OCR Text |
Show 96 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF to Snake River. If you are fortunate you will discover the Black Feet before they see you, and you will beat them. If they discover you first, they will rub you all out-kill you all. Bad Hand (~itzpatrick), I tell you there is blood in your path th1s grass. If you beat the Black Feet, you will retrac~ your steps and go to Bear River, whose water you WI~l follow until you come to Sage River. There you Will n1eet two white men who will give you news." To return to my narrative: Mr. Sublet, having left the camp in company with my old companion, Mr. I-Iarris, before we returned, had left a letter of instructions for Fitzpatrick, desiring him to remove our camp as early in the spring as possible back to Cache Valley, and to repair to Weaver's Lake, where he would rejoin him. Sublet and Harris had parted for St. Louis, which they reached in safety after a journey in \ mid-winter. We spent the winter very comfortably, and at the opening of spring we all moved-whites and Indians -back to Cache Valley. Soon after we arrived we commenced digging caclws to secure seventy-five packs of beaver-skins in the possession of our party. While digging a cache in the bank, the earth caved in, killing two of our party, who were Canadians. rrhe Indians claimed the privilege of burying them, which ceremony they performed by hoisting them up in trees. This has ever been the method of disposing of the dead with most, if not all, of the Rocky Mountain tribes. The body is securely wrapped in blankets and robes fastened with thongs, in which are inclosed the war implements, pipes, and tobacco of the deceased. If he had been a warrior, his war-horse is killed and buried, together with his saddle and other implements, at the foot of the same tree. I JAMES P. BECKWOURTH. 97 One more accident occurred, which at first occasioned us considerable alarm, before we quitted Cache Valley on our excursion. One of our men was out hunting, and coming across an antelope, as he supposed, fired at the animal's head, and killed it. On going to cut the animal's throat, to his surprise he found he had killed one of the Snake Indians, who had put on this disguise to decoy the antelopes near him. This was an accident that we deeply lamented, as the Snakes were very friendly toward us. Before the Indians discovered the accident, we held a council, and resolved to make a precipitate retreat, as we felt very distrustful of the consequences. While we were preparing to start, the chief came among us, and was greatly surprised at our sudden departure, especially as we had given him no previous notice. . We excused ourselves by saying we were going to engage in hunting and trapping. He then asked what ailed us, saying we all looked terrified, and wished to know what had happened. Fitzpatrick at length told him what had taken place, and how it came to pass. " Oh," said the chief, "if that is vyhat you are alarmed at, take off your packs and stay. The Indian was a fool to use a decoy when he knew the antelope came into the sage every day, and that the white men shoot all they see." He then made a speech to his warriors, telling them ·what had happened, and ordered some of his men to bring in the dead Indian. Then turning to us, he said, ''You and the Snakes are brothers; we are all friends .; we can not at all times guard against accident. You lost two -of your warriors in the bank, the Snakes have just lost one. Give me some red cloth to wrap up the body. vVe will bury the fallen brave." E |