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Show 1!8 JOURNEY FROM OREGON, passing through that country. It stated that this Indian, who called himself VVhite lVlun, was a Chief of the Pawnees, and had pre. viously saved the lives of a small party from the United States, and returned them theit· property, which had been taken from them by a orne of the youi1g men of his tribe ; that he was a friend to the white people: and the writer desired those who might meet with him, to make him presents. This Chief also requested us, to go over with them to the village; telling us the same story which had been told by those who first came to us, that the t·e was a herd of Buffc1lo below, and that he did not wish us to firighten them away, since he intended to sur· round them on the following day. From the charactet· which the papAL' of the Agent gave the ChiE-f, and from his venerable and friendly appearaP.ce, we -were now almost persuaded to believe their story about the Buffalo. vVe hesitated fot· a moment, t1nd some spoke in favor of going with them to their village. We had nevet· seen Indians makin~ "a surround," and our anxiety urged us strongly. vVe thought how grand a sc.ene it would be. to see fifteen hundred Pawnees, armed and mounted, after having formed in a circle around a large herd of Buffalo, close in upon them, with whooping, yelling, and firing; nnd then to see them, after the affrighted herd h!ld sea ttered, cover the plains afar, with the confused, tumultuous, and excited chase; the whirling clouds of dust; the huge animals that had fallen, lay· ing about on every side ; the wild uproar, and the reckless eager· ness CJf the half naked pursuers. Some thought less of look· ing on, but imagined how glorious it would be, all mounted, armed and flying over the level plain, to mingle in the tumult, pull down the mighty game, and be an Indian for an hour. Had not our homes and friends rose up against this curiosity, and urged us to pro· ceed, we would have gone with the Pawnees to their village, been disappointed in seeing the anticipated sport, and probably, after having been stripped of every thing we had, would have been insul· ted and abused. Our desire to hasten on prevailed, and we replied in the same manner as before; told them that we had far to CYO and did not wish ~ ' to delay; a.nd further, that if he was unwilling to trust us, he might send some of his people along, until we had passed the Buffa· lo, to see that we did not disturb them. He finally consented to this, and we now considered that we were safe. We smoked with the Chief, as a mutual pledge of friendship, made him such presents • ' . WITH 50.i.\!E OF lTS INCID'EN'l'B. 129 as our situation and <;it·cumstanccs would afford, and depttrted, accompanied hy twenty-two of his men. Having gone about ten mil'es, we hi~:lted, and unlou1ded our animals, that they might eat and rest, a.;; we had been traveli·ng nt a rapid rate, fi·cnn eady in the rnarning until now, which was about the middle of the afternoon. We expected to part with the Indians here, and therefore· opencoed out· bales and offered th-em something to eat, which they refused to accept, saying they had plenty in their c·amp. And as sQon as our bales wct·e opened, and our baggage scatte:red, they began taking whrutevet· they could lay their hands on. We saw now that they intended to rob us, and knowing that it would not do to yield tu them in the least, we regair:f1d what they had taken, .with as little force us possible. They feared us, and. yielded; but th-reat· ened, saying that they would take away every thing we had. vVe showed them out· guns in reply. Hastily l'eloading our animals.with out· arms in our hands, we mounted, pointed them to the backwal ·d track, and took the other oursel-ves. There was an ojd Indian who foHowed us a short distance, and ei• thcr from fr ienJship, or a desire to leat·n what course we intended to pursue, told us, with a great pt·etension of l'egard for our safety, that "it was good fo1· us not to s l ~ep, " b ut to contl.· nue travel .m g,' ' af·. ter the sun had gone down:'' that some of their young m~n ''had bad hearts," ant.l were "'very angry;" and· that they would follow and attack us in the night. vVc expressed OLll' thanks fO'r his kind-· ness withou~ intimatin(r out· intentions, and left him. ' . b We had not seen a single Bufiulo, nor did we afterwards; a·nd· we thou<:rht that this was only a scheme they had laid, to get us· b into the village, wt1ere th ey might strip us more effectually. and· without our knowing who tlid it; and that finding we would not go willingly, they consented to OLH proposal, thinking that three times our number, would be sufficient to accomplish their object. They probably considered, in addithm· to this, that by _t.h_e. rnet,hod which they adopted, the tribe would avoid the responsibthty of the act.· As the greater portion of those who came to us, had gone f~·~ny professing friendship·, they would, with some deg. re~ of p:obabthty, have deen able· to· wsset•t th-eil' ignorance, of auy tntentwn·on thepart of those who went with us, to commit a _robbe.ry. It was our opinion, that they did not wish to take our ltves, l!f they cuu-Id ob.tain our property without; and e~pecially if they could d~ ~o by means, in which the tribe would not seem, gencrillly, to prutlcip~te .. 17 |