第4章

Longbeforesunrisethenewsofthiscalamityspreadlikewildfirethroughthedifferent

encampments。CaptainBonneville，whoseownhorsesremainedsafeattheirpickets，watchedin

momentaryexpectationofanoutbreakofwarriors，Pierced-noseandFlathead，infuriouspursuit

of

themarauders；butnosuchthing——theycontentedthemselveswithsearchingdiligentlyoverhill

and

dale，togleanupsuchhorsesashadescapedthehandsofthemarauders，andthenresignedthemselvestotheirlosswiththemostexemplaryquiescence。Some，itistrue，whowereentirelyunhorsed，setoutonabeggingvisittotheircousins，as

theycalledthem，theLowerNezPerces，whoinhabitthelowercountryabouttheColumbia，and

possesshorsesinabundance。Tothesetheyrepairwhenindifficulty，andseldomfail，bydintofbeggingandbartering，togetthemselvesoncemoremountedonhorseback。Gamehadnowbecomescarceintheneighborhoodofthecamp，anditwasnecessary，

accordingtoIndiancustom，tomoveofftoalessbeatenground。CaptainBonnevilleproposed

the

HorsePrairie；buthisIndianfriendsobjectedthatmanyoftheNezPerceshadgonetovisittheir

cousins，andthatthewhiteswerefewinnumber，sothattheirunitedforcewasnotsufficienttoVentureuponthebuffalogrounds，whichwereinfestedbybandsofBlackfeet。Theynowspokeofaplaceatnogreatdistance，whichtheyrepresentedasaperfect

hunter”s

elysium。Itwasontherightbranch，orheadstreamoftheriver，lockedupamongcliffsand

precipiceswheretherewasnodangerfromrovingbands，andwheretheBlackfeetdarenotenter。

Here，theysaid，theelkabounded，andthemountainsheepweretobeseentroopinguponthe

rocks

andhills。Alittledistancebeyondit，also，herdsofbuffaloweretobemetwith，Outofrangeofdanger。Thithertheyproposedtomovetheircamp。Thepropositionpleasedthecaptain，whowasdesirous，throughtheIndians，ofbecoming

acquaintedwithallthesecretplacesoftheland。Accordingly，onthe9thofDecember，they

struck

theirtents，andmovedforwardbyshortstages，asmanyoftheIndianswereyetfeeblefromthe

latemalady。Followinguptherightforkoftherivertheycametowhereitenteredadeepgorgeofthe

mountains，upwhichlaythesecludedregionsomuchvaluedbytheIndians。CaptainBonneville

haltedandencampedforthreedaysbeforeenteringthegorge。Inthemeantimehedetachedfive

of

hisfreetrapperstoscourthehills，andkillasmanyelkaspossible，beforethemainbodyshouldenter，astheywouldthenbesoonfrightenedawaybythevariousIndianhuntingparties。Whilethusencamped，theywerestillliabletothemaraudsoftheBlackfeet，andCaptain

BonnevilleadmonishedhisIndianfriendstobeupontheirguard。TheNezPerces，however，

notwithstandingtheirrecentloss，werestillcarelessoftheirhorses；merelydrivingthemtosome

secludedspot，andleavingthemthereforthenight，withoutsettinganyguarduponthem。The

consequencewasasecondswoop，inwhichforty-onewerecarriedoff。Thiswasbornewith

equal

philosophywiththefirst，andnoeffortwasmadeeithertorecoverthehorses，ortotake

vengeanceonthethieves。TheNezPerces，however，grewmorecautiouswithrespecttotheirremaininghorses，

driving

themregularlytothecampeveryevening，andfasteningthemtopickets。CaptainBonneville，

however，toldthemthatthiswasnotenough。Itwasevidenttheyweredoggedbyadaringand

perseveringenemy，whowasencouragedbypastimpunity；theyshould，therefore，takemore

than

usualprecautions，andpostaguardatnightovertheircavalry。Theycouldnot，however，be

persuadedtodepartfromtheirusualcustom。Thehorseoncepicketed，thecareoftheownerwas

over

forthenight，andhesleptprofoundly。Nonewakedinthecampbutthegamblers，who，absorbed

intheirplay，weremoredifficulttoberousedtoexternalcircumstancesthaneventhesleepers。TheBlackfeetareboldenemies，andfondofhazardousexploits。Thebandthatwere

hovering

abouttheneighborhood，findingthattheyhadsuchpacificpeopletodealwith，redoubledtheir

daring。Thehorsesbeingnowpicketedbeforethelodges，anumberofBlackfeetscouts

penetrated

intheearlypartofthenightintotheverycentreofthecamp。Heretheywentaboutamongthe

lodges

ascalmlyanddeliberatelyasifathome，quietlycuttingloosethehorsesthatstoodpicketedby

the

lodgesoftheirsleepingowners。Oneoftheseprowlers，moreadventurousthantherest，

approached

afireroundwhichagroupofNezPercesweregamblingwiththemostintenseeagerness。Here

he

stoodforsometime，muffledupinhisrobe，peeringovertheshouldersoftheplayers，watching

the

changesoftheircountenancesandthefluctuationsofthegame。Socompletelyengrossedwere

they，

thatthepresenceofthismuffledeaves-dropperwasunnoticedand，havingexecutedhisbravado，

