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Show 360 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF scalping two of our women. Our w~me~ would rub out your nation and put out all your fires If we should let them loose at you. Come and steal our horses when you think best, and get caught at it if you want to feel the weight of our tomahawks. Go! we will not rna I\ :e peace WI• th you ; go .I " After this very cordial reception, we had no more intercourse with the As-ne-boines for some time. Shortly after the departure of this delegation, we set out for the fort to trade away our peltry, which amounted to a considerable number of packs. On arriving there, I found a letter from a Mr. Halsey, who then had charge of Fort Union, the head-quarters of the American Fur Company. The letter was couched in rather strong terms, and was evidently written when he was under the influence of temper. The company had their trading-posts among every tribe with which the Crows were at war, and for many months past there had been a great falling off in trade. The Indians had brought in but little peltry, and the universal complaint among all was that it took all their time to defend themselves against the Crows. The Crows had killed scores of their warriors ; the Crows had stolen all their horses ; the Crows had captured their women and children; the Crows had kept them mourning and crying; their trappers dare not go out to trap for fear of the Crows; their hunters dare not, and could not, kill buffalo for fear of the. Crows; . in short, by this letter it appeared that the poor Crows were the constant terror of all ~he surrounding tribes. l-Ie concluded his epistle, "For 's sake, do keep your d-d Indians at home, so that the other tribes may have a chance to work a little, and the company may drive a more profitable business." , JAMES P • .BECKWOUH.TH. 361 I knew perfectly well that these incessant wars were very prejudicial to the company's interest, but it was impossible for me to remedy the evil. Other tribes were continually attacking the Crows, killing their braves, and stealing their horses, and, of course, thr y were bound to make reprisals. In justice to the Cro1r~ I must say, that other tribes were generally the ag:gressors, until the policy was forced upon me of endeavoring to "conquer a peace." I thought, if I could n1ake the Crow nation a tenor to all their neighbor. , that their antagonists would be reduced to petition for peace, and then turn their battle-axes into beaver-traps, and their lances into hunting-knives. Our villages, having made their purchases, left the fort, but staid in the vicinity, engaged in trapping and making robes. The letter I had just received from Halsey requested my attendance on him that spring. I left my people, and went down the river to Fort Union. On arriving, I found a large body of the Asne- boines encamped near the fort. Their chiefs immediately came to me, wishing me to conclude peace with them as representative of the Crow nation. They attempted to palliate their late misdeeds by throwmg the blame on a few As-ne-boine desperadoes, who had acted without the authority or the cognizance of the national council, and that they had been severely punished by the tribe for their excesses. In answer, I told them that I had no authority to conclude peace ; that, even if I had, they would not o bserve a peace longer than one moon; that I thought the Crows would throw difficulties in the way of enter:_ · taining their propositions, but that they could apply to the council again, and learn how they were inclined. Mr. Halsey and all the sub-traders present intrr- Q |
