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Show 200 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF cred, can we reconcile ourselves to it? Why don't we leave them?" The medicine men held a council, and resolved to remove the village; the Great Spirit was displeased with the spot, and had therefore suffered all our warrim ·s to be killed. We accordingly pulled up stakes and moved a short distance farther. While we were busy moving, my little squaw angered me, and I drove her away. She not daring to disobey me, I saw no more of her until she supposed my anger was appeased. She then came to the lodge while I was conversing with my brothers,. and, putting her childish head into the door, said humbly, "I know you are angry with me, but I want you to come and stay at our lodge to-night; we are outside the village, and my father and mother are afraid." "Yes," said my brother, " she has no ears now; she is but a child; she will have ears when she grows older ; you had better go and protect the old people." I told her to run home, and I would soon follow. I went to the lodge accordingly. In the night I heard the snorting of horses, which were tied near the lodge door. I crept softly out and looked carefully around. I then crawled, without the least noise, out of the lodge, and caught sight of an Indian, who I knew was there for no good purpose. He was using the utmost precaution ; he had a sharp-pointed stick, with which he raised the leaves that lay in his way,. so that his feet might not crush them, and thus alarm the inmates of the lodge. Every step brought him nearer to the animals, who, with necks curved and ears erect,. gave an occasional snort at the approach of the Indian. This would bring him to a halt. Then again he would bring his ?tick into action, and prepare a place for an- JAMES P. BECKWOURTH. 201 other step, not mistrusting that he was approaching the threshold of death. The ropes were tied close to the lodge door, and to untie them he must approach within six feet of where I lay on the ground. I let him advance as near as I thought safe, when, with one bound, I grappled him, and gave the war-hoop. He was the hardest to hold that ever I had my arms around, but I had both his arms pinned in my embrace round his lithe and nimble body, and he could not release one so as to draw his knife. Instantly we were surrounded with fifty armed warriors; and when I saw a sufficient breastwork round about, I released my hold and stepped back. He was riddled with bullets in an instant, and fell without a cry. His scalp sufficed to wash off the mourning-paint from every face in the village, and all was turned into mirth, although this general change in feeling did not restore the di$membered fingers or heal their voluntary wounds. Greater than ever was the Enemy of Horses, and I received a still more ennobling appellation, Shaslea- o-!tush-a, the Bobtail Horse. The village exhausted itself in showing its admiration of my exploit ; and my single scalp was greeted with as much honor as if I had slaughtered a hundred of the enemy. CHAPTER XV. Short Account of Pine Leaf, the Crow Heroine.-Twenty Days' Battle with the Cheyennes.-Retum of the Village to the west Side of the Mountains.-Letter from M'Kenzie.-Visit to his Trading-post at the Mouth of the Yellow Stone. · IN connection with my Indian experience, I conceive it to be my duty to devote a few lines to one of the I 2 # |
