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Show 090 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF have been Mrs. Ashley at this moment. But you look sickly, James; what is the matter?" I replied, "I had been confined to my bed since my arrival in St. Louis." We had a long conversation about the mountains and my residence with the Crow nation. I was very hospitably entertained by my former commander and his amiable lady, and when I left, the promise was extorted from me to make repeated calls upon them so long as I remained in the city. About the latter end of J.Vlarch a courier arrived from Fort Cass, bringing tidings of a most alarming character. l-Ie had come alone through all that vast extent of Indian territory without being molested. It seemed as though a special providence had shielded him. He found me in the theatre, and gave me a hasty rehearsal of the business. It seems that a party of trappers, who had heard of my departure for St. Louis, having fallen in with a number of Crows, had practiced upon them in regard to me. " Your great chief is gone to the white nation," said the trapper spokesman. "Yes, he has -gone to see his friend, .the great white chief." ''And you will never see him again ... " " Yes, he will come back in the season of green grass." " No, the great white chief has killed him." " Killed him ! " "Yes." "What had he done that he should kill him ?" "He was angry because he left the whites and came to live with the Indians-because he fought for them." It is the gTeatest wonder in the world that every one , JAMES P. BECKWOURTH. 391 of the trapper party did not los-e their scalps on the spot. If the Indians had had any prominent leader among them, they infallibly would have been all killed, and.have paid the penalty of their mischievous lying. Unfortunately for the Crows, they believe all the words of a white man, thinking that his ton()'ue is always straight. These trappers, by their idle invention, had je. opardized the lives of all the white men in the mount-ams. The Indians said no more, but dashed off to the village, and carried the news of my death. "How do you know that he is dead?" they inquired. " ~ecause the whites told us so, and their tongues are not forked. The great white chief was an()'ry because he staid with our people, and he killed hi~." A council was immediately held to decide upon measures of vengeance. It was determined to proceed to the fort and kill every white man there, and divide all the goods, guns, and ammunition among themselves; then to send out parties in every direction, and make a general massacre of every white man. Innumerable fingers were cut off, and hair without measure, in mourning for me; a costly sacrifice was then made to the Great Spirit, and the nation next set about carrying out their plans of vengeance. The villa?e moved toward the fort. Many were opposed to bemg too hasty, but all a()'reed that their dec~ sions should be acted upon. Tl~e night before the VIllage reached the fort, four women ran on in advance of the village to acquaint Mr. Tullecl~ of the sanO'uin- • . b ary Intenh_on of the Crows. Every precaution was taken to Withstand them-every gun was loaded. The village arrived, and, contrary to all precedent, the gates of the fort were closed. |