I saw Tete Rouge + stooping over me with his face quite pale and his eyes dilated to their + utmost expansion. + </p> + <p> + “What’s the matter?” said I. + </p> + <p> + Tete Rouge declared that as he lay on the river bank, something caught his + eye which excited his suspicions. So creeping under the cart for safety’s + sake he sat there and watched, when he saw two Indians, wrapped in white + robes, creep up the bank, seize upon two horses and lead them off. He + looked so frightened, and told his story in such a disconnected manner, + that I did not believe him, and was unwilling to alarm the party. Still it + might be true, and in that case the matter required instant attention. + There would be no time for examination, and so directing Tete Rouge to + show me which way the Indians had gone, I took my rifle, in obedience to a + thoughtless impulse, and left the camp. I followed the river back for two + or three hundred yards, listening and looking anxiously on every side. In + the dark prairie on the right I could discern nothing to excite alarm; and + in the dusky bed of the river, a wolf was bounding along in a manner which + no Indian could imitate. I returned to the camp, and when within sight of + it, saw that the whole party was aroused. Shaw called out to me that he + had counted the horses, and that every one of them was in his place. Tete + Rouge, being examined as to what he had seen, only repeated his former + story with many asseverations, and insisted that two horses were certainly + carried off. At this Jim Gurney declared that he was crazy; Tete Rouge + indignantly denied the charge, on which Jim appealed to us. As we declined + to give our judgment on so delicate a matter, the dispute grew hot between + Tete Rouge and his accuser, until he was directed to go to bed and not + alarm the camp again if he saw the whole Arapahoe village coming. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0024" id="link2HCH0024"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XXIV + </h2> + <h3> + THE CHASE + </h3> + <p> + The country before us was now thronged with buffalo, and a sketch of the + manner of hunting them will not be out of place. There are two methods + commonly practiced, “running” and “approaching.” The chase on horseback, + which goes by the name of “running,” is the more violent and dashing mode + of the two. Indeed, of all American wild sports, this is the wildest. Once + among the buffalo, the hunter, unless long use has made him familiar with + the situation, dashes forward in utter recklessness and self-abandonment. + He thinks of nothing, cares for nothing but the game; his mind is + stimulated to the highest pitch, yet intensely concentrated on one object. + In the midst of the flying herd, where the uproar and the dust are + thickest, it never wavers for a moment; he drops the rein and abandons his + horse to his furious career; he levels his gun, the report sounds faint + amid the thunder of the buffalo; and when his wounded enemy leaps in vain + fury upon him, his heart thrills with a feeling like the fierce delight of + the battlefield. A practiced and skillful hunter, well mounted, will + sometimes kill five or six cows in a single chase, loading his gun again + and again as his horse rushes through the tumult. An exploit like this is + quite beyond the capacities of a novice. In attacking a small band of + buffalo, or in separating a single animal from the herd and assailing it + apart from the rest, there is less excitement and less danger. With a bold + and well trained horse the hunter may ride so close to the buffalo that as + they gallop side by side he may reach over and touch him with his hand; + nor is there much danger in this as long as the buffalo’s strength and + breath continue unabated; but when he becomes tired and can no longer run + at ease, when his tongue lolls out and foam flies from his jaws, then the + hunter had better keep at a more respectful distance; the distressed brute + may turn upon him at any instant; and especially at the moment when he + fires his gun. The wounded buffalo springs at his enemy; the horse leaps + violently aside; and then the hunter has need of a tenacious seat in the + saddle, for if he is thrown to the ground there is no hope for him. When + he sees his attack defeated the buffalo resumes his flight, but if the + shot be well directed he soon stops; for a few moments he stands still, + then totters and falls heavily upon the prairie. + </p> + <p> + The chief difficulty in running buffalo, as it seems to me, is that of + loading the gun or pistol at full gallop. Many hunters for convenience’ + sake carry three or four bullets in the mouth; the powder is poured down + the muzzle of the piece, the bullet dropped in after it, the stock struck + hard upon the pommel of the saddle, and the work is done. The danger of + this method is obvious. Should the blow on the pommel fail to send the + bullet home, or should the latter, in the act of aiming, start from its + place and roll toward the muzzle, the gun would probably burst in + discharging. Many a shattered hand and worse casualties besides have been + the result of such an accident. To obviate it, some hunters make use of a + ramrod, usually hung by a string from the neck, but this materially + increases the difficulty of loading. The bows and arrows which the Indians + use in running buffalo have many advantages over fire arms, and even white + men occasionally employ them. + </p> + <p> + The danger of the chase arises not so much from the onset of the wounded + animal as from the nature of the ground which the hunter must ride over. + The prairie does not always present a smooth, level, and uniform surface; + very often it is broken with hills and hollows, intersected by ravines, + and in the remoter parts studded by the stiff wild-sage bushes. The most + formidable obstructions, however, are the burrows of wild animals, wolves, + badgers, and particularly prairie dogs, with whose holes the ground for a + very great extent is frequently honeycombed. In the blindness of the chase + the hunter rushes over it unconscious of danger; his horse, at full + career, thrusts his leg deep into one of the burrows; the bone snaps, the + rider is hurled forward to the ground and probably killed. Yet accidents + in buffalo running happen less frequently than one would suppose; in the + recklessness of the chase, the hunter enjoys all the impunity of a drunken + man, and may ride in safety over the gullies and declivities where, should + he attempt to pass in his sober senses, he would infallibly break his + neck. + </p> + <p> + The method of “approaching,” being practiced on foot, has many advantages + over that of “running”; in the former, one neither breaks down his horse + nor endangers his own life; instead of yielding to excitement he must be + cool, collected, and watchful; he must understand the buffalo, observe the + features of the country and the course of the wind, and be well skilled, + moreover, in using the rifle. The buffalo are strange animals; sometimes + they are so stupid and infatuated that a man may walk up to them in full + sight on the open prairie, and even shoot several of their number before + the rest will think it necessary to retreat. Again at another moment they + will be so shy and wary, that in order to approach them the utmost skill, + experience, and judgment are necessary. Kit Carson, I believe, stands + pre-eminent in running buffalo; in approaching, no man living can bear + away the palm from Henry Chatillon. + </p> + <p> + To resume the story: After Tete Rouge had alarmed the camp, no further + disturbance occurred during the night. The Arapahoes did not attempt + mischief, or if they did the wakefulness of the party deterred them from + effecting their purpose. The next day was one of activity and excitement, + for about ten o’clock the men in advance shouted the gladdening cry of + “Buffalo, buffalo!” and in the hollow of the prairie just below us, a band + of bulls were grazing. The temptation was irresistible, and Shaw and I + rode down upon them. We were badly mounted on our traveling horses, but by + hard lashing we overtook them, and Shaw, running alongside of a bull, shot + into him both balls of his double-barreled gun. Looking round as I + galloped past, I saw the bull in his mortal fury rushing again and again + upon his antagonist, whose horse constantly leaped aside, and avoided the + onset. My chase was more protracted, but at length I ran close to the bull + and killed him with my pistols. Cutting off the tails of our victims by + way of trophy, we rejoined the party in about a quarter of an hour after + we left it. Again and again that morning rang out the same welcome cry of + “Buffalo, buffalo!” Every few moments in the broad meadows along the + river, we would see bands of bulls, who, raising their shaggy heads, would + gaze in stupid amazement at the approaching horsemen, and then breaking + into a clumsy gallop, would file off in a long line across the trail in + front, toward the rising prairie on the left. At noon, the whole plain + before us was alive with thousands of buffalo—bulls, cows, and + calves—all moving rapidly as we drew near; and far-off beyond the + river the swelling prairie was darkened with them to the very horizon. The + party was in gayer spirits than ever. We stopped for a nooning near a + grove of trees by the river side. + </p> + <p> + “Tongues and hump ribs to-morrow,” said Shaw, looking with contempt at the + venison steaks which Delorier placed before us. Our meal finished, we lay + down under a temporary awning to sleep. A shout from Henry Chatillon + aroused us, and we saw him standing on the cartwheel stretching his tall + figure to its full height while he looked toward the prairie beyond the + river. Following the direction of his eyes we could clearly distinguish a + large dark object, like the black shadow of a cloud, passing rapidly over + swell after swell of the distant plain; behind it followed another of + similar appearance though smaller. Its motion was more rapid, and it drew + closer and closer to the first. It was the hunters of the Arapahoe camp + pursuing a band of buffalo. Shaw and I hastily sought and saddled our best + horses, and went plunging through sand and water to the farther bank. We + were too late. The hunters had already mingled with the herd, and the work + of slaughter was nearly over. When we reached the ground we found it + strewn far and near with numberless black carcasses, while the remnants of + the herd, scattered in all directions, were flying away in terror, and the + Indians still rushing in pursuit. Many of the hunters, however, remained + upon the spot, and among the rest was our yesterday’s acquaintance, the + chief of the village. He had alighted by the side of a cow, into which he + had shot five or six arrows, and his squaw, who had followed him on + horseback to the hunt, was giving him a draught of water out of a canteen, + purchased or plundered from some volunteer soldier. Recrossing the river + we overtook the party, who were already on their way. + </p> + <p> + We had scarcely gone a mile when an imposing spectacle presented itself. + From the river bank on the right, away over the swelling prairie on the + left, and in front as far as we could see, extended one vast host of + buffalo. The outskirts of the herd were within a quarter of a mile. In + many parts they were crowded so densely together that in the distance + their rounded backs presented a surface of uniform blackness; but + elsewhere they were more scattered, and from amid the multitude rose + little columns of dust where the buffalo were rolling on the ground. Here + and there a great confusion was perceptible, where a battle was going + forward among the bulls. We could distinctly see them rushing against each + other, and hear the clattering of their horns and their hoarse bellowing. + Shaw was riding at some distance in advance, with Henry Chatillon; I saw + him stop and draw the leather covering from his gun. Indeed, with such a + sight before us, but one thing could be thought of. That morning I had + used pistols in the chase. I had now a mind to try the virtue of a gun. + Delorier had one, and I rode up to the side of the cart; there he sat + under the white covering, biting his pipe between his teeth and grinning + with excitement. + </p> + <p> + “Lend me your gun, Delorier,” said I. + </p> + <p> + “Oui, monsieur, oui,” said Delorier, tugging with might and main to stop + the mule, which seemed obstinately bent on going forward. Then everything + but his moccasins disappeared as he crawled into the cart and pulled at + the gun to extricate it. + </p> + <p> + “Is it loaded?” I asked. + </p> + <p> + “Oui, bien charge; you’ll kill, mon bourgeois; yes, you’ll kill—c’est + un bon fusil.” + </p> + <p> + I handed him my rifle and rode forward to Shaw. + </p> + <p> + “Are you ready?” he asked. + </p> + <p> + “Come on,” said I. + </p> + <p> + “Keep down that hollow,” said Henry, “and then they won’t see you till you + get close to them.” + </p> + <p> + The hollow was a kind of ravine very wide and shallow; it ran obliquely + toward the buffalo, and we rode at a canter along the bottom until it + became too shallow, when we bent close to our horses’ necks, and then + finding that it could no longer conceal us, came out of it and rode + directly toward the herd. It was within gunshot; before its outskirts, + numerous grizzly old bulls were scattered, holding guard over their + females. They glared at us in anger and astonishment, walked toward us a + few yards, and then turning slowly round retreated at a trot which + afterward broke into a clumsy gallop. In