THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN BONNEVILLE

第3章

Thatnightthecaptainencampeduponthebattleground；thenextdayheresumedhis

toilsomeperegrinationsthroughthemountains。Forupwardsoftwoweekshecontinued

hispainfulmarch；bothmenandhorsessufferingexcessivelyattimesfromhungerand

thirst。Atlength，onthe19thofSeptember，hereachedtheupperwatersofSalmonRiver。Theweatherwascold，andthereweresymptomsofanimpendingstorm。Thenightset

in，butBuckeye，theDelawareIndian，wasmissing。Hehadleftthepartyearlyinthe

morning，tohuntbyhimself，accordingtohiscustom。Fearswereentertainedlesthe

shouldlosehiswayandbecomebewilderedintempestuousweather。Thesefears

increasedonthefollowingmorning，whenaviolentsnow-stormcameon，whichsoon

coveredtheearthtothedepthofseveralinches。CaptainBonnevilleimmediately

encamped，andsentoutscoutsineverydirection。AftersomesearchBuckeyewas

discovered，quietlyseatedataconsiderabledistanceintherear，waitingtheexpected

approachoftheparty，notknowingthattheyhadpassed，thesnowhavingcoveredtheirtrail。Ontheensuingmorningtheyresumedtheirmarchatanearlyhour，buthadnot

proceededfarwhenthehunters，whowerebeatingupthecountryintheadvance，camegallopingback，makingsignalstoencamp，andcryingIndians！Indians！CaptainBonnevilleimmediatelystruckintoaskirtofwoodandpreparedforaction。The

savageswerenowseentroopingoverthehillsingreatnumbers。Oneofthemleftthe

mainbodyandcameforwardsingly，makingsignalsofpeace。Heannouncedthemasa

bandofNezPercesorPierced-noseIndians，friendlytothewhites，whereuponan

invitationwasreturnedbyCaptainBonnevilleforthemtocomeandencampwithhim。

Theyhaltedforashorttimetomaketheirtoilette，anoperationasimportantwithan

Indianwarrioraswithafashionablebeauty。Thisdone，theyarrangedthemselvesin

martialstyle，thechiefsleadingthevan，thebravesfollowinginalongline，paintedand

decorated，andtoppedoffwithflutteringplumes。Inthiswaytheyadvanced，shouting

andsinging，firingofftheirfusees，andclashingtheirshields。Thetwopartiesencamped

hardbyeachother。TheNezPerceswereonahuntingexpedition，buthadbeenalmost

famishedontheirmarch。Theyhadnoprovisionsleftbutafewdriedsalmon，yetfinding

thewhitemenequallyinwant，theygenerouslyofferedtoshareeventhismeager

pittance，andfrequentlyrepeatedtheoffer，withanearnestnessthatleftnodoubtof

theirsincerity。TheirgenerositywontheheartofCaptainBonneville，andproducedthe

mostcordialgoodwillonthepartofhismen。Fortwodaysthatthepartiesremainedin

company，themostamicableintercourseprevailed，andtheypartedthebestoffriends。

CaptainBonnevilledetachedafewmen，underMr。Cerre，anableleader，to

accompanytheNezPercesontheirhuntingexpedition，andtotradewiththemformeat

forthewinter”ssupply。Afterthis，heproceededdowntheriver，aboutfivemilesbelow

theforks，whenhecametoahaltonthe26thofSeptember，toestablishhiswinter

quarters。[ReturntoContents]Irving”sBonneville-Chapter9[ReturntoContents]WashingtonIrving”sTheAdventuresofCaptainBonnevilleChapter9Horsesturnedloose——Preparationsforwinterquarters——Hungrytimes——NezPerces，

theirhonesty，piety，pacifichabits，religiousceremonies——CaptainBonneville”s

conversationswiththem——TheirloveofgamblingITWASGRATIFYINGtoCaptainBonneville，aftersolongandtoilsomeacourseof

travel，torelievehispoorjadedhorsesoftheburdenunderwhichtheywerealmost

readytogiveout，andtobeholdthemrollinguponthegrass，andtakingalongrepose

afteralltheirsufferings。Indeed，soexhaustedwerethey，thatthoseemployedunderthesaddlewerenolongercapableofhuntingforthedailysubsistenceofthecamp。Allhandsnowsettoworktoprepareawintercantonment。Atemporaryfortificationwas

thrownupfortheprotectionoftheparty；asecureandcomfortablepen，intowhichthe

horsescouldbedrivenatnight；andhutswerebuiltforthereceptionofthemerchandise。Thisdone，CaptainBonnevillemadeadistributionofhisforces：twentymenwereto

remainwithhimingarrisontoprotecttheproperty；therestwereorganizedintothree

brigades，andsentoffindifferentdirections，tosubsistthemselvesbyhuntingthebuffalo，untilthesnowshouldbecometoodeep。Indeed，itwouldhavebeenimpossibletoprovideforthewholepartyinthis

