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Show • 280 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF until the deed was consummated. Every man would have been killed, and no one but the conspirators have known their fate. To be sure, I was in the service of the American Fur Company, and Fitzpatrick was trading upon his own account; but that could afford no motive to conspire his death. I had not the faintest objection to his selling every thing he had to the Crows. But they had nothing to buy with; they had disposed of all their exchangeable commodities but a short time sine~ at t~w fort.. Fu~·ther, I was personally acquainted w1th F1tzpatnck, with whom I never had an ill word· and ~orne ?f his p~rty ~tood high in my regard. Dr~ Harnson, If only for his noble father's sake, I would have defended at the risk of iny own life. They were all bound to me with the ties of hospitality, and I have yet to hear of any action committed by me that would warr~nt the assumption of such deep perfidy. I have been Informed that Captain Stuart offered one thousand dollars to a certain individual to take my life. I can ha_rdly think the charge is true, for the individual thus ~a1d ~o be bribed has had many opportunities of earnmg his reward, and still I am alive. ~fter the. goods were secured and the horses brought ~p, It was discovered that Captain Stuart's horse a fine I~on-gray, .was missing. It was traced to the ;ossesswn of H1gh Bull, a very bad Indian, and I was informed that he had declared he would kill the first man t~at should co_me after him. Stuart valued his horse highly, as well he might, for he was a nobie animal· he w· a1s, ht herefore, very anxious to obtain h"I m. F"I tz -' patn·c r ha d acq. uainted Stuart that I was th e on I y per-son In t e nation that could procure the horse's t" t t . res 1- u lOll. Accordingly, he visited me, and said, ".Mr. Beck- • JAMES P. BECKWOURTH. wourth~' (he mistered me that time), "can you get my horse for me ?" I replied, "Captain Stuart, I am a poor man in the service of the American Fur Company, to seli their goods and receive the peltry of these Indians. The Indian who has your horse is my best customer; he has a great many relatives, and .a host of friends, whose trade I shall surely lose if I attempt to take the horse from him. Should the agent hear of it, I should be discharged at once, and, of course, lose my salary." "Well," said he, "if the company discharge you for that, I pledge you my word that I will give you six thousand dollars a year for ten years." · "Captain Stuart is a man of his word, and able to perfo!·m all he promises," said Fitzpatrick. "Well," replied I, "I will see what I can do." I then dispatched an Indian boy to High Bull with the message that I wanted the gray horse he had in his possession. The boy delivered his message, and the Indian retorted with a "Ugh!" which startled the boy almost out of his skin, and he came bounding back again, saying the Indian was mad. In a short time High Bull came riding his horse, and said, '' Medicine Calf, did you send for this horse ?" "I did." " Well, here he is." " Take him back," I said, " and keep him safe until I send for him." Stuart was wonder-stricken at this proceeding, as our discourse was unintelligible to him. ~'If I could get my hand on that horse's neck," he said, "the whole village should not get him away from me." I was annoyed at this braggadocio, and was glad the Indi<1 ns did not understand him . |
