Chapter 10

Black feet in the Horse Prairie Search after the

hunters Difficulties and dangers A card party in the

wilderness The card party interrupted "Old Sledge" a losing

game Visitors to the camp Iroquois hunters Hanging-eared Indians.

ON the 12th of October, two young Indians of the Nez Perce tribe

arrived at Captain Bonneville's encampment. They were on their

way homeward, but had been obliged to swerve from their ordinary

route through the mountains, by deep snows. Their new route took

them though the Horse Prairie. In traversing it, they had been

attracted by the distant smoke of a camp fire, and on stealing

near to reconnoitre, had discovered a war party of Blackfeet.

They had several horses with them; and, as they generally go on

foot on warlike excursions, it was concluded that these horses

had been captured in the course of their maraudings.

This intelligence awakened solicitude on the mind of Captain

Bonneville for the party of hunters whom he had sent to that

neighborhood; and the Nez Perces, when informed of the

circumstances, shook their heads, and declared their belief that

the horses they had seen had been stolen from that very party.

Anxious for information on the subject, Captain Bonneville

dispatched two hunters to beat up the country in that direction.

They searched in vain; not a trace of the men could be found; but

they got into a region destitute of game, where they were

well-nigh famished. At one time they were three entire days

with-out a mouthful of food; at length they beheld a buffalo

grazing at the foot of the mountain. After manoeuvring so as to

get within shot, they fired, but merely wounded him. He took to

flight, and they followed him over hill and dale, with the

eagerness and per-severance of starving men. A more lucky shot

brought him to the ground. Stanfield sprang upon him, plunged his

knife into his throat, and allayed his raging hunger by drinking

his blood: A fire was instantly kindled beside the carcass, when

the two hunters cooked, and ate again and again, until, perfectly

gorged, they sank to sleep before their hunting fire. On the

following morning they rose early, made another hearty meal, then

loading themselves with buffalo meat, set out on their return to

the camp, to report the fruitlessness of their mission.

At length, after six weeks' absence, the hunters made their

appearance, and were received with joy proportioned to the

anxiety that had been felt on their account. They had hunted with

success on the prairie, but, while busy drying buffalo meat, were

joined by a few panic - stricken Flatheads, who informed them

that a powerful band of Blackfeet was at hand. The hunters

immediately abandoned the dangerous hunting ground, and

accompanied the Flatheads to their village. Here they found Mr.

Cerre, and the detachment of hunters sent with him to accompany

the hunting party of the Nez Perces.

After remaining some time at the village, until they supposed the

Blackfeet to have left the neighborhood, they set off with some

of Mr. Cerre's men for the cantonment at Salmon River, where they

arrived without accident. They informed Captain Bonneville,

however, that not far from his quarters they had found a wallet

of fresh meat and a cord, which they supposed had been left by

some prowling Blackfeet. A few days afterward Mr. Cerre, with the

remainder of his men, likewise arrived at the cantonment.

Mr. Walker, one of his subleaders, who had gone with a band of

twenty hunters to range the country just beyond the Horse

Prairie, had likewise his share of adventures with the

all-pervading Blackfeet. At one of his encampments the guard

stationed to keep watch round the camp grew weary of their duty,

and feeling a little too secure, and too much at home on these

prairies, retired to a small grove of willows to amuse themselves

with a social game of cards called "old sledge," which is as

popular among these trampers of the prairies as whist or ecarte

among the polite circles of the cities. From the midst of their

sport they were suddenly roused by a discharge of firearms and a

shrill war-whoop. Starting on their feet, and snatching up their

rifles, they beheld in dismay their horses and mules already in

possession of the enemy, who had stolen upon the camp

unperceived, while they were spell-bound by the magic of old

sledge. The Indians sprang upon the animals barebacked, and

endeavored to urge them off under a galling fire that did some

execution. The mules, however, confounded by the hurly-burly and

disliking their new riders kicked up their heels and dismounted

half of them, in spite of their horsemanship. This threw the rest

into confusion; they endeavored to protect their unhorsed

comrades from the furious assaults of the whites; but, after a

scene of "confusion worse confounded," horses and mules were

abandoned, and the Indians betook themselves to the bushes. Here

they quickly scratched holes in the earth about two feet deep, in

which they prostrated themselves, and while thus screened from

the shots of the white men, were enabled to make such use of

their bows and arrows and fusees, as to repulse their assailants

and to effect their retreat. This adventure threw a temporary

stigma upon the game of "old sledge."

In the course of the autumn, four Iroquois hunters, driven by the

snow from their hunting grounds, made their appearance at the

cantonment. They were kindly welcomed, and during their sojourn

made themselves useful in a variety of ways, being excellent

trappers and first-rate woodsmen. They were of the remnants of a

party of Iroquois hunters that came from Canada into these

mountain regions many years previously, in the employ of the

Hudson's Bay Company. They were led by a brave chieftain, named

Pierre, who fell by the hands of the Blackfeet, and gave his name

to the fated valley of Pierre's Hole. This branch of the Iroquois

tribe has ever since remained among these mountains, at mortal

enmity with the Blackfeet, and have lost many of their prime

hunters in their feuds with that ferocious race. Some of them

fell in with General Ashley, in the course of one of his gallant

excursions into the wilderness, and have continued ever since in

the employ of the company.

Among the motley Visitors to the winter quarters of Captain

Bonneville was a party of Pends Oreilles (or Hanging-ears) and

their chief. These Indians have a strong resemblance, in

character and customs, to the Nez Perces. They amount to about

three hundred lodges, are well armed, and possess great numbers

of horses. During the spring, summer, and autumn, they hunt the

buffalo about the head-waters of the Missouri, Henry's Fork of

the Snake River, and the northern branches of Salmon River. Their

winter quarters are upon the Racine Amere, where they subsist

upon roots and dried buffalo meat. Upon this river the Hudson's

Bay Company have established a trading post, where the Pends

Oreilles and the Flatheads bring their peltries to exchange for

arms, clothing and trinkets.

This tribe, like the Nez Perces, evince strong and peculiar

feelings of natural piety. Their religion is not a mere

superstitious fear, like that of most savages; they evince

abstract notions of morality; a deep reverence for an overruling

spirit, and a respect for the rights of their fellow men. In one

respect their religion partakes of the pacific doctrines of the

Quakers. They hold that the Great Spirit is displeased with all

nations who wantonly engage in war; they abstain, therefore, from

all aggressive hostilities. But though thus unoffending in their

policy, they are called upon continually to wage defensive

warfare; especially with the Blackfeet; with whom, in the course

of their hunting expeditions, they come in frequent collision and

have desperate battles. Their conduct as warriors is without fear

or reproach, and they can never be driven to abandon their

hunting grounds.

Like most savages they are firm believers in dreams, and in the

power and efficacy of charms and amulets, or medicines as they

term them. Some of their braves, also, who have had numerous

hairbreadth 'scapes, like the old Nez Perce chief in the battle

of Pierre's Hole, are believed to wear a charmed life, and to be

bullet-proof. Of these gifted beings marvelous anecdotes are

related, which are most potently believed by their fellow

savages, and sometimes almost credited by the white hunters.