neighborhood。Itwasattheextremewesternlimitofthebuffalorange，andthese

animalshadrecentlybeencompletelyhuntedoutoftheneighborhoodbytheNez

Perces，sothat，althoughthehuntersofthegarrisonwerecontinuallyonthealert，

rangingthecountryround，theybroughtinscarcegamesufficienttokeepfaminefrom

thedoor。Nowandthentherewasascantymealoffishorwild-fowl，occasionallyan

antelope；butfrequentlythecravingsofhungerhadtobeappeasedwithroots，orthe

fleshofwolvesandmuskrats。Rarelycouldtheinmatesofthecantonmentboastof

havingmadeafullmeal，andneverofhavingwherewithalforthemorrow。Inthisway

theystarvedalonguntilthe8thofOctober，whentheywerejoinedbyapartyoffive

familiesofNezPerces，whoinsomemeasurereconciledthemtothehardshipsoftheir

situationbyexhibitingalotstillmoredestitute。Amoreforlornsettheyhadnever

encountered：theyhadnotamorselofmeatorfish；noranythingtosubsiston，

exceptingroots，wildrosebuds，thebarksofcertainplants，andothervegetable

production；neitherhadtheyanyweaponforhuntingordefence，exceptinganold

spear：yetthepoorfellowsmadenomurmurnorcomplaint；butseemedaccustomedto

theirhardfare。Iftheycouldnotteachthewhitementheirpracticalstoicism，theyat

leastmadethemacquaintedwiththeediblepropertiesofrootsandwildrosebuds，and

furnishedthemasupplyfromtheirownstore。Thenecessitiesofthecampatlength

becamesourgentthatCaptainBonnevilledeterminedtodispatchapartytotheHorse

Prairie，aplaintothenorthofhiscantonment，toprocureasupplyofprovisions。When

themenwereabouttodepart，heproposedtotheNezPercesthatthey，orsomeof

them，shouldjointhehunting-party。Tohissurprise，theypromptlydeclined。Heinquired

thereasonfortheirrefusal，seeingthattheywereinnearlyasstarvingasituationashis

ownpeople。Theyrepliedthatitwasasacreddaywiththem，andtheGreatSpiritwould

beangryshouldtheydevoteittohunting。Theyoffered，however，toaccompanythe

partyifitwoulddelayitsdepartureuntilthefollowingday；butthisthepinchingdemandsofhungerwouldnotpermit，andthedetachmentproceeded。Afewdaysafterward，fourofthemsignifiedtoCaptainBonnevillethattheywereabout

tohunt。“What！“exclaimedhe，“withoutgunsorarrows；andwithonlyoneoldspear？

Whatdoyouexpecttokill？“Theysmiledamongthemselves，butmadenoanswer。

Preparatorytothechase，theyperformedsomereligiousrites，andoffereduptothe

GreatSpiritafewshortprayersforsafetyandsuccess；then，havingreceivedthe

blessingsoftheirwives，theyleapedupontheirhorsesanddeparted，leavingthewhole

partyofChristianspectatorsamazedandrebukedbythislessonoffaithand

dependenceonasupremeandbenevolentBeing。“Accustomed，“addsCaptain

Bonneville，“asIhadheretoforebeen，tofindthewretchedIndianrevellinginblood，and

stainedbyeveryvicewhichcandegradehumannature，Icouldscarcelyrealizethe

scenewhichIhadwitnessed。Wonderatsuchunaffectedtendernessandpiety，where

itwasleasttohavebeensought，contendedinallourbosomswithshameand

confusion，atreceivingsuchpureandwholesomeinstructionsfromcreaturessofar

belowusintheartsandcomfortsoflife。”ThesimpleprayersofthepoorIndianswere

notunheard。Inthecourseoffourorfivedaystheyreturned，ladenwithmeat。Captain

Bonnevillewascurioustoknowhowtheyhadattainedsuchsuccesswithsuchscanty

means。Theygavehimtounderstandthattheyhadchasedthebuffaloatfullspeed，

untiltheytiredthemdown，whentheyeasilydispatchedthemwiththespear，andmade

useofthesameweapontoflaythecarcasses。Tocarrythroughtheirlessonstotheir

Christianfriends，thepoorsavageswereascharitableastheyhadbeenpious，and

generouslysharedwiththemthespoilsoftheirhunting，givingthemfoodenoughtolastforseveraldays。AfurtherandmoreintimateintercoursewiththistribegaveCaptainBonnevillestill

greatercausetoadmiretheirstrongdevotionalfeeling。“Simplytocallthesepeople

religious，“sayshe，“wouldconveybutafaintideaofthedeephueofpietyanddevotion

whichpervadestheirwholeconduct。Theirhonestyisimmaculate，andtheirpurityof

purpose，andtheirobservanceoftheritesoftheirreligion，aremostuniformandremarkable。Theyare，certainly，morelikeanationofsaintsthanahordeofsavages。”Infact，theantibelligerentpolicyofthistribemayhavesprungfromthedoctrinesof

Christiancharity，foritwouldappearthattheyhadimbibedsomenotionsofthe

ChristianfaithfromCatholicmissionariesandtraderswhohadbeenamongthem。They

evenhadarudecalendarofthefastsandfestivalsoftheRomishChurch，andsome

tracesofitsceremonials。Thesehavebecomeblendedwiththeirownwildrites，and

presentastrangemedley；civilizedandbarbarous。OntheSabbath，men，women，and

childrenarraythemselvesintheirbeststyle，andassembleroundapoleerectedatthe

headofthecamp。Heretheygothroughawildfantasticceremonial；strongly

resemblingthereligiousdanceoftheShakingQuakers；butfromitsenthusiasm，much

morestrikingandimpressive。Duringtheintervalsoftheceremony，theprincipalchiefs，

whoofficiateaspriests，instructthemintheirduties，andexhortthemtovirtueandgooddeeds。“Thereissomethingantiqueandpatriarchal，“observesCaptainBonneville，“inthis

unionoftheofficesofleaderandpriest；asthereisinmanyoftheircustomsandmanners，whichareallstronglyimbuedwithreligion。”Theworthycaptain，indeed，appearstohavebeenstronglyinterestedbythisgleamof

unlookedforlightamidstthedarknessofthewilderness。Heexertedhimself，duringhis

sojournamongthissimpleandwell-disposedpeople，toinculcate，asfarashewas

able，thegentleandhumanizingpreceptsoftheChristianfaith，andtomakethem

acquaintedwiththeleadingpointsofitshistory；anditspeakshighlyforthepurityandbenignityofhisheart，thathederivedunmixedhappinessfromthetask。“Manyatime，“sayshe，“wasmylittlelodgethronged，orratherpiledwithhearers，for

theylayontheground，oneleaningovertheother，untiltherewasnofurtherroom，all

listeningwithgreedyearstothewonderswhichtheGreatSpirithadrevealedtothe

whiteman。Noothersubjectgavethemhalfthesatisfaction，orcommandedhalfthe

attention；andbutfewscenesinmyliferemainsofreshlyonmymemory，orareso

pleasurablyrecalledtomycontemplation，asthesehoursofintercoursewithadistantandbenightedraceinthemidstofthedesert。”Theonlyexcessesindulgedinbythistemperateandexemplarypeople，appeartobe

