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Show - 232 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OJ"' in with our battle-axes to complete the work. We took their scalps, and were soon on the retreat, bearing away all the meat we needed, besides nineteen horses, and the slain warriors' equipments. We returned to the village, and washed off the mourning-paint, making the whole village ring with our dancing and rejoicing. The additional name of Ar-ra-e-dish (the Bloody Arm) was conferred upon me. Tl1e old chief came in three days subsequently, bringing fourteen scalps and equipments, without having lost a single man. l\1any of my readers will doubtless wonder how a man who had been reared in civilized life could ever participate in such scenes of carnage and rapine. I have already related that I was brought up where similar outrages were committed upon the defenseless inhabitants of the new settlements. Impressed with the recollection of these early scenes, I hardly ever struck down an Indian but my mind reverted to the mangled bodies of my childish play-fellows, which I discovered on my way to the mill, barbarously murdered by the savages. In after years I have experienced the natural ferocity of the savage, who thirsts for the blood of the white man for no other purpose than to gratify the vindictive spirit that animates him. I have seen the paths of the trappers dyed with their blood, drawn from their hearts by the ambushed savage, who never knew mercy, but remorsely butchered all who came in his way. Such is Indian nature. When I fought with the Crow n~tion, I fought in their behalf against the most relentless enemies of the white man. If I chose to become an Indian while living among them, i~ concerned no person but myself; and by doing so,. I saved more life and property for the white man than JAMES P. BECKWOURTH. 233 a whole regiment of United States i·egulars could have done in the same time. Before I close this narrative, I shall take the liberty to express my opinions, and afford those having control of the War Department some counsel about the cheapest, most expeditious, and most c~rtain method of quelling their Indian troubles, on winch th~ news-; papers are harping so much. I know that With. five hundred men of my selection I could exterminate any Indian tribe in North America in a v~ry few months. But so long as our government continues to enlist the <;>ffscouring of European cities into our army, and intrusts the command to inexperienced officers fresh from West Point, just so long will they afford food for the Indians in and about the Rocky 1\fount. ains. Encumbered as our army is with baggage-wagons and artillery, an Indian chief can Inove his whole community farther in one day than our soldiers can follow them in three. When our victorious celebration was over, I started on a small trading expedition to the Snake Indians. I had received an invitation from their chief to trade among them, and I selected eight warriors to accompany me. On arriving at their village, I found that the Utahs had joined them, and a great number of them were thronging the village. Knowing that the Utahs and Crows were deadly enemies, I sedulously watched their movements, and very speedily felt distrust for the safety of,myself and party, as the whole camp savored strongly of treachery. I mustered my little party around me, and found them without guns. On inquiring the cause, they informed me they had traded them away for horses. I suppose my loo~s expressed my disapprobation. Mistaking me, they |
