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Show 126 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF and well primed, so that if he had been discovered there would have been at least one red skin less to chase me. He had seen no Indians on his way to camp. I was satisfied that some (if not all) of my pursuers knew me, for they were Black Feet, or they would not have taken such extraordinary pains to run me down. If they had succeeded in their endeavor, they would, in subsequent years, have saved their tribe many scalps. From this encampment we moved on to Lewis's Fork, on the Columbia River, where we made a final halt to prepare for the fall trapping season. Some small parties, getting tired of inaction, would occasionally sally out to the small mountain streams, all of which contained plenty of beaver, and would frequently come in with several skins. I prepared my traps one day, thinking to go out alone, and see what my luck might be. I mounted my horse, and, on approaching a small stream, dismounted to take a careful survey, to see if there were any signs of beaver. Carefully ascending the bank of the stream, I peered over, and saw, not a beaver, but an Indian. He had his robe spread on the grass, and was engaged in freeing himself from vermin, with which all Indians abound. He had not seen nor heard me· his face was toward me, but inclined, and he was in~ tently pursuing his occupation. " Here," thought I, "are a gun, a bow, a quiver full of arrows, a good robe, and a .scalp." I fired my rifle; the Indian fell over without uttering. a sound. I not only took his scalp, but his head. I tied two locks of his long hair together, hung his head on the horn of my saddle, and, taking the spoils of the enemy, hurried back to camp. ' JAMES P. BECKWOURTH. 127 The next morning our camp was invested by two thot~sand fhr.e hundred warriors of the Black Foot tribe. · We had now something on our hands which demanded attention. We were encamped in the bend of a riverin the "horse-shoe." Our lodges were pitched at the entrance, or narrowest part of the shoe, while our animals were driven back into the bend. The lodges, four deep, extended nearly across the land, forming a kind of barricade in front ; not a very safe one for the inmates, since, being covered with buffalo hides, they ·were penetrable to bullet and arrow. The Indians made a furious charge. We immediately placed the women and children in the rear, sending them down the bend, where they were safe unless we were defeated. We suffered the Indians for a long time to act on .the offensive, being content with defending ourselves and the camp. I ad- - vised Captain Sublet to let them weary themselves with charging, by which time we would mount and charge them with greater prospect of victory; whereas, should we tire ourselves w bile they were fresh, we should be overwhelmed by their numbers, and, if not defeated, inevitably lose a great many men. • All the mountaineers approved of my advice, and our plans were taken accordingly. They drove us from our first position twice, so that our lodges were between the contending ranks, but they never broke our lines. When they approached us very near we resorted to our anows, which all our half-breeds used as skillfully as the Indians. Finally, perceiving they began to tire, I went and ordered the women to saddle the horses in haste. A horse was soon ready for each man, four hundred in number. Taking one hundred and thirty men, I passed out through the timber, keep- |
