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Show a7o AlJ'fOBlOGRAPHY OP CHAPTER XXVII. Departure for St. Louis.-Visit Fort Union.-Fort Clarke.-Descend to the A-rick-a-ra Country.-Am taken Prisoner.-Extraordinary Means of Release.-Reach St. Louis.-Scarcely recognized by my Sisters.-Changes.-Estrangement of Friends.-Sigh for my Indian Horne. THE Sparrowhawk nation was all assembled at the fort, to take leave of the Medicine Calf for several1noons. The boats had arrived filled with a fresh stock of goods, and the nation made purchases to the amount of many thousands of dollars. The boats being now ready to return again, I made a short address to my people before I bade them adieu. " Sparrow hawks ! " I said, "I am going to leave you for a few moons, to visit my friends among the white men. I shall return to you by Green Grass, when the boats come back from the country of the whites. While I an1 away, I desire you to remember the counsel I have often given you. I wish you to send out no warparties, because you want for nothing, and your nation is feared by all the neigh boring tribes. Keep a good look-out over your horses, so as to afford the enemy no opportunity of stealing them. It is through carelessness in the horse-guards that one half the horses are lost, and it is the loss of horses that leads to half the battles that you fight. It is better not to have your horses stolen in the first place, than to steal more in the place of those you have lost. "I also commend Mr. Tulleck to your care, as well as all the inmates of the fort. Visit them often, and JAMES P. DECKWOURTH. 377 see that they are not besieged or starved out by their enemies. Do not let the Black Feet or any other bad Indians harm them. Behave yourselves as becomes n1y faithful Crows. Adieu!" They all promised obedience to my instructions, and I was soon on board. The boats were cast loose, and we were borne rapidly down stream by the swift current of the Yellow Stone. We called at Fort Union, and I staid there three days. Here I had a fine canoe built, and two oarsmen furnished me to carry me to St. Louis. I was bearer of a large package of letters; and when my little craft was finished, I stepped on board and launched out upon the swift-rolling current of the Missouri. After the brilliant opportunities I had had of realizing a princely fortune, my only wealth consisted of an order upon the company for seven thousand eight hundred dollars. Arriving at Fort Clarke, we made another short stay. The A-rick-a-ras, whose country was some hundred and fifty miles farther down, had just stolen nearly all the horses belonging to the fort. Bellemaire, the interpreter of the fort, proposed to me to go after them, and see if we could recover some of the horses. I consented, and we went down to their village in my canoe, and on our arrival there found them all dancing. Antoine Garro, with two relatives, were in the number. On seeing our approach, one shouted, " Here come white men!" and Garro and his brother instantly sprang toward us and pushed us into a lodge, where we were apparently prisoners. A council was summoned to decide upon our fate, and I had but slight hopes of ever seeing St. Louis. A young Indian came at that moment, and mentioned in a whisper to Peter that there was a large boat approaching. He made a long ha- ' • |
