Even Maxwell The Trader, Who Has Been Most Among
Them, Is Compelled To Resort To The Curious Sign Language Common To
Most Of The Prairie Tribes.
With this Henry Chatillon was perfectly
acquainted.
Approaching the village, we found the ground all around it strewn
with great piles of waste buffalo meat in incredible quantities. The
lodges were pitched in a very wide circle. They resembled those of
the Dakota in everything but cleanliness and neatness. Passing
between two of them, we entered the great circular area of the camp,
and instantly hundreds of Indians, men, women and children, came
flocking out of their habitations to look at us; at the same time,
the dogs all around the village set up a fearful baying. Our Indian
guide walked toward the lodge of the chief. Here we dismounted; and
loosening the trail-ropes from our horses' necks, held them securely,
and sat down before the entrance, with our rifles laid across our
laps. The chief came out and shook us by the hand. He was a mean-
looking fellow, very tall, thin-visaged, and sinewy, like the rest of
the nation, and with scarcely a vestige of clothing. We had not been
seated half a minute before a multitude of Indians came crowding
around us from every part of the village, and we were shut in by a
dense wall of savage faces. Some of the Indians crouched around us
on the ground; others again sat behind them; others, stooping, looked
over their heads; while many more stood crowded behind, stretching
themselves upward, and peering over each other's shoulders, to get a
view of us. I looked in vain among this multitude of faces to
discover one manly or generous expression; all were wolfish,
sinister, and malignant, and their complexions, as well as their
features, unlike those of the Dakota, were exceedingly bad. The
chief, who sat close to the entrance, called to a squaw within the
lodge, who soon came out and placed a wooden bowl of meat before us.
To our surprise, however, no pipe was offered. Having tasted of the
meat as a matter of form, I began to open a bundle of presents -
tobacco, knives, vermilion, and other articles which I had brought
with me. At this there was a grin on every countenance in the
rapacious crowd; their eyes began to glitter, and long thin arms were
eagerly stretched toward us on all sides to receive the gifts.
The Arapahoes set great value upon their shields, which they transmit
carefully from father to son. I wished to get one of them; and
displaying a large piece of scarlet cloth, together with some tobacco
and a knife, I offered them to any one who would bring me what I
wanted. After some delay a tolerable shield was produced. They were
very anxious to know what we meant to do with it, and Henry told them
that we were going to fight their enemies, the Pawnees. This
instantly produced a visible impression in our favor, which was
increased by the distribution of the presents. Among these was a
large paper of awls, a gift appropriate to the women; and as we were
anxious to see the beauties of the Arapahoe village Henry requested
that they might be called to receive them. A warrior gave a shout as
if he were calling a pack of dogs together. The squaws, young and
old, hags of eighty and girls of sixteen, came running with screams
and laughter out of the lodges; and as the men gave way for them they
gathered round us and stretched out their arms, grinning with
delight, their native ugliness considerably enhanced by the
excitement of the moment.
Mounting our horses, which during the whole interview we had held
close to us, we prepared to leave the Arapahoes. The crowd fell back
on each side and stood looking on. When we were half across the camp
an idea occurred to us. The Pawnees were probably in the
neighborhood of the Caches; we might tell the Arapahoes of this and
instigate them to send down a war party and cut them off, while we
ourselves could remain behind for a while and hunt the buffalo. At
first thought this plan of setting our enemies to destroy one another
seemed to us a masterpiece of policy; but we immediately recollected
that should we meet the Arapahoe warriors on the river below they
might prove quite as dangerous as the Pawnees themselves. So
rejecting our plan as soon as it presented itself, we passed out of
the village on the farther side. We urged our horses rapidly through
the tall grass which rose to their necks. Several Indians were
walking through it at a distance, their heads just visible above its
waving surface. It bore a kind of seed as sweet and nutritious as
oats; and our hungry horses, in spite of whip and rein, could not
resist the temptation of snatching at this unwonted luxury as we
passed along. When about a mile from the village I turned and looked
back over the undulating ocean of grass. The sun was just set; the
western sky was all in a glow, and sharply defined against it, on the
extreme verge of the plain, stood the numerous lodges of the Arapahoe
camp.
Reaching the bank of the river, we followed it for some distance
farther, until we discerned through the twilight the white covering
of our little cart on the opposite bank. When we reached it we found
a considerable number of Indians there before us. Four or five of
them were seated in a row upon the ground, looking like so many half-
starved vultures. Tete Rouge, in his uniform, was holding a close
colloquy with another by the side of the cart. His gesticulations,
his attempts at sign-making, and the contortions of his countenance,
were most ludicrous; and finding all these of no avail, he tried to
make the Indian understand him by repeating English words very loudly
and distinctly again and again.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 108 of 128
Words from 108791 to 109804
of 129303