an instant the main body caught + the alarm. The buffalo began to crowd away from the point toward which we + were approaching, and a gap was opened in the side of the herd. We entered + it, still restraining our excited horses. Every instant the tumult was + thickening. The buffalo, pressing together in large bodies, crowded away + from us on every hand. In front and on either side we could see dark + columns and masses, half hidden by clouds of dust, rushing along in terror + and confusion, and hear the tramp and clattering of ten thousand hoofs. + That countless multitude of powerful brutes, ignorant of their own + strength, were flying in a panic from the approach of two feeble horsemen. + To remain quiet longer was impossible. + </p> + <p> + “Take that band on the left,” said Shaw; “I’ll take these in front.” + </p> + <p> + He sprang off, and I saw no more of him. A heavy Indian whip was fastened + by a band to my wrist; I swung it into the air and lashed my horse’s flank + with all the strength of my arm. Away she darted, stretching close to the + ground. I could see nothing but a cloud of dust before me, but I knew that + it concealed a band of many hundreds of buffalo. In a moment I was in the + midst of the cloud, half suffocated by the dust and stunned by the + trampling of the flying herd; but I was drunk with the chase and cared for + nothing but the buffalo. Very soon a long dark mass became visible, + looming through the dust; then I could distinguish each bulky carcass, the + hoofs flying out beneath, the short tails held rigidly erect. In a moment + I was so close that I could have touched them with my gun. Suddenly, to my + utter amazement, the hoofs were jerked upward, the tails flourished in the + air, and amid a cloud of dust the buffalo seemed to sink into the earth + before me. One vivid impression of that instant remains upon my mind. I + remember looking down upon the backs of several buffalo dimly visible + through the dust. We had run unawares upon a ravine. At that moment I was + not the most accurate judge of depth and width, but when I passed it on my + return, I found it about twelve feet deep and not quite twice as wide at + the bottom. It was impossible to stop; I would have done so gladly if I + could; so, half sliding, half plunging, down went the little mare. I + believe she came down on her knees in the loose sand at the bottom; I was + pitched forward violently against her neck and nearly thrown over her head + among the buffalo, who amid dust and confusion came tumbling in all + around. The mare was on her feet in an instant and scrambling like a cat + up the opposite side. I thought for a moment that she would have fallen + back and crushed me, but with a violent effort she clambered out and + gained the hard prairie above. Glancing back I saw the huge head of a bull + clinging as it were by the forefeet at the edge of the dusty gulf. At + length I was fairly among the buffalo. They were less densely crowded than + before, and I could see nothing but bulls, who always run at the rear of + the herd. As I passed amid them they would lower their heads, and turning + as they ran, attempt to gore my horse; but as they were already at full + speed there was no force in their onset, and as Pauline ran faster than + they, they were always thrown behind her in the effort. I soon began to + distinguish cows amid the throng. One just in front of me seemed to my + liking, and I pushed close to her side. Dropping the reins I fired, + holding the muzzle of the gun within a foot of her shoulder. Quick as + lightning she sprang at Pauline; the little mare dodged the attack, and I + lost sight of the wounded animal amid the tumultuous crowd. Immediately + after I selected another, and urging forward Pauline, shot into her both + pistols in succession. For a while I kept her in view, but in attempting + to load my gun, lost sight of her also in the confusion. Believing her to + be mortally wounded and unable to keep up with the herd, I checked my + horse. The crowd rushed onward. The dust and tumult passed away, and on + the prairie, far behind the rest, I saw a solitary buffalo galloping + heavily. In a moment I and my victim were running side by side. My + firearms were all empty, and I had in my pouch nothing but rifle bullets, + too large for the pistols and too small for the gun. I loaded the latter, + however, but as often as I leveled it to fire, the little bullets would + roll out of the muzzle and the gun returned only a faint report like a + squib, as the powder harmlessly exploded. I galloped in front of the + buffalo and attempted to turn her back; but her eyes glared, her mane + bristled, and lowering her head, she rushed at me with astonishing + fierceness and activity. Again and again I rode before her, and again and + again she repeated her furious charge. But little Pauline was in her + element. She dodged her enemy at every rush, until at length the buffalo + stood still, exhausted with her own efforts; she panted, and her tongue + hung lolling from her jaws. + </p> + <p> + Riding to a little distance I alighted, thinking to gather a handful of + dry grass to serve the purpose of wadding, and load the gun at my leisure. + No sooner were my feet on the ground than the buffalo came bounding in + such a rage toward me that I jumped back again into the saddle with all + possible dispatch. After waiting a few minutes more, I made an attempt to + ride up and stab her with my knife; but the experiment proved such as no + wise man would repeat. At length, bethinking me of the fringes at the + seams of my buckskin pantaloons, I jerked off a few of them, and reloading + my gun, forced them down the barrel to keep the bullet in its place; then + approaching, I shot the wounded buffalo through the heart. Sinking to her + knees, she rolled over lifeless on the prairie. To my astonishment, I + found that instead of a fat cow I had been slaughtering a stout yearling + bull. No longer wondering at the fierceness he had shown, I opened his + throat and cutting out his tongue, tied it at the back of my saddle. My + mistake was one which a more experienced eye than mine might easily make + in the dust and confusion of such a chase. + </p> + <p> + Then for the first time I had leisure to look at the scene around me. The + prairie in front was darkened with the retreating multitude, and on the + other hand the buffalo came filing up in endless unbroken columns from the + low plains upon the river. The Arkansas was three or four miles distant. I + turned and moved slowly toward it. A long time passed before, far down in + the distance, I distinguished the white covering of the cart and the + little black specks of horsemen before and behind it. Drawing near, I + recognized Shaw’s elegant tunic, the red flannel shirt, conspicuous far + off. I overtook the party, and asked him what success he had met with. He + had assailed a fat cow, shot her with two bullets, and mortally wounded + her. But neither of us were prepared for the chase that afternoon, and + Shaw, like myself, had no spare bullets in his pouch; so he abandoned the + disabled animal to Henry Chatillon, who followed, dispatched her with his + rifle, and loaded his horse with her meat. + </p> + <p> + We encamped close to the river. The night was dark, and as we lay down we + could hear mingled with the howling of wolves the hoarse bellowing of the + buffalo, like the ocean beating upon a distant coast. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0025" id="link2HCH0025"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XXV + </h2> + <h3> + THE BUFFALO CAMP + </h3> + <p> + No one in the camp was more active than Jim Gurney, and no one half so + lazy as Ellis. Between these two there was a great antipathy. Ellis never + stirred in the morning until he was compelled to, but Jim was always on + his feet before daybreak; and this morning as usual the sound of his voice + awakened the party. + </p> + <p> + “Get up, you booby! up with you now, you’re fit for nothing but eating and + sleeping. Stop your grumbling and come out of that buffalo robe or I’ll + pull it off for you.” + </p> + <p> + Jim’s words were interspersed with numerous expletives, which gave them + great additional effect. Ellis drawled out something in a nasal tone from + among the folds of his buffalo robe; then slowly disengaged himself, rose + into sitting posture, stretched his long arms, yawned hideously, and + finally, raising his tall person erect, stood staring round him to all the + four quarters of the horizon. Delorier’s fire was soon blazing, and the + horses and mules, loosened from their pickets, were feeding in the + neighboring meadow. When we sat down to breakfast the prairie was still in + the dusky light of morning; and as the sun rose we were mounted and on our + way again. + </p> + <p> + “A white buffalo!” exclaimed Munroe. + </p> + <p> + “I’ll have that fellow,” said Shaw, “if I run my horse to death after + him.” + </p> + <p> + He threw the cover of his gun to Delorier and galloped out upon the + prairie. + </p> + <p> + “Stop, Mr. Shaw, stop!” called out Henry Chatillon, “you’ll run down your + horse for nothing; it’s only a white ox.” + </p> + <p> + But Shaw was already out of hearing. The ox, who had no doubt strayed away + from some of the government wagon trains, was standing beneath some low + hills which bounded the plain in the distance. Not far from him a band of + veritable buffalo bulls were grazing; and startled at Shaw’s approach, + they all broke into a run, and went scrambling up the hillsides to gain + the high prairie above. One of them in his haste and terror involved + himself in a fatal catastrophe. Along the foot of the hills was a narrow + strip of deep marshy soil, into which the bull plunged and hopelessly + entangled himself. We all rode up to the spot. The huge carcass was half + sunk in the mud, which flowed to his very chin, and his shaggy mane was + outspread upon the surface. As we came near the bull began to struggle + with convulsive strength; he writhed to and fro, and in the energy of his + fright and desperation would lift himself for a moment half out of the + slough, while the reluctant mire returned a sucking sound as he strained + to drag his limbs from its tenacious depths. We stimulated his exertions + by getting behind him and twisting his tail; nothing would do. There was + clearly no hope for him. After every effort his heaving sides were more + deeply imbedded and the mire almost overflowed his nostrils; he lay still + at length, and looking round at us with a furious eye, seemed to resign + himself to his fate. Ellis slowly dismounted, and deliberately leveling + his boasted yager, shot the old bull through the heart; then he lazily + climbed back again to his seat, pluming himself no doubt on having + actually killed a buffalo. That day the invincible yager drew blood for + the first and last time during the whole journey. + </p> + <p> + The morning was a bright and gay one, and the air so clear that on the + farthest horizon the outline of the pale blue prairie was sharply drawn + against the sky. Shaw felt in the mood for hunting; he rode in advance of + the party, and before long we saw a file of bulls galloping at full speed + upon a vast green swell of the prairie at some distance in front. Shaw + came scouring along behind them, arrayed in his red shirt, which looked + very well in the distance; he gained fast on the fugitives, and as the + foremost bull was disappearing behind the summit of the swell, we saw him + in the act of assailing the hindmost; a smoke sprang from the muzzle of + his gun, and floated away before the wind like a little white cloud; the + bull turned upon him, and just then the rising ground concealed them both + from view. + </p> + <p> + We were moving forward until about noon, when we stopped by the side of + the Arkansas. At that moment Shaw appeared riding slowly down the side of + a distant hill; his horse was tired and jaded, and when he threw his + saddle upon the ground, I observed that the tails of two bulls were + dangling behind it. No sooner were the horses turned loose to feed than + Henry, asking Munroe to go with him, took his rifle and walked quietly + away. Shaw, Tete Rouge, and I sat down by the side of the cart to discuss + the dinner which Delorier placed before us; we had scarcely finished when + we saw Munroe walking toward us along the river bank. Henry, he said, had + killed four fat cows, and had sent him back for horses to bring in the + meat. Shaw took a horse for himself and another for Henry, and he and + Munroe left the camp together. After a short absence all three of them + came back, their horses loaded with the choicest parts of the meat; we + kept two of the cows for ourselves and gave the others to Munroe and his + companions. Delorier seated himself on the grass before the pile of meat, + and worked industriously for some time to cut it into thin broad sheets + for drying. This is no easy matter, but Delorier had all the skill of an + Indian squaw. Long before night cords of raw hide were stretched around + the camp, and the meat was hung upon them to dry in the sunshine and pure + air of the prairie. Our California companions were less successful at the + work; but they accomplished it after their own fashion, and their side of + the camp was soon garnished in the same manner as our own. + </p> + <p> + We meant to remain at this place long enough to prepare provisions for our + journey to the frontier, which as we supposed might occupy about a month. + Had the distance been twice as great and the party ten times as large, the + unerring rifle of Henry Chatillon would have supplied meat enough for the + whole within two days; we were obliged to remain, however, until it should + be dry enough for transportation; so we erected our tent and made the + other arrangements for a permanent camp. The California men, who had no + such shelter, contented themselves with arranging their packs on the grass + around their fire. In the meantime we had nothing to do but amuse + ourselves. Our tent was within a rod of the river, if the broad sand-beds, + with a scanty stream of water coursing here and there along their surface, + deserve to be dignified with the name of river. The vast flat plains on + either side were almost on a level with the sand-beds, and they were + bounded in the distance by low, monotonous hills, parallel to the course + of the Arkansas. All was one expanse of grass; there was no wood in view, + except some trees and stunted bushes upon two islands which rose from amid + the wet sands of the river. Yet far from being dull and tame this + boundless scene was often a wild and animated one; for twice a day, at + sunrise and at noon, the buffalo came issuing from the hills, slowly + advancing in their grave processions to drink at the river. All our + amusements were too at their expense. Except an elephant, I have seen no + animal that can surpass a buffalo bull in size and strength, and the world + may be searched in vain to find anything of a more ugly and ferocious + aspect. At first sight of him every feeling of sympathy vanishes; no man + who has not experienced it can understand with what keen relish one + inflicts his death wound, with what profound contentment of mind he + beholds him fall. The cows are much smaller and of a gentler appearance, + as becomes their sex. While in this camp we forebore to attack them, + leaving to Henry Chatillon, who could better judge their fatness and good + quality, the task of killing such as we wanted for use; but against the + bulls we waged an unrelenting war. Thousands of them might be slaughtered + without causing any detriment to the species, for their numbers greatly + exceed those of the cows; it is the hides of the latter alone which are + used for purpose of commerce and for making the lodges of the Indians; and + the destruction among them is therefore altogether disproportioned. + </p> + <p> + Our horses were tired, and we now usually hunted on foot. The wide, flat + sand-beds of the Arkansas, as the reader will remember, lay close by the + side of our camp. While we were lying on the grass after dinner, smoking, + conversing, or laughing at Tete Rouge, one of us would look up and + observe, far out on the plains beyond the river, certain black objects + slowly approaching. He would inhale a parting whiff from the pipe, then + rising lazily, take his rifle, which leaned against the cart, throw over + his shoulder the strap of his pouch and powder-horn, and with his + moccasins in his hand walk quietly across the sand toward the opposite + side of the river. This was very easy; for though the sands were about a + quarter of a mile wide, the water was nowhere more than two feet deep. The + farther bank was about four or five feet high, and quite perpendicular, + being cut away by the water in spring. Tall grass grew along its edge. + Putting it aside with his hand, and cautiously looking through it, the + hunter can discern the huge shaggy back of the buffalo slowly swaying to + and fro, as with his clumsy swinging gait he advances toward the water. + The buffalo have regular paths by which they come down to drink. Seeing at + a glance along which of these his intended victim is moving, the hunter + crouches under the bank within fifteen or twenty yards, it may be, of the + point where the path enters the river. Here he sits down quietly on the + sand. Listening intently, he hears the heavy monotonous tread of the + approaching bull. The moment after he sees a motion among the long weeds + and grass just at the spot where the path is channeled through the bank. + An enormous black head is thrust out, the horns just visible amid the mass + of tangled mane. Half sliding, half plunging, down comes the buffalo upon + the river-bed below. He steps out in full sight upon the sands. Just + before him a runnel of water is gliding, and he bends his head to drink. + You may hear the water as it gurgles down his capacious throat. He raises + his head, and the drops trickle from his wet beard. He stands with an air + of stupid abstraction, unconscious of the lurking danger. Noiselessly the + hunter cocks his rifle. As he sits upon the sand, his knee is raised, and + his elbow rests upon it, that he may level his heavy weapon with a + steadier aim. The stock is at his shoulder; his eye ranges along the + barrel. Still he is in no haste to fire. The bull, with slow deliberation, + begins his march over the sands to the other side. He advances his + foreleg, and exposes to view a small spot, denuded of hair, just behind + the point of his shoulder; upon this the hunter brings the sight of his + rifle to bear; lightly and delicately his finger presses upon the + hair-trigger. Quick as thought the spiteful crack of the rifle responds to + his slight touch, and instantly in the middle of the bare spot appears a + small red dot. The buffalo shivers; death has overtaken him, he cannot + tell from whence; still he does not fall, but walks heavily forward, as if + nothing had happened. Yet before he has advanced far out upon the sand, + you see him stop; he totters; his knees bend under him, and his head sinks + forward to the ground. Then his whole vast bulk sways to one side; he + rolls over on the sand, and dies with a scarcely perceptible struggle. + </p> + <p> + Waylaying the buffalo in this manner, and shooting them as they come to + water, is the easiest and laziest method of hunting them. They may also be + approached by crawling up ravines, or behind hills, or even over the open + prairie. This is often surprisingly easy; but at other times it requires + the utmost skill of the most experienced hunter. Henry Chatillon was a man + of extraordinary strength and hardihood; but I have seen him return to + camp quite exhausted with his efforts, his limbs scratched and wounded, + and his buckskin dress stuck full of the thorns of the prickly-pear among + which he had been crawling. Sometimes he would lay flat upon his face, and + drag himself along in this position for many rods together. + </p> + <p> + On the second day of our stay at this place, Henry went out for an + afternoon hunt. Shaw and I remained in camp until, observing some bulls + approaching the water upon the other side of the river, we crossed over to + attack them. They were so near, however, that before we could get under + cover of the bank our appearance as we walked over the sands alarmed them. + Turning round before coming within gunshot, they began to move off to the + right in a direction parallel to the river. I climbed up the bank and ran + after them. They were walking swiftly, and before I could come within + gunshot distance they slowly wheeled about and faced toward me. Before + they had turned far enough to see me I had fallen flat on my face. For a + moment they stood and stared at the strange object upon the grass; then + turning away, again they walked on as before; and I, rising immediately, + ran once more in pursuit. Again they wheeled about, and again I fell + prostrate. Repeating this three or four times, I came at length within a + hundred yards of the fugitives, and as I saw them turning again I sat down + and leveled my rifle. The one in the center was the largest I had ever + seen. I shot him behind the shoulder. His two companions ran off. He + attempted to follow, but soon came to a stand, and at length lay down as + quietly as an ox chewing the cud. Cautiously approaching him, I saw by his + dull and jellylike eye that he was dead. + </p> + <p> + When I began the chase, the prairie was almost tenantless; but a great + multitude of buffalo had suddenly thronged upon it, and looking up, I saw + within fifty rods a heavy, dark column stretching to the right and left as + far as I could see. I walked toward them. My approach did not alarm them + in the least. The column itself consisted entirely of cows and calves, but + a great many old bulls were ranging about the prairie on its flank, and as + I drew near they faced toward me with such a shaggy and ferocious look + that I thought it best to proceed no farther. Indeed I was already within + close rifle-shot of the column, and I sat down on the ground to watch + their movements. Sometimes the whole would stand still, their heads all + facing one way; then they would trot forward, as if by a common impulse, + their hoofs and horns clattering together as they moved. I soon began to + hear at a distance on the left the sharp reports of a rifle, again and + again repeated; and not long after, dull and heavy sounds succeeded, which + I recognized as the familiar voice of Shaw’s double-barreled gun. When + Henry’s rifle was at work there was always meat to be brought in. I went + back across the river for a horse, and returning, reached the spot where + the hunters were standing. The buffalo were visible on the distant + prairie. The living had retreated from the ground, but ten or twelve + carcasses were scattered in various directions. Henry, knife in hand, was + stooping over a dead cow, cutting away the best and fattest of the meat. + </p> + <p> + When Shaw left me he had walked down for some distance under the river + bank to find another bull. At length he saw the plains covered with the + host of buffalo, and soon after heard the crack of Henry’s rifle. + Ascending the bank, he crawled through the grass, which for a rod or two + from the river was very high and rank. He had not crawled far before to + his astonishment he saw Henry standing erect upon the prairie, almost + surrounded by the buffalo. Henry was in his appropriate element. Nelson, + on the deck of the Victory, hardly felt a prouder sense of mastery than + he. Quite unconscious that any one was looking at him, he stood at the + full height of his tall, strong figure, one hand resting upon his side, + and the other arm leaning carelessly on the muzzle of his rifle. His eyes + were ranging over the singular assemblage around him. Now and then he + would select such a cow as suited him, level his rifle, and shoot her + dead; then quietly reloading, he would resume his former position. The + buffalo seemed no more to regard his presence than if he were one of + themselves; the bulls were bellowing and butting at each other, or else + rolling about in the dust. A group of buffalo would gather about the + carcass of a dead cow, snuffing at her wounds; and sometimes they would + come behind those that had not yet fallen, and endeavor to push them from + the spot. Now and then some old bull would face toward Henry with an air + of stupid amazement, but none seemed inclined to attack or fly from him. + For some time Shaw lay among the grass, looking in surprise at this + extraordinary sight; at length he crawled cautiously forward, and spoke in + a low voice to Henry, who told him to rise and come on. Still the buffalo + showed no sign of fear; they remained gathered about their dead + companions. Henry had already killed as many cows as we wanted for use, + and Shaw, kneeling behind one of the carcasses, shot five bulls before the + rest thought it necessary to disperse. + </p> + <p> + The frequent stupidity and infatuation of the buffalo seems the more + remarkable from the contrast it offers to their wildness and wariness at + other times. Henry knew all their peculiarities; he had studied them as a + scholar studies his books, and he derived quite as much pleasure from the + occupation. The buffalo were a kind of companions to him, and, as he said, + he never felt alone when they were about him. He took great pride in his + skill in hunting. Henry was one of the most modest of men; yet, in the + simplicity and frankness of his character, it was quite clear that he + looked upon his pre-eminence in this respect as a thing too palpable and + well established ever to be disputed. But whatever may have been his + estimate of his own skill, it was rather below than above that which + others placed upon it. The only time that I ever saw a shade of scorn + darken his face was when two volunteer soldiers, who had just killed a + buffalo for the first time, undertook to instruct him as to the best + method of “approaching.” To borrow an illustration from an opposite side + of life, an Eton boy might as well have sought to enlighten Porson on the + formation of a Greek verb, or a Fleet Street shopkeeper to instruct + Chesterfield concerning a point of etiquette. Henry always seemed to think + that he had a sort of prescriptive right to the buffalo, and to look upon + them as something belonging peculiarly to himself. Nothing excited his + indignation so much as any wanton destruction committed among the cows, + and in his view shooting a calf was a cardinal sin. + </p> + <p> + Henry Chatillon and Tete Rouge were of the same age; that is, about + thirty. Henry was twice as large, and fully six times as strong as Tete + Rouge. Henry’s face was roughened by winds and storms; Tete Rouge’s was + bloated by sherry cobblers and brandy toddy. Henry talked of Indians and + buffalo; Tete Rouge of theaters and oyster cellars. Henry had led a life + of hardship and privation; Tete Rouge never had a whim which he would not + gratify at the first moment he was able. Henry moreover was the most + disinterested man I ever saw; while Tete Rouge, though equally + good-natured in his way, cared for nobody but himself. Yet we would not + have lost him on any account; he