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Show 234 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF said there was yet one fine horse left, which I could have at the price of my gun. I had finished my traffic, and had disposed of every thing except my gun, when the Snakes came to me and offered to trade for that. I said, "No ; I never sell my gun, except when at home and among my own people." The Snakes then told us to go, that things were bad in their camp. We sprang upon our horses, and struck out at full speed; but we soon discovered a large party of Indians were in close pursuit. We then found they had not sold us their fastest horses, as they gained on some of my party, and shot and scalped them without our ability to defend them. I succeeded in reaching the mountain with two of my men, having lost six noble young warriors in my flight. I knew there would be terrible mourning and loss of. fingers, until I could teach the Snakes a lesson which would serve them to remem~er for a long time. After devoting a short space to bewailing my misfortune, I requested a council to be called, and never did I enlarge with such wrathful vehemence as I then fulminated against the Snakes, holding them up to the ~bhorrence of the fathers for their treachery in decoymg our unsuspecting warriors into their camp, and then letting loose a pack of murderous savages at our heels, after we had, through their complicity, parted with our only means of defense. I demanded five hundred warriors ~o go and wipe o~t the stain, and inflict summary chastisement on the village for their duplicity. My. argument was listened to with the profoundest attentiOn, and all I proposed was readily acceaed to. "Let the Red Arm have all that he asks," was the m~animous voice of the assembly. My warriors rallied around me almost at a moment's • JAMES P. BECKWOURTH. 235 notice, and we mounted our horses and sped in the direction of the Snake country, on Green River. On the eighth day our scouts came in and reported that they had found a large number of the Snakes, scattered in small parties, who were engaged in killing buffalo. We held on until we came in sight of them. I distributed my warriors as the occasion suggested, ordenng them to attack the various small camps, while I, with my party, should attack their main body. They were overthrown and dispersed by my brave warriors, with severe loss. We took over one hundred scalps, and a great quantity of guns and other warlike implements. We had sixteen men wounded, including mys: lf (I received two slight wounds from arrows), but none of them dangerously. This blow brought the Snakes to their senses, and they immediately sent a deputation to our village to sue for peace. A circumstance happened on the evening preceding our attack which caused me the deepest regret. While the spies were reconnoitring, they perceived two Indians, as they supposed, leave the enemy's camp, and proceed down the canon. This. circumstance they reported to me. I ordered them to return, and kill them if they could find them. They went in pursuit of the two stragglers, and when they came in sig~1t of them they had their robes over their heads, and were kneeling down over a fire. They fired, and one of the two fell mortally wounded; the other sprang out of his robe, when, to their surprise, they saw he was a white man. They, however, took him prisoner, and brought him to my camp. I was absent at their return; but on the following morning I remarked a very dejected look on their countenances, and I asked them what was the matter. |