heretiredundiscovered。Havingcutlooseasmanyhorsesastheycouldconvenientlycarryoff，theBlackfeet

scouts

rejoinedtheircomrades，andallremainedpatientlyroundthecamp。Bydegreesthehorses，

finding

themselvesatliberty，tooktheirroutetowardtheircustomarygrazingground。Astheyemerged

from

thecamptheyweresilentlytakenpossessionof，until，havingsecuredaboutthirty，theBlackfeet

sprangontheirbacksandscamperedoff。Theclatterofhoofsstartledthegamblersfromtheir

game。

Theygavethealarm，whichsoonrousedthesleepersfromeverylodge。Stillallwasquiescent；no

marshallingofforces，nosaddlingofsteedsanddashingoffinpursuit，notalkofretributionfor

their

repeatedoutrages。ThepatienceofCaptainBonnevillewasatlengthexhausted。Hehadplayed

the

partofapacificatorwithoutsuccess；henowalteredhistone，andresolved，ifpossible，torouse

theirwarspirit。Accordingly，convokingtheirchiefs，heinveighedagainsttheircravenpolicy，andurged

the

necessityofvigorousandretributivemeasuresthatwouldchecktheconfidenceandpresumption

of

theirenemies，ifnotinspirethemwithawe。Forthispurpose，headvisedthatawarpartyshould

be

immediatelysentoffonthetrailofthemarauders，tofollowthem，ifnecessary，intothevery

heart

oftheBlackfootcountry，andnottoleavethemuntiltheyhadtakensignalvengeance。Beside

this，

herecommendedtheorganizationofminorwarparties，tomakereprisalstotheextentofthe

losses

sustained。“Unlessyourouseyourselvesfromyourapathy，“saidhe，“andstrikesomeboldand

decisiveblow，youwillceasetobeconsideredmen，orobjectsofmanlywarfare。Thevery

squaws

andchildrenoftheBlackfeetwillbesetagainstyou，whiletheirwarriorsreservethemselvesfornoblerantagonists。”Thisharanguehadevidentlyamomentaryeffectupontheprideofthehearers。Aftera

short

pause，however，oneoftheoratorsarose。Itwasbad，hesaid，togotowarformererevenge。The

GreatSpirithadgiventhemaheartforpeace，notforwar。Theyhadlosthorses，itwastrue，but

they

couldeasilygetothersfromtheircousins，theLowerNezPerces，withoutincurringanyrisk；

whereas，inwartheyshouldlosemen，whowerenotsoreadilyreplaced。Astotheirlatelosses，

an

increasedwatchfulnesswouldpreventanymoremisfortunesofthekind。Hedisapproved，

therefore，ofallhostilemeasures；andalltheotherchiefsconcurredinhisopinion。CaptainBonnevilleagaintookupthepoint。“Itistrue，“saidhe，“theGreatSpirithas

given

youahearttoloveyourfriends；buthehasalsogivenyouanarmtostrikeyourenemies。Unless

you

dosomethingspeedilytoputanendtothiscontinualplundering，Imustsayfarewell。AsyetI

have

sustainednoloss；thankstotheprecautionswhichyouhaveslighted；butmypropertyistoo

unsafe

here；myturnwillcomenext；Iandmypeoplewillsharethecontemptyouarebringingupon

yourselves，andwillbethought，likeyou，poor-spiritedbeings，whomayatanytimebe

plunderedwithimpunity。”TheconferencebrokeupwithsomesignsofexcitementonthepartoftheIndians。Early

the

nextmorning，apartyofthirtymensetoffinpursuitofthefoe，andCaptainBonnevillehopedto

hearagoodaccountoftheBlackfeetmarauders。Tohisdisappointment，thewarpartycame

lagging

backonthefollowingday，leadingafewold，sorry，broken-downhorses，whichthefree-booters

had

notbeenabletourgetosufficientspeed。Thiseffortexhaustedthemartialspirit，andsatisfiedthewoundedprideoftheNezPerces，andtheyrelapsedintotheirusualstateofpassiveindifference。[ReturntoContents]Irving”sBonneville-Chapter13[ReturntoContents]WashingtonIrving”sTheAdventuresofCaptainBonnevilleChapter13StoryofKosato，theRenegadeBlackfoot。IFthemeeknessandlong-sufferingofthePierced-nosesgrievedthespirit

ofCaptainBonneville，

therewasanotherindividualinthecamptowhomtheywerestillmoreannoying。Thiswasa

Blackfootrenegado，namedKosato，afieryhot-bloodedyouthwho，withabeautifulgirlofthe

same

tribe，hadtakenrefugeamongtheNezPerces。Thoughadoptedintothetribe，hestillretained

the

warlikespiritofhisrace，andloathedthepeaceful，inoffensivehabitsofthosearoundhim。The

huntingofthedeer，theelk，andthebuffalo，whichwastheheightoftheirambition，wastootame

tosatisfyhiswildandrestlessnature。Hisheartburnedfortheforay，theambush，theskirmish，

thescamper，andallthehapsandhazardsofrovingandpredatorywarfare。TherecenthoveringsoftheBlackfeetaboutthecamp，theirnightlyprowlsanddaringand

