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Show 358 .AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF . fort, he sent a messenger to our village to offer some of his warriors to assist us in retrieving our reverse. But before the arrival of the messenger we had been and returned, and were all in the height of rejoicing. He hastened back to his village to impart the glad 'tidings, in order that they might rejoice with us. We then engaged in trapping beaver and hunting buffalo for the next three weeks, during which time we suffered no molestation fr01n any of our enemies. CHAPTER XXVI. Deputation from the As-ne-boines.-Characteristic Speech of Yellow Belly.-Visit to the Fort.-Visit to Fort Union.-Rescue of Five White Men from Starvation.-Arrival at Fort Cass.-Departure for the Village.-Visit of the Snakes to the Crows. WE received another deputation from the As-neboines to sue for a renewal of peace. We had lost a wanior and two women, who had been massacred when away from the village, and on discovery of the bodies we followed the trail of the perpetrators in the direction of the Black Foot country. We eventually discovered that many petty outrages, which we had charged upon the Black Feet, were in reality committed by the treacherous As-ne-boines. On their return from their thievish inroads they were in the habit of proceeding very near to a Black Foot village, with which they were at peace, and then, turning obliquely, would cross the Missouri into their own country. Becoming acquainted with this oft-repeated ruse, we determined to chastise them. I accordingly crossed the Missouri with a force of eight hundred and fifty men, and invaded their territory with the determination to inflict upon them such a chastisement as should recall JAMES P. BECKWOURTH. 359 them to a sense of decency. We encountered a small :Village, only numbering forty lodges, on their way to Fort Union, and within a few hundred yards of the fort. Seeing our approach, they intrenched themselves in a hollow, rendering our assault a work of danger. But we stormed their position, and killed twenty-six waniors (all of whom we scalped); the remainder we could not get at, as we found their position impregnable. Admonished by this chastisement, they sent another deputation to us to treat for the re-establishment of pe~ce. But their propositions were unfavorably recerved, and Yellow.Belly favored them with his sentiments in the following rather unpalatable and characteristic strain: "No , " sm· a h e, I·n answer to t he ir representations, " we rna1 \: e peace W.i t h you no more. You are dogs-you are women-slayers-you are unworthy of the confidence or notice of our people. You lie when you come and say that you want peace. You have crooked and forked tongues: they are subtle like the tongue ~f t~e s~rpent. Yo~u hearts are corrupt: they are offens! ve In our nostnls. We made peace with you before because we pitied you; we looked upon you with contempt, as not even worthy to be killed by the Sparr~ whawks. We did not wish for your scalps: they disgrace our others; we never mix them even with those of the Black Feet. When we are COJTipelled to t~ke them from you on account of your treachery, we g1ve them to our pack-dogs, and even they howl at them. Before, we gave you horses to carry you home, an.d guns to kill your buffalo; we gave you meat and dnnk; you ate, and drank, and smoked with us. After all this, you considered yourselves great braves in |