After Great Search, He
Once More Found It, Turning In A Southerly Direction Along The
Eastern Bases Of The Wind River Mountains, Which Towered To The
Right.
He now pushed forward with all possible speed, in hopes of
overtaking the party.
At night, he slept at another of their
camps, from which they had but recently departed. When the day
dawned sufficiently to distinguish objects, he perceived the
danger that must be dogging the heels of his main party. All
about the camp were traces of Indians who must have been prowling
about it at the time his people had passed the night there; and
who must still be hovering about them. Convinced, now, that the
main party could not be at any great distance, he mounted a scout
on the best horse, and sent him forward to overtake them, to warn
them of their danger, and to order them to halt, until he should
rejoin them.
In the afternoon, to his great joy, he met the scout returning,
with six comrades from the main party, leading fresh horses for
his accommodation; and on the following day (September 25th), all
hands were once more reunited, after a separation of nearly three
weeks. Their meeting was hearty and joyous; for they had both
experienced dangers and perplexities.
The main party, in pursuing their course up the Wind River
valley, had been dogged the whole way by a war party of Crows. In
one place, they had been fired upon, but without injury; in
another place, one of their horses had been cut loose, and
carried off. At length, they were so closely beset, that they
were obliged to make a retrogade move, lest they should be
surprised and overcome. This was the movement which had caused
such perplexity to Captain Bonneville.
The whole party now remained encamped for two or three days, to
give repose to both men and horses. Some of the trappers,
however, pursued their vocations about the neighboring streams.
While one of them was setting his traps, he heard the tramp of
horses, and looking up, beheld a party of Crow braves moving
along at no great distance, with a considerable cavalcade. The
trapper hastened to conceal himself, but was discerned by the
quick eye of the savages. With whoops and yells, they dragged him
from his hiding-place, flourished over his head their tomahawks
and scalping-knives, and for a time, the poor trapper gave
himself up for lost. Fortunately, the Crows were in a jocose,
rather than a sanguinary mood. They amused themselves heartily,
for a while, at the expense of his terrors; and after having
played off divers Crow pranks and pleasantries, suffered him to
depart unharmed. It is true, they stripped him completely, one
taking his horse, another his gun, a third his traps, a fourth
his blanket, and so on, through all his accoutrements, and even
his clothing, until he was stark naked; but then they generously
made him a present of an old tattered buffalo robe, and dismissed
him, with many complimentary speeches, and much laughter.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 122 of 230
Words from 62726 to 63239
of 118673