successful

marauds，hadkepthiminafeverandaflutter，likeahawkinacagewhohearshislate

companions

swoopingandscreaminginwildlibertyabovehim。TheattemptofCaptainBonnevilletorouse

the

warspiritoftheNezPerces，andpromptthemtoretaliation，wasardentlysecondedbyKosato。

For

severaldayshewasincessantlydevisingschemesofvengeance，andendeavoringtosetonfoot

an

expeditionthatshouldcarrydismayanddesolationintotheBlackfeettown。Allhisartwas

exerted

totouchuponthosespringsofhumanactionwithwhichhewasmostfamiliar。Hedrewthe

listening

savagesroundhimbyhisnervouseloquence；tauntedthemwithrecitalsofpastwrongsand

insults；

drewglowingpicturesoftriumphsandtrophieswithintheirreach；recountedtalesofdaringand

romanticenterprise，ofsecretmarchings，covertlurkings，midnightsurprisals，sackings，burnings，

plunderings，scalpings；togetherwiththetriumphantreturn，andthefeastingandrejoicingofthe

victors。Thesewildtaleswereintermingledwiththebeatingofthedrum，theyell，thewar-whoop

andthewar-dance，soinspiringtoIndianvalor。All，however，werelostuponthepeacefulspirits

of

hishearers；notaNezPercewastoberousedtovengeance，orstimulatedtogloriouswar。Inthe

bitternessofhisheart，theBlackfootrenegaderepinedatthemishapwhichhadseveredhimfrom

araceofcongenialspirits，anddrivenhimtotakerefugeamongbeingssodestituteofmartialfire。ThecharacterandconductofthismanattractedtheattentionofCaptainBonneville，andhe

was

anxioustohearthereasonwhyhehaddesertedhistribe，andwhyhelookedbackuponthem

with

suchdeadlyhostility。Kosatotoldhimhisownstorybriefly：itgivesapictureofthedeep，strongpassionsthatworkinthebosomsofthesemiscalledstoics。“Youseemywife，“saidhe，“sheisgood；sheisbeautiful——Iloveher。Yetshehasbeenthe

cause

ofallmytroubles。Shewasthewifeofmychief。Ilovedhermorethanhedid；andsheknewit。

We

talkedtogether；welaughedtogether；wewerealwaysseekingeachother”ssociety；butwewere

as

innocentaschildren。Thechiefgrewjealous，andcommandedhertospeakwithmenomore。His

heartbecamehardtowardher；hisjealousygrewmorefurious。Hebeatherwithoutcauseand

withoutmercy；andthreatenedtokillheroutrightifsheevenlookedatme。Doyouwanttraces

of

hisfury？Lookatthatscar！Hisrageagainstmewasnolesspersecuting。Warpartiesofthe

Crows

werehoveringroundus；ouryoungmenhadseentheirtrail。Allheartswererousedforaction；

my

horseswerebeforemylodge。Suddenlythechiefcame，tookthemtohisownpickets，andcalled

themhisown。WhatcouldIdo？hewasachief。Idurstnotspeak，butmyheartwasburning。I

joined

nolongerinthecouncil，thehunt，orthewar-feast。WhathadItodothere？anunhorsed，

degradedwarrior。Ikeptbymyself，andthoughtofnothingbutthesewrongsandoutrages。“Iwassittingoneeveninguponaknollthatoverlookedthemeadowwherethehorseswere

pastured。

Isawthehorsesthatwereonceminegrazingamongthoseofthechief。Thismaddenedme，andI

sat

broodingforatimeovertheinjuriesIhadsuffered，andthecrueltieswhichsheIlovedhad

endured

formysake，untilmyheartswelledandgrewsore，andmyteethwereclinched。AsIlooked

down

uponthemeadowIsawthechiefwalkingamonghishorses。Ifastenedmyeyesuponhimasa

hawk”s；mybloodboiled；Idrewmybreathhard。Hewentamongthewillows。InaninstantIwas

on

myfeet；myhandwasonmyknife——Iflewratherthanran——beforehewasawareIsprangupon

him，andwithtwoblowslaidhimdeadatmyfeet。Icoveredhisbodywithearth，andstrewed

bushes

overtheplace；thenIhastenedtoherIloved，toldherwhatIhaddone，andurgedhertoflywith

me。

Sheonlyansweredmewithtears。IremindedherofthewrongsIhadsuffered，andoftheblows

and

stripesshehadenduredfromthedeceased；Ihaddonenothingbutanactofjustice。Iagainurged

her

tofly；butsheonlyweptthemore，andbademego。Myheartwasheavy，butmyeyesweredry。I

foldedmyarms。””Tiswell”saidI；”Kosatowillgoalonetothedesert。Nonewillbewithhimbut

the

wildbeastsofthedesert。Theseekersofbloodmayfollowonhistrail。Theymaycomeuponhimwhenhesleepsandgluttheirrevenge；butyouwillbesafe。Kosatowillgoalone。“Iturnedaway。Shesprangafterme，andstrainedmeinherarms。”No”shecried，”Kosato

shallnotgoalone！WhereverhegoesIwillgo——heshallneverpartfromme。“”Wehastilytookinourhandssuchthingsaswemostneeded，andstealingquietlyfromthe

village，

mountedthefirsthorsesweencountered。Speedingdayandnight，wesoonreachedthistribe。

They

receiveduswithwelcome，andwehavedweltwiththeminpeace。Theyaregoodandkind；they

arehonest；buttheirheartsaretheheartsofwomen。SuchwasthestoryofKosato，asrelatedbyhimtoCaptainBonneville。Itisofakindthat