gamblingandhorseracing。Inthesetheyengagewithaneagernessthatamountsto

infatuation。Knotsofgamblerswillassemblebeforeoneoftheirlodgefires，earlyinthe

evening，andremainabsorbedinthechancesandchangesofthegameuntillongafter

dawnofthefollowingday。Asthenightadvances，theywaxwarmerandwarmer。Bets

increaseinamount，onelossonlyservestoleadtoagreater，untilinthecourseofa

singlenight”sgambling，therichestchiefmaybecomethepoorestvarletinthecamp。[ReturntoContents]Irving”sBonneville-Chapter10[ReturntoContents]WashingtonIrving”sTheAdventuresofCaptainBonnevilleChapter10BlackfeetintheHorsePrairie——Searchafterthehunters——Difficultiesanddangers——A

cardpartyinthewilderness——Thecardpartyinterrupted”OldSledge“alosinggame——Visitorstothecamp——Iroquoishunters——Hanging-earedIndians。ONthe12thofOctober，twoyoungIndiansoftheNezPercetribearrivedatCaptain

Bonneville”s

encampment。Theywereontheirwayhomeward，buthadbeenobligedtoswervefromtheir

ordinary

routethroughthemountains，bydeepsnows。TheirnewroutetookthemthoughtheHorse

Prairie。

Intraversingit，theyhadbeenattractedbythedistantsmokeofacampfire，andonstealingnear

reconnoitre，haddiscoveredawarpartyofBlackfeet。Theyhadseveralhorseswiththem；and，as

they

generallygoonfootonwarlikeexcursions，itwasconcludedthatthesehorseshadbeencaptured

inthecourseoftheirmaraudings。ThisintelligenceawakenedsolicitudeonthemindofCaptainBonnevilleforthepartyof

hunters

whomhehadsenttothatneighborhood；andtheNezPerces，wheninformedofthe

circumstances，

shooktheirheads，anddeclaredtheirbeliefthatthehorsestheyhadseenhadbeenstolenfrom

that

veryparty。Anxiousforinformationonthesubject，CaptainBonnevilledispatchedtwohuntersto

beat

upthecountryinthatdirection。Theysearchedinvain；notatraceofthemencouldbefound；but

theygotintoaregiondestituteofgame，wheretheywerewell-nighfamished。Atonetimethey

were

threeentiredayswith-outamouthfuloffood；atlengththeybeheldabuffalograzingatthefoot

themountain。Aftermanoeuvringsoastogetwithinshot，theyfired，butmerelywoundedhim。

tooktoflight，andtheyfollowedhimoverhillanddale，withtheeagernessandper-severanceof

starvingmen。Amoreluckyshotbroughthimtotheground。Stanfieldspranguponhim，plunged

his

knifeintohisthroat，andallayedhisraginghungerbydrinkinghisblood：Afirewasinstantly

kindled

besidethecarcass，whenthetwohunterscooked，andateagainandagain，until，perfectlygorged，

theysanktosleepbeforetheirhuntingfire。Onthefollowingmorningtheyroseearly，made

another

heartymeal，thenloadingthemselveswithbuffalomeat，setoutontheirreturntothecamp，to

reportthefruitlessnessoftheirmission。Atlength，aftersixweeks”absence，thehuntersmadetheirappearance，andwerereceived

withjoy

proportionedtotheanxietythathadbeenfeltontheiraccount。Theyhadhuntedwithsuccesson

the

prairie，but，whilebusydryingbuffalomeat，werejoinedbyafewpanic-strickenFlatheads，who

informedthemthatapowerfulbandofBlackfeetwasathand。Thehuntersimmediately

abandoned

thedangeroushuntingground，andaccompaniedtheFlatheadstotheirvillage。Heretheyfound

Mr。

Cerre，andthedetachmentofhunterssentwithhimtoaccompanythehuntingpartyoftheNezPerces。Afterremainingsometimeatthevillage，untiltheysupposedtheBlackfeettohaveleftthe

neighborhood，theysetoffwithsomeofMr。Cerre”smenforthecantonmentatSalmonRiver，

where

theyarrivedwithoutaccident。TheyinformedCaptainBonneville，however，thatnotfarfromhis

quarterstheyhadfoundawalletoffreshmeatandacord，whichtheysupposedhadbeenleftby

some

prowlingBlackfeet。AfewdaysafterwardMr。Cerre，withtheremainderofhismen，likewise

arrivedatthecantonment。Mr。Walker，oneofhissubleaders，whohadgonewithabandoftwentyhunterstorangethe

country

justbeyondtheHorsePrairie，hadlikewisehisshareofadventureswiththeall-pervading

Blackfeet。

Atoneofhisencampmentstheguardstationedtokeepwatchroundthecampgrewwearyof

their

duty，andfeelingalittletoosecure，andtoomuchathomeontheseprairies，retiredtoasmall

grove

ofwillowstoamusethemselveswithasocialgameofcardscalled“oldsledge，“whichisas

popular

amongthesetrampersoftheprairiesaswhistorecarteamongthepolitecirclesofthecities。

From

themidstoftheirsporttheyweresuddenlyrousedbyadischargeoffirearmsandashrill

war-whoop。

Startingontheirfeet，andsnatchinguptheirrifles，theybeheldindismaytheirhorsesandmules

alreadyinpossessionoftheenemy，whohadstolenuponthecampunperceived，whiletheywere

spell-boundbythemagicofoldsledge。TheIndianssprangupontheanimalsbarebacked，and

endeavoredtourgethemoffunderagallingfirethatdidsomeexecution。Themules，however，

confoundedbythehurly-burlyanddislikingtheirnewriderskickeduptheirheelsand

dismountedhalf

ofthem，inspiteoftheirhorsemanship。Thisthrewtherestintoconfusion；theyendeavoredto

protect

theirunhorsedcomradesfromthefuriousassaultsofthewhites；but，afterasceneof“confusion