admirably served the purpose of a jester + in a feudal castle; our camp would have been lifeless without him. For the + past week he had fattened in a most amazing manner; and indeed this was + not at all surprising, since his appetite was most inordinate. He was + eating from morning till night; half the time he would be at work cooking + some private repast for himself, and he paid a visit to the coffee-pot + eight or ten times a day. His rueful and disconsolate face became jovial + and rubicund, his eyes stood out like a lobster’s, and his spirits, which + before were sunk to the depths of despondency, were now elated in + proportion; all day he was singing, whistling, laughing, and telling + stories. Being mortally afraid of Jim Gurney, he kept close in the + neighborhood of our tent. As he had seen an abundance of low dissipated + life, and had a considerable fund of humor, his anecdotes were extremely + amusing, especially since he never hesitated to place himself in a + ludicrous point of view, provided he could raise a laugh by doing so. Tete + Rouge, however, was sometimes rather troublesome; he had an inveterate + habit of pilfering provisions at all times of the day. He set ridicule at + utter defiance; and being without a particle of self-respect, he would + never have given over his tricks, even if they had drawn upon him the + scorn of the whole party. Now and then, indeed, something worse than + laughter fell to his share; on these occasions he would exhibit much + contrition, but half an hour after we would generally observe him stealing + round to the box at the back of the cart and slyly making off with the + provisions which Delorier had laid by for supper. He was very fond of + smoking; but having no tobacco of his own, we used to provide him with as + much as he wanted, a small piece at a time. At first we gave him half a + pound together, but this experiment proved an entire failure, for he + invariably lost not only the tobacco, but the knife intrusted to him for + cutting it, and a few minutes after he would come to us with many + apologies and beg for more. + </p> + <p> + We had been two days at this camp, and some of the meat was nearly fit for + transportation, when a storm came suddenly upon us. About sunset the whole + sky grew as black as ink, and the long grass at the river’s edge bent and + rose mournfully with the first gusts of the approaching hurricane. Munroe + and his two companions brought their guns and placed them under cover of + our tent. Having no shelter for themselves, they built a fire of driftwood + that might have defied a cataract, and wrapped in their buffalo robes, sat + on the ground around it to bide the fury of the storm. Delorier ensconced + himself under the cover of the cart. Shaw and I, together with Henry and + Tete Rouge, crowded into the little tent; but first of all the dried meat + was piled together, and well protected by buffalo robes pinned firmly to + the ground. About nine o’clock the storm broke, amid absolute darkness; it + blew a gale, and torrents of rain roared over the boundless expanse of + open prairie. Our tent was filled with mist and spray beating through the + canvas, and saturating everything within. We could only distinguish each + other at short intervals by the dazzling flash of lightning, which + displayed the whole waste around us with its momentary glare. We had our + fears for the tent; but for an hour or two it stood fast, until at length + the cap gave way before a furious blast; the pole tore through the top, + and in an instant we were half suffocated by the cold and dripping folds + of the canvas, which fell down upon us. Seizing upon our guns, we placed + them erect, in order to lift the saturated cloth above our heads. In this + disagreeable situation, involved among wet blankets and buffalo robes, we + spent several hours of the night during which the storm would not abate + for a moment, but pelted down above our heads with merciless fury. Before + long the ground beneath us became soaked with moisture, and the water + gathered there in a pool two or three inches deep; so that for a + considerable part of the night we were partially immersed in a cold bath. + In spite of all this, Tete Rouge’s flow of spirits did not desert him for + an instant, he laughed, whistled, and sung in defiance of the storm, and + that night he paid off the long arrears of ridicule which he owed us. + While we lay in silence, enduring the infliction with what philosophy we + could muster, Tete Rouge, who was intoxicated with animal spirits, was + cracking jokes at our expense by the hour together. At about three o’clock + in the morning, “preferring the tyranny of the open night” to such a + wretched shelter, we crawled out from beneath the fallen canvas. The wind + had abated, but the rain fell steadily. The fire of the California men + still blazed amid the darkness, and we joined them as they sat around it. + We made ready some hot coffee by way of refreshment; but when some of the + party sought to replenish their cups, it was found that Tete Rouge, having + disposed of his own share, had privately abstracted the coffee-pot and + drank up the rest of the contents out of the spout. + </p> + <p> + In the morning, to our great joy, an unclouded sun rose upon the prairie. + We presented rather a laughable appearance, for the cold and clammy + buckskin, saturated with water, clung fast to our limbs; the light wind + and warm sunshine soon dried them again, and then we were all incased in + armor of intolerable rigidity. Roaming all day over the prairie and + shooting two or three bulls, were scarcely enough to restore the stiffened + leather to its usual pliancy. + </p> + <p> + Besides Henry Chatillon, Shaw and I were the only hunters in the party. + Munroe this morning made an attempt to run a buffalo, but his horse could + not come up to the game. Shaw went out with him, and being better mounted + soon found himself in the midst of the herd. Seeing nothing but cows and + calves around him, he checked his horse. An old bull came galloping on the + open prairie at some distance behind, and turning, Shaw rode across his + path, leveling his gun as he passed, and shooting him through the shoulder + into the heart. The heavy bullets of Shaw’s double-barreled gun made wild + work wherever they struck. + </p> + <p> + A great flock of buzzards were usually soaring about a few trees that + stood on the island just below our camp. Throughout the whole of yesterday + we had noticed an eagle among them; to-day he was still there; and Tete + Rouge, declaring that he would kill the bird of America, borrowed + Delorier’s gun and set out on his unpatriotic mission. As might have been + expected, the eagle suffered no great harm at his hands. He soon returned, + saying that he could not find him, but had shot a buzzard instead. Being + required to produce the bird in proof of his assertion he said he believed + he was not quite dead, but he must be hurt, from the swiftness with which + he flew off. + </p> + <p> + “If you want,” said Tete Rouge, “I’ll go and get one of his feathers; I + knocked off plenty of them when I shot him.” + </p> + <p> + Just opposite our camp was another island covered with bushes, and behind + it was a deep pool of water, while two or three considerable streams + course’d over the sand not far off. I was bathing at this place in the + afternoon when a white wolf, larger than the largest Newfoundland dog, ran + out from behind the point of the island, and galloped leisurely over the + sand not half a stone’s throw distant. I could plainly see his red eyes + and the bristles about his snout; he was an ugly scoundrel, with a bushy + tail, large head, and a most repulsive countenance. Having neither rifle + to shoot nor stone to pelt him with, I was looking eagerly after some + missile for his benefit, when the report of a gun came from the camp, and + the ball threw up the sand just beyond him; at this he gave a slight jump, + and stretched away so swiftly that he soon dwindled into a mere speck on + the distant sand-beds. The number of carcasses that by this time were + lying about the prairie all around us summoned the wolves from every + quarter; the spot where Shaw and Henry had hunted together soon became + their favorite resort, for here about a dozen dead buffalo were fermenting + under the hot sun. I used often to go over the river and watch them at + their meal; by lying under the bank it was easy to get a full view of + them. Three different kinds were present; there were the white wolves and + the gray wolves, both extremely large, and besides these the small prairie + wolves, not much bigger than spaniels. They would howl and fight in a + crowd around a single carcass, yet they were so watchful, and their senses + so acute, that I never was able to crawl within a fair shooting distance; + whenever I attempted it, they would all scatter at once and glide silently + away through the tall grass. The air above this spot was always full of + buzzards or black vultures; whenever the wolves left a carcass they would + descend upon it, and cover it so densely that a rifle-bullet shot at + random among the gormandizing crowd would generally strike down two or + three of them. These birds would now be sailing by scores just about our + camp, their broad black wings seeming half transparent as they expanded + them against the bright sky. The wolves and the buzzards thickened about + us with every hour, and two or three eagles also came into the feast. I + killed a bull within rifle-shot of the camp; that night the wolves made a + fearful howling close at hand, and in the morning the carcass was + completely hollowed out by these voracious feeders. + </p> + <p> + After we had remained four days at this camp we prepared to leave it. We + had for our own part about five hundred pounds of dried meat, and the + California men had prepared some three hundred more; this consisted of the + fattest and choicest parts of eight or nine cows, a very small quantity + only being taken from each, and the rest abandoned to the wolves. The pack + animals were laden, the horses were saddled, and the mules harnessed to + the cart. Even Tete Rouge was ready at last, and slowly moving from the + ground, we resumed our journey eastward. When we had advanced about a + mile, Shaw missed a valuable hunting knife and turned back in search of + it, thinking that he had left it at the camp. He approached the place + cautiously, fearful that Indians might be lurking about, for a deserted + camp is dangerous to return to. He saw no enemy, but the scene was a wild + and dreary one; the prairie was overshadowed by dull, leaden clouds, for + the day was dark and gloomy. The ashes of the fires were still smoking by + the river side; the grass around them was trampled down by men and horses, + and strewn with all the litter of a camp. Our departure had been a + gathering signal to the birds and beasts of prey; Shaw assured me that + literally dozens of wolves were prowling about the smoldering fires, while + multitudes were roaming over the prairie around; they all fled as he + approached, some running over the sand-beds and some over the grassy + plains. The vultures in great clouds were soaring overhead, and the dead + bull near the camp was completely blackened by the flock that had alighted + upon it; they flapped their broad wings, and stretched upward their + crested heads and long skinny necks, fearing to remain, yet reluctant to + leave their disgusting feast. As he searched about the fires he saw the + wolves seated on the distant hills waiting for his departure. Having + looked in vain for his knife, he mounted again, and left the wolves and + the vultures to banquet freely upon the carrion of the camp. