第5章
AssoonasthespringopenstheymovedowntherightbankofSnakeRiverandencampat
theheads
oftheBoiseeandPayette。Heretheirhorseswaxfatongoodpasturage，whilethetriberevelsin
plentyuponthefleshofdeer，elk，bear，andbeaver。Theythendescendalittlefurther，andare
met
bytheLowerNezPerces，withwhomtheytradeforhorses；givinginexchangebeaver，buffalo，
and
buffalorobes。HencetheystrikeuponthetributarystreamsontheleftbankofSnakeRiver，and
encampattheriseofthePortneufandBlackfootstreams，inthebuffalorange。Theirhorses，
although
oftheNezPercebreed，areinferiortotheparentstockfrombeingriddenattooearlyanage，
being
oftenboughtwhenbuttwoyearsoldandimmediatelyputtohardwork。Theyhavefewerhorses，also，thanmostofthesemigratorytribes。AtthetimethatCaptainBonnevillecameintotheneighborhoodoftheseIndians，theywere
allin
mourningfortheirchief，surnamedTheHorse。Thischiefwassaidtopossessacharmedlife，or
rather，tobeinvulnerabletolead；nobullethavingeverhithim，thoughhehadbeeninrepeated
battles，andoftenshotatbythesurestmarksmen。Hehadshowngreatmagnanimityinhis
intercoursewiththewhitemen。Oneofthegreatmenofhisfamilyhadbeenslaininanattack
upon
abandoftrapperspassingthroughtheterritoriesofhistribe。Vengeancehadbeenswornbythe
Bannecks；butTheHorseinterfered，declaringhimselfthefriendofwhitemenand，havinggreat
influenceandauthorityamonghispeople，hecompelledthemtoforcgoallvindictiveplansand
toconductthemselvesamicablywhenevertheycameincontactwiththetraders。ThischiefhadbravelyfalleninresistinganattackmadebytheBlackfeetuponhistribe，
while
encampedattheheadofGodinRiver。Hisfallinnowiselessenedthefaithofhispeopleinhis
charmedlife；fortheydeclaredthatitwasnotabulletwhichlaidhimlow，butabitofhorn
which
hadbeenshotintohimbysomeBlackfootmarksmanaware，nodoubt，oftheinefficacyoflead。
Sincehisdeaththerewasnoonewithsufficientinfluenceoverthetribetorestrainthewildand
predatorypropensitiesoftheyoungmen。Theconsequencewastheyhadbecometroublesome
and
dangerousneighbors，openlyfriendlyforthesakeoftraffic，butdisposedtocommitsecret
depredationsandtomolestanysmallpartythatmightfallwithintheirreach。[ReturntoContents]Irving”sBonneville-Chapter16[ReturntoContents]WashingtonIrving”sTheAdventuresofCaptainBonnevilleChapter16MisadventuresofMatthieuandhisparty——ReturntothecachesatSalmonRiver——Battle
between
NezPercesandBlackfeet——HeroismofaNezPercewoman——Enrolledamongthebraves。ONthe3dofFebruaryMatthieu，withtheresidueofhisband，arrivedincamp。Hehada
disastrous
storytorelate。AfterpartingwithCaptainBonnevilleinGreenRiverValleyhehadproceededto
the
westward，keepingtothenorthoftheEutawMountains，aspurofthegreatRockychain。Herehe
experiencedthemostruggedtravellingforhishorses，andsoondiscoveredthattherewasbut
little
chanceofmeetingtheShoshoniebands。HenowproceededalongBearRiver，astreammuch
frequentedbytrappers，intendingtoshapehiscoursetoSalmonRivertorejoinCaptainBonneville。Hewasmisled，however，eitherthroughtheignoranceortreacheryofanIndianguide，and
conducted
intoawildvalleywherehelayencampedduringtheautumnandtheearlypartofthewinter，
nearly
buriedinsnowandalmoststarved。Earlyintheseasonhedetachedfivemen，withninehorses，to
proceedtotheneighborhoodoftheSheepRock，onBearRiver，wheregamewasplenty，and
theretoprocureasupplyforthecamp。Theyhadnotproceededfarontheirexpeditionwhentheirtrailwasdiscoveredbyapartyof
nine
ortenIndians，whoimmediatelycommencedalurkingpursuit，doggingthemsecretlyforfiveor
six
days。Solongastheirencampmentswerewellchosenandaproperwatchmaintainedthewary
savageskeptaloof；atlength，observingthattheywerebadlyencamped，inasituationwherethey
mightbeapproachedwithsecrecy，theenemycreptstealthilyalongundercoveroftheriverbank，preparingtoburstsuddenlyupontheirprey。Theyhadnotadvancedwithinstrikingdistance，however，beforetheywerediscoveredby
oneofthe
trappers。Heimmediatelybutsilentlygavethealarmtohiscompanions。Theyallsprangupon
their
horsesandpreparedtoretreattoasafeposition。Oneoftheparty，however，namedJennings，
doubted
thecorrectnessofthealarm，andbeforehemountedhishorsewantedtoascertainthefact。His
companionsurgedhimtomount，butinvain；hewasincredulousandobstinate。Avolleyof
firearms