worseconfounded，“horsesandmuleswereabandoned，andtheIndiansbetookthemselvestothe

bushes。Heretheyquicklyscratchedholesintheearthabouttwofeetdeep，inwhichthey

prostrated

themselves，andwhilethusscreenedfromtheshotsofthewhitemen，wereenabledtomakesuch

use

oftheirbowsandarrowsandfusees，astorepulsetheirassailantsandtoeffecttheirretreat。Thisadventurethrewatemporarystigmauponthegameof“oldsledge。”Inthecourseoftheautumn，fourIroquoishunters，drivenbythesnowfromtheirhunting

grounds，

madetheirappearanceatthecantonment。Theywerekindlywelcomed，andduringtheirsojourn

made

themselvesusefulinavarietyofways，beingexcellenttrappersandfirst-ratewoodsmen。They

were

oftheremnantsofapartyofIroquoishuntersthatcamefromCanadaintothesemountainregions

manyyearspreviously，intheemployoftheHudson”sBayCompany。Theywereledbyabrave

chieftain，namedPierre，whofellbythehandsoftheBlackfeet，andgavehisnametothefated

valley

ofPierre”sHole。ThisbranchoftheIroquoistribehaseversinceremainedamongthese

mountains，

atmortalenmitywiththeBlackfeet，andhavelostmanyoftheirprimehuntersintheirfeudswith

that

ferociousrace。SomeofthemfellinwithGeneralAshley，inthecourseofoneofhisgallantexcursionsintothewilderness，andhavecontinuedeversinceintheemployofthecompany。AmongthemotleyVisitorstothewinterquartersofCaptainBonnevillewasapartyofPends

Oreilles

(orHanging-ears)andtheirchief。TheseIndianshaveastrongresemblance，incharacterand

customs，

totheNezPerces。Theyamounttoaboutthreehundredlodges，arewellarmed，andpossessgreat

numbersofhorses。Duringthespring，summer，andautumn，theyhuntthebuffaloaboutthe

head-watersoftheMissouri，Henry”sForkoftheSnakeRiver，andthenorthernbranchesof

SalmonRiver。

TheirwinterquartersareupontheRacineAmere，wheretheysubsistuponrootsanddried

buffalo

meat。UponthisrivertheHudson”sBayCompanyhaveestablishedatradingpost，wherethe

PendsOreillesandtheFlatheadsbringtheirpeltriestoexchangeforarms，clothingandtrinkets。Thistribe，liketheNezPerces，evincestrongandpeculiarfeelingsofnaturalpiety。Their

religionis

notameresuperstitiousfear，likethatofmostsavages；theyevinceabstractnotionsofmorality；

deepreverenceforanoverrulingspirit，andarespectfortherightsoftheirfellowmen。Inone

respect

theirreligionpartakesofthepacificdoctrinesoftheQuakers。TheyholdthattheGreatSpiritis

displeasedwithallnationswhowantonlyengageinwar；theyabstain，therefore，fromall

aggressive

hostilities。Butthoughthusunoffendingintheirpolicy，theyarecalleduponcontinuallytowage

defensivewarfare；especiallywiththeBlackfeet；withwhom，inthecourseoftheirhunting

expeditions，theycomeinfrequentcollisionandhavedesperatebattles。Theirconductaswarriors

iswithoutfearorreproach，andtheycanneverbedriventoabandontheirhuntinggrounds。Likemostsavagestheyarefirmbelieversindreams，andinthepowerandefficacyof

charmsandamulets，ormedicinesastheytermthem。Someoftheirbraves，also，who

havehadnumeroushairbreadth”scapes，liketheoldNezPercechiefinthebattleof

Pierre”sHole，arebelievedtowearacharmedlife，andtobebullet-proof。Ofthese

giftedbeingsmarvelousanecdotesarerelated，whicharemostpotentlybelievedby

theirfellowsavages，andsometimesalmostcreditedbythewhitehunters。[ReturntoContents]Irving”sBonneville-Chapter11[ReturntoContents]WashingtonIrving”sTheAdventuresofCaptainBonnevilleChapter11Rivaltrappingparties——Manoeuvring——Adesperategame——Vanderburghandthe

Blackfeet——Desertedcampfire——Adarkdefile——AnIndianambush——Afiercemelee——Fatal

consequences——FitzpatrickandBridger——Trappersprecautions——MeetingwiththeBlackfeet——Morefighting——AnecdoteofayoungMexicanandanIndiangirl。WHILECaptainBonnevilleandhismenaresojourningamongtheNezPerces，onSalmon

River，wewillinquireafterthefortunesofthosedoughtyrivalsoftheRockyMountainsandAmericanFurCompanies，whostartedoffforthetrappinggroundstothenorth-northwest。FitzpatrickandBridger，oftheformercompany，aswehavealreadyshown，havingreceived

their

supplies，hadtakenthelead，andhopedtohavethefirstsweepofthehuntinggrounds。

Vanderburgh

andDripps，however，thetworesidentpartnersoftheoppositecompany，byextraordinary

exertions

wereenabledsoontoputthemselvesupontheirtraces，andpressedforwardwithsuchspeedasto

overtakethemjustastheyhadreachedtheheartofthebeavercountry。Infact，beingignorantof

the

besttrappinggrounds，itwastheirobjecttofollowon，andprofitbythesuperiorknowledgeof

theotherparty。NothingcouldequalthechagrinofFitzpatrickandBridgeratbeingdoggedbytheir

inexperienced

rivals，especiallyaftertheiroffertodividethecountrywiththem。Theytriedineverywayto

blind

andbafflethem；tostealamarchuponthem，orleadthemonawrongscent；butallinvain。

Vanderburghmadeupbyactivityandintelligenceforhisignoranceofthecountry；wasalways

wary，

alwaysonthealert；discoveredeverymovementofhisrivals，howeversecretandwasnottobeeludedormisled。Fitzpatrickandhiscolleaguenowlostallpatience；sincetheotherspersistedinfollowing

them，they

determinedtogivethemanunprofitablechase，andtosacrificethehuntingseasonratherthan

theproductswiththeirrivals。Theyaccordinglytookuptheirlineofmarchdownthecourseof

the

Missouri，keepingthemainBlackfoottrail，andtrampingdoggedlyforward，withoutstoppingto

set

asingletrap。Theothersbeatthehoofafterthemforsometime，butbydegreesbegantoperceive

thattheywereonawild-goosechase，andgettingintoacountryperfectlybarrentothetrapper。

