He bethought him of a hatchet, which
might be spared from his slender stores. No sooner did he place
the implement into the hands of the young hopeful, than his
countenance brightened up, and he went off rejoicing in his
hatchet, to the full as much as did his respectable mother in her
ear-bobs.
The captain was now in the saddle, and about to start, when the
affectionate old patriarch stepped forward, for the third time,
and, while he laid one hand gently on the mane of the horse, held
up the rifle in the other. "This rifle," said he, "shall be my
great medicine. I will hug it to my heart - I will always love it,
for the sake of my good friend, the bald-headed chief. - But a
rifle, by itself, is dumb - I cannot make it speak. If I had a
little powder and ball, I would take it out with me, and would
now and then shoot a deer; and when I brought the meat home to my
hungry family, I would say - This was killed by the rifle of my
friend, the bald-headed chief, to whom I gave that very fine
horse."
There was no resisting this appeal; the captain, forthwith,
furnished the coveted supply of powder and ball; but at the same
time, put spurs to his very fine gift-horse, and the first trial
of his speed was to get out of all further manifestation of
friendship, on the part of the affectionate old patriarch and his
insinuating family.
32.
Nez Perce camp A chief with a hard name The Big Hearts of the
East Hospitable treatment The Indian guides Mysterious
councils The loquacious chief Indian tomb Grand Indian
reception An Indian feast Town-criers Honesty of the Nez
Perces The captain's attempt at healing.
FOLLOWING THE COURSE of the Immahah, Captain Bonneville and his
three companions soon reached the vicinity of Snake River. Their
route now lay over a succession of steep and isolated hills, with
profound valleys. On the second day, after taking leave of the
affectionate old patriarch, as they were descending into one of
those deep and abrupt intervals, they descried a smoke, and
shortly afterward came in sight of a small encampment of Nez
Perces.
The Indians, when they ascertained that it was a party of white
men approaching, greeted them with a salute of firearms, and
invited them to encamp. This band was likewise under the sway of
a venerable chief named Yo-mus-ro-y-e-cut; a name which we shall
be careful not to inflict oftener than is necessary upon the
reader This ancient and hard-named chieftain welcomed Captain
Bonneville to his camp with the same hospitality and loving
kindness that he had experienced from his predecessor.
