Part 22 (1/2)
At length, one of the scouts, who had made a wide sweep away to the head-waters of the Blackfoot River, discovered great herds quietly grazing in the adjacent meadows He set out on his return, to report his discoveries; but night overtaking him, he was kindly and hospitably entertained at the camp of Wyeth As soon as day dawned he hastened to his own caence; and about ten o'clock of the sa, Captain Bonneville's party were in the ame
The packs were scarcely off the backs of the mules, when the runners, mounted on the fleetest horses, were full tilt after the buffalo Others of thescaffolds, and other contrivances, for jerking or drying reat fires for the saan toin the choicest morsels of buffalo meat; these were placed upon the scaffolds, and the whole caht the next ain took the field, with similar success; and, after an interval of repose made their third and last chase, about twelve o'clock; for by this ti now driven into a valley, at soed to fix his ca to pay Captain Bonneville a visit He was accompanied by Captain Stewart, the amateur traveller; who had not yet sated his appetite for the adventurous life of the wilderness With him, also, was a Mr M'Kay, a half-breed; son of the unfortunate adventurer of the same name who came out in the first maritime expedition to Astoria and was blown up in the Tonquin His son had grown up in the employ of the British fur co partisan He held, moreover, a farm in the valley of the Wallamut
The three visitors, when they reached Captain Bonneville's camp, were surprised to find no one in it but hi dispersed in all directions, toThey re with so trifling a guard in a region so full of danger
Captain Bonneville vindicated the policy of his conduct He never hesitated to send out all his hunters, when any iht him that he was most secure when his forces were thus distributed over the surrounding country He then was sure that no ene discovered by his hunters; who have a quick eye for detecting the slightest signs of the proxience to the camp
The captain now set to ith his uests It was a time of plenty in the camp; of priues; and roasted ribs, and broiled marrow-bones: all these were cooked in hunters' style; served up with a profusion known only on a plentiful hunting ground, and discussed with an appetite that would astonish the puny gourive a bacchanalian grace to this trulyof home-brewed nectar, which had been so potent over the senses of the veteran of Hudson's Bay Potations, pottle deep, again went round; never did beverage excite greater glee, or meet withto that happy state which would have insured ample cause for the next day's repentance; and the bees were already beginning to buzz about their ears, when a ence that Wyeth's people had got entangled in one of those deep and frightful ravines, piled with iash the whole country about the head-waters of the Blackfoot River The revel was instantly at an end; the keg of sweet and potent houests departed with all speed to aid in extricating their companions from the volcanic ravine
43
A rapid h Jinks”
Horseracing and rifle-shooting--The ga--Table lands--Sale--The Indian girl--The pocket mirror--Supper--Troubles of an evil conscience
”UP and away!” is the first thought at daylight of the Indian trader, when a rival is at hand and distance is to be gained Early in the , Captain Bonneville ordered the half driedWyeth and his party to hunt the scattered buffalo, pushed off rapidly to the east, to regain the plain of the Portneuf His h volcanic hills, broken into cliffs and precipices; and seamed with tremendous chasms, where the rocks rose like walls
On the second day, however, he encamped once more in the plain, and as it was still early so hills In casting their eyes round the country, they perceived a great cloud of dust rising in the south, and evidently approaching Hastening back to the caave the alarm Preparations were instantlythealloped off to reconnoitre In a little while, they nals from a distance that all was friendly
By this ti by a blast, and a band of wild horse and whooping like so many maniacs Their dresses, their accoutre, and their uncouth claes arrayed for war; but they proved to be principally half-breeds, and white e in the wilderness, ere employed as trappers and hunters in the service of the Hudson's Bay Coh jinks” in the camp Captain Bonneville's enial spirits, or rather as the very game birds of their class They entertained the them at every fire At first, there wereof the corossed every tongue This naturally led to racing, and shooting at a mark; one trial of speed and skill succeeded another, shouts and acclamations rose from the victorious parties, fierce altercations succeeded, and a general melee was about to take place, when suddenly the attention of the quarrellers was arrested by a strange kind of Indian chant or chorus, that seemed to operate upon them as a charm Their fury was at an end; a tacit reconciliation succeeded and the ideas of the whole rel crohites, half-breeds and squaere turned in a new direction They all for their places at the several fires, prepared for one of theamusements of the Nez Perces and the other tribes of the Far West