They

nowcametoahalt，andbe-thoughtthemselveshowtomakeupforlosttime，andimprovethe

remainderoftheseason。Itwasthoughtbesttodividetheirforcesandtrydifferenttrapping

grounds。

WhileDrippswentinonedirection，Vanderburgh，withaboutfiftymen，proceededinanother。

The

latter，inhisheadlongmarchhadgotintotheveryheartoftheBlackfootcountry，yetseemsto

have

beenunconsciousofhisdanger。Ashisscoutswereoutoneday，theycameuponthetracesofa

recentbandofsavages。Therewerethedesertedfiresstillsmoking，surroundedbythecarcasses

buffaloesjustkilled。ItwasevidentapartyofBlackfeethadbeenfrightenedfromtheirhunting

camp，andhadretreated，probablytoseekreinforcements。Thescoutshastenedbacktothecamp，

and

toldVanderburghwhattheyhadseen。Hemadelightofthealarm，and，takingninemenwith

him，

gallopedofftoreconnoitreforhimself。Hefoundthedesertedhuntingcampjustastheyhad

representedit；therelaythecarcassesofbuffaloes，partlydismembered；therewerethe

smouldering

fires，stillsendinguptheirwreathsofsmoke；everythingboretracesofrecentandhastyretreat；

and

gavereasontobelievethatthesavageswerestilllurkingintheneighborhood。Withheedless

daring，

Vanderburghputhimselfupontheirtrail，totracethemtotheirplaceofconcealment：Itledhim

over

prairies，andthroughskirtsofwoodland，untilitenteredadarkanddangerousravine。

Vanderburgh

pushedin，withouthesitation，followedbyhislittleband。Theysoonfoundthemselvesina

gloomy

dell，betweensteepbanksoverhungwithtrees，wheretheprofoundsilencewasonlybrokenby

thetrampoftheirownhorses。Suddenlythehorridwar-whoopburstontheirears，mingledwiththesharpreportofrifles，

anda

legionofsavagessprangfromtheirconcealments，yelling，andshakingtheirbuffalorobesto

frighten

thehorses。Vanderburgh”shorsefell，mortallywoundedbythefirstdischarge。Inhisfallhe

pinned

hisridertotheground，whocalledinvainuponhismentoassistinextricatinghim。Onewas

shot

downscalpedafewpacesdistant；mostoftheotherswereseverelywounded，andsoughttheir

safety

inflight。Thesavagesapproachedtodispatchtheunfortunateleader，ashelaystrugglingbeneath

his

horse……Hehadstillhisrifleinhishandandhispistolsinhisbelt。Thefirstsavagethatadvanced

receivedthecontentsoftherifleinhisbreast，andfelldeaduponthespot；butbefore

Vanderburgh

coulddrawapistol，ablowfromatomahawklaidhimprostrate，andhewasdispatchedby

repeatedwounds。SuchwasthefateofMajorHenryVanderburgh，oneofthebestandworthiestleadersofthe

AmericanFurCompany，whobyhismanlybearinganddauntlesscourageissaidtohavemadehimselfuniversallypopularamongthebold-heartedroversofthewilderness。Thoseofthelittlebandwhoescapedfledinconsternationtothecamp，andspread

direfulreportsoftheforceandferocityoftheenemy。Theparty，beingwithouta

head，wereincompleteconfusionanddismay，andmadeaprecipitateretreat，without

attemptingtorecovertheremainsoftheirbutcheredleader。Theymadenohaltuntil

theyreachedtheencampmentofthePendsOreilles，orHanging-ears，wherethey

offeredarewardfortherecoveryofthebody，butwithoutsuccess；itnevercouldbefound。InthemeantimeFitzpatrickandBridger，oftheRockyMountainCompany，faredbutlittle

better

thantheirrivals。Intheireagernesstomisleadthemtheybetrayedthemselvesintodanger，and

got

intoaregioninfestedwiththeBlackfeet。Theysoonfoundthatfoeswereonthewatchforthem；

but

theywereexperiencedinIndianwarfare，andnottobesurprisedatnight，nordrawnintoan

ambush

inthedaytime。Astheeveningadvanced，thehorseswereallbroughtinandpicketed，anda

guard

wasstationedroundthecamp。Attheearlieststreakofdayoneoftheleaderswouldmounthis

horse，

andgallopofffullspeedforabouthalfamile；thenlookroundforIndiantrails，toascertain

whether

therehadbeenanylurkersroundthecamp；returningslowly，hewouldreconnoitreeveryravine

and

thicketwheretheremightbeanambush。Thisdone，hewouldgallopoffinanoppositedirection

and

repeatthesamescrutiny。Findingallthingssafe，thehorseswouldbeturnedloosetograze，butalwaysundertheeyeofaguard。Acautionequallyvigilantwasobservedinthemarch，onapproachinganydefileor

placewhereanenemymightlieinwait；andscoutswerealwayskeptintheadvance，oralongtheridgesandrisinggroundsontheflanks。Atlength，oneday，alargebandofBlackfeetappearedintheopenfield，butinthe

