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Show • 34 AU'rOBIOGRAPH Y O_ii, previous sufferings were obliterated fi·otn my mind. >: •. The trees were clothing themselves with freshest verdure, flowers were unveiling their beauties on every side, and birds were caroling their sweetest songs from every bough. These sights and sounds struck more pleasantly upon my senses than the howl of the wolf and the screan1 of the panther, vvhich assailed our ears in the forests and prairies of the wild West. After being joined by our general, we proceeded up the Missouri to Council Bluffs, and thence struck out for the Platte country. Soon after our arrival on the Platte we had the great misfortune to lose nearly all our horses, amounting to about two hundred head, stolen from us by the Indians. We followed their trail for son1e time, but, deeming it useless to follovv mounted Indians while we were on foot, our general gave up the pursuit. We could not ascertain what tribe the robbers belonged to, but I have since been convinced they were either the I-a-tans or the Arrapa- hos. Our general then gave orders to return to the Missouri and purchase all the horses we needed, while he returned to St. Louis to transact some affairs of business, and possibly pay his devotions to his very estimable lady. We succeeded in obtaining a supply of horses after :etracing about ~wo hundred miles of our journey, payIng ~or them With drafts upon General Ashley in St. Louis. We_ then again returned to our camp on the Platte. Tins adventure occupied nearly the whole s~mmer; and we guarded against a repetition of the ~1sfortune ?Y strictly watching the horses day and ~1ght. . While a portion of the co1npany were engaged 1n making purchase of our second supply of horses, the JAMES P. BECK"\VOURTH. 35 other portion re1nained on the ground to hunt and trap, and gather together a supply of provision for our con- " sumption. They met with excellent success, and caught a great number of beavers and otters, together with a quantity of game. General Ashley rejoined us in September, and by his orders Fitzpatrick and a Robert Campbell proceeded to the Loup fork, taking 'vith them all the n1en, except eight, 'vho remained behind with the general, to ascend the Platte in quest of the company he left there the preceding winter, from which Harris and myself had been detached on our expedition to the Pawnee camp. After several days' travel we found the company we were seeking. They were all well, had been successful in trapping, and had made some good trades with straggling parties of Indians in the exchange of goods for peltry. They had fared rather hard a part of the time, as game, which was their sole dependence,. was often difficult to obtain. I should here mention that we found Harris in the course of our second trip, who rejoined our co1npany, well and hearty. ::F'ur companies in those days had to depend upon their rifles for a supply of food. No company could possibly carry provisions sufficient to last beyond the most remote white settlements. Our food, therefore, consisted of deer, wild turkeys (which were founu in great abundance), bear-meat, and, even in times of scarcity, dead horses. Occasionally a little flour, sug ... ar, and coffee might last over to the mountains; but those who held these articles asked exorbitant prices for them, and it was but few who tasted such luxuries. We were now in the buffalo country, Lut the In~ |