bythesavagesdispelledhisdoubts，butsooverpoweredhisnervesthathewasunabletogetinto
his
saddle。Hiscomrades，seeinghisperilandconfusion，generouslyleapedfromtheirhorsesto
protect
him。Ashotfromariflebroughthimtotheearth；inhisagonyhecalledupontheothersnotto
desert
him。Twoofthem，LeRoyandRoss，afterfightingdesperately，werecapturedbythesavages；
the
remainingtwovaultedintotheirsaddlesandsavedthemselvesbyheadlongflight，beingpursued
for
nearlythirtymiles。TheygotsafebacktoMatthieu”scamp，wheretheirstoryinspiredsuchdread
of
lurkingIndiansthatthehunterscouldnotbeprevailedupontoundertakeanotherforayinquest
of
provisions。Theyremained，therefore，almoststarvingintheircamp；nowandthenkillinganold
or
disabledhorseforfood，whiletheelkandthemountainsheeproamedunmolestedamongthesurroundingmountains。ThedisastroussurprisalofthishuntingpartyiscitedbyCaptainBonnevilletoshowthe
importance
ofvigilantwatchingandjudiciousencampmentsintheIndiancountry。Mostofthiskindof
disasters
totradersandtrappersarisefromsomecarelessinattentiontothestateoftheirarmsand
ammunition，
theplacingoftheirhorsesatnight，thepositionoftheircampingground，andthepostingoftheir
nightwatches。TheIndianisavigilantandcraftyfoe，bynomeansgiventohair-brainedassaults；
heseldomattackswhenhefindshisfoewellpreparedandonthealert。Cautionisatleastasefficaciousaprotectionagainsthimascourage。TheIndianswhomadethisattackwereatfirstsupposedtobeBlackfeet；untilCaptain
Bonneville
foundsubsequently，inthecampoftheBannecks，ahorse，saddle，andbridle，whichhe
recognized
ashavingbelongedtooneofthehunters。TheBannecks，however，stoutlydeniedhavingtaken
these
spoilsinfight，andpersistedinaffirmingthattheoutragehadbeenperpetratedbyaBlackfootband。CaptainBonnevilleremainedonSnakeRivernearlythreeweeksafterthearrivalofMatthieu
and
hisparty。Atlengthhishorseshavingrecoveredstrengthsufficientforajourney，hepreparedto
returntotheNezPerces，orrathertovisithiscachesonSalmonRiver；thathemighttakethence
goodsandequipmentsfortheopeningseason。Accordingly，leavingsixteenmenatSnakeRiver，
hesetoutonthe19thofFebruarywithsixteenothersonhisjourneytothecaches。Fordingtheriver，heproceededtothebordersofthedeepsnow，whenheencampedunder
thelee
ofimmensepilesofburnedrock。Onthe21sthewasagainflounderingthroughthesnow，onthe
greatSnakeRiverplain，whereitlaytothedepthofthirtyinches。Itwassufficientlyincrustedto
bear
apedestrian，butthepoorhorsesbrokethroughthecrust，andplungedandstrainedateverystep。
Solaceratedweretheybytheicethatitwasnecessarytochangethefronteveryhundredyards，
and
putadifferentoneinadvancetobreaktheway。Theopenprairiesweresweptbyapiercingand
bitingwindfroInthenorthwest。Atnight，theyhadtotasktheiringenuitytoprovideshelterand
keep
fromfreezing。Inthefirstplace，theydugdeepholesinthesnow，pilingitupinrampartsto
windwardasaprotectionagainsttheblast。Beneaththesetheyspreadbuffaloskins，uponwhich
they
stretchedthemselvesinfulldress，withcaps，cloaks，andmoccasins，andcoveredthemselves
withnumerousblankets；notwithstandingallwhichtheywereoftenseverelypinchedwiththecold。Onthe28thofFebruarytheyarrivedonthebanksofGodinRiver。Thisstreamemergesfrom
the
mountainsoppositeaneasternbranchoftheMaladeRiver，runningsoutheast，formsadeepand
swift
currentabouttwentyyardswide，passingrapidlythroughadefiletowhichitgivesitsname，and
then
entersthegreatplainwhere，aftermeanderingaboutfortymiles，itisfinallylostintheregionof
theBurnedRocks。OnthebanksofthisriverCaptainBonnevillewassofortunateastocomeuponabuffalo
trail。
Followingitup，heenteredthedefile，whereheremainedencampedfortwodaystoallowthe
hunterstimetokillanddryasupplyofbuffalobeef。Inthissheltereddefiletheweatherwas
moderateandgrasswasalreadysproutingmorethananinchinheight。Therewasabundance，
too，
ofthesaltweedwhichgrowsmostplentifulinclayeyandgravellybarrens。Itresembles
pennyroyal，
andderivesitsnamefromapartialsaltness。Itisanourishingfoodforthehorsesinthewinter，
buttheyrejectitthemomenttheyounggrassaffordssufficientpasturage。Onthe6thofMarch，havingcuredsufficientmeat，thepartyresumedtheirmarch，and
movedon
withcomparativeease，exceptingwheretheyhadtomaketheirwaythroughsnow-driftswhich