often

occursinIndianlife；whereloveelopementsfromtribetotribeareasfrequentasamongthe

novel-readheroesandheroinesofsentimentalcivilization，andoftengiverisetobloodsand

lastingfeuds。[ReturntoContents]Irving”sBonneville-Chapter14[ReturntoContents]WashingtonIrving”sTheAdventuresofCaptainBonnevilleChapter14Thepartyentersthemountaingorge——Awildfastnessamonghills——Mountain

mutton——Peaceand

plenty——Theamoroustrapper-Apiebaldwedding-Afreetrapper”swife-Hergalaequipments-Christmasinthewilderness。ONthe19thofDecemberCaptainBonnevilleandhisconfederateIndiansraisedtheircamp，

and

enteredthenarrowgorgemadebythenorthforkofSalmonRiver。UpthislaythesecureandplenteoushuntingregionsotemptinglydescribedbytheIndians。SinceleavingGreenRivertheplainshadinvariablybeenofloosesandorcoarsegravel，and

the

rockyformationofthemountainsofprimitivelimestone。Therivers，ingeneral，wereskirted

with

willowsandbittercottonwoodtrees，andtheprairiescoveredwithwormwood。Inthehollow

breast

ofthemountainswhichtheywerenowpenetrating，thesurroundingheightswereclothedwith

pine；whilethedeclivitiesofthelowerhillsaffordedabundanceofbunchgrassforthehorses。AstheIndianshadrepresented，theywerenowinanaturalfastnessofthemountains，the

ingressand

egressofwhichwasbyadeepgorge，sonarrow，rugged，anddifficultastopreventsecret

approach

orrapidretreat，andtoadmitofeasydefence。TheBlackfeet，therefore，refrainedfromventuring

in

aftertheNezPerces，awaitingabetterchance，whentheyshouldoncemoreemergeintotheopencountry。CaptainBonnevillesoonfoundthattheIndianshadnotexaggeratedtheadvantagesofthis

region。

Besidesthenumerousgangsofelk，largeflocksoftheahsahtaorbighorn，themountainsheep，

were

tobeseenboundingamongtheprecipices。Thesesimpleanimalswereeasilycircumventedand

destroyed。Afewhuntersmaysurroundaflockandkillasmanyastheyplease。Numberswere

daily

broughtintocamp，andthefleshofthosewhichwereyoungandfatwasextolledassuperiorto

thefinestmutton。Here，then，therewasacessationfromtoil，fromhunger，andalarm。Pastillsanddangers

were

forgotten。Thehunt，thegame，thesong，thestory，theroughthoughgood-humoredjoke，made

timepassjoyouslyaway，andplentyandsecurityreignedthroughoutthecamp。Idlenessandease，itissaid，leadtolove，andlovetomatrimony，incivilizedlife，andthe

same

processtakesplaceinthewilderness。Filledwithgoodcheerandmountainmutton，oneofthe

free

trappersbegantorepineatthesolitudeofhislodge，andtoexperiencetheforceofthatgreatlaw

ofnature，“itisnotmeetformantolivealone。””AfteranightofgravecogitationherepairedtoKowsoter，thePierced-nosechief，and

unfoldedtohimthesecretworkingsofhisbosom。“Iwant，“saidhe，“awife。Givemeonefromamongyourtribe。Notayoung，giddy-pated

girl，that

willthinkofnothingbutflauntingandfinery，butasober，discreet，hard-workingsquaw；onethat

willsharemylotwithoutflinching，howeverharditmaybe；thatcantakecareofmylodge，and

be

acompanionandahelpmatetomeinthewilderness。”Kowsoterpromisedtolookroundamong

the

femalesofhistribe，andprocuresuchaoneashedesired。Twodayswererequisiteforthesearch。

Attheexpirationofthese，Kowsoter，calledathislodge，andinformedhimthathewouldbring

his

bridetohiminthecourseoftheafternoon。Hekepthisword。Attheappointedtimehe

approached，

leadingthebride，acomelycopper-coloreddameattiredinherIndianfinery。Herfather，mother，

brothersbythehalfdozenandcousinsbythescore，allfollowedontogracetheceremonyand

greetthenewandimportantrelative。Thetrapperreceivedhisnewandnumerousfamilyconnectionwithpropersolemnity；he

placedhis

bridebesidehim，and，fillingthepipe，thegreatsymbolofpeace，withhisbesttobacco，tooktwo

or

threewhiffs，thenhandedittothechiefwhotransferredittothefatherofthebride，fromwhomit

waspassedonfromhandtohandandmouthtomouthofthewholecircleofkinsmenroundthe

fire，allmaintainingthemostprofoundandbecomingsilence。Afterseveralpipeshadbeenfilledandemptiedinthissolemnceremonial，thechief

addressedthe

bride，detailingatconsiderablelengththedutiesofawifewhich，amongIndians，arelittleless

onerousthanthoseofthepack-horse；thisdone，heturnedtoherfriendsandcongratulatedthem

upon

thegreatallianceshehadmade。Theyshowedaduesenseoftheirgoodfortune，especiallywhen

the

nuptialpresentscametobedistributedamongthechiefsandrelatives，amountingtoaboutone

hundredandeightydollars。Thecompanysoonretired，andnowtheworthytrapperfoundindeed

that

hehadnogreengirltodealwith；fortheknowingdameatonceassumedthestyleanddignityof

a

trapper”swife：takingpossessionofthelodgeasherundisputedempire，arrangingeverything

accordingtoherowntasteandhabitudes，andappearingasmuchathomeandonaseasyterms

withthetrapperasiftheyhadbeenmanandwifeforyears。Wehavealreadygivenapictureofafreetrapperandhishorse，asfurnishedbyCaptain