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0026" id="link2HCH0026"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XXVI + </h2> + <h3> + DOWN THE ARKANSAS + </h3> + <p> + In the summer of 1846 the wild and lonely banks of the Upper Arkansas + beheld for the first time the passage of an army. General Kearny, on his + march to Santa Fe, adopted this route in preference to the old trail of + the Cimarron. When we came down the main body of the troops had already + passed on; Price’s Missouri regiment, however, was still on the way, + having left the frontier much later than the rest; and about this time we + began to meet them moving along the trail, one or two companies at a time. + No men ever embarked upon a military expedition with a greater love for + the work before them than the Missourians; but if discipline and + subordination be the criterion of merit, these soldiers were worthless + indeed. Yet when their exploits have rung through all America, it would be + absurd to deny that they were excellent irregular troops. Their victories + were gained in the teeth of every established precedent of warfare; they + were owing to a singular combination of military qualities in the men + themselves. Without discipline or a spirit of subordination, they knew how + to keep their ranks and act as one man. Doniphan’s regiment marched + through New Mexico more like a band of free companions than like the paid + soldiers of a modern government. When General Taylor complimented Doniphan + on his success at Sacramento and elsewhere, the colonel’s reply very well + illustrates the relations which subsisted between the officers and men of + his command: + </p> + <p> + “I don’t know anything of the maneuvers. The boys kept coming to me, to + let them charge; and when I saw a good opportunity, I told them they might + go. They were off like a shot, and that’s all I know about it.” + </p> + <p> + The backwoods lawyer was better fitted to conciliate the good-will than to + command the obedience of his men. There were many serving under him, who + both from character and education could better have held command than he. + </p> + <p> + At the battle of Sacramento his frontiersmen fought under every possible + disadvantage. The Mexicans had chosen their own position; they were drawn + up across the valley that led to their native city of Chihuahua; their + whole front was covered by intrenchments and defended by batteries of + heavy cannon; they outnumbered the invaders five to one. An eagle flew + over the Americans, and a deep murmur rose along their lines. The enemy’s + batteries opened; long they remained under fire, but when at length the + word was given, they shouted and ran forward. In one of the divisions, + when midway to the enemy, a drunken officer ordered a halt; the + exasperated men hesitated to obey. + </p> + <p> + “Forward, boys!” cried a private from the ranks; and the Americans, + rushing like tigers upon the enemy, bounded over the breastwork. Four + hundred Mexicans were slain upon the spot and the rest fled, scattering + over the plain like sheep. The standards, cannon, and baggage were taken, + and among the rest a wagon laden with cords, which the Mexicans, in the + fullness of their confidence, had made ready for tying the American + prisoners. + </p> + <p> + Doniphan’s volunteers, who gained this victory, passed up with the main + army; but Price’s soldiers, whom we now met, were men from the same + neighborhood, precisely similar in character, manner, and appearance. One + forenoon, as we were descending upon a very wide meadow, where we meant to + rest for an hour or two, we saw a dark body of horsemen approaching at a + distance. In order to find water, we were obliged to turn aside to the + river bank, a full half mile from the trail. Here we put up a kind of + awning, and spreading buffalo robes on the ground, Shaw and I sat down to + smoke beneath it. + </p> + <p> + “We are going to catch it now,” said Shaw; “look at those fellows, + there’ll be no peace for us here.” + </p> + <p> + And in good truth about half the volunteers had straggled away from the + line of march, and were riding over the meadow toward us. + </p> + <p> + “How are you?” said the first who came up, alighting from his horse and + throwing himself upon the ground. The rest followed close, and a score of + them soon gathered about us, some lying at full length and some sitting on + horseback. They all belonged to a company raised in St. Louis. There were + some ruffian faces among them, and some haggard with debauchery; but on + the whole they were extremely good-looking men, superior beyond measure to + the ordinary rank and file of an army. Except that they were booted to the + knees, they wore their belts and military trappings over the ordinary + dress of citizens. Besides their swords and holster pistols, they carried + slung from their saddles the excellent Springfield carbines, loaded at the + breech. They inquired the character of our party, and were anxious to know + the prospect of killing buffalo, and the chance that their horses would + stand the journey to Santa Fe. All this was well enough, but a moment + after a worse visitation came upon us. + </p> + <p> + “How are you, strangers? whar are you going and whar are you from?” said a + fellow, who came trotting up with an old straw hat on his head. He was + dressed in the coarsest brown homespun cloth. His face was rather sallow + from fever-and-ague, and his tall figure, though strong and sinewy was + quite thin, and had besides an angular look, which, together with his + boorish seat on horseback, gave him an appearance anything but graceful. + Plenty more of the same stamp were close behind him. Their company was + raised in one of the frontier counties, and we soon had abundant evidence + of their rustic breeding; dozens of them came crowding round, pushing + between our first visitors and staring at us with unabashed faces. + </p> + <p> + “Are you the captain?” asked one fellow. + </p> + <p> + “What’s your business out here?” asked another. + </p> + <p> + “Whar do you live when you’re at home?” said a third. + </p> + <p> + “I reckon you’re traders,” surmised a fourth; and to crown the whole, one + of them came confidentially to my side and inquired in a low voice, + “What’s your partner’s name?” + </p> + <p> + As each newcomer repeated the same questions, the nuisance became + intolerable. Our military visitors were soon disgusted at the concise + nature of our replies, and we could overhear them muttering curses against + us. While we sat smoking, not in the best imaginable humor, Tete Rouge’s + tongue was never idle. He never forgot his military character, and during + the whole interview he was incessantly busy among his fellow-soldiers. At + length we placed him on the ground before us, and told him that he might + play the part of spokesman for the whole. Tete Rouge was delighted, and we + soon had the satisfaction of seeing him talk and gabble at such a rate + that the torrent of questions was in a great measure diverted from us. A + little while after, to our amazement, we saw a large cannon with four + horses come lumbering up behind the crowd; and the driver, who was perched + on one of the animals, stretching his neck so as to look over the rest of + the men, called out: + </p> + <p> + “Whar are you from, and what’s your business?” + </p> + <p> + The captain of one of the companies was among our visitors, drawn by the + same curiosity that had attracted his men. Unless their faces belied them, + not a few in the crowd might with great advantage have changed places with + their commander. + </p> + <p> + “Well, men,” said he, lazily rising from the ground where he had been + lounging, “it’s getting late, I reckon we had better be moving.” + </p> + <p> + “I shan’t start yet anyhow,” said one fellow, who was lying half asleep + with his head resting on his arm. + </p> + <p> + “Don’t be in a hurry, captain,” added the lieutenant. + </p> + <p> + “Well, have it your own way, we’ll wait a while longer,” replied the + obsequious commander. + </p> + <p> + At length however our visitors went straggling away as they had come, and + we, to our great relief, were left alone again. + </p> + <p> + No one can deny the intrepid bravery of these men, their intelligence and + the bold frankness of their character, free from all that is mean and + sordid. Yet for the moment the extreme roughness of their manners half + inclines one to forget their heroic qualities. Most of them seem without + the least perception of delicacy or propriety, though among them + individuals may be found in whose manners there is a plain courtesy, while + their features bespeak a gallant spirit equal to any enterprise. + </p> + <p> + No one was more relieved than Delorier by the departure of the volunteers; + for dinner was getting colder every moment. He spread a well-whitened + buffalo hide upon the grass, placed in the middle the juicy hump of a fat + cow, ranged around it the tin plates and cups, and then acquainted us that + all was ready. Tete Rouge, with his usual alacrity on such occasions, was + the first to take his seat. In his former capacity of steamboat clerk, he + had learned to prefix the honorary MISTER to everybody’s name, whether of + high or low degree; so Jim Gurney was Mr. Gurney, Henry was Mr. Henry, and + even Delorier, for the first time in his life, heard himself addressed as + Mr. Delorier. This did not prevent his conceiving a violent enmity against + Tete Rouge, who, in his futile though praiseworthy attempts to make + himself useful used always to intermeddle with cooking the dinners. + Delorier’s disposition knew no medium between smiles and sunshine and a + downright tornado of wrath; he said nothing to Tete Rouge, but his wrongs + rankled in his breast. Tete Rouge had taken his place at dinner; it was + his happiest moment; he sat enveloped in the old buffalo coat, sleeves + turned up in preparation for the work, and his short legs crossed on the + grass before him; he had a cup of coffee by his side and his knife ready + in his hand and while he looked upon the fat hump ribs, his eyes dilated + with anticipation. Delorier sat just opposite to him, and the rest of us + by this time had taken our seats. + </p> + <p> + “How is this, Delorier? You haven’t given us bread enough.” + </p> + <p> + At this Delorier’s placid face flew instantly into a paroxysm of + contortions. He grinned with wrath, chattered, gesticulated, and hurled + forth a volley of incoherent words in broken English at the astonished + Tete Rouge. It was just possible to make out that he was accusing him of + having stolen and eaten four large cakes which had been laid by for + dinner. Tete Rouge, utterly confounded at this sudden attack, stared at + Delorier for a moment in dumb amazement, with mouth and eyes wide open. At + last he found speech, and protested that the accusation was false; and + that he could not conceive how he had offended Mr. Delorier, or provoked + him to use such ungentlemanly expressions. The tempest of words raged with + such fury that nothing else could be heard. But Tete Rouge, from his + greater command of English, had a manifest advantage over Delorier, who + after sputtering and grimacing for a while, found his words quite + inadequate to the expression of his wrath. He jumped up and vanished, + jerking out between his teeth one furious sacre enfant de grace, a + Canadian title of honor, made doubly emphatic by being usually applied + together with a cut of the whip to refractory mules and horses. + </p> + <p> + The next morning we saw an old buffalo escorting his cow with two small + calves over the prairie. Close behind came four or five large white + wolves, sneaking stealthily through the long meadow-grass, and watching + for the moment when one of the children should chance to lag behind his + parents. The old bull kept well on his guard, and faced about now and then + to keep the prowling ruffians at a distance. + </p> + <p> + As we approached our nooning place, we saw five or six buffalo standing at + the very summit of a tall bluff. Trotting forward to the spot where we + meant to stop, I flung off my saddle and turned my horse loose. By making + a circuit under cover of some rising ground, I reached the foot of the + bluff unnoticed, and climbed up its steep side. Lying under the brow of + the declivity, I prepared to fire at the buffalo, who stood on the flat + surface about not five yards distant. Perhaps I was too hasty, for the + gleaming rifle-barrel leveled over the edge caught their notice; they + turned and ran. Close as they were, it was impossible to kill them when in + that position, and stepping upon the summit I pursued them over the high + arid tableland. It was extremely rugged and broken; a great sandy ravine + was channeled through it, with smaller ravines entering on each side like + tributary streams. The buffalo scattered, and I soon lost sight of most of + them as they scuttled away through the sandy chasms; a bull and a cow + alone kept in view. For a while they ran along the edge of the great + ravine, appearing and disappearing as they dived into some chasm and again + emerged from it. At last they stretched out upon the broad prairie, a + plain nearly flat and almost devoid of verdure, for every short + grass-blade was dried and shriveled by the glaring sun. Now and then the + old bull would face toward me; whenever he did so I fell to the ground and + lay motionless. In this manner I chased them for about two miles, until at + length I heard in front a deep hoarse bellowing. A moment after a band of + about a hundred bulls, before hidden by a slight swell of the plain, came + at once into view. The fugitives ran toward them. Instead of mingling with + the band, as I expected, they passed directly through, and continued their + flight. At this I gave up the chase, and kneeling down, crawled to within + gunshot of the bulls, and with panting breath and trickling brow sat down + on the ground to watch them; my presence did not disturb them in the + least. They were not feeding, for, indeed, there was nothing to eat; but + they seemed to have chosen the parched and scorching desert as the scene + of their amusements. Some were rolling on the ground amid a cloud of dust; + others, with a hoarse rumbling bellow, were butting their large heads + together, while many stood motionless, as if quite inanimate. Except their + monstrous growth of tangled grizzly mane, they had no hair; for their old + coat had fallen off in the spring, and their new one had not as yet + appeared. Sometimes an old bull would step forward, and gaze at me with a + grim and stupid countenance; then he would turn and butt his next + neighbor; then he would lie down and roll over in the dirt, kicking his + hoofs in the air. When satisfied with this amusement he would jerk his + head and shoulders upward, and resting on his forelegs stare at me in this + position, half blinded by his mane, and his face covered with dirt; then + up he would spring upon all-fours, and shake his dusty sides; turning half + round, he would stand with his beard touching the ground, in an attitude + of profound abstraction, as if reflecting on his puerile conduct. “You are + too ugly to live,” thought I; and aiming at the ugliest, I shot three of + them in succession. The rest were not at all discomposed at this; they + kept on bellowing and butting and rolling on the ground as before. Henry + Chatillon always cautioned us to keep perfectly quiet in the presence of a + wounded buffalo, for any movement is apt to excite him to make an attack; + so I sat still upon the