Chapter 13. The Life and Adventures of James P. Beckworth, Mountaineer, Scout, and Pioneer, and Chief of the Crow Nation of Indians. Written from his own dictation by T. D. Bonner. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. After fending for about ten days among my new neighbors, I joined a small war party of about forty men and bodied for the ostensible purpose of capturing horses, but actually to kill their enemies. After advancing for three days, we fell in with a party of eleven of the Blood Indians, a band of the Blackfoot Tribe, immemorial enemies of the Crows. Our chief ordered a charge upon them.  The others, after making a furious advance that threatened annihilation to our few foes, curvetted a side in Indian fashion, thus losing the effect of a first onset. I corrected this unwarlike custom. On this occasion, seeing me engage hand-to-hand with the enemy's whole force, they immediately came to my assistance and the opposing party were quickly dispatched. I despoiled my victim of his gun, lance, war club, bow, and quiver of arrows. Now I was the greatest man in the party, for I had killed the first warrior. We then painted our faces black, their mode of announcing victory, and rode back to the village, bearing eleven scalps. We entered the village singing and shouting, the crowds blocking up our way so that it was with difficulty we could get along. My wife met me at some distance from our lodge, and to her I gave my greatest trophy, the gun. My pretty sisters next presenting themselves for some share of my spoils. I gave them what remained, and they returned to their lodge singing and dancing all the way. Their delight was unbounded in their newfound relative, who had drawn the first blood. My companions told how I had charged direct upon the enemy, how I struck down the first Indian at a blow, what strength there was in my arm, and a great deal more in my commendation. Again I was lionized and fetid. Relatives I had not seen before now advanced and made my acquaintance. I was feasted by all the sachums and great braves of the village until their kindness nearly fatigued me to death, and I was glad to retire to my lodge to seek a season of quietude. It was a custom rigidly observed by the crows, when a son had drawn the first blood of the enemy for the father to distribute all his property among the village. Always largely recollecting his own kin in the proposed distribution. I saw that my achievement had ruined my poor old father. He seemed contented, however, to sacrifice his worldly goods to the prowess of his illustrious son. It was the crow's religion and he was thoroughly orthodox. Another traditional memento was to paint a chief's coat with an image of the son and hang that together with a scarlet blanket in the top of a tree as an offering to the great spirit, to propitiate him to continue his favorable regards. Several small bands of the village had a grand dance after the victory, each band by itself. I watched them for some time to see which band or clique contained the most active men. Having singled one, I broke into the ring and joined the performance with great heartiness. Then their shouts arose, the great brave, the antelope, has joined our band! And their dancing increased in vehemence, and their singing became more hilarious. By the act of joining their clique, I became incorporated with their number. For the next three weeks I stayed at home, spending much of my time in trapping round the village. I was accompanied in these excursions by a fine and intelligent Indian who was without a relative. He was very successful in trapping. One day we went to our traps as usual. He found eight fine beaver, but I had caught none. After flaying them, he offered me four of the skins. I looked at them in surprise, telling him they were caught in his traps, that they were his. Take them, said he. You are my friend, your traps have been unlucky today. Previous to this, our success had been about equal. Then he wished me to sit down and have a talk with him. I sat down by him, and he began. My friend, said he. I am alone in the world. All my kindred are gone to the land of the great spirit. I now want one good friend, a confidential bosom friend, who will be my brother. I am a warrior, a brave, and so are you. You have been far away to the villages of the white man. Your eyes have seen much. You have now returned to your people. Will you be my friend and brother? Be as one man with me as long as you live. I readily exceeded to all his desires. It is well, said he, and we must exchange traps. I agreed to it. Now we must exchange guns. It was done. So we went on until we had exchanged all our personal effects, including horse, clothing, and war implements. Now, said he, we are one while we live. What I know you shall know. There must be no secret between us. We then proceeded to my father's lodge and acquainted him with the alliance we had entered into. He was much pleased at the occurrence, and ever after received my ally brother as his son. But the assumed relationship debarred his ever entering the family as son-in-law, since the mutual adoption attached him as by ties of consanguinity. Shortly after, another war party was levied for an excursion after the enemy, or their horses, as occasion might offer. The party consisted of eighty or ninety warriors. My adopted brother inquired of me if I was going with the party. I told him I was, and asked the same question of him. Though, he said, we are brothers, we must never both leave our village at once. When I go, you must stay, and when you go, I must stay. One of us must be here to see to the interest of the other. Should we both be killed, then who would mourn faithfully for the other? I was, as yet, but a private in the Crow Army.  