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Show 440 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF " You are not going to the village of the Outlaws, Beckwourth?" '' Yes," I replied, '' I am." "Don't you know that they kill -whites there?" "Yes, I know that they have killed them." " Well, I object to your going." "Captain Sublet," I said, "I have promised the Indian that I will go, and go I must. There has been no trader there for a long time, and they are a rich prize." He saw that I was resolved, and, having given me the control of affairs, he withdrew his objection and said no more. I accordingly prepared for the journey. Ordering the horses, I packed up my goods, together with twenty gallons of whisky, and issued forth on the way to uncertain destruction, and bearing with me the means of destruction certain. The Indian conducted me to the chief's lodge. I dismounted, my two men following my example. The chief came to us, and passed the usual compliments. He desired me to take off my packs, at which request I immediately r-emounted my horse. "What is the matter?" inquired the chief. "When I send for my friends to come and see me," I said, " I never ask them to unpack their horses or to guard them, but I have it done for them." " You are right, my friend," said he; "it shall be done. . Get off your. horse, and come into my lodge." I dismounted agam, and was about to follow him. My men, who did not understand our conversation, arrested my path to inquire what was in the wind. I bade them keep quiet, as all was amicable, and then entered the lodge. We held a long conversation to- JAMES P. BECKWOURTH. 441 gether, during which the chief made many inquiries of a similar nature to those addressed me at the first village. In recounting our achievements, I found that I had stolen his horses, and that he had made reprisals upon the Crows, so that we were about even in the horse trade. At length he wished me to broach the whisky. "No," said I, " ·my friend, I will not open the whisky until you send for your women to come with their robes, and they have bought what goods they want first. They work hard, and dress all your robes; they deserve to trade first. They wish to buy many fine things to wear, so that your warriors may love them. When they have traded all they wish, then I will open my whisky, and the men can get drunk. But if the men get drunk first, your women will be afraid of them, and they will take all the robes, and the .H,.omen will get nothing." "Your words are true, my friend," said the chief; "our women shall trade before the men get drunk; they dress all our robes: it shall be according to your words." Accordingly, he sent for all the women who had robes and wished to sell, to come and trade with the Crow. They were not long in obeying the summons. Forward they came, some with one robe and some with two. Two was the most that any of them had, as the 1nen had reserved the most to purchase whisky. The trading was expeditiously effected; we did not have to take down and open all our goods, and then sell a skein of thread, and be informed by our customer that she would look elsewhere first, and perhaps call aO'ain, which is the practice of many young ladies, especially where there is an attractive shopman. We could hardly hand out things fast enough. T2 |