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Show 68 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF tations with another of the general's old detachments. They also had taken us for Indians, and had gathered in their horses while we took up our position for defense. The night was 'spent in general rejoicing, in relating our adventures, and recounting our various successes and reverses. There is as much heartfelt joy experienced in falling in with a party of fellow-trappers in the mountains as is felt at sea when, after a long voyage, a friendly vessel just from port is spoken and boarded. In both cases a thousand questions are asked; all have wives, sweethearts, or friends to inquire after, and then the general news from the States is taken up and discussed. The party we had fallen in with consisted of sixteen men. They had been two years out ; had left Fort Yell?w Sto?e only a short time previously, and were provided WIth every necessary for a long excursion. They had not seen the general, and did not know he was in the mountains. They had lost some. of their men, who had fallen victims to the Indians but in trapping had been generally successful. O~r little par:y al~o h_ad ~one e_xtremely well, and we felt great satisfac~wn In ~1splay1ng to them seven or eight packets of sixty sk1ns each. We related to them the murder_ of Le Brache? and every trapper boiled with indignatw~ at the recital. All wanted instantly to start in pursu~t, and revenge upon the Indians the perpetration of thmr. treachery; but there was no probability of · overtaking them, and they suffered their anger to cool down. The second. day after our meeting, I proposed that the most ~xpenenced mountaineers of their party should return With Baptiste and myself to perform the burial J AME:S P. BECKWOURTH. 69 rites of our friend. I proposed three tnen, with ourselves, as sufficient for the sixteen Indians, in case we should fall in with them, and they would certainly be enough for the errand if we met no one. My former comrades were too tired to return. We started, and arrived at our unfortunate camp, but the body of our late friend was not to be found, though we discovered some of his long black hair clotted with blood. On raising the traps which we had set before our precipitate departure, we found a beaver in every one except four, which contained each a leg, the beavers having amputated them with their teeth. We then returned to our companions, and moved on to Willow Creek, where we were-handy to the caches of our rendezvous at the'' Suck." It was now about June lst, 1822. Here we spent our time very pleasantly, occupying ourselves with hunting, fishing, target-shooting, footracing, gymnastic, and sundry other exercises. The other detachments now came in, bringing with them quantities of peltry, all having met with very great success. |