hadbeenpiledupbythewind。Onthe11th，asmallcloudofsmokewasobservedrisinginadeeppartofthedefile。An
encampment
wasinstantlyformedandscoutsweresentouttoreconnoitre。Theyreturnedwithintelligence
that
itwasahuntingpartyofFlatheads，returningfromthebuffalorangeladenwithmeat。Captain
Bonnevillejoinedthemthenextday，andpersuadedthemtoproceedwithhispartyafewmiles
belowtothecaches，whitherheproposedalsotoinvitetheNezPerces，whomhehopedtofind
somewhereinthisneighborhood。Infact，onthe13th，hewasrejoinedbythatfriendlytribewho，
sinceheseparatedfromthemonSalmonRiver，hadlikewisebeenouttohuntthebuffalo，but
had
continuedtobehauntedandharassedbytheiroldenemiestheBlackfeet，who，asusual，hadcontrivedtocarryoffmanyoftheirhorses。Inthecourseofthishuntingexpedition，asmallbandoftenlodgesseparatedfromthemain
body
insearchofbetterpasturagefortheirhorses。Aboutthe1stofMarch，thescatteredpartiesof
Blackfootbandittiunitedtothenumberofthreehundredfightingmen，anddeterminedupon
some
signalblow。ProceedingtotheformercampinggroundoftheNezPerces，theyfoundthelodges
deserted；uponwhichtheyhidthemselvesamongthewillowsandthickets，watchingforsome
stragglerwhomightguidethemtothepresent“whereabout“oftheirintendedvictims。Asfortune
would
haveitKosato，theBlackfootrenegade，wasthefirsttopassalong，accompaniedbyhis
blood-bought
bride。Hewasonhiswayfromthemainbodyofhunterstothelittlebandoftenlodges。The
Blackfeetknewandmarkedhimashepassed；hewaswithinbowshotoftheirambuscade；yet，
much
astheythirstedforhisblood，theyforboretolaunchashaft；sparinghimforthemomentthathe
mightleadthemtotheirprey。Secretlyfollowinghistrail，theydiscoveredthelodgesofthe
unfortunateNezPerces，andassailedthemwithshoutsandyellings。TheNezPercesnumbered
only
twentymen，andbutninewerearmedwithfusees。Theyshowedthemselves，however，asbrave
and
skilfulinwarastheyhadbeenmildandlong-sufferinginpeace。Theirfirstcarewastodigholes
insideoftheirlodges；thusensconcedtheyfoughtdesperately，layingseveraloftheenemydeadupontheground；whilethey，thoughSomeofthemwerewounded，lostnotasinglewarrior。Duringtheheatofthebattle，awomanoftheNezPerces，seeingherwarriorbadlywounded
and
unabletofight，seizedhisbowandarrows，andbravelyandsuccessfullydefendedhisperson，contributingtothesafetyofthewholeparty。Inanotherpartofthefieldofaction，aNezPercehadcrouchedbehindthetrunkofafallen
tree，and
keptupagallingfirefromhiscovert。ABlackfootseeingthis，procuredaroundlog，andplacing
it
beforehimashelayprostrate，rolleditforwardtowardthetrunkofthetreebehindwhichhis
enemy
laycrouched。Itwasamomentofbreathlessinterest；whoeverfirstshowedhimselfwouldbein
dangerofashot。TheNezPerceputanendtothesuspense。Themomentthelogstouchedhe
Sprang
uponhisfeetanddischargedthecontentsofhisfuseeintothebackofhisantagonist。Bythistime
theBlackfeethadgotpossessionofthehorses，severaloftheirwarriorslaydeadonthefield，and
theNezPerces，ensconcedintheirlodges，seemedresolvedtodefendthemselvestothelastgasp。
ItsohappenedthatthechiefoftheBlackfeetpartywasarenegadefromtheNezPerces；unlike
Kosato，however，hehadnovindictiverageagainsthisnativetribe，butwasratherdisposed，now
he
hadgotthebooty，tospareallunnecessaryeffusionofblood。Heheldalongparley，therefore，
with
thebesieged，andfinallydrewoffhiswarriors，takingwithhimseventyhorses。Itappeared，
afterward，thatthebulletsoftheBlackfeethadbeenentirelyexpendedinthecourseofthebattle，
sothattheywereobligedtomakeuseofstonesassubstitute。AttheoutsetofthefightKosato，therenegade，foughtwithfuryratherthanvalor，animating
the
othersbywordaswellasdeed。Awoundintheheadfromarifleballlaidhimsenselessonthe
earth。
Therehisbodyremainedwhenthebattlewasover，andthevictorswereleadingoffthehorses。
His
wifehungoverhimwithfranticlamentations。Theconquerorspausedandurgedhertoleavethe
lifelessrenegade，andreturnwiththemtoherkindred。Sherefusedtolistentotheirsolicitations，
and
theypassedon。AsshesatwatchingthefeaturesofKosato，andgivingwaytopassionategrief，
she
thoughtsheperceivedhimtobreathe。Shewasnotmistaken。Theball，whichhadbeennearly
spent
beforeitstruckhim，hadstunnedinsteadofkillinghim。Bytheministryofhisfaithfulwifehegraduallyrecovered，revivingtoaredoubledloveforher，andhatredofhistribe。Astothefemalewhohadsobravelydefendedherhusband，shewaselevatedbythetribetoa