The choral chant, in fact, which had thus acted as a charame of ”Hand” This is played by two parties drawn out in opposite platoons before a blazing fire It is in so or the button, and detecting the hand which holds it In the present game, the object hidden, or the cache as it is called by the trappers, is a small splint of wood, or other diminutive article that may be concealed in the closed hand This is passed backward and forward auess where it is concealed To heighten the exciteuessers, a number of dry poles are laid before each platoon, upon which the members of the party ”in hand” beat furiously with short staves, keeping time to the choral chant already aaious
Each party in turn bursts out in full chorus, beating, and yelling, and working themselves up into such a heat that the perspiration rolls down their naked shoulders, even in the cold of a winter night The bets are doubled and trebled as the game advances, the mental excitement increases alamblers are often hazarded upon the position of a straw
These galared upon a group that looked like a crew of ies, and the scene would have been kept up throughout the succeeding day, had not Captain Bonneville interposed his authority, and, at the usual hour, issued hisdown the course of Snake River, the hunters regularly returned to caeese, which were yet scarcely able to fly, and were easily caught in great numbers It was now the season of the annual fish-feast, hich the Indians in these parts celebrate the first appearance of the salreat numbers at the numerous falls of about four feet pitch The Indians flank the shalloater just below, and spear them as they attempt to pass In wide parts of the river, also, they place a sort of chevaux-de-frize, or fence, of poles interwoven ithes, and forle in theis left for the sal the Indians station thereat success
The table lands so coion have a sandy soil, inconsiderable in depth, and covered with sage, or , ood Below this is a level stratuhtful chasms The whole plain rises as it approaches the river, and terh and broken cliffs, difficult to pass, and in ether, to get down to the water's edge, to give drink to the horses
This obliges the traveller occasionally to abandon the vicinity of the river, and make a wide sweep into the interior
It was now far in the month of July, and the party suffered extrenats, too, were extre the edge of the river where it runs between low sand-banks Whenever the travellers encaravelly shores and re to feed until the cool of the evening As to the travellers, they plunged into the clear and cool current, to wash away the dust of the road and refresh thehts were always cool and pleasant
At one place where they encamped for some time, the river was nearly five hundred yards wide, and studded with grassy islands, adorned with groves ofand cotton-wood Here the Indians were assereat numbers, and had barricaded the channels between the islands, to enable thereater facility They were a tiht of whiteone of the huts, Captain Bonneville found the inhabitants just proceeding to cook a fine sal over the fire The ins to boil, the fish is considered cooked
Taking his seat uncere his pipe, the captain awaited the cooking of the fish, intending to invite himself to the repast The owner of the hut see with hi round and reirl, about fourteen years of age, crouched beneath, who directed her large black eyes full in his face, and continued to gaze in mute surprise and terror The captain endeavored to dispel her fears, and drawing a bright ribbon from his pocket, attempted repeatedly to tie it round her neck She jerked back at each atte a sound very much like a snarl; nor could all the blandish, and so the shyness of the savage little beauty His attentions were now turned toward the parents, who thus secured their good-will, continued to smoke his pipe, and watch the salmon While thus seated near the threshold, an urchin of the fae guest, ran off screa straw at the back of the hut
Desirous to dispel entirely this timidity, and to open a trade with the simple inhabitants of the hut, who, he did not doubt, had furs sorand lure in the eyes of a savage, a pocketit for a long time onder and admiration, they produced a e The captain shook his head; but purchased the skin for a couple of buttons--superfluous trinkets! as the worthy lord of the hovel had neither coat nor breeches on which to place thereat object of desire, particularly in the eyes of the old housewife, who produced a pot of parched flour and a string of biscuit roots These procured her some trifle in return; but could not co now completely cooked, they all joined heartily in supper A bounteous portion was deposited before the captain by the old worass, which served instead of a platter; and never had he tasted a sal over, the captain lighted his pipe and passed it to his host, who, inhaling the sh his nostrils so assiduously, that in a little while his headsatisfied, by this time, of the kindly and companionable qualities of the captain, he beca about exchanging beaver skins for horses The captain at once offered to dispose of his steed, which stood fastened at the door The bargain was soon concluded, whereupon the Indian, re a pile of bushes under which his valuables were concealed, drew forth the nureed upon as the price
Shortly afterward, so up, he ordered another horse to be saddled, and,it, took his departure fro its si all the tie black eyes fixed upon hi every azing after hihted with his new acquaintance, mounted his newly purchased horse, and followed in the train of the captain, to who his sojourn in the neighborhood