In The
Course Of The Social And Harmonious Evening Just Mentioned, One
Of The Captain's Men, Who Happened To Be
Something of a virtuoso
in his way, and fond of collecting curiosities, produced a small
skin, a great rarity in
The eyes of men conversant in peltries.
It attracted much attention among the visitors from beyond the
river, who passed it from one to the other, examined it with
looks of lively admiration, and pronounced it a great medicine.
In the morning, when the captain and his party were about to set
off, the precious skin was missing. Search was made for it in the
hut, but it was nowhere to be found; and it was strongly
suspected that it had been purloined by some of the connoisseurs
from the other side of the river.
The old chief and his cousin were indignant at the supposed
delinquency of their friends across the water, and called out for
them to come over and answer for their shameful conduct. The
others answered to the call with all the promptitude of perfect
innocence, and spurned at the idea of their being capable of such
outrage upon any of the Big-hearted nation. All were at a loss on
whom to fix the crime of abstracting the invaluable skin, when by
chance the eyes of the worthies from beyond the water fell upon
an unhappy cur, belonging to the owner of the hut. He was a
gallows-looking dog, but not more so than most Indian dogs, who,
take them in the mass, are little better than a generation of
vipers. Be that as it may, he was instantly accused of having
devoured the skin in question. A dog accused is generally a dog
condemned; and a dog condemned is generally a dog executed. So
was it in the present instance. The unfortunate cur was
arraigned; his thievish looks substantiated his guilt, and he was
condemned by his judges from across the river to be hanged. In
vain the Indians of the hut, with whom he was a great favorite,
interceded in his behalf. In vain Captain Bonneville and his
comrades petitioned that his life might be spared. His judges
were inexorable. He was doubly guilty: first, in having robbed
their good friends, the Big Hearts of the East; secondly, in
having brought a doubt on the honor of the Nez Perce tribe. He
was, accordingly, swung aloft, and pelted with stones to make his
death more certain. The sentence of the judges being thoroughly
executed, a post mortem examination of the body of the dog was
held, to establish his delinquency beyond all doubt, and to leave
the Nez Perces without a shadow of suspicion. Great interest, of
course, was manifested by all present, during this operation. The
body of the dog was opened, the intestines rigorously
scrutinized, but, to the horror of all concerned, not a particle
of the skin was to be found - the dog had been unjustly executed!
A great clamor now ensued, but the most clamorous was the party
from across the river, whose jealousy of their good name now
prompted them to the most vociferous vindications of their
innocence. It was with the utmost difficulty that the captain and
his comrades could calm their lively sensibilities, by accounting
for the disappearance of the skin in a dozen different ways,
until all idea of its having been stolen was entirely out of the
question.
The meeting now broke up. The warriors returned across the river,
the captain and his comrades proceeded on their journey; but the
spirits of the communicative old chief, Yo-mus-ro-y-e-cut, were
for a time completely dampened, and he evinced great
mortification at what had just occurred. He rode on in silence,
except, that now and then he would give way to a burst of
indignation, and exclaim, with a shake of the head and a toss of
the hand toward the opposite shore - "bad men, very bad men across
the river"; to each of which brief exclamations, his worthy
cousin, Hay-she-in-cow-cow, would respond by a guttural sound of
acquiescence, equivalent to an amen.
After some time, the countenance of the-old chief again cleared
up, and he fell into repeated conferences, in an under tone, with
his cousin, which ended in the departure of the latter, who,
applying the lash to his horse, dashed forward and was soon out
of sight. In fact, they were drawing near to the village of
another chief, likewise distinguished by an appellation of some
longitude, O-pushy-e-cut; but commonly known as the great chief.
The cousin had been sent ahead to give notice of their approach;
a herald appeared as before, bearing a powder-horn, to enable
them to respond to the intended salute. A scene ensued, on their
approach to the village, similar to that which had occurred at
the village of the little chief. The whole population appeared in
the field, drawn up in lines, arrayed with the customary regard
to rank and dignity. Then came on the firing of salutes, and the
shaking of hands, in which last ceremonial every individual, man,
woman, and child, participated; for the Indians have an idea that
it is as indispensable an overture of friendship among the whites
as smoking of the pipe is among the red men. The travellers were
next ushered to the banquet, where all the choicest viands that
the village could furnish, were served up in rich profusion. They
were afterwards entertained by feats of agility and horseraces;
indeed, their visit to the village seemed the signal for complete
festivity. In the meantime, a skin lodge had been spread for
their accommodation, their horses and baggage were taken care of,
and wood and water supplied in abundance. At night, therefore,
they retired to their quarters, to enjoy, as they supposed, the
repose of which they stood in need. No such thing, however, was
in store for them.
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