rank
farabovehersex，andbesideotherhonorabledistinctions，wasthenceforwardpermittedtotakea
partinthewardancesofthebraves！[ReturntoContents]Irving”sBonneville-Chapter17[ReturntoContents]WashingtonIrving”sTheAdventuresofCaptainBonnevilleChapter17Openingofthecaches——DetachmentsofCerreandHodgkiss——SalmonRiverMountains——
SuperstitionofanIndiantrapper——Godin”sRiver——Preparationsfortrapping——Analarm——An
interruption——Arivalband——PhenomenaofSnakeRiverPlain——Vastcleftsandchasms——
Ingulfedstreams——Sublimescenery——Agrandbuffalohunt。CAPTAINBONNEVILLEfoundhiscachesperfectlysecure，andhavingsecretlyopened
themhe
selectedsucharticlesaswerenecessarytoequipthefreetrappersandtosupplythe
inconsiderable
tradewiththeIndians，afterwhichheclosedthemagain。Thefreetrappers，beingnewlyrigged
out
andsupplied，wereinhighspirits，andswaggeredgaylyaboutthecamp。Tocompensateallhands
forpastsufferings，andtogiveacheerfulspurtofurtheroperations，CaptainBonnevillenow
gave
themenwhat，infrontierphrase，istermed“aregularblow-out。”Itwasadayofuncouth
gambols
andfrolicsandrudefeasting。TheIndiansjoinedinthesportsandgames，andallwasmirthandgood-fellowship。ItwasnowthemiddleofMarch，andCaptainBonnevillemadepreparationstoopenthe
spring
campaign。HehadpitcheduponMaladeRiverforhismaintrappinggroundfortheseason。This
is
astreamwhichrisesamongthegreatbedofmountainsnorthoftheLavaPlain，andaftera
winding
coursefallsintoSnakeRiver。PrevioustohisdeparturethecaptaindispatchedMr。Cerre，witha
few
men，tovisittheIndianvillagesandpurchasehorses；hefurnishedhisclerk，Mr。Hodgkiss，also，
with
asmallstockofgoods，tokeepupatradewiththeIndiansduringthespring，forsuchpeltriesas
they
mightcollect，appointingthecachesonSalmonRiverasthepointofrendezvous，wherethey
weretorejoinhimonthe15thofJunefollowing。ThisdonehesetoutforMaladeRiver，withabandoftwenty-eightmencomposedofhired
andfree
trappersandIndianhunters，togetherwitheightsquaws。Theirroutelayupalongtherightforkof
SalmonRiver，asitpassesthroughthedeepdefileofthemountains。Theytravelledveryslowly，
not
abovefivemilesaday，formanyofthehorsesweresoweakthattheyfalteredandstaggeredas
they
walked。Pasturage，however，wasnowgrowingplentiful。Therewasabundanceoffreshgrass，
whichinsomeplaceshadattainedsuchheightastowaveinthewind。Thenativeflocksofthe
wilderness，themountainsheep，astheyarecalledbythetrappers，werecontinuallytobeseen
upon
thehillsbetweenwhichtheypassed，andagoodsupplyofmuttonwasprovidedbythehunters，
astheywereadvancingtowardaregionofscarcity。InthecourseofhisjourneyCaptainBonnevillehadoccasiontoremarkaninstanceofthe
many
notions，andalmostsuperstitions，whichprevailamongtheIndians，andamongsomeofthewhite
men，withrespecttothesagacityofthebeaver。TheIndianhuntersofhispartywereinthehabit
of
exploringallthestreamsalongwhichtheypassed，insearchof“beaverlodges，“andoccasionally
settheirtrapswithsomesuccess。Oneofthem，however，thoughanexperiencedandskilful
trapper，
wasinvariablyunsuccessful。Astonishedandmortifiedatsuchunusualbadluck，heatlength
conceivedtheideathattherewassomeodorabouthispersonofwhichthebeavergotscentand
retreatedathisapproach。Heimmediatelysetaboutathoroughpurification。Makingarude
sweating-houseonthebanksoftheriver，hewouldshuthimselfupuntilinareeking
perspiration，andthen
suddenlyemerging，wouldplungeintotheriver。Anumberofthesesweatingsandplungings
having，
ashesupposed，renderedhispersonperfectly“inodorous，“heresumedhistrappingwith
renovatedhope。AboutthebeginningofApriltheyencampeduponGodin”sRiver，wheretheyfoundthe
swampfull
of“musk-rathouses。”Here，therefore，CaptainBonnevilledeterminedtoremainafewdaysand
makehisfirstregularattemptattrapping。Thathismaidencampaignmightopenwithspirit，he
promisedtheIndiansandfreetrappersanextrapriceforeverymusk-rattheyshouldtake。All
now
settoworkforthenextday”ssport。Theutmostanimationandgayetyprevailedthroughoutthe
camp。
Everythinglookedauspiciousfortheirspringcampaign。Theabundanceofmusk-ratsinthe
swamp
wasbutanearnestofthenoblergametheyweretofindwhentheyshouldreachtheMalade
River，