vicinityofrocksandcliffs。Theykeptatawarydistance，butmadefriendlysigns。The

trappersrepliedinthesameway，butlikewisekeptaloof。AsmallpartyofIndians

nowadvanced，bearingthepipeofpeace；theyweremetbyanequalnumberofwhite

men，andtheyformedagroupmidwaybetweenthetwobands，wherethepipewas

circulatedfromhandtohand，andsmokedwithalldueceremony。Aninstanceof

naturalaffectiontookplaceatthispacificmeeting。Amongthefreetrappersinthe

RockyMountainbandwasaspiritedyoungMexicannamedLoretto，who，inthe

courseofhiswanderings，hadransomedabeautifulBlackfootgirlfromabandof

Crowsbywhomshehadbeencaptured。Hemadeherhiswife，aftertheIndianstyle，andshehadfollowedhisfortuneseversince，withthemostdevotedaffection。AmongtheBlackfeetwarriorswhoadvancedwiththecalumetofpeacesherecognizeda

brother。

LeavingherinfantwithLorettosherushedforwardandthrewherselfuponherbrother”sneck，

who

claspedhislong-lostsistertohisheartwithawarmthofaffectionbutlittlecompatiblewiththereputedstoicismofthesavage。Whilethisscenewastakingplace，Bridgerleftthemainbodyoftrappersandrodeslowly

toward

thegroupofsmokers，withhisriflerestingacrossthepommelofhissaddle。Thechiefofthe

Blackfeetsteppedforwardtomeethim。FromsomeunfortunatefeelingofdistrustBridger

cocked

hisriflejustasthechiefwasextendinghishandinfriendship。Thequickearofthesavagecaught

theclickofthelock；inatwinklinghegraspedthebarrel，forcedthemuzzledownward，andthe

contentsweredischargedintotheearthathisfeet。Hisnextmovementwastowresttheweapon

from

thehandofBridgerandfellhimwithittotheearth。Hemighthavefoundthisnoeasytaskhad

nottheunfortunateleaderreceivedtwoarrowsinhisbackduringthestruggle。Thechiefnowsprangintothevacantsaddleandgallopedofftohisband。Awild

hurry-skurryscene

ensued；eachpartytooktothebanks，therocksandtrees，togainfavorablepositions，andan

irregular

firingwaskeptuponeitherside，withoutmucheffect。TheIndiangirlhadbeenhurriedoffby

her

peopleattheoutbreakoftheaffray。Shewouldhavereturned，throughthedangersofthefight，to

herhusbandandherchild，butwaspreventedbyherbrother。TheyoungMexicansawher

struggles

andheragony，andheardherpiercingcries。Withagenerousimpulsehecaughtupthechildin

his

arms，rushedforward，regardlessofIndianshaftorrifle，andplaceditinsafetyuponherbosom。

EventhesavageheartoftheBlackfootchiefwasreachedbythisnobledeed。Hepronounced

Loretto

amadmanforhistemerity，butbadehimdepartinpeace。TheyoungMexicanhesitated；heurged

tohavehiswiferestoredtohim，butherbrotherinterfered，andthecountenanceofthechiefgrew

dark。Thegirl，hesaid，belongedtohistribe-shemustremainwithherpeople。Lorettowouldstill

havelingered，buthiswifeimploredhimtodepart，lesthislifeshouldbeendangered。Itwaswiththegreatestreluctancethathereturnedtohiscompanions。Theapproachofnightputanendtotheskirmishingfireoftheadverseparties，andthe

savagesdrew

offwithoutrenewingtheirhostilities。Wecannotbutremarkthatbothinthisaffairandthatof

Pierre”sHoletheaffraycommencedbyahostileactonthepartofwhitemenatthemomentwhen

theIndianwarriorwasextendingthehandofamity。Inneitherinstance，asfarascircumstances

have

beenstatedtousbydifferentpersons，doweseeanyreasontosuspectthesavagechiefsof

perfidy

intheiroverturesoffriendship。TheyadvancedintheconfidingwayusualamongIndianswhen

they

bearthepipeofpeace，andconsiderthemselvessacredfromattack。Ifweviolatethesanctityof

this

ceremonial，byanyhostilemovementonourpart，itiswewhoincurthechargeoffaithlessness；

and

wedoubtnotthatinboththeseinstancesthewhitemenhavebeenconsideredbytheBlackfeetastheaggressors，andhave，inconsequence，beenheldupasmennottobetrusted。AwordtoconcludetheromanticincidentofLorettoandhisIndianbride。Afewmonths

subsequent

totheeventjustrelated，theyoungMexicansettledhisaccountswiththeRockyMountain

Company，

andobtainedhisdischarge。Hethenlefthiscomradesandsetofftorejoinhiswifeandchild

among

herpeople；andweunderstandthat，atthetimewearewritingthesepages，heresidesata

trading-houseestablishedoflatebytheAmericanFurCompanyintheBlackfootcountry，where

heactsas

aninterpreter，andhashisIndiangirlwithhim。[ReturntoContents]Irving”sBonneville-Chapter12[ReturntoContents]WashingtonIrving”sTheAdventuresofCaptainBonnevilleChapter12Awintercampinthewilderness——Medleyoftrappers，hunters，andIndians——Scarcityof

game——New

arrangementsinthecamp——Detachmentssenttoadistance——CarelessnessoftheIndianswhen

encamped——SicknessamongtheIndians——ExcellentcharacteroftheNezPerces——TheCaptain”s

effort

asapacificator——ANezPerce”sargumentinfavorofwar——Robberies，bytheBlackfeet——Long

sufferingoftheNezPerces——Ahunter”sElysiumamongthemountains——Morerobberies——TheCaptainpreachesupacrusade——Theeffectuponhishearers。FORthegreaterpartofthemonthofNovemberCaptainBonnevilleremainedinhis

temporarypost

onSalmonRiver。Hewasnowinthefullenjoymentofhiswishes；leadingahunter”slifeinthe

heart

ofthewilderness，withallitswildpopulacearoundhim。Besidehisownpeople，motleyin

character

andcostume——creole，Kentuckian，Indian，half-breed，hiredtrapper，andfreetrapper——hewas

surroundedbyencampmentsofNezPercesandFlatheads，withtheirdrovesofhorsescovering

the

hillsandplains。Itwas，hedeclares，awildandbustlingscene。Thehuntingpartiesofwhitemen