Bonneville：

weshallheresubjoin，asacompanionpicture，hisdescriptionofafreetrapper”swife，thatthe

reader

mayhaveacorrectideaofthekindofblessingtheworthyhunterinquestionhadinvokedto

solacehiminthewilderness。“Thefreetrapper，whileabachelor，hasnogreaterpetthanhishorse；butthemomenthe

takesawife

(asortofbrevetrankinmatrimonyoccasionallybestoweduponsomeIndianfairone，likethe

heroes

ofancientchivalryintheopenfield)，hediscoversthathehasastillmorefancifulandcapriciousanimalonwhichtolavishhisexpenses。“NosoonerdoesanIndianbelleexperiencethispromotion，thanallhernotionsatoncerise

and

expandtothedignityofhersituation，andthepurseofherlover，andhiscreditintothebargain，

are

taxedtotheutmosttofitheroutinbecomingstyle。Thewifeofafreetrappertobeequippedand

arrayedlikeanyordinaryandundistinguishedsquaw？Perishthegrovellingthought！Inthefirst

place，shemusthaveahorseforherownriding；butnojaded，sorry，earth-spiritedhack，suchas

is

sometimesassignedbyanIndianhusbandforthetransportationofhissquawandherpappooses：

the

wifeofafreetradermusthavethemostbeautifulanimalshecanlayhereyeson。Andthen，asto

his

decoration：headstall，breast-bands，saddleandcrupperarelavishlyembroideredwithbeads，and

hungwiththimbles，hawks”bells，andbunchesofribbons。Fromeachsideofthesaddlehangsan

esquimoot，asortofpocket，inwhichshebestowstheresidueofhertrinketsandnick-nacks，

which

cannotbecrowdedonthedecorationofherhorseorherself。Overthisshefolds，withgreatcare，

a

draperyofscarletandbright-coloredcalicoes，andnowconsidersthecaparisonofhersteedcomplete。“Astoherownperson，sheisevenstillmoreextravagant。Herhair，esteemedbeautifulin

proportion

toitslength，iscarefullyplaited，andmadetofallwithseemingnegligenceovereitherbreast。Her

ridinghatisstuckfullofparti-coloredfeathers；herrobe，fashionedsomewhatafterthatofthe

whites，isofred，green，andsometimesgraycloth，butalwaysofthefinesttexturethatcanbe

procured。Herleggingsandmoccasinsareofthemostbeautifulandexpensiveworkman-ship，

and

fittedneatlytothefootandankle，whichwiththeIndianwomanaregenerallywellformedand

delicate。Thenastojewelry：inthewayoffinger-rings，ear-rings，necklaces，andotherfemale

glories，nothingwithinreachofthetrapper”smeansisomittedthatcantendtoimpressthe

beholder

withanideaofthelady”shighestate。Tofinishthewhole，sheselectsfromamongherblanketsof

variousdyesoneofsomeglowingcolor，andthrowingitoverhershoulderswithanativegrace，

vaultsintothesaddleofhergay，prancingsteed，andisreadytofollowhermountaineer”tothe

lastgaspwithloveandloyalty。”“Suchisthegeneralpictureofthefreetrapper”swife，givenbyCaptainBonneville；howfarit

applied

initsdetailstotheoneinquestiondoesnotaltogetherappear，thoughitwouldseemfromthe

outset

ofherconnubialcareer，thatshewasreadytoavailherselfofallthepompandcircumstanceof

her

newcondition。Itisworthyofmentionthatwhereverthereareseveralwivesoffreetrappersina

camp，thekeenestrivalryexistsbetweenthem，tothesoredetrimentoftheirhusbands”purses。

Their

wholetimeisexpendedandtheiringenuitytaskedbyendeavorstoeclipseeachotherindress

and

decoration。Thejealousiesandheart-burningsthusoccasionedamongtheseso-styledchildrenof

natureareequallyintensewiththoseoftherivalleadersofstyleandfashionintheluxurious

abodesofcivilizedlife。ThegenialfestivalofChristmas，whichthroughoutallChristendomlightsupthefiresideof

home

withmirthandjollity，followedhardupontheweddingjustdescribed。Thoughfarfromkindred

and

friends，CaptainBonnevilleandhishandfuloffreetrapperswerenotdisposedtosufferthe

festival

topassunenjoyed；theywereinaregionofgoodcheer，andweredisposedtobejoyous；soitwas

determinedto“lightuptheyuleclog，“andcelebrateamerryChristmasintheheartofthewilderness。OnChristmaseve，accordingly，theybegantheirrudefetesandrejoicings。Inthecourseof

thenight

thefreetrapperssurroundedthelodgeofthePierced-nosechiefandinlieuofChristmascarols，salutedhimwithafeudejoie。KowsoterreceiveditinatrulyChristianspirit，andafteraspeech，inwhichheexpressedhis