andhaveacapitalbeavercountryalltothemselves，wheretheymighttrapattheirleisurewithoutmolestation。Inthemidstoftheirgayetyahuntercamegallopingintothecamp，shouting，orrather
yelling，“Atrail！atrail！——lodgepoles！lodgepoles！“Thesewerewordsfullofmeaningtoatrapper”sear。Theyintimatedthattherewassome
bandinthe
neighborhood，andprobablyahuntingparty，astheyhadlodgepolesforanencampment。The
hunter
cameupandtoldhisstory。Hehaddiscoveredafreshtrail，inwhichthetracesmadebythe
dragging
oflodgepolesweredistinctlyvisible。Thebuffalo，too，hadjustbeendrivenoutofthe
neighborhood，whichshowedthatthehuntershadalreadybeenontherange。Thegayetyofthecampwasatanend；allpreparationsformusk-rattrappingwere
suspended，and
allhandssalliedforthtoexaminethetrail。Theirworstfearsweresoonconfirmed。Infallible
signs
showedtheunknownpartyintheadvancetobewhitemen；doubtless，somerivalbandof
trappers！
Herewascompetitionwhenleastexpected；andthattoobyapartyalreadyintheadvance，who
were
drivingthegamebeforethem。CaptainBonnevillehadnowatasteofthesuddentransitionsto
which
atrapper”slifeissubject。Thebuoyantconfidenceinanuninterruptedhuntwasatanend；everycountenanceloweredwithgloomanddisappointment。CaptainBonnevilleimmediatelydispatchedtwospiestoover-taketherivalparty，and
endeavorto
learntheirplans；inthemeantime，heturnedhisbackupontheswampanditsmusk-rathouses
and
followedonat“longcamps，whichintrapper”slanguageisequivalenttolongstages。Onthe6th
of
Aprilhemethisspiesreturning。Theyhadkeptonthetraillikehoundsuntiltheyovertookthe
party
atthesouthendofGodin”sdefile。Heretheyfoundthemcomfortablyencamped：twenty-two
prime
trappers，allwellappointed，withexcellenthorsesincapitalconditionledbyMiltonSublette，and
anablecoadjutornamedJarvie，andinfullmarchfortheMaladehuntingground。Thiswas
stunning
news。TheMaladeRiverwastheonlytrappinggroundwithinreach；buttohavetocompetethere
withveterantrappers，perfectlyathomeamongthemountains，andadmirablymounted，while
they
weresopoorlyprovidedwithhorsesandtrappers，andhadbutonemanintheirpartyacquaintedwiththecountry-itwasoutofthequestion。Theonlyhopethatnowremainedwasthatthesnow，whichstilllaydeepamongthe
mountainsof
Godin”sRiverandblockeduptheusualpasstotheMaladecountry，mightdetaintheotherparty
until
CaptainBonneville”shorsesshouldgetoncemoreintogoodconditionintheirpresentamplepasturage。Therivalpartiesnowencampedtogether，notoutofcompanionship，buttokeepaneyeupon
each
other。DayafterdaypassedbywithoutanypossibilityofgettingtotheMaladecountry。Sublette
and
Jarvieendeavoredtoforcetheirwayacrossthemountain；butthesnowslaysodeepastooblige
themtoturnback。Inthemeantimethecaptain”shorsesweredailygainingstrength，andtheir
hoofs
improving，whichhadbeenwornandbatteredbymountainservice。Thecaptain，alsowas
increasinghisstockofprovisions；sothatthedelaywasallinhisfavor。Toanyonewhomerelycontemplatesamapofthecountrythisdifficultyofgettingfrom
Godinto
MaladeRiverwillappearinexplicable，astheinterveningmountainsterminateinthegreatSnakeRiverplain，sothat，apparently，itwouldbeperfectlyeasytoproceedroundtheirbases。Here，however，occursomeofthestrikingphenomenaofthiswildandsublimeregion。The
great
lowerplainwhichextendstothefeetofthesemountainsisbrokenupneartheirbasesintocrests，andridgesresemblingthesurgesoftheoceanbreakingonarockyshore。Inalinewiththemountainstheplainisgashedwithnumerousanddangerouschasms，from
fourto
tenfeetwide，andofgreatdepth。CaptainBonnevilleattemptedtosoundsomeoftheseopenings，
butwithoutanysatisfactoryresult。Astonedroppedintooneofthemreverberatedagainstthe
sides
forapparentlyaverygreatdepth，and，byitssound，indicatedthesamekindofsubstancewiththe
surface，aslongasthestrokescouldbeheard。Thehorse，instinctivelysagaciousinavoiding
danger，
shrinksbackinalarmfromtheleastofthesechasms，prickinguphisears，snortingandpawing，
untilpermittedtoturnaway。Wehavebeentoldbyapersonwellacquaintedwiththecountrythatitissometimes
necessaryto
travelfiftyandsixtymilestogetroundoneofthesetremendousravines。Considerablestreams，
like
thatofGodin”sRiver，thatrunwithabold，freecurrent，losethemselvesinthisplain；someof
themendinswamps，otherssuddenlydisappear，finding，nodoubt，subterraneanoutlets。OppositetothesechasmsSnakeRivermakestwodesperateleapsoverprecipices，atashort