ground, loading and firing with as little motion + as possible. While I was thus employed, a spectator made his appearance; a + little antelope came running up with remarkable gentleness to within fifty + yards; and there it stood, its slender neck arched, its small horns thrown + back, and its large dark eyes gazing on me with a look of eager curiosity. + By the side of the shaggy and brutish monsters before me, it seemed like + some lovely young girl wandering near a den of robbers or a nest of + bearded pirates. The buffalo looked uglier than ever. “Here goes for + another of you,” thought I, feeling in my pouch for a percussion cap. Not + a percussion cap was there. My good rifle was useless as an old iron bar. + One of the wounded bulls had not yet fallen, and I waited for some time, + hoping every moment that his strength would fail him. He still stood firm, + looking grimly at me, and disregarding Henry’s advice I rose and walked + away. Many of the bulls turned and looked at me, but the wounded brute + made no attack. I soon came upon a deep ravine which would give me shelter + in case of emergency; so I turned round and threw a stone at the bulls. + They received it with the utmost indifference. Feeling myself insulted at + their refusal to be frightened, I swung my hat, shouted, and made a show + of running toward them; at this they crowded together and galloped off, + leaving their dead and wounded upon the field. As I moved toward the camp + I saw the last survivor totter and fall dead. My speed in returning was + wonderfully quickened by the reflection that the Pawnees were abroad, and + that I was defenseless in case of meeting with an enemy. I saw no living + thing, however, except two or three squalid old bulls scrambling among the + sand-hills that flanked the great ravine. When I reached camp the party + was nearly ready for the afternoon move. + </p> + <p> + We encamped that evening at a short distance from the river bank. About + midnight, as we all lay asleep on the ground, the man nearest to me gently + reaching out his hand, touched my shoulder, and cautioned me at the same + time not to move. It was bright starlight. Opening my eyes and slightly + turning I saw a large white wolf moving stealthily around the embers of + our fire, with his nose close to the ground. Disengaging my hand from the + blanket, I drew the cover from my rifle, which lay close at my side; the + motion alarmed the wolf, and with long leaps he bounded out of the camp. + Jumping up, I fired after him when he was about thirty yards distant; the + melancholy hum of the bullet sounded far away through the night. At the + sharp report, so suddenly breaking upon the stillness, all the men sprang + up. + </p> + <p> + “You’ve killed him,” said one of them. + </p> + <p> + “No, I haven’t,” said I; “there he goes, running along the river. + </p> + <p> + “Then there’s two of them. Don’t you see that one lying out yonder?” + </p> + <p> + We went to it, and instead of a dead white wolf found the bleached skull + of a buffalo. I had missed my mark, and what was worse, had grossly + violated a standing law of the prairie. When in a dangerous part of the + country, it is considered highly imprudent to fire a gun after encamping, + lest the report should reach the ears of the Indians. + </p> + <p> + The horses were saddled in the morning, and the last man had lighted his + pipe at the dying ashes of the fire. The beauty of the day enlivened us + all. Even Ellis felt its influence, and occasionally made a remark as we + rode along, and Jim Gurney told endless stories of his cruisings in the + United States service. The buffalo were abundant, and at length a large + band of them went running up the hills on the left. + </p> + <p> + “Do you see them buffalo?” said Ellis, “now I’ll bet any man I’ll go and + kill one with my yager.” + </p> + <p> + And leaving his horse to follow on with the party, he strode up the hill + after them. Henry looked at us with his peculiar humorous expression, and + proposed that we should follow Ellis to see how he would kill a fat cow. + As soon as he was out of sight we rode up the hill after him, and waited + behind a little ridge till we heard the report of the unfailing yager. + Mounting to the top, we saw Ellis clutching his favorite weapon with both + hands, and staring after the buffalo, who one and all were galloping off + at full speed. As we descended the hill we saw the party straggling along + the trail below. When we joined them, another scene of amateur hunting + awaited us. I forgot to say that when we met the volunteers Tete Rouge had + obtained a horse from one of them, in exchange for his mule, whom he + feared and detested. The horse he christened James. James, though not + worth so much as the mule, was a large and strong animal. Tete Rouge was + very proud of his new acquisition, and suddenly became ambitious to run a + buffalo with him. At his request, I lent him my pistols, though not + without great misgivings, since when Tete Rouge hunted buffalo the pursuer + was in more danger than the pursued. He hung the holsters at his saddle + bow; and now, as we passed along, a band of bulls left their grazing in + the meadow and galloped in a long file across the trail in front. + </p> + <p> + “Now’s your chance, Tete; come, let’s see you kill a bull.” Thus urged, + the hunter cried, “Get up!” and James, obedient to the signal, cantered + deliberately forward at an abominably uneasy gait. Tete Rouge, as we + contemplated him from behind; made a most remarkable figure. He still wore + the old buffalo coat; his blanket, which was tied in a loose bundle behind + his saddle, went jolting from one side to the other, and a large tin + canteen half full of water, which hung from his pommel, was jerked about + his leg in a manner which greatly embarrassed him. + </p> + <p> + “Let out your horse, man; lay on your whip!” we called out to him. The + buffalo were getting farther off at every instant. James, being ambitious + to mend his pace, tugged hard at the rein, and one of his rider’s boots + escaped from the stirrup. + </p> + <p> + “Woa! I say, woa!” cried Tete Rouge, in great perturbation, and after much + effort James’ progress was arrested. The hunter came trotting back to the + party, disgusted with buffalo running, and he was received with + overwhelming congratulations. + </p> + <p> + “Too good a chance to lose,” said Shaw, pointing to another band of bulls + on the left. We lashed our horses and galloped upon them. Shaw killed one + with each barrel of his gun. I separated another from the herd and shot + him. The small bullet of the rifled pistol, striking too far back, did not + immediately take effect, and the bull ran on with unabated speed. Again + and again I snapped the remaining pistol at him. I primed it afresh three + or four times, and each time it missed fire, for the touch-hole was + clogged up. Returning it to the holster, I began to load the empty pistol, + still galloping by the side of the bull. By this time he was grown + desperate. The foam flew from his jaws and his tongue lolled out. Before + the pistol was loaded he sprang upon me, and followed up his attack with a + furious rush. The only alternative was to run away or be killed. I took to + flight, and the bull, bristling with fury, pursued me closely. The pistol + was soon ready, and then looking back, I saw his head five or six yards + behind my horse’s tail. To fire at it would be useless, for a bullet + flattens against the adamantine skull of a buffalo bull. Inclining my body + to the left, I turned my horse in that direction as sharply as his speed + would permit. The bull, rushing blindly on with great force and weight, + did not turn so quickly. As I looked back, his neck and shoulders were + exposed to view; turning in the saddle, I shot a bullet through them + obliquely into his vitals. He gave over the chase and soon fell to the + ground. An English tourist represents a situation like this as one of + imminent danger; this is a great mistake; the bull never pursues long, and + the horse must be wretched indeed that cannot keep out of his way for two + or three minutes. + </p> + <p> + We were now come to a part of the country where we were bound in common + prudence to use every possible precaution. We mounted guard at night, each + man standing in his turn; and no one ever slept without drawing his rifle + close to his side or folding it with him in his blanket. One morning our + vigilance was stimulated by our finding traces of a large Comanche + encampment. Fortunately for us, however, it had been abandoned nearly a + week. On the next evening we found the ashes of a recent fire, which gave + us at the time some uneasiness. At length we reached the Caches, a place + of dangerous repute; and it had a most dangerous appearance, consisting of + sand-hills everywhere broken by ravines and deep chasms. Here we found the + grave of Swan, killed at this place, probably by the Pawnees, two or three + weeks before. His remains, more than once violated by the Indians and the + wolves, were suffered at length to remain undisturbed in their wild burial + place. + </p> + <p> + For several days we met detached companies of Price’s regiment. Horses + would often break loose at night from their camps. One afternoon we picked + up three of these stragglers quietly grazing along the river. After we + came to camp that evening, Jim Gurney brought news that more of them were + in sight. It was nearly dark, and a cold, drizzling rain had set in; but + we all turned out, and after an hour’s chase nine horses were caught and + brought in. One of them was equipped with saddle and bridle; pistols were + hanging at the pommel of the saddle, a carbine was slung at its side, and + a blanket rolled up behind it. In the morning, glorying in our valuable + prize, we resumed our journey, and our cavalcade presented a much more + imposing appearance than ever before. We kept on till the afternoon, when, + far behind, three horsemen appeared on the horizon. Coming on at a + hand-gallop, they soon overtook us, and claimed all the horses as + belonging to themselves and others of their company. They were of course + given up, very much to the mortification of Ellis and Jim Gurney. + </p> + <p> + Our own horses now showed signs of fatigue, and we resolved to give them + half a day’s rest. We stopped at noon at a grassy spot by the river. After + dinner Shaw and Henry went out to hunt; and while the men lounged about + the camp, I lay down to read in the shadow of the cart. Looking up, I saw + a bull grazing alone on the prairie more than a mile distant. I was tired + of reading, and taking my rifle I walked toward him. As I came near, I + crawled upon the ground until I approached to within a hundred yards; here + I sat down upon the grass and waited till he should turn himself into a + proper position to receive his death-wound. He was a grim old veteran. His + loves and his battles were over for that season, and now, gaunt and + war-worn, he had withdrawn from the herd to graze by himself and recruit + his exhausted strength. He was miserably emaciated; his mane was all in + tatters; his hide was bare and rough as an elephant’s, and covered with + dried patches of the mud in which he had been wallowing. He showed all his + ribs whenever he moved. He looked like some grizzly old ruffian grown gray + in blood and violence, and scowling on all the world from his misanthropic + seclusion. The old savage looked up when I first approached, and gave me a + fierce stare; then he fell to grazing again with an air of contemptuous + indifference. The moment after, as if suddenly recollecting himself, he + threw up his head, faced quickly about, and to my amazement came at a + rapid trot directly toward me. I was strongly impelled to get up and run, + but this would have been very dangerous. Sitting quite still I aimed, as + he came on, at the thin part of the skull above the nose. After he had + passed over about three-quarters of the distance between us, I was on the + point of firing, when, to my great satisfaction, he stopped short. I had + full opportunity of studying his countenance; his whole front was covered + with a huge mass of coarse matted hair, which hung so low that nothing but + his two forefeet were visible beneath it; his short thick horns were + blunted and split to the very roots in his various battles, and across his + nose and forehead were two or three large white scars, which gave him a + grim and at the same time a whimsical appearance. It seemed to me that he + stood there motionless for a full quarter of an hour, looking at me + through the tangled locks of his mane. For my part, I remained as quiet as + he, and looked quite as hard; I felt greatly inclined to come to term with + him. “My friend,” thought I, “if you’ll let me off, I’ll let you off.” At + length he seemed to have abandoned any hostile design. Very slowly and + deliberately he began to turn about; little by little his side came into + view, all be-plastered with mud. It was a tempting sight. I forgot my + prudent intentions, and fired my rifle; a pistol would have served at that + distance. Round spun old bull like a top, and away he galloped over the + prairie. He ran some distance, and even ascended a considerable hill, + before he lay down and died. After shooting another bull among the hills, + I went back to camp. + </p> + <p> + At noon, on the 14th of September, a very large Santa Fe caravan came up. + The plain was covered with the long files of their white-topped wagons, + the close black carriages in which the traders travel and sleep, large + droves of animals, and men on horseback and on foot. They all stopped on + the