We started in the night, as is their custom, leaving the village one or two at a time. My brother came to me in the evening, and expressed a wish to speak to me before I left, and pointed to a place where he wished me to meet him alone as we passed out of the village. I went as appointed, and found him there. He first asked me if I had done anything in the village. I did not clearly see the import of his question, and I innocently answered, no. Why, have you not been to war? Yes. Did the warriors not impart to you the war path secret? No. Ah, well, they will tell it you tomorrow. Go on, my brother. We all assembled together and marched on. In the forenoon we killed a fine, fat buffalo, and rested to take breakfast. The intestines were taken out, and a portion of them cleansed and roasted. A long one was then brought into our mess, which numbered ten warriors who formed a circle, every man taking hold of the intestine with his thumb and finger. In this position, very solemnly regarded by all in the circle, certain questions were propounded to each in relation to certain conduct in the village, which is of a nature unfit to be entered into here. They are religiously committed to a full and categorical answer to each inquiry, no matter whom their confession may implicate. Every illicit action they have committed since they last went to war is here exposed, together with the name of the faithless accomplice, even to the very date of the occurrence. All this is divulged to the medicine men on the return of the party, and it is by them noted down in a manner that it is never erased while the guilty confessor lives. Every new warrior at his initiation is conjured by the most sacred oaths never to divulge the war path secret to any woman on pain of instant death. He swears by his gun, his pipe, knife, earth, and sun, which are the most sacred oaths to the Indian, and are ever strictly observed. We marched on until we came to the Missouri River, and I was greatly edified at the novel manner in which we crossed the stream. A sufficient number of robes were brought to the riverbank, and a puckering string run around the entire edge of one, drawing it together until it assumed a globulated form. Five or six guns, with other articles necessary to be kept dry, were put into it, together with a stone for ballast. An Indian would then attach one end of the string to the hide tub, and, taking the other end in his teeth, swim across with a novel bark and toe. When unfraided on the opposite shore, everything would be as dry as when embarked. Thus, all our freight was conveyed across in a very short time, and we recommend our march. We had not proceeded far when our spies returned and reported that they had discovered a village of the Aznee Bonds on Milk River about 40 miles distant. We started for the village, intending to relieve them of a few of their horses, of which we thought they had more than their share. We reached there and succeeded in driving off nearly 300 head, but in re-crossing the Missouri we lost about one third of them by drowning, in consequence of our crossing over a sandbar, in which, though covered with water, the animals became involved and perished. We reached home in safety with the remainder without being pursued. Indeed, on our whole route we did not see an Indian. Although we brought no scouts, there was great rejoicing at our success. I received, in the distribution, 17 horses, which I gave to my friends taking care to give my father a liberal share in the place of those he had previously parted with on my account. I had a month's interval at home. Visiting at my father's lodge one day, he asked me why I did not had a party myself, and go on some expedition as leader. By doing so, he informed me, I stood a better chance of gaining promotion. Your medicine is good, said he, and the medicine of both will bring you great success. I replied that I had been domiciliated there so short a time that I did not wish to be too precipitate in pushing myself forward, and that I preferred to fight a while longer as a brave rather than risk the responsibility of being leader. He replied, here is your brother law, take him. Also, your brothers will go with you. If they all get killed, so be it.  I reflected that in order to advance by promotion, I must risk everything, so I consented to follow his advice. Black Panther, my brother law, was anxious to follow me, and there were seven young striplings from 10 to 18 years old that my father called his sons, though in fact half of them were what I called nephews. I put myself forward as the leader, the party comprising only two men and the above mentioned seven boys. We departed from the village and pressed on to the headwaters of the Arkansas, coming directly to the Arapaho and Iaton villages. At night we drove off 118 fine horses with which we moved on in all possible haste toward home. We were then about 300 miles from our village and 200 from the Crow country. In passing through the park, we discovered three Indians coming toward us, driving a small drove of horses. We concealed ourselves from their view by dropping back over the brow of a small hill directly in their route until they had approached within 10 steps of us. We raised the war hoop and rushed out on them, killing two of the three. The third was at a greater distance, driving the cattle and when he saw the fate of his companions, he mounted one of the fleetists and was soon beyond pursuit. My company had achieved a great victory, the spoils of which were 14 horses in addition to those already in our possession, two scalps, one gun, two battle axes, one lance, bow, quiver, etc. This trivial affair exalted my young brothers in their own esteem higher than the greatest veteran their village contained. During their return home, they were anticipating with untiring tongues the ovation that awaited them. We fell in with no more enemies on our way to the village. The horses we had captured from the three Indians had been stolen by them from the Crows. And as a recovery of lost horses is a greater achievement in Indians' eyes than the original acquisition our merit was in proportion. We entered singing with our faces blackened, bearing two scalps and other trophies and driving 132 fine horses before us. The whole village resounded with the shouts with which our brethren and kindred welcomed us. I was hailed bravest of the brave and my promotion appeared certain. My father and all his family rose greatly in popular favor. The antelopes distinguished skill and bravery were reflected in lucent rays upon their names. Great is the antelope was chanted on all sides, the lost son of Big Bowl. Their medicine is good and prosperous. There is one trait in Indian character which civilized