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Show 318 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF the Great Spirit showered visibly upon them, and they looked to me, in quality of medicine chief, to interpret the wonder. I was as much struck with the prodigious occurrence, and was equally at a loss with my untutored followers to account for the spectacle. Evidently I must augur some result therefrom, and my dejected spirits did not prompt me to deduce a very encouraging one. I thought of all the impostures that are practiced upon the credulous, and my imagination suggested some brilliant figures to my mind. I thought of declaring to them that the Great Spirit was pleased with our expedition, and was lighting us on our way with spirit lamps ; or that these meteors were the spirits of our departed braves, coming to assist us in our forthcoming fight. But I was not sanguine enough to indulge in any attractive oratory. I merely informed them I had not time to consult my medicine, but that on our return to the village I would interpret the miracle to them in full. On our arrival, I found the pe<?ple's minds still agitated with the prodigy. All were speaking of it in wonder and amazen1ent, and my opinion was demanded respecting the consequences it portended. Admonished by .my defeat, I had no trouble in reading the stars. I Informed them that our people had evidently offended the Great Spirit; that it was because of his wrath I had suffered defeat in my excursion, and re .. turned with the loss of twenty-three warriors. I thence inferred that a sa·crifice must be made to appease the wrath of the Great Spirit, and recommended that a solemn assembly be convened, and a national oblation offered up. I was fully confident that by thus countenancing such pagan superstitions I was doing very wrong, but, , JAMES P. BECKWOURTH. 319 like many a more prominent statesman in civilized O'Overnments, I had found that I must go with the cur-ore nt, and I recommended a measure, not b ecause . 1t was of a nature to benefit the country, but simply because it was popular with the mass. The camp in which we then were was a mourning-camp, in which medicine would have no effect. Therefore we moved to Sulphur River, ten miles distant, in order to offer up our sacrifice. All the leading men and braves assembled, and I was consulted as to the kind of offering proper to make for the purpose of averting the wrath that was consuming us. I ordered them to bring the great medicine kettle, which was of brass, and capable of holding ten gallons, and was purchased at a cost of twenty fine robes, and to polish it as bright as the sun's face. This done, I ordered them to throw in all their most costly and most highlyprized trinkets, and whatsoever they cherished the most dearly. · It was soon filled with their choicest treasures. Keepsakes, fancy work on which months of incessant and patient toil had been expended, trinkets, jewels, rings so highly prized by them that the costliest gems of emperors seemed poor by their sideall these were thrown into the kettle, along with a bountiful contribution of fingers, until it would hold no more. I then had weights attached to it, and had it carried to an air-hole in the ice where the river was very deep, and there it was sunk with becoming ceremony. Three young maidens, habited like May queens, carried the burden. This great sacrifice completed, the minds of the peo, ple were reli~ved, and the result of the next war-party was anxiously looked forward to to see if our oblation was accepted. Their crying, however, continued una- , • |