and

redmen，continuallysallyingforthandreturning；thegroupsatthevariousencampments，some

cooking，someworking，someamusingthemselvesatdifferentgames；theneighingofhorses，the

brayingofasses，theresoundingstrokesoftheaxe，thesharpreportoftherifle，thewhoop，the

halloo，andthefrequentburstoflaughter，allinthemidstofaregionsuddenlyrousedfrom

perfect

silenceandlonelinessbythistransienthunters”sojourn，realized，hesays，theideaofa“populoussolitude。”Thekindandgenialcharacterofthecaptainhad，evidently，itsinfluenceontheopposite

racesthus

fortuitouslycongregatedtogether。Themostperfectharmonyprevailedbetweenthem。The

Indians，

hesays，werefriendlyintheirdispositions，andhonesttothemostscrupulousdegreeintheir

intercoursewiththewhitemen。Itistruetheyweresomewhatimportunateintheircuriosity，and

apt

tobecontinuallyintheway，examiningeverythingwithkeenandpryingeye，andwatching

every

movementofthewhitemen。Allthis，however，wasbornewithgreatgood-humorbythecaptain，

and

throughhisexamplebyhismen。Indeed，throughoutallhistransactionsheshowshimselfthe

friendofthepoorIndians，andhisconducttowardthemisaboveallpraise。TheNezPerces，theFlatheads，andtheHanging-earspridethemselvesuponthenumberof

their

horses，ofwhichtheypossessmoreinproportionthananyotherofthemountaintribeswithinthe

buffalorange。ManyoftheIndianwarriorsandhuntersencampedaroundCaptainBonneville

possessfromthirtytofortyhorseseach。Theirhorsesarestout，well-builtponies，ofgreatwind，

and

capableofenduringtheseveresthardshipandfatigue。Theswiftestofthem，however，arethose

obtainedfromthewhiteswhilesufficientlyyoungtobecomeacclimatedandinuredtotheroughserviceofthemountains。Bydegreesthepopulousnessofthisencampmentbegantoproduceitsinconveniences。The

immensedrovesofhorsesownedbytheIndiansconsumedtheherbageofthesurroundinghills；

whiletodrivethemtoanydistantpasturage，inaneighborhoodaboundingwithlurkingand

deadly

enemies，wouldbetoendangerthelossbothofmanandbeast。Game，too，begantogrowscarce。

wassoonhuntedandfrightenedoutofthevicinity，andthoughtheIndiansmadeawidecircuit

throughthemountainsinthehopeofdrivingthebuffalotowardthecantonment，theirexpedition

was

unsuccessful。Itwasplainthatsolargeapartycouldnotsubsistthemselvesthere，norinanyone

placethroughoutthewinter。CaptainBonneville，therefore，alteredhiswholearrangements。He

detachedfiftymentowardthesouthtowinteruponSnakeRiver，andtotrapaboutitswatersin

the

spring，withorderstorejoinhiminthemonthofJulyatHorseCreek，inGreenRiverValley，

whichhehadfixeduponasthegeneralrendezvousofhiscompanyfortheensuingyear。Ofallhislateparty，henowretainedwithhimmerelyasmallnumberoffreetrappers，

with

whomheintendedtosojournamongtheNezPercesandFlatheads，andadopttheIndianmodeof

movingwiththegameandgrass。Thosebands，ineffect，shortlyafterwardbrokeuptheir

encampmentsandsetoffforalessbeatenneighborhood。CaptainBonnevilleremainedbehind

for

afewdays，thathemightsecretlypreparecaches，inwhichtodepositeverythingnot

requiredfor

currentuse。Thuslightenedofallsuperfluousencumbrance，hesetoffonthe20thofNovember

rejoinhisIndianallies。Hefoundthemencampedinasecludedpartofthecountry，attheheadof

smallstream。Consideringthemselvesoutofalldangerinthissequesteredspotfromtheirold

enemies，theBlackfeet，theirencampmentmanifestedthemostnegligentsecurity。Theirlodges

were

scatteredineverydirection，andtheirhorsescoveredeveryhillforagreatdistanceround，

grazing

upontheuplandbunchgrasswhichgrewingreatabundance，andthoughdry，retainedits

nutritiouspropertiesinsteadoflosingthemlikeothergrassesintheautumn。WhentheNezPerces，Flatheads，andPendsOreillesareencampedinadangerous

neighborhood，saysCaptainBonneville，thegreatestcareistakenoftheirhorses，thoseprime

articles

ofIndianwealth，andobjectsofIndiandepredation。Eachwarriorhashishorsetiedbyonefoot

nighttoastakeplantedbeforehislodge。Heretheyremainuntilbroaddaylight；bythattimethe

youngmenofthecamparealreadyrangingoverthesurroundinghills。Eachfamilythendrives

its

horsestosomeeligiblespot，wheretheyarelefttograzeunattended。AyoungIndianrepairs

occasionallytothepasturetogivethemwater，andtoseethatalliswell。Soaccustomedarethe

horsestothismanagement，thattheykeeptogetherinthepasturewheretheyhavebeenleft。As

the

sunsinksbehindthehills，theymaybeseenmovingfromallpointstowardthecamp，wherethey

surrenderthemselvestobetiedupforthenight。Eveninsituationsofdanger，theIndiansrarely

set

guardsovertheircampatnight，intrustingthatofficeentirelytotheirvigilantandwell-traineddogs。Inanencampment，however，ofsuchfanciedsecurityasthatinwhichCaptainBonneville

foundhisIndianfriends，muchoftheseprecautionswithrespecttotheirhorsesareomitted。They

merelydrivethem，atnightfall，tosomesequesteredlittledell，andleavethemthere，atperfectliberty，untilthemorning。OneobjectofCaptainBonnevilleinwinteringamongtheseIndianswastoprocurea

supply

ofhorsesagainstthespring。Theywere，however，extremelyunwillingtopartwithany，andit

was

withgreatdifficultythathepurchased，attherateoftwentydollarseach，afewfortheuseof

someofhisfreetrapperswhowereonfootanddependentonhimfortheirequipment。InthisencampmentCaptainBonnevilleremainedfromthe21stofNovembertothe9th