high

gratificationatthehonordonehim，invitedthewholecompanytoafeastonthefollowingday。

His

invitationwasgladlyaccepted。AChristmasdinnerinthewigwamofanIndianchief！Therewas

noveltyintheidea。Notonefailedtobepresent。Thebanquetwasservedupinprimitivestyle：

skins

ofvariouskinds，nicelydressedfortheoccasion，werespreadupontheground；uponthesewere

heapedupabundanceofvenison，elkmeat，andmountainmutton，withvariousbitterrootswhichtheIndiansuseascondiments。Afterashortprayer，thecompanyallseatedthemselvescross-legged，inTurkishfashion，to

the

banquet，whichpassedoffwithgreathilarity。Afterwhichvariousgamesofstrengthandagility

by

bothwhitemenandIndiansclosedtheChristmasfestivities。[ReturntoContents]Irving”sBonneville-Chapter15[ReturntoContents]WashingtonIrving”sTheAdventuresofCaptainBonnevilleChapter15Ahuntafterhunters——Hungrytimes——Avoraciousrepast——Wintryweather——Godin”s

River——Splendid

wintersceneonthegreatLavaPlainofSnakeRiver——Severetravellingandtrampinginthe

snow——ManoeuvrsofasolitaryIndianhorseman——EncampmentonSnakeRiver——BanneckIndians——Thehorsechief——Hischarmedlife。THEcontinuedabsenceofMatthieuandhispartyhad，bythistime，causedgreatuneasiness

inthe

mindofCaptainBonneville；and，findingtherewasnodependencetobeplaceduponthe

perseveranceandcourageofscoutingpartiesinsoperilousaquest，hedeterminedtosetout

himselfonthesearch，andtokeeponuntilheshouldascertainsomethingoftheobjectofhissolicitude。Accordinglyonthe20thDecemberheleftthecamp，accompaniedbythirteenstarktrappers

and

hunters，allwellmountedandarmedfordangerousenterprise。Onthefollowingmorningthey

passed

outattheheadofthemountaingorgeandsalliedforthintotheopenplain。Astheyconfidently

expectedabrushwiththeBlackfeet，orsomeotherpredatoryhorde，theymovedwithgreatcircumspection，andkeptvigilantwatchintheirencampments。InthecourseofanotherdaytheyleftthemainbranchofSalmonRiver，andproceededsouth

toward

apasscalledJohnDay”sdefile。Itwassevereandarduoustravelling。Theplainsweresweptby

keen

andbitterblastsofwintrywind；thegroundwasgenerallycoveredwithsnow，gamewasscarce，

so

thathungergenerallyprevailedinthecamp，whilethewantofpasturagesoonbegantomanifestitselfinthedecliningvigorofthehorses。Thepartyhadscarcelyencampedontheafternoonofthe28th，whentwoofthehunterswho

had

salliedforthinquestofgamecamegallopingbackingreatalarm。Whilehuntingtheyhad

perceived

apartyofsavages，evidentlymanoeuvringtocutthemofffromthecamp；andnothinghadsavedthemfrombeingentrappedbutthespeedoftheirhorses。Thesetidingsstruckdismayintothecamp。CaptainBonnevilleendeavoredtoreassurehis

menby

representingthepositionoftheirencampment，anditscapabilityofdefence。Hethenorderedthe

horsestobedriveninandpicketed，andthrewuparoughbreastworkoffallentrunksoftreesand

thevegetablerubbishofthewilderness。Withinthisbarrierwasmaintainedavigilantwatch

throughoutthenight，whichpassedawaywithoutalarm。Atearlydawntheyscrutinizedthe

surroundingplain，todiscoverwhetheranyenemieshadbeenlurkingaboutduringthenight；not

afoot-print，however，wastobediscoveredinthecoarsegravelwithwhichtheplainwascovered。Hungernowbegantocausemoreuneasinessthantheapprehensionsofsurroundingenemies。

After

marchingafewmilestheyencampedatthefootofamountain，inhopesoffindingbuffalo。It

was

notuntilthenextdaythattheydiscoveredapairoffinebullsontheedgeoftheplain，among

rocks

andravines。Havingnowbeentwodaysandahalfwithoutamouthfuloffood，theytookespecial

carethattheseanimalsshouldnotescapethem。Whilesomeofthesurestmarksmenadvanced

cautiouslywiththeirriflesintotheroughground，fourofthebestmountedhorsementooktheirstationsintheplain，torunthebullsdownshouldtheyonlybemaimed。Thebuffalowerewoundedandsetoffinheadlongflight。Thehalf-famishedhorsesweretoo

weak

toovertakethemonthefrozenground，butsucceededindrivingthemontheice，wherethey

slipped

andfell，andwereeasilydispatched。Thehuntersloadedthemselveswithbeefforpresentand

future

supply，andthenreturnedandencampedatthelastnights”sfire。Heretheypassedtheremainder

of

theday，cookingandeatingwithavoracityproportionedtopreviousstarvation，forgettingintheheartyrevelofthemomentthecertaindangerswithwhichtheywereenvironed。Thecravingsofhungerbeingsatisfied，theynowbegantodebateabouttheirfurther

