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Show 184 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF proposed, in order to cement a final peace between the two warriors, that each should select fron1 his own party a certain number of men, and go and wage common war against son1e enemy-the question of bravery to be decided by the number of scalps brought in on each side. Red Eyes accordingly chose from his party eighteen of the best men, himself making the nineteenth-men who would suffer death rather than show their backs to the enemy. A-re-she-res, with his accustomed fanfaronade, said, "I can beat that party with less men; I will only take sixteen men, and bring in more scalps than they." He came to me and said, "Enemy of Horses, I want you to go with me and die with me. It is of no use for you to stay with this people; they are not brave any longer. Come with me, and we will enter the spirit land together, where the inhabitants are all brave. There is better hunting ground in the country of the Great Spirit. Corne ! " I replied I would rather not go on such an errand. I ~1ave women to live for, and defend against the enemies of the Crows; that when I fought I vvished to destroy the enemy and preserve my own life. "That," said I, '' is bra very and prudence combined." . " Ah ! " answered he, " you a leader of the Dog Soldiers, and refuse to go ! There are prettier. women in the land o~ the Great Spirit than any of your squaws, and game In much gTeater abundance. I care nothing about my life: I am ready to go to the land of the Great Spirit. You must go with me; perhaps your medicine will save not only yourself, but all of us. If so, it will be so much the better." I, not wishing to be thought cowardly, especially by JAMES P. BECKWOURTH. 185 A-re-she-res, at length consented to accompany him, on the condition that he would stifle all harsh feeling against our brethren, and, let our expedition result as it would, accept the decision in good faith, and never refer to the past. ''It is well," he said; ''let it be as your words speak." The two parties started on different routes to the Cheyenne country. I regarded it as a foolhardy enterprise, but if it resulted in the establishment of peace, I was contented to take part in it, at whatever personal sacrifice. We used every precaution against a surprise, and A-re-she-res willingly adapted his movements to my counsel; for, though he was as brave as a lion, and fought with the utmost desperation, he was very inconsiderate of consequences, and had no power of calculating present combinations to come at a desired result. After traveling about twenty days, we arrived at a considerable elevation, from whence we could see, at some distance on the prairie, about thirty of the enemy engaged in ki~ling bua:alo. W_e could also see their village at a distance of three miles. "There is an opportunity," said A-re-she-res; "now let us charge these Indians in the open prairie." " N 0 , no," I replied ; "there are too many of them; the Cheyennes are brave warriors; _if you :Vish to carry horne their scalps, we must get Into theu path and waylay them ; by that means we sh~ll kill many of them and run less risk of our own h ves. We shall gain ~ore h~nor by preserving the lives of our warriors, and taking back the scalps of the. enern~, than by sacrificing our lives in a rash and Inconsiderate charge." |
