The Indians Sat Down When The Strangers First
Came In Sight, As If To Wait For Their Coming; But, Soon Taking Alarm,
They All Fled, Much To The Chagrin Of The White Men.
Now striking into
a well-worn Indian road, they found themselves surely near a village.
The journal says:
-
"They had not gone along the road more than a mile, when on a sudden they
saw three female Indians, from whom they had been concealed by the deep
ravines which intersected the road, till they were now within thirty paces
of each other. One of them, a young woman, immediately took to flight;
the other two, an elderly woman and a little girl, seeing they were too
near for them to escape, sat on the ground, and holding down their heads
seemed as if reconciled to the death which they supposed awaited them.
The same habit of holding down the head and inviting the enemy to strike,
when all chance of escape is gone, is preserved in Egypt to this day.
"Captain Lewis instantly put down his rifle, and advancing
toward them, took the woman by the hand, raised her up,
and repeated the words `tabba bone!' at the same time
stripping up his shirt-sleeve to prove that he was a white man -
for his hands and face had become by constant exposure quite as dark
as their own. She appeared immediately relieved from her alarm;
and Drewyer and Shields now coming up, Captain Lewis gave them
some beads, a few awls, pewter mirrors, and a little paint,
and told Drewyer to request the woman to recall her companion,
who had escaped to some distance and, by alarming the Indians,
might cause them to attack him without any time for explanation.
She did as she was desired, and the young woman returned almost
out of breath. Captain Lewis gave her an equal portion of trinkets,
and painted the tawny checks of all three of them with vermilion, -
a ceremony which among the Shoshonees is emblematic of peace.
"After they had become composed, he informed them by signs
of his wishes to go to their camp, in order to see their chiefs
and warriors; they readily obeyed, and conducted the party
along the same road down the river. In this way they marched
two miles, when they met a troop of nearly sixty warriors,
mounted on excellent horses, riding at full speed toward them.
As they advanced Captain Lewis put down his gun, and went with
the flag about fifty paces in advance. The chief, who with two
men was riding in front of the main body, spoke to the women,
who now explained that the party was composed of white men,
and showed exultingly the presents they had received.
The three men immediately leaped from their horses, came up
to Captain Lewis, and embraced him with great cordiality,
putting their left arm over his right shoulder, and clasping
his back, applying at the same time their left cheek to his,
and frequently vociferating ah hi e!
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