distancefromeachother；onetwenty，theotherfortyfeetinheight。Thevolcanicplaininquestionformsanareaofaboutsixtymilesindiameter，wherenothing
meets
theeyebutadesolateandawfulwaste；wherenograssgrowsnorwaterruns，andwherenothing
is
tobeseenbutlava。Rangesofmountainsskirtthisplain，and，inCaptainBonneville”sopinion，
were
formerlyconnected，untilrentasunderbysomeconvulsionofnature。FartotheeasttheThree
Tetons
lifttheirheadssublimely，anddominatethiswideseaoflava——oneofthemoststrikingfeatures
ofawildernesswhereeverythingseemsonascaleofsternandsimplegrandeur。Welookforwardwithimpatienceforsomeablegeologisttoexplorethissublimebutalmostunknownregion。Itwasnotuntilthe25thofAprilthatthetwopartiesoftrappersbrokeuptheirencampments，
and
undertooktocrossoverthesouthwestendofthemountainbyapassexploredbytheirscouts。
From
variouspointsofthemountaintheycommandedboundlessprospectsofthelavaplain，stretching
awayincoldandgloomybarrennessasfarastheeyecouldreach。Ontheeveningofthe26th
they
reachedtheplainwestofthemountain，wateredbytheMalade，theBoisee，andotherstreams，
whichcomprisedthecontemplatedtrapping-ground。ThecountryabouttheBoisee(orWoody)RiverisextolledbyCaptainBonnevilleasthe
most
enchantinghehadseenintheFarWest，presentingthemingledgrandeurandbeautyofmountainandplain，ofbrightrunningstreamsandvastgrassymeadowswavingtothebreeze。Weshallnotfollowthecaptainthroughouthistrappingcampaign，whichlasteduntilthe
beginning
ofJune，nordetailallthemanoeuvresoftherivaltrappingpartiesandtheirvariousschemesto
outwitandout-trapeachother。Sufficeittosaythat，afterhavingvisitedandcampedabout
various
streamswithvaryingsuccess，CaptainBonnevillesetforwardearlyinJunefortheappointed
rendezvousatthecaches。Ontheway，hetreatedhispartytoagrandbuffalohunt。Thescoutshad
reportednumerousherdsinaplainbeyondaninterveningheight。Therewasanimmediatehalt；
the
fleetesthorseswereforthwithmountedandthepartyadvancedtothesummitofthehill。Hence
they
beheldthegreatplainbelow；absolutelyswarmingwithbuffalo。CaptainBonnevillenow
appointed
theplacewherehewouldencamp；andtowardwhichthehuntersweretodrivethegame。He
cautionedthelattertoadvanceslowly，reservingthestrengthandspeedofthehorsesuntilwithin
a
moderatedistanceoftheherds。Twenty-twohorsemendescendedcautiouslyintotheplain，
conformablytothesedirections。““Itwasabeautifulsight，“saysthecaptain，““toseetherunners，
astheyarecalled，advancingincolumn，ataslowtrot，untilwithintwohundredandfiftyyards
of
theoutskirtsoftheherd，thendashingonatfullspeeduntillostintheimmensemultitudeof
buffaloesscouringtheplainineverydirection。”Allwasnowtumultandwildconfusion。Inthe
meantimeCaptainBonnevilleandtheresidueofthepartymovedontotheappointedcamping
ground；thitherthemostexpertrunnerssucceededindrivingnumbersofbuffalo，whichwere
killed
hardbythecamp，andthefleshtransportedthitherwithoutdifficulty。Inalittlewhilethewhole
camplookedlikeonegreatslaughter-house；thecarcasseswereskilfullycutup，greatfireswere
made，scaffoldserectedfordryingandjerkingbeef，andanampleprovisionwasmadeforfuture
subsistence。Onthe15thofJune，theprecisedayappointedfortherendezvous，Captain
Bonnevilleandhispartyarrivedsafelyatthecaches。Herehewasjoinedbytheotherdetachmentsofhismainparty，allingoodhealthandspirits。
The
cacheswereagainopened，suppliesofvariouskindstakenout，andaliberalallowanceofaqua
vitae
distributedthroughoutthecamp，tocelebratewithproperconvivialitythismerrymeeting。[ReturntoContents]Irving”sBonneville-Chapter18[ReturntoContents]WashingtonIrving”sTheAdventuresofCaptainBonnevilleChapter18MeetingwithHodgkiss——MisfortunesoftheNezPerces——SchemesofKosato，the
renegado——HisforayintotheHorsePrairie-InvasionofBlackfeet——BlueJohn
andhisforlornhope——Theirgenerousenterprise-Theirfate-Consternationand
despairofthevillage-Solemnobsequies-AttemptatIndiantrade-Hudson”sBayCompany”smonopoly-Arrangementsforautumn-Breakingupofanencampment。HAVINGnowaprettystrongparty，wellarmedandequipped，CaptainBonnevillenolonger
felt
thenecessityoffortifyinghimselfinthesecretplacesandfastnessesofthemountains；butsallied
forthboldlyintotheSnakeRiverplain，insearchofhisclerk，Hodgkiss，whohadremainedwith