progress。The

menweremuchdisheartenedbythehardshipstheyhadalreadyendured。Indeed，twowhohad

been

intherearguard，takingadvantageoftheirposition，haddesertedandreturnedtothelodgesof

the

NezPerces。Theprospectaheadwasenoughtostaggerthestoutestheart。Theywereinthedead

of

winter。Asfarastheeyecouldreachthewildlandscapewaswrappedinsnow，whichwas

evidently

deepeningastheyadvanced。Overthistheywouldhavetotoil，withtheicywindblowingin

their

faces：theirhorsesmightgiveoutthroughwantofpasturage，andtheythemselvesmustexpectintervalsofhorriblefaminelikethattheyhadalreadyexperienced。WithCaptainBonneville，however，perseverancewasamatterofpride；and，having

undertakenthis

enterprise，nothingcouldturnhimbackuntilitwasaccomplished：thoughhedeclaresthat，had

he

anticipatedthedifficultiesandsufferingswhichattendedit，heshouldhaveflinchedfromtheundertaking。Onward，therefore，thelittlebandurgedtheirway，keepingalongthecourseofastream

calledJohn

Day”sCreek。Thecoldwassointensethattheyhadfrequentlytodismountandtravelonfoot，lest

theyshouldfreezeintheirsaddles。Thedayswhichatthisseasonareshortenougheveninthe

open

prairies，werenarrowedtoafewhoursbythehighmountains，whichallowedthetravellersbuta

briefenjoymentofthecheeringraysofthesun。Thesnowwasgenerallyatleasttwentyinchesin

depth，andinmanyplacesmuchmore：thosewhodismountedhadtobeattheirwaywith

toilsome

steps。Eightmileswereconsideredagoodday”sjourney。Thehorseswerealmostfamished；for

the

herbagewascoveredbythedeepsnow，sothattheyhadnothingtosubsistuponbutscantywisps

ofthedrybunchgrasswhichpeeredabovethesurface，andthesmallbranchesandtwigsof

frozenwillowsandwormwood。InthiswaytheyurgedtheirslowandpainfulcoursetothesouthdownJohnDay”sCreek，

untilitlost

itselfinaswamp。Heretheyencampedupontheiceamongstiffenedwillows，wheretheywereobligedtobeatdownandclearawaythesnowtoprocurepasturagefortheirhorses。HencetheytoiledontoGodinRiver；socalledafteranIroquoishunterintheserviceof

Sublette，

whowasmurderedtherebytheBlackfeet。Manyofthefeaturesofthisremotewildernessare

thus

namedafterscenesofviolenceandbloodshedthatoccurredtotheearlypioneers。Itwasanactof

filialvengeanceonthepartofGodin”ssonAntoinethat，asthereadermayrecollect，broughton

therecentbattleatPierre”sHole。FromGodin”sRiver，CaptainBonnevilleandhisfollowerscameoutupontheplainofthe

Three

Butes，socalledfromthreesingularandisolatedhillsthatrisefromthemidst。Itisapartofthe

great

desertofSnakeRiver，oneofthemostremarkabletractsbeyondthemountains。Couldtheyhave

experiencedarespitefromtheirsufferingsandanxieties，theimmenselandscapespreadout

before

themwascalculatedtoinspireadmiration。Winterhasitsbeautiesandgloriesaswellassummer；andCaptainBonnevillehadthesoultoappreciatethem。Faraway，sayshe，overthevastplains，andupthesteepsidesoftheloftymountains，the

snowlay

spreadindazzlingwhiteness：andwheneverthesunemergedinthemorningabovethegiant

peaks，

orburstforthfromamongcloudsinhismiddaycourse，mountainanddell，glazedrockand

frosted

tree，glowedandsparkledwithsurpassinglustre。Thetallpinesseemedsprinkledwithasilver

dust，

andthewillows，studdedwithminuteiciclesreflectingtheprismaticrays，broughttomindthe

fairytreesconjuredupbythecaliph”sstory-tellertoadornhisvaleofdiamonds。Thepoorwanderers，however，nearlystarvedwithhungerandcold，wereinnomoodto

enjoythe

gloriesofthesebrilliantscenes；thoughtheystampedpicturesontheirmemorywhichhavebeenrecalledwithdelightinmoregenialsituations。EncampingatthewestBute，theyfoundaplacesweptbythewinds，sothatitwasbareof

snow，and

therewasabundanceofbunchgrass。Herethehorseswereturnedloosetograzethroughoutthe

night。Thoughforoncetheyhadamplepasturage，yetthekeenwindsweresointensethat，inthe

morning，amulewasfoundfrozentodeath。Thetrappersgatheredroundandmournedoverhim

as

overacherishedfriend。Theyfearedtheirhalf-famishedhorseswouldsoonsharehisfate，for

there

seemedscarcebloodenoughleftintheirveinstowithstandthefreezingcold。Tobeattheway

further

throughthesnowwiththeseenfeebledanimalsseemednexttoimpossible；anddespondency

began

tocreepovertheirhearts，when，fortunately，theydiscoveredatrailmadebysomehuntingparty。

