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Show 308 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF in truth, though young, her judgment on all important matters was generally guided by sound sense. Every eye in the assembly flashed fire at the intel .. ligence of this contemplated treachery, and was directed first upon me and then upon the As-ne-boines. I immediately arose and said, "Warriors! I conducted these people to our village because they said they were anxious to make peace with us. While on the road, one young As-neboine, whom they declared to be a fool, attempted to shoot me, but the others interfered to prevent him, and were sorry for what he had done. This was no deliberate treachery; it was the folly of the young man, and the party showed their friendly intention by their prompt interference. Do not allow this to make any difficulty in the way of a peace with the As-ne-boines." My obligation to the Fur Company made it my duty to smooth the matter over, for at this moment the slightest whisper from me would have sufficed to hack the whole deputation to pieces in a moment. The council held a short consultation together, and the first councilor arose and thus addressed himself to the chief of the As-ne-boines: "As-ne-boines! you behold that chief (pointing to me)?. Our w~men and all our warriors carry him here (holdmg out his left hand, and indicating the palm with a finger of his right hand); he is our chief· he is our great_ chief; he and his brother (Long Hai;), who sits by him, are the two gre~t chiefs of our nation. It is he who. has made us great and powerful; it is he who has rendered us the terror of other nations ; it is he who, by living with his white friends for many winters, an~ _knowing them all, has brought us guns and ammun1t10n, and taught our young men how to use • JAMES P. BECKWOURTH. 309 them. It is he who has built us a fort, where we can at all times go .and buy every thing we require. He loves the white man, and has made all the whites to love us. We fight for the whites, and kill their enemies, because they are the friends of our chief. If you had killed him, our nation would have mourned in blood. "Listen, As-ne-boines! If you had killed our chief, our whole nation would have made war on you, and we would have put out your last fire, and have killed the last man of your nation. We would have taken possession of your hunting-grounds; our women would have become warriors against you; we would have hunted you as we hunt the wild beasts. Now go ! we will not harm you. Go ! We will sleep to-night ; but we will not make peace until we sleep, and our hearts have considered upon it. Come to us again when your hearts are clean : they are foul now; and when you come, you must have your tongues straight. You are poor; you have no horses. We have plenty, and will give you horses. I have done. Go!" They made no reply, but went straightway out of the lodge. A horse was furnished to each man; those who were without guns received one, and several articles were presented to them by our women. " Go ! go ! go ! " was dinned in their ears from all present ; and, accordingly, they went. They proceeded immediately to the trading-post, where they gave a stirring narrative of what they had seen. They told them they had seen many chiefs, but never one approaching to the great Crow chief; that all his people loved him; that when he entered the village, all the children ran up to him, and shook him by the hand ; and that they had never seen a chief so much respected by his warriors and all his people. , |