the
NezPerces。Hefoundhimonthe24thofJune，andlearnedfromhimanotherchapterof
misfortuneswhichhadrecentlybefallenthatill-fatedrace。AfterthedepartureofCaptainBonnevilleinMarch，Kosato，therenegadeBlackfoot，had
recovered
fromthewoundreceivedinbattle；andwithhisstrengthrevivedallhisdeadlyhostilitytohis
native
tribe。HenowresumedhiseffortstostiruptheNezPercestoreprisalsupontheiroldenemies；
remindingthemincessantlyofalltheoutragesandrobberiestheyhadrecentlyexperienced，and
assuringthemthatsuchwouldcontinuetobetheirlotuntiltheyprovedthemselvesmenbysomesignalretaliation。Theimpassionedeloquenceofthedesperadoatlengthproducedaneffect；andabandof
braves
enlistedunderhisguidance，topenetrateintotheBlackfootcountry，harasstheirVillages，carry
offtheirhorses，andcommitallkindsofdepredations。KosatopushedforwardonhisforayasfarastheHorsePrairie，wherehecameuponastrong
party
ofBlackfeet。Withoutwaitingtoestimatetheirforce，heattackedthemwithcharacteristicfury，
and
wasbravelysecondedbyhisfollowers。Thecontest，foratime，washotandbloody；atlength，as
iscustomarywiththesetwotribes，theypaused，andheldalongparley，orratherawarofwords。“Whatneed，“saidtheBlackfootchief，tauntingly，“havetheNezPercestoleavetheirhomes，
and
sallyforthonwarparties，whentheyhavedangerenoughattheirowndoors？Ifyouwant
fighting，
returntoyourvillages；youwillhaveplentyofitthere。TheBlackfeetwarriorshavehitherto
made
waruponyouaschildren。Theyarenowcomingasmen。Agreatforceisathand；theyareon
their
waytoyourtowns，andaredeterminedtorubouttheverynameoftheNezPercesfromthe
mountains。Return，Isay，toyourtowns，andfightthere，ifyouwishtoliveanylongerasapeople。”Kosatotookhimathisword；forheknewthecharacterofhisnativetribe。Hasteningback
withhis
bandtotheNezPercesvillage，hetoldallthathehadseenandheard，andurgedthemostprompt
and
strenuousmeasuresfordefence。TheNezPerces，however，heardhimwiththeiraccustomed
phlegm；
thethreatoftheBlackfeethadbeenoftenmade，andasoftenhadprovedamerebravado；such
theypronouncedittobeatpresent，and，ofcourse，tooknoprecautions。Theyweresoonconvincedthatitwasnoemptymenace。Inafewdaysabandofthree
hundred
Blackfeetwarriorsappeareduponthehills。Allnowwasconsternationinthevillage。Theforce
of
theNezPerceswastoosmalltocopewiththeenemyinopenfight；manyoftheyoungmen
having
gonetotheirrelativesontheColumbiatoprocurehorses。Thesagesmetinhurriedcouncil。What
wastobedonetowardoffablowwhichthreatenedannihilation？Inthismomentofimminent
peril，
aPierced-nosechief，namedBlueJohnbythewhites，offeredtoapproachsecretlywithasmall，
but
chosenband，throughadefilewhichledtotheencampmentoftheenemy，and，byasudden
onset，
todriveoffthehorses。Shouldthisblowbesuccessful，thespiritandstrengthoftheinvaders
would
bebroken，andtheNezPerces，havinghorses，wouldbemorethanamatchforthem。Shouldit
fail，thevillagewouldnotbeworseoffthanatpresent，whendestructionappearedinevitable。Twenty-nineofthechoicestwarriorsinstantlyvolunteeredtofollowBlueJohninthis
hazardous
enterprise。Theypreparedforitwiththesolemnityanddevotionpeculiartothetribe。BlueJohn
consultedhismedicine，ortalismaniccharm，suchaseverychiefkeepsinhislodgeasa
supernatural
protection。Theoracleassuredhimthathisenterprisewouldbecompletelysuccessful，provided
no
rainshouldfallbeforehehadpassedthroughthedefile；butshoulditrain，hisbandwouldbe
utterlycutoff。Thedaywasclearandbright；andBlueJohnanticipatedthattheskieswouldbepropitious。
He
departedinhighspiritswithhisforlornhope；andneverdidbandofbravesmakeamoregallant
display-horsemenandhorsesbeingdecoratedandequippedinthefiercestandmostglaringstyle-
glitteringwitharmsandornaments，andflutteringwithfeathers。Theweathercontinuedsereneuntiltheyreachedthedefile；butjustastheywereenteringita
black
cloudroseoverthemountaincrest，andtherewasasuddenshower。Thewarriorsturnedtotheir
leader，asiftoreadhisopinionofthisunluckyomen；butthecountenanceofBlueJohnremained
unchanged，andtheycontinuedtopressforward。Itwastheirhopetomaketheirway
undiscovered
totheveryvicinityoftheBlackfootcamp；buttheyhadnotproceededfarinthedefile，when
they
metascoutingpartyoftheenemy。Theyattackedanddrovethemamongthehills，andwere
pursuing