Intothistheyimmediatelyentered，andproceededwithlessdifficulty。Shortlyafterward，afine

buffalobullcameboundingacrossthesnowandwasinstantlybroughtdownbythehunters。A

fire

wassoonblazingandcrackling，andanamplerepastsooncooked，andsoonerdispatched；after

whichtheymadesomefurtherprogressandthenencamped。Oneofthemenreachedthecamp

nearly

frozentodeath；butgoodcheerandablazingfiregraduallyrestoredlife，andputhisbloodincirculation。Havingnowabeatenpath，theyproceededthenextmorningwithmorefacility；indeed，the

snow

decreasedindepthastheyrecededfromthemountains，andthetemperaturebecamemoremild。

In

thecourseofthedaytheydiscoveredasolitaryhorsemanhoveringatadistancebeforethemon

the

plain。Theyspurredontoovertakehim；buthewasbettermountedonafreshersteed，andkeptat

awarydistance，reconnoitringthemwithevidentdistrust；forthewilddressofthefreetrappers，

their

leggings，blankets，andclothcapsgarnishedwithfurandtoppedoffwithfeathers，eventheirvery

elf-locksandweather-bronzedcomplexions，gavethemthelookofIndiansratherthanwhite

men，andmadehimmistakethemforawarpartyofsomehostiletribe。Aftermuchmanoeuvring，thewildhorsemanwasatlengthbroughttoaparley；buteventhen

he

conductedhimselfwiththecautionofaknowingprowleroftheprairies。Dismountingfromhis

horse，andusinghimasabreastwork，helevelledhisgunacrosshisback，and，thuspreparedfor

defencelikeawarycruiseruponthehighseas，hepermittedhimselftobeapproachedwithinspeakingdistance。HeprovedtobeanIndianoftheBannecktribe，belongingtoabandatnogreatdistance。It

wassome

timebeforehecouldbepersuadedthathewasconversingwithapartyofwhitemenandinduced

to

layasidehisreserveandjointhem。Hethengavethemtheinterestingintelligencethattherewere

twocompaniesofwhitemenencampedintheneighborhood。ThiswascheeringnewstoCaptain

Bonneville；whohopedtofindinoneofthemthelong-soughtpartyofMatthieu。Pushing

forward，

therefore，withrenovatedspirits，hereachedSnakeRiverbynightfall，andtherefixedhisencampment。Earlythenextmorning(13thJanuary，1833)，diligentsearchwasmadeaboutthe

neighborhoodfor

tracesofthereportedpartiesofwhitemen。Anencampmentwassoondiscoveredaboutfour

miles

fartheruptheriver，inwhichCaptainBonnevilletohisgreatjoyfoundtwoofMatthieu”smen，

from

whomhelearnedthattherestofhispartywouldbethereinthecourseofafewdays。Itwasa

matter

ofgreatprideandselfgratulationtoCaptainBonnevillethathehadthusaccomplishedhisdreary

and

doubtfulenterprise；andhedeterminedtopasssometimeinthisencampment，bothtoawaitthereturnofMatthieu，andtogiveneedfulreposetomenandhorses。Itwas，infact，oneofthemosteligibleanddelightfulwinteringgroundsinthatwholerange

of

country。TheSnakeRiverherewounditsdeviouswaybetweenlowbanksthroughthegreatplain

oftheThreeButes；andwasborderedbywideandfertilemeadows。Itwasstuddedwithislands

which，likethealluvialbottoms，werecoveredwithgrovesofcotton-wood，thicketsofwillow，

tracts

ofgoodlowlandgrass，andabundanceofgreenrushes。Theadjacentplainsweresovastinextent

thatnosinglebandofIndianscoulddrivethebuffalooutofthem；norwasthesnowofsufficient

depthtogiveanyseriousinconvenience。Indeed，duringthesojournofCaptainBonnevilleinthis

neighborhood，whichwasintheheartofwinter，hefoundtheweather，withtheexceptionofa

few

coldandstormydays，generallymildandpleasant，freezingalittleatnightbutinvariably

thawingwiththemorning”ssun-resemblingthespringweatherinthemiddlepartsoftheUnitedStates。TheloftyrangeoftheThreeTetons，thosegreatlandmarksoftheRockyMountainsrisingin

theeast

andcirclingawaytothenorthandwestofthegreatplainofSnakeRiver，andthemountainsof

Salt

RiverandPortneuftowardthesouth，catchtheearliestfallsofsnow。Theirwhiterobeslengthen

as

thewinteradvances，andspreadthemselvesfarintotheplain，drivingthebuffaloinherdstothebanksoftheriverinquestoffood；wheretheyareeasilyslainingreatnumbers。Suchwerethepalpableadvantagesofthiswinterencampment；addedtowhich，itwassecure

from

theprowlingsandplunderingsofanypettybandofrovingBlackfeet，thedifficultiesofretreat

renderingitunwiseforthosecraftydepredatorstoventureanattackunlesswithanoverpoweringforce。AbouttenmilesbelowtheencampmentlaytheBanneckIndians；numberingaboutone

hundredand

twentylodges。TheyarebraveandcunningwarriorsanddeadlyfoesoftheBlackfeet，whomthey

easilyovercomeinbattleswheretheirforcesareequal。Theyarenotvengefulandenterprisingin

warfare，however；seldomsendingwarpartiestoattacktheBlackfeettowns，butcontenting

themselveswithdefendingtheirownterritoriesandhouse。Aboutonethirdoftheirwarriorsarearmedwithfusees，therestwithbowsandarrows。