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Show 94 AUTOBIOGUAPHY OF with the rest, although fortunately my horses were not among the missing. After a pursuit of five days we arrived at one of their villages, where we saw our own horses among a number of others. We then divided our forces, Fitzpatrick taking command of one party, and a James Bridger of the other. The plan resolved upon was as follows: Fitzpatrick was to charge the Indians, and cover Bridger's party, while they stampeded all the horses th~y could get away with. I formed one of Captain Bridger's party, this being the first affair of the kind I had ever witnessed. Every thing being in readiness, we rushed in upon the horses, and stampeded from two to three hundred, Fitzpatrick at the same time engaging the Indians, who numbered from three to four hundred. The Indians recovered a great number of the horses from us, but we succeeded in getting off with the number of our own missing, and forty head besides. In the engagement, six of the enemy were killed and scalped, while not one of our party received a scratch. The horses we had captured were very fine ones, and our return to the camp was greeted with the liveliest demonstrations. We found, on our return from the above marauding expedition, an encampment of Snake Indians, to the number of six hundred lodges, comprising · about two thousand five hundred warriors. They had entirely surrounded us with their encampments, adding very materially to our present population. They were perfectly friendly, and we apprehended no danger from their proximity. It appears this was their usual resort for spending the winter; and, after pitching their lodges, which are composed of skins, they proceeded to build a large " medicine lodge." I I • JAMES P. BECKWOURTH. 95 The word medicine (or, as they call it, BarchkParcl~ k) ~ignifies a prophet or dreamer, and is synonymous w1th the word prophet as employed in the Old Testament. The Indian form of government is a theocracy, and the medicine man is the high-priest. His dreams or prophecies are sacred ; if his p1·edictions are not verified in the result, the fault is with themselves; they had disregarded some of his instructions. When by accident his dreams are exactly verified, their confidence in their prophet exceeds all belief. The " medicine lodge" is the tabernacle of the wilderness, the habitation of the Great Spirit, the sacred ark of their faith. Our long residence with the Snake tribe afforded us an excellent opportunity of acquainting ourselves with the .domestic character of the Indians. They often invited us into their medicine lodge to witness their religious ceremonies and listen to their prophesyings. The name of the old prophet was 0-mo-gua, which in English means woman's dress. One evening he delivered a prophecy for us. " I can see," said he, "white people on Big Shell (Platte River) ; I see them boring a hole in a red bucket; I see them drawing out medicine water (whisky); I see them fighting each other; but Fate (Sublet) has gone down on the other side of the river : he does not ·see them. He has gone to the white lodges. Where are you going?" " We are going," answered Fitzpatrick, "to trap on Bear Head and the other small streams in the country of the Black Feet." " No," said the prophet, " you will go to Sheep Mountain ; there you will find the snow so deep that you can not pass. You will then go down Port N eif |