themwithgreateagernesswhentheyheardshoutsandyellsbehindthem，andbeheldthemain
bodyoftheBlackfeetadvancing。Thesecondchiefwaveredalittleatthesightandproposedaninstantretreat。“Wecameto
fight！“
repliedBlueJohn，sternly。Thengivinghiswar-whoop，hesprangforwardtotheconflict。His
braves
followedhim。Theymadeaheadlongchargeupontheenemy；notwiththehopeofvictory，but
the
determinationtoselltheirlivesdearly。Afrightfulcarnage，ratherthanaregularbattle，
succeeded。
Theforlornbandlaidheapsoftheirenemiesdeadattheirfeet，butwereoverwhelmedwith
numbers
andpressedintoagorgeofthemountain；wheretheycontinuedtofightuntiltheywerecutto
pieces。
Oneonly，ofthethirty，survived。HesprangonthehorseofaBlackfootwarriorwhomhehad
slain，andescapingatfullspeed，broughthomethebalefultidingstohisvillage。Whocanpaintthehorroranddesolationoftheinhabitants？Thefloweroftheirwarriorslaid
low，
andaferociousenemyattheirdoors。Theairwasrentbytheshrieksandlamentationsofthe
women，
who，castingofftheirornamentsandtearingtheirhair，wanderedabout，franticallybewailingthe
deadandpredictingdestructiontotheliving。Theremainingwarriorsarmedthemselvesfor
obstinate
defence；butshowedbytheirgloomylooksandsullensilencethattheyconsidereddefence
hopeless。
TotheirsurprisetheBlackfeetrefrainedfrompursuingtheiradvantage；perhapssatisfiedwiththe
bloodalreadyshed，ordisheartenedbythelosstheyhadthemselvessustained。Atanyrate，they
disappearedfromthehills，anditwassoonascertainedthattheyhadreturnedtotheHorsePrairie。TheunfortunateNezPercesnowbeganoncemoretobreathe。Afewoftheirwarriors，taking
pack-horses，repairedtothedefiletobringawaythebodiesoftheirslaughteredbrethren。They
foundthem
mereheadlesstrunks；andthewoundswithwhichtheywerecoveredshowedhowbravelythey
had
fought。Theirhearts，too，hadbeentornoutandcarriedoff；aproofoftheirsignalvalor；forin
devouringtheheartofafoerenownedforbravery，orwhohasdistinguishedhimselfinbattle，theIndianvictorthinksheappropriatestohimselfthecourageofthedeceased。Gatheringthemangledbodiesoftheslain，andstrappingthemacrosstheirpack-horses，the
warriors
returned，indismalprocession，tothevillage。Thetribecameforthtomeetthem；thewomenwith
piercingcriesandwailings；themenwithdowncastcountenances，inwhichgloomandsorrow
seemedfixedasifinmarble。Themutilatedandalmostundistinguishablebodieswereplacedin
rows
upontheground，inthemidstoftheassemblage；andthesceneofheart-rendinganguishandlamentationthatensuedwouldhaveconfoundedthosewhoinsistonIndianstoicism。SuchwasthedisastrouseventthathadoverwhelmedtheNezPercestribeduringtheabsence
of
CaptainBonneville；andhewasinformedthatKosato，therenegade，who，beingstationedinthe
village，hadbeenpreventedfromgoingontheforlornhope，wasagainstrivingtorousethe
vindictivefeelingsofhisadoptedbrethren，andtopromptthemtorevengetheslaughteroftheirdevotedbraves。DuringhissojournontheSnakeRiverplain，CaptainBonnevillemadeoneofhisfirstessays
atthe
strategyofthefurtrade。TherewasatthistimeanassemblageofNezPerces，Flatheads，and
CottonoisIndiansencampedtogetherupontheplain；wellprovidedwithbeaver，whichtheyhad
collectedduringthespring。Thesetheywerewaitingtotrafficwitharesidenttraderofthe
Hudson”s
BayCompany，whowasstationedamongthem，andwithwhomtheywereaccustomedtodeal。
As
ithappened，thetraderwasalmostentirelydestituteofIndiangoods；hisspringsupplynothaving
yetreachedhim。CaptainBonnevillehadsecretintelligencethatthesupplieswereontheirway，
and
wouldsoonarrive；hehoped，how-ever，byapromptmove，toanticipatetheirarrival，andsecure
the
markettohimself。Throwinghimself，therefore，amongtheIndians，heopenedhispacksof
merchandiseanddisplayedthemosttemptingwares：brightcloths，andscarletblankets，and
glitteringornaments，andeverythinggayandgloriousintheeyesofwarriororsquaw；all，
however，
wasinvain。TheHudson”sBaytraderwasaperfectmasterofhisbusiness，thoroughlyacquainted
withtheIndianshehadtodealwith，andheldsuchcontroloverthemthatnonedaredtoact
openly
inoppositiontohiswishes；nay，more——hecamenighturningthetablesuponthecaptain，and
shakingtheallegianceofsomeofhisfreetrappers，bydistributingliquorsamongthem。The
latter，
therefore，wasgladtogiveupacompetition，wherethewarwaslikelytobecarriedintohisowncamp。