meadow near us. Our diminutive cart and handful of men made but an + insignificant figure by the side of their wide and bustling camp. Tete + Rouge went over to visit them, and soon came back with half a dozen + biscuits in one hand and a bottle of brandy in the other. I inquired where + he got them. “Oh,” said Tete Rouge, “I know some of the traders. Dr. Dobbs + is there besides.” I asked who Dr. Dobbs might be. “One of our St. Louis + doctors,” replied Tete Rouge. For two days past I had been severely + attacked by the same disorder which had so greatly reduced my strength + when at the mountains; at this time I was suffering not a little from the + sudden pain and weakness which it occasioned. Tete Rouge, in answer to my + inquiries, declared that Dr. Dobbs was a physician of the first standing. + Without at all believing him, I resolved to consult this eminent + practitioner. Walking over to the camp, I found him lying sound asleep + under one of the wagons. He offered in his own person but an indifferent + specimen of his skill, for it was five months since I had seen so + cadaverous a face. + </p> + <p> + His hat had fallen off, and his yellow hair was all in disorder; one of + his arms supplied the place of a pillow; his pantaloons were wrinkled + halfway up to his knees, and he was covered with little bits of grass and + straw, upon which he had rolled in his uneasy slumber. A Mexican stood + near, and I made him a sign that he should touch the doctor. Up sprang the + learned Dobbs, and, sitting upright, rubbed his eyes and looked about him + in great bewilderment. I regretted the necessity of disturbing him, and + said I had come to ask professional advice. “Your system, sir, is in a + disordered state,” said he solemnly, after a short examination. + </p> + <p> + I inquired what might be the particular species of disorder. + </p> + <p> + “Evidently a morbid action of the liver,” replied the medical man; “I will + give you a prescription.” + </p> + <p> + Repairing to the back of one of the covered wagons, he scrambled in; for a + moment I could see nothing of him but his boots. At length he produced a + box which he had extracted from some dark recess within, and opening it, + he presented me with a folded paper of some size. “What is it?” said I. + “Calomel,” said the doctor. + </p> + <p> + Under the circumstances I would have taken almost anything. There was not + enough to do me much harm, and it might possibly do good; so at camp that + night I took the poison instead of supper. + </p> + <p> + That camp is worthy of notice. The traders warned us not to follow the + main trail along the river, “unless,” as one of them observed, “you want + to have your throats cut!” The river at this place makes a bend; and a + smaller trail, known as the Ridge-path, leads directly across the prairie + from point to point, a distance of sixty or seventy miles. + </p> + <p> + We followed this trail, and after traveling seven or eight miles, we came + to a small stream, where we encamped. Our position was not chosen with + much forethought or military skill. The water was in a deep hollow, with + steep, high banks; on the grassy bottom of this hollow we picketed our + horses, while we ourselves encamped upon the barren prairie just above. + The opportunity was admirable either for driving off our horses or + attacking us. After dark, as Tete Rouge was sitting at supper, we observed + him pointing with a face of speechless horror over the shoulder of Henry, + who was opposite to him. Aloof amid the darkness appeared a gigantic black + apparition; solemnly swaying to and fro, it advanced steadily upon us. + Henry, half vexed and half amused, jumped up, spread out his arms, and + shouted. The invader was an old buffalo bull, who with characteristic + stupidity, was walking directly into camp. It cost some shouting and + swinging of hats before we could bring him first to a halt and then to a + rapid retreat. + </p> + <p> + That night the moon was full and bright; but as the black clouds chased + rapidly over it, we were at one moment in light and at the next in + darkness. As the evening advanced, a thunderstorm came up; it struck us + with such violence that the tent would have been blown over if we had not + interposed the cart to break the force of the wind. At length it subsided + to a steady rain. I lay awake through nearly the whole night, listening to + its dull patter upon the canvas above. The moisture, which filled the tent + and trickled from everything in it, did not add to the comfort of the + situation. About twelve o’clock Shaw went out to stand guard amid the rain + and pitch darkness. Munroe, the most vigilant as well as one of the + bravest among us, was also on the alert. When about two hours had passed, + Shaw came silently in, and touching Henry, called him in a low quick voice + to come out. “What is it?” I asked. “Indians, I believe,” whispered Shaw; + “but lie still; I’ll call you if there’s a fight.” + </p> + <p> + He and Henry went out together. I took the cover from my rifle, put a + fresh percussion cap upon it, and then, being in much pain, lay down + again. In about five minutes Shaw came in again. “All right,” he said, as + he lay down to sleep. Henry was now standing guard in his place. He told + me in the morning the particulars of the alarm. Munroe’ s watchful eye + discovered some dark objects down in the hollow, among the horses, like + men creeping on all fours. Lying flat on their faces, he and Shaw crawled + to the edge of the bank, and were soon convinced that what they saw were + Indians. Shaw silently withdrew to call Henry, and they all lay watching + in the same position. Henry’s eye is of the best on the prairie. He + detected after a while the true nature of the moving objects; they were + nothing but wolves creeping among the horses. + </p> + <p> + It is very singular that when picketed near a camp horses seldom show any + fear of such an intrusion. The wolves appear to have no other object than + that of gnawing the trail-ropes of raw hide by which the animals are + secured. Several times in the course of the journey my horse’s trail-rope + was bitten in two by these nocturnal visitors. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0027" id="link2HCH0027"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XXVII + </h2> + <h3> + THE SETTLEMENTS + </h3> + <p> + The next day was extremely hot, and we rode from morning till night + without seeing a tree or a bush or a drop of water. Our horses and mules + suffered much more than we, but as sunset approached they pricked up their + ears and mended their pace. Water was not far off. When we came to the + descent of the broad shallowy valley where it lay, an unlooked-for sight + awaited us. The stream glistened at the bottom, and along its banks were + pitched a multitude of tents, while hundreds of cattle were feeding over + the meadows. Bodies of troops, both horse and foot, and long trains of + wagons with men, women, and children, were moving over the opposite ridge + and descending the broad declivity in front. These were the Mormon + battalion in the service of government, together with a considerable + number of Missouri volunteers. The Mormons were to be paid off in + California, and they were allowed to bring with them their families and + property. There was something very striking in the half-military, + half-patriarchal appearance of these armed fanatics, thus on their way + with their wives and children, to found, if might be, a Mormon empire in + California. We were much more astonished than pleased at the sight before + us. In order to find an unoccupied camping ground, we were obliged to pass + a quarter of a mile up the stream, and here we were soon beset by a swarm + of Mormons and Missourians. The United States officer in command of the + whole came also to visit us, and remained some time at our camp. + </p> + <p> + In the morning the country was covered with mist. We were always early + risers, but before we were ready the voices of men driving in the cattle + sounded all around us. As we passed above their camp, we saw through the + obscurity that the tents were falling and the ranks rapidly forming; and + mingled with the cries of women and children, the rolling of the Mormon + drums and the clear blast of their trumpets sounded through the mist. + </p> + <p> + From that time to the journey’s end, we met almost every day long trains + of government wagons, laden with stores for the troops and crawling at a + snail’s pace toward Santa Fe. + </p> + <p> + Tete Rouge had a mortal antipathy to danger, but on a foraging expedition + one evening, he achieved an adventure more perilous than had yet befallen + any man in the party. The night after we left the Ridge-path we encamped + close to the river. At sunset we saw a train of wagons encamping on the + trail about three miles off; and though we saw them distinctly, our little + cart, as it afterward proved, entirely escaped their view. For some days + Tete Rouge had been longing eagerly after a dram of whisky. So, resolving + to improve the present opportunity, he mounted his horse James, slung his + canteen over his shoulder, and set forth in search of his favorite liquor. + Some hours passed without his returning. We thought that he was lost, or + perhaps that some stray Indian had snapped him up. While the rest fell + asleep I remained on guard. Late at night a tremulous voice saluted me + from the darkness, and Tete Rouge and James soon became visible, advancing + toward the camp. Tete Rouge was in much agitation and big with some + important tidings. Sitting down on the shaft of the cart, he told the + following story: + </p> + <p> + When he left the camp he had no idea, he said, how late it was. By the + time he approached the wagoners it was perfectly dark; and as he saw them + all sitting around their fires within the circle of wagons, their guns + laid by their sides, he thought he might as well give warning of his + approach, in order to prevent a disagreeable mistake. Raising his voice to + the highest pitch, he screamed out in prolonged accents, “Camp, ahoy!” + This eccentric salutation produced anything but the desired result. + Hearing such hideous sounds proceeding from the outer darkness, the + wagoners thought that the whole Pawnee nation were about to break in and + take their scalps. Up they sprang staring with terror. Each man snatched + his gun; some stood behind the wagons; some threw themselves flat on the + ground, and in an instant twenty cocked muskets were leveled full at the + horrified Tete Rouge, who just then began to be visible through the + darkness. + </p> + <p> + “Thar they come,” cried the master wagoner, “fire, fire! shoot that + feller.” + </p> + <p> + “No, no!” screamed Tete Rouge, in an ecstasy of fright; “don’t fire, + don’t! I’m a friend, I’m an American citizen!” + </p> + <p> + “You’re a friend, be you?” cried a gruff voice from the wagons; “then what + are you yelling out thar for, like a wild Injun. Come along up here if + you’re a man.” + </p> + <p> + “Keep your guns p’inted at him,” added the master wagoner, “maybe he’s a + decoy, like.” + </p> + <p> + Tete Rouge in utter bewilderment made his approach, with the gaping + muzzles of the muskets still before his eyes. He succeeded at last in + explaining his character and situation, and the Missourians admitted him + into camp. He got no whisky; but as he represented himself as a great + invalid, and suffering much from coarse fare, they made up a contribution + for him of rice, biscuit, and sugar from their own rations. + </p> + <p> + In the morning at breakfast, Tete Rouge once more related this story. We + hardly knew how much of it to believe, though after some cross-questioning + we failed to discover any flaw in the narrative. Passing by the wagoner’s + camp, they confirmed Tete Rouge’s account in every particular. + </p> + <p> + “I wouldn’t have been in that feller’s place,” said one of them, “for the + biggest heap of money in Missouri.” + </p> + <p> + To Tete Rouge’s great wrath they expressed a firm conviction that he was + crazy. We left them after giving them the advice not to trouble themselves + about war-whoops in future, since they would be apt to feel an Indian’s + arrow before they heard his voice. + </p> + <p> + A day or two after, we had an adventure of another sort with a party of + wagoners. Henry and I rode forward to hunt. After that day there was no + probability that we should meet with buffalo, and we were anxious to kill + one for the sake of fresh meat. They were so wild that we hunted all the + morning in vain, but at noon as we approached Cow Creek we saw a large + band feeding near its margin. Cow Creek is densely lined with trees which + intercept the view beyond, and it runs, as we afterward found, at the + bottom of a deep trench. We approached by riding along the bottom of a + ravine. When we were near enough, I held the horses while Henry crept + toward the buffalo. I saw him take his seat within shooting distance, + prepare his rifle, and look about to select his victim. The death of a fat + cow was certain, when suddenly a great smoke arose from the bed of the + Creek with a rattling volley of musketry. A score of long-legged + Missourians leaped out from among the trees and ran after the buffalo, who + one and all took to their heels and vanished. These fellows had crawled up + the bed of the Creek to within a hundred yards of the buffalo. Never was + there a fairer chance for a shot. They were good marksmen; all cracked + away at once, and yet not a buffalo fell. In fact, the animal is so + tenacious of life that it requires no little knowledge of anatomy to kill + it, and it is very seldom that