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Show 160 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF off one hundred and eighteen fine horses, with which we moved on in all possible. haste toward home. We were then about three hundred miles from our villaO'e and b ' two hundred from the Crow country. In passing through the Park* we discovered three Indians coming toward us, driving a small drove of horses. We concealed ourselves from their view by dropping back over the brow of a small hill directly in their route, until they had approached within ten steps of us. We raised the war-hoop, and rushed out on them, killing two of the three ; the third was at a greater distance, driving the cattle, and when he saw the fate of his companions he mounted one of the fleetest, and was soon beyond pursuit. My company had achieved a great victory, the spoils of which were fourteen horses, in addition to those already in our possession, two scalps, one gun, two battle-axes, one lance, bow, quiv~ r, etc: This trivial affair exalted my young brothers 1n their own esteem higher than the greatest veteran their wllage contained. During their return ho~e they were anticipating with untiring tongues the ovation that awaited them. We fell in with no more enemies on our way to the village. The horses we had captured from the three Indians had been stolen by them from the Crows, and as a recovery of lost horses is a greater achievement in Indians' eyes than the original acquisition, our merit was in proportion. We entered singing, with our faces bl~c!\:ened, bearing two scalps and other trophies, and dnv1ng one hundred and thirty-two fine horses before us. The whole village resounded with the shouts with which our brethren and kindred welcomed us. I was * Formerly one of the greatest places for beaver in North America and well known to the mountaineers. ' .. JAMES P. BECKWOURTH. 161 hailed bravest of the brave, and my promotion appeared certain. My father and all his family rose great~y in popular favor. The Antelope's distinguished skill and bravery were reflected in lucent rays upon their names. "Great is the Antelope," was chanted on all sides, ''the lost son of Big Bowl; their medicine is good and prosperous." There is one trait in Indian character which civilized society would derive much profit by im~tating. Envy is a quality unknown to the savages. When a warrior has performed any deed of daring, his merit is freely accorded by all his associate braves; his deeds are extolled in every public and private reunion, and his name is an incentive to generous emulation. I never witnessed any envious attempt to derogate from the merit of a brave's achievement. No damning with faint praise ; none " Willing to wound and yet afraid to strike ; " no faltering innuendoes that the man has not accomplished so much, after all. The same way with the women. When a woman's husband has distinguished himself, her neighbors, one and all, take a pride in rejoicing with her over her happiness. If a woman displays more ingenuity than common in ornamenting her husband's war-dress, or in adding any fancy work to her own habiliments, she at once becomes the pattern of the neighborhood. You see no flaws picked in her character because of her rising · to note ; no aspersions cast upon her birth or present standing. Suchand such is her merit, and it is deserving of our praise; the fact perceived, it receives full acknowledgment. This leads to the natural conclusion that civilization, in introducing the ostentation of display which is too |