December。Duringthisperiodthethermometerrangedfromthirteentoforty-twodegrees。There

wereoccasionalfallsofsnow；butitgenerallymeltedawayalmostimmediately，andthetender

bladesofnewgrassbegantoshootupamongtheold。Onthe7thofDecember，however，thethermometerfelltosevendegrees。Thereaderwillrecollectthat，ondistributinghisforceswheninGreenRiverValley，

Captain

Bonnevillehaddetachedaparty，headedbyaleaderofthenameofMatthieu，withalltheweak

and

disabledhorses，tosojournaboutBearRiver，meettheShoshoniebands，andafterwardtorejoin

himathiswintercamponSalmonRiver。Morethansufficienttimehadelapsed，yetMatthieufailedtomakehisappearance，and

uneasiness

begantobefeltonhisaccount。CaptainBonnevillesentoutfourmen，torangethecountry

through

whichhewouldhavetopass，andendeavortogetsomeinformationconcerninghim；forhis

route

layacrossthegreatSnakeRiverplain，whichspreadsitselfoutlikeanArabiandesert，andon

which

acavalcadecouldbedescriedatagreatdistance。Thescoutssoonreturned，havingproceededno

furtherthantheedgeoftheplain，pretendingthattheirhorseswerelame；butitwasevidentthey

hadfearedtoventure，withsosmallaforce，intotheseexposedanddangerousregions。Adisease，whichCaptainBonnevillesupposedtobepneumonia，nowappearedamong

the

Indians，carryingoffnumbersofthemafteranillnessofthreeorfourdays。Theworthycaptain

acted

asphysician，prescribingprofusesweatingsandcopiousbleedings，anduniformlywithsuccess，

thepatientweresubsequentlytreatedwithpropercare。Inextraordinarycases，thepoorsavages

calledintheaidoftheirowndoctorsorconjurors，whoofficiatedwithgreatnoiseandmummery，

butwithlittlebenefit。Thosewhodiedduringthisepidemicwereburiedingraves，afterthe

manner

ofthewhites，butwithoutanyregardtothedirectionofthehead。Itisafactworthyofnotice

that，

whilethismaladymadesuchravagesamongthenatives，notasinglewhitemanhadtheslightestsymptomofit。AfamiliarintercourseofsomestandingwiththePierced-noseandFlatheadIndianshad

now

convincedCaptainBonnevilleoftheiramicableandinoffensivecharacter；hebegantotakea

strong

interestinthem，andconceivedtheideaofbecomingapacificator，andhealingthedeadlyfeud

betweenthemandtheBlackfeet，inwhichtheyweresodeplorablythesufferers。Heproposedthe

mattertosomeoftheleaders，andurgedthattheyshouldmeettheBlackfeetchiefsinagrand

pacific

conference，offeringtosendtwoofhismentotheenemy”scampwithpipe，tobaccoandflagof

truce，tonegotiatetheproposedmeeting。TheNezPercesandFlatheadsagesuponthisheldacouncilofwaroftwodays”duration，

whichtherewasabundanceofhardsmokingandlongtalking，andbotheloquenceandtobacco

were

nearlyexhausted。Atlengththeycametoadecisiontorejecttheworthycaptain”sproposition，

anduponprettysubstantialgrounds，asthereadermayjudge。“War，“saidthechiefs，“isabloodybusiness，andfullofevil；butitkeepstheeyesofthe

chiefsalwaysopen，andmakesthelimbsoftheyoungmenstrongandsupple。Inwar，everyone

onthealert。Ifweseeatrailweknowitmustbeanenemy；iftheBlackfeetcometous，weknow

isforwar，andweareready。Peace，ontheotherhand，soundsnoalarm；theeyesofthechiefsare

closedinsleep，andtheyoungmenaresleekandlazy。Thehorsesstrayintothemountains；the

womenandtheirlittlebabesgoaboutalone。ButtheheartofaBlackfootisalie，andhistongue

atrap。Ifhesayspeaceitistodeceive；hecomestousasabrother；hesmokeshispipewithus；

but

whenheseesusweak，andoffourguard，hewillslayandsteal。Wewillhavenosuchpeace；let

therebewar！“WiththisreasoningCaptainBonnevillewasfaintoacquiesce；but，sincethesagacious

Flatheadsandtheirallieswerecontenttoremaininastateofwarfare，hewishedthematleastto

exercisetheboastedvigilancewhichwarwastoproduce，andtokeeptheireyesopen。He

representedtothemtheimpossibilitythattwosuchconsiderableclanscouldmoveaboutthe

country

withoutleavingtrailsbywhichtheymightbetraced。Besides，amongtheBlackfeetbraveswere

severalNezPerces，whohadbeentakenprisonersinearlyyouth，adoptedbytheircaptors，and

trainedupandimbuedwithwarlikeandpredatorynotions；thesehadlostallsympathieswith

their

nativetribe，andwouldbepronetoleadtheenemytotheirsecrethaunts。Heexhortedthem，

therefore，tokeepuponthealert，andnevertoremittheirvigilancewhilewithintherangeofso

crafty

andcruelafoe。Allthesecounselswerelostuponhiseasyandsimple-mindedhearers。Acareless

indifferencereignedthroughouttheirencampments，andtheirhorseswerepermittedtorangethe

hillsatnightinperfectfreedom。CaptainBonnevillehadhisownhorsesbroughtinatnight，and

properlypicketedandguarded。Theevilheapprehendedsoontookplace。Inasinglenighta

swoop

wasmadethroughtheneighboringpasturesbytheBlackfeet，andeighty-sixofthefinesthorses

carriedoff。Awhipandaropewereleftinaconspicuoussituationbytherobbers，asatauntto

thesimpletonstheyhadunhorsed。