a novice succeeds in his first attempt at + approaching. The balked Missourians were excessively mortified, especially + when Henry told them if they had kept quiet he would have killed meat + enough in ten minutes to feed their whole party. Our friends, who were at + no great distance, hearing such a formidable fusillade, thought the + Indians had fired the volley for our benefit. Shaw came galloping on to + reconnoiter and learn if we were yet in the land of the living. + </p> + <p> + At Cow Creek we found the very welcome novelty of ripe grapes and plums, + which grew there in abundance. At the Little Arkansas, not much farther + on, we saw the last buffalo, a miserable old bull, roaming over the + prairie alone and melancholy. + </p> + <p> + From this time forward the character of the country was changing every + day. We had left behind us the great arid deserts, meagerly covered by the + tufted buffalo grass, with its pale green hue, and its short shriveled + blades. The plains before us were carpeted with rich and verdant herbage + sprinkled with flowers. In place of buffalo we found plenty of prairie + hens, and we bagged them by dozens without leaving the trail. In three or + four days we saw before us the broad woods and the emerald meadows of + Council Grove, a scene of striking luxuriance and beauty. It seemed like a + new sensation as we rode beneath the resounding archs of these noble + woods. The trees were ash, oak, elm, maple, and hickory, their mighty + limbs deeply overshadowing the path, while enormous grape vines were + entwined among them, purple with fruit. The shouts of our scattered party, + and now and then a report of a rifle, rang amid the breathing stillness of + the forest. We rode forth again with regret into the broad light of the + open prairie. Little more than a hundred miles now separated us from the + frontier settlements. The whole intervening country was a succession of + verdant prairies, rising in broad swells and relieved by trees clustering + like an oasis around some spring, or following the course of a stream + along some fertile hollow. These are the prairies of the poet and the + novelist. We had left danger behind us. Nothing was to be feared from the + Indians of this region, the Sacs and Foxes, the Kansas and the Osages. We + had met with signal good fortune. Although for five months we had been + traveling with an insufficient force through a country where we were at + any moment liable to depredation, not a single animal had been stolen from + us, and our only loss had been one old mule bitten to death by a + rattlesnake. Three weeks after we reached the frontier the Pawnees and the + Comanches began a regular series of hostilities on the Arkansas trail, + killing men and driving off horses. They attacked, without exception, + every party, large or small, that passed during the next six months. + </p> + <p> + Diamond Spring, Rock Creek, Elder Grove, and other camping places besides, + were passed all in quick succession. At Rock Creek we found a train of + government provision wagons, under the charge of an emaciated old man in + his seventy-first year. Some restless American devil had driven him into + the wilderness at a time when he should have been seated at his fireside + with his grandchildren on his knees. I am convinced that he never + returned; he was complaining that night of a disease, the wasting effects + of which upon a younger and stronger man, I myself had proved from severe + experience. Long ere this no doubt the wolves have howled their moonlight + carnival over the old man’s attenuated remains. + </p> + <p> + Not long after we came to a small trail leading to Fort Leavenworth, + distant but one day’s journey. Tete Rouge here took leave of us. He was + anxious to go to the fort in order to receive payment for his valuable + military services. So he and his horse James, after bidding an + affectionate farewell, set out together, taking with them as much + provision as they could conveniently carry, including a large quantity of + brown sugar. On a cheerless rainy evening we came to our last encamping + ground. Some pigs belonging to a Shawnee farmer were grunting and rooting + at the edge of the grove. + </p> + <p> + “I wonder how fresh pork tastes,” murmured one of the party, and more than + one voice murmured in response. The fiat went forth, “That pig must die,” + and a rifle was leveled forthwith at the countenance of the plumpest + porker. Just then a wagon train, with some twenty Missourians, came out + from among the trees. The marksman suspended his aim, deeming it + inexpedient under the circumstances to consummate the deed of blood. + </p> + <p> + In the morning we made our toilet as well as circumstances would permit, + and that is saying but very little. In spite of the dreary rain of + yesterday, there never was a brighter and gayer autumnal morning than that + on which we returned to the settlements. We were passing through the + country of the half-civilized Shawanoes. It was a beautiful alternation of + fertile plains and groves, whose foliage was just tinged with the hues of + autumn, while close beneath them rested the neat log-houses of the Indian + farmers. Every field and meadow bespoke the exuberant fertility of the + soil. The maize stood rustling in the wind, matured and dry, its shining + yellow ears thrust out between the gaping husks. Squashes and enormous + yellow pumpkins lay basking in the sun in the midst of their brown and + shriveled leaves. Robins and blackbirds flew about the fences; and + everything in short betokened our near approach to home and civilization. + The forests that border on the Missouri soon rose before us, and we + entered the wide tract of shrubbery which forms their outskirts. We had + passed the same road on our outward journey in the spring, but its aspect + was totally changed. The young wild apple trees, then flushed with their + fragrant blossoms, were now hung thickly with ruddy fruit. Tall grass + flourished by the roadside in place of the tender shoots just peeping from + the warm and oozy soil. The vines were laden with dark purple grapes, and + the slender twigs of the maple, then tasseled with their clusters of small + red flowers, now hung out a gorgeous display of leaves stained by the + frost with burning crimson. On every side we saw the tokens of maturity + and decay where all had before been fresh and beautiful. We entered the + forest, and ourselves and our horses were checkered, as we passed along, + by the bright spots of sunlight that fell between the opening boughs. On + either side the dark rich masses of foliage almost excluded the sun, + though here and there its rays could find their way down, striking through + the broad leaves and lighting them with a pure transparent green. + Squirrels barked at us from the trees; coveys of young partridges ran + rustling over the leaves below, and the golden oriole, the blue jay, and + the flaming red-bird darted among the shadowy branches. We hailed these + sights and sounds of beauty by no means with an unmingled pleasure. Many + and powerful as were the attractions which drew us toward the settlements, + we looked back even at that moment with an eager longing toward the + wilderness of prairies and mountains behind us. For myself I had suffered + more that summer from illness than ever before in my life, and yet to this + hour I cannot recall those savage scenes and savage men without a strong + desire again to visit them. + </p> + <p> + At length, for the first time during about half a year, we saw the roof of + a white man’s dwelling between the opening trees. A few moments after we + were riding over the miserable log bridge that leads into the center of + Westport. Westport had beheld strange scenes, but a rougher looking troop + than ours, with our worn equipments and broken-down horses, was never seen + even there. We passed the well-remembered tavern, Boone’s grocery and old + Vogel’s dram shop, and encamped on a meadow beyond. Here we were soon + visited by a number of people who came to purchase our horses and + equipage. This matter disposed of, we hired a wagon and drove on to Kansas + Landing. Here we were again received under the hospitable roof of our old + friend Colonel Chick, and seated on his porch we looked down once more on + the eddies of the Missouri. + </p> + <p> + Delorier made his appearance in the morning, strangely transformed by the + assistance of a hat, a coat, and a razor. His little log-house was among + the woods not far off. It seemed he had meditated giving a ball on the + occasion of his return, and had consulted Henry Chatillon as to whether it + would do to invite his bourgeois. Henry expressed his entire conviction + that we would not take it amiss, and the invitation was now proffered, + accordingly, Delorier adding as a special inducement that Antoine + Lejeunesse was to play the fiddle. We told him we would certainly come, + but before the evening arrived a steamboat, which came down from Fort + Leavenworth, prevented our being present at the expected festivities. + Delorier was on the rock at the landing place, waiting to take leave of + us. + </p> + <p> + “Adieu! mes bourgeois; adieu! adieu!” he cried out as the boat pulled off; + “when you go another time to de Rocky Montagnes I will go with you; yes, I + will go!” + </p> + <p> + He accompanied this patronizing assurance by jumping about swinging his + hat, and grinning from ear to ear. As the boat rounded a distant point, + the last object that met our eyes was Delorier still lifting his hat and + skipping about the rock. We had taken leave of Munroe and Jim Gurney at + Westport, and Henry Chatillon went down in the boat with us. + </p> + <p> + The passage to St. Louis occupied eight days, during about a third of + which we were fast aground on sand-bars. We passed the steamer Amelia + crowded with a roaring crew of disbanded volunteers, swearing, drinking, + gambling, and fighting. At length one evening we reached the crowded levee + of St. Louis. Repairing to the Planters’ House, we caused diligent search + to be made for our trunks, which after some time were discovered stowed + away in the farthest corner of the storeroom. In the morning we hardly + recognized each other; a frock of broadcloth had supplanted the frock of + buckskin; well-fitted pantaloons took the place of the Indian leggings, + and polished boots were substituted for the gaudy moccasins. + </p> + <p> + After we had been several days at St. Louis we heard news of Tete Rouge. + He had contrived to reach Fort Leavenworth, where he had found the + paymaster and received his money. As a boat was just ready to start for + St. Louis, he went on board and engaged his passage. This done, he + immediately got drunk on shore, and the boat went off without him. It was + some days before another opportunity occurred, and meanwhile the sutler’s + stores furnished him with abundant means of keeping up his spirits. + Another steamboat came at last, the clerk of which happened to be a friend + of his, and by the advice of some charitable person on shore he persuaded + Tete Rouge to remain on board, intending to detain him there until the + boat should leave the fort. At first Tete Rouge was well contented with + this arrangement, but on applying for a dram, the barkeeper, at the + clerk’s instigation, refused to let him have it. Finding them both + inflexible in spite of his entreaties, he became desperate and made his + escape from the boat. The clerk found him after a long search in one of + the barracks; a circle of dragoons stood contemplating him as he lay on + the floor, maudlin drunk and crying dismally. With the help of one of them + the clerk pushed him on board, and our informant, who came down in the + same boat, declares that he remained in great despondency during the whole + passage. As we left St. Louis soon after his arrival, we did not see the + worthless, good-natured little vagabond again. + </p> + <p> + On the evening before our departure Henry Chatillon came to our rooms at + the Planters’ House to take leave of us. No one who met him in the streets + of St. Louis would have taken him for a hunter fresh from the Rocky + Mountains. He was very neatly and simply dressed in a suit of dark cloth; + for although, since his sixteenth year, he had scarcely been for a month + together among the abodes of men, he had a native good taste and a sense + of propriety which always led him to pay great attention to his personal + appearance. His tall athletic figure, with its easy flexible motions, + appeared to advantage in his present dress; and his fine face, though + roughened by a thousand storms, was not at all out of keeping with it. We + took leave of him with much regret; and unless his changing features, as + he shook us by the hand, belied him, the feeling on his part was no less + than on ours. Shaw had given him a horse at Westport. My rifle, which he + had always been fond of using, as it was an excellent piece, much better + than his own, is now in his hands, and perhaps at this moment its sharp + voice is startling the echoes of the Rocky Mountains. On the next morning + we left town, and after a fortnight of railroads and steamboat we saw once + more the familiar features of home. + </p> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg’s The Oregon Trail, by Francis Parkman, Jr. + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE OREGON TRAIL *** + +***** This file should be named 1015-h.htm or 1015-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/0/1/1015/ + +Produced by Donald Lainson; David Widger + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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