The life and adventures of James P. Beckwourth, mountaineer, scout, and pioneer, and Chief of the Crow nation of Indians

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106 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF wounded. Not a woman or child was injured. From the enemy we took seventeen scalps, most of them near the willows ; those that we killed on the road we could not stop for. We were satisfied they had n1ore than a hundred slain; but as they always carry off their dead, we could not ascertain the exact number. We also lost two packs of beavers, a few packs of meat, together with some valuable horses. After attending to our wounded, we all proceeded to camp, where the scalp-dance was performed by all the half-breeds and women, many of the mountaineers taking part in the dance. The battle lasted five hours, and never in my whole life had I run such danger of losing my life and scalp. I now began to deem my­self Indian -proof, and to think I never should be kill­ed by them. The reader will wonder how a contest could last that length of time when there were but thirty to op­pose five hundred men, and we not meet with a great­er loss. It is accounted for by the Indian mode of warfare. The Indian is a poor marksman with a gun, more especially on horse back, and, to kill with their ar­rows, they must be near their mark. They often shoot their arrows when their horse is in full speed, and, unless they are very near their object, they seldom take effect. When they hunt the buffalo, their horses are trained to keep by the side of their destined victim until the arrow is discharged; then springing directly away, he escapes the charge of the infuriated animal, which becomes dangerous as soon as wounded. U n­like the Indians, we seldom discharged our guns unless sure of our man, for we had no ammunition to waste. Our victory was considered, under the circumstances . ' a glonous one, and all who participated in the battle JAMES P. BECKWOURTH. 107 our con:panions lauded to the skies. The women, too, hailed us as the "bravest of the brave," knowing that we had preserved them from a captivity to which death were preferable. 1\v? days after the battle we were again rejoined by our fnends, the Snakes, to the number of four thou­sand. They all took part in our scalp-dance, and such a scene of rejoicing as we held has seldom been wit­nessed in the mountains. They deeply lamented that they had not come in season to take part in the battle, ·so tl.lat ~ot one of the Black Feet could have escaped. Thmr Wishes for battle, rhowever, were soon after grat­ified. The absent parties began to arrive, one after the other, at the rendezvous. Shortly after, General Ash­ley and Mr. Sublet came in, accompanied with three h~ndred pack mules, well laden with goods and all things necessary for the mountaineers and the Indian trade. It may well be supposed that the arrival of such a vast amount of luxuries from the East did not pass off without a general celebration. Mirth, sono-s, da~cing, shouting, ~rading, running, jumping, singi~g, racing, target-shooting, yarns, frolic, with all sorts of extravagances that white men or Indians could invent were freely indulged in. The unpacking of the med-' icine water contributed not a little to the heightening of our festivities. We had been informed by Harris, previous to the arrival of the general, that General Ashley had sold out his interest in the mountains to Mr. Sublet, em­bracing all his properties and possessions there. He now intended to return to St. Louis, to enjoy the for­tune. he h~d amassed 'by so much toil and suffering, and In w lnch he had so lm·gel y shared in person.