society would derive much profit by imitating. Envy is a quality unknown to the savages. When a warrior has performed any deed of daring, his merit is freely accorded by all his associate braves. His deeds are extolled in every public and private reunion and his name is an incentive to generous emulation. I never witnessed any envious attempt to derogate from the merit of a brave's achievement. No damning with faint praise, none willing to wound and yet afraid to strike. No faltering innuendos that the man has not accomplished so much after all, the same way with the women. When a woman's husband has distinguished himself, her neighbors one in all take a pride in rejoicing with her over her happiness. If a woman displays more ingenuity than common in ornamenting her husband's wore dress, or in adding any fancy work to her own hablements, she at once becomes the pattern of the neighborhood. You see no flaws picked in her character because of her rising to note. No aspirations cast upon her birth or present standing. Such and such is her merit and it is deserving of our praise. The fact perceived it receives full acknowledgement. This leads to the natural conclusion that civilization and introducing the ostentation of display which is too frequently affected without sufficient ground to stand upon warps the mind from the charity that is natural to it and leads to all the petty strife and scandalous tales and heart burnings that embitter the lives of so many in civilized life. I now engaged in trapping until the latter part of December. I celebrated Christmas by myself as the Indians knew nothing about the birth of our savior and it was hard to make them understand the nature of the event. At this time a trading party started from our village for the Groven and Madden country where there was a trading post established for the purpose of buying our winter supply of ammunition and tobacco and other necessary articles. I sent 30 beaver skins with directions what to purchase with their value and had marked my initials on all the skins. These letters were a mystery to the trader. He inquired of the crows who had marked the skins with those letters. They told him it was a crow one of their braves who had lived with the whites. Kip the trader then sent an invitation to me to visit him at his fort. While our party was away our village was attacked by a combined party of the Sioux and Rikiras numbering 2,500. So sudden was the attack that they inflicted considerable mischief upon us before we had a chance to collect our forces. But when we at length charged on them it was decisive. We penetrated their ranks throwing them into direst confusion and they withdrew leaving 253 dead on the field. Our loss was 31 killed and 160 wounded. They had supposed that nearly all the warriors had left the village when but a small party had gone and they met with such a reception as they little expected. I had three horses killed under me and my faithful battle axe was red with the blood of the enemy to the end of the haft. 14 of the Sioux had fallen beneath it. Although we had taken such a number of scalps there was no dancing or rejoicing. All were busy in attending the wounded or mourning their relative slain. Their mourning consistent cutting and hacking themselves on every part of the body and keeping up a dismal moaning or howling for hours together. Many cut off their fingers in order to mourn through life or at least to wear the semblance of mourning. Hence the reason of so many western Indians having lost one or more of their fingers and of the scars which disfigure their bodies. The crows fasten the remains of their dead in trees until their flesh is decayed. Their skeletons are then taken down and inhumed in caves. Sometimes but not frequently they kill the favorite horse of the deceased and bury him at the foot of the tree. But that custom is not followed so strictly with them as with most other tribes. I was pacifically engaged in trapping during the ensuing winter and the season being open and pleasant I met with great success. Could I have disposed of my peltry in St. Louis? I should have been as rich as I coveted. In the month of March 1826 a small war party of 20 men left our village on an excursion and not one of them ever came back. Their pack dogs used for carrying extra moccasins when a party goes to war alone returning to intimate their fate. Another party was quickly dispatched of whom I was appointed leader and we soon came upon the remains of the massacred party which yet bore the marks of the weapons that had laid them low. There were also many fresh Indian tracks about the place which led us to the inference that there were enemies near. We made immediate search for them and had only marched about 6 miles when we came upon a village of 9 lodges which we instantly assaulted killing every man but two. These were on a hill nearby and as they made off we did not follow them. My personal trophies in this encounter were one scalp and the equipments of its wearer. One young girl of about 14 years and a little boy. We killed 48 of the enemy and took 6 women prisoners together with a large drove of horses and a valuable stock of beaver, otter and other skins with which we returned to the village. There was great rejoicing again. Not one of our party was scratched and the beaver skins to the number of 163 were bestowed upon me for my skill and command. Before we made the assault we felt convinced that this was the party who had killed our missing friends and our convictions were substantiated subsequently by recognizing several weapons in their possession which had formally belonged to our braves. Indeed some of our women prisoners acknowledged that our departed brother had killed many of their people. The crows treat the women whom they take prisoners much better than other tribes do. They do not impose upon them a harder lot than their own women endure and they allow them to marry into the tribe after which they are an equal fellowship with them. When finding themselves captives they generally mourn a day or two but their grief quickly subsides and they seem to care no farther for their violent removal from their own people. At this time the crows were incessantly at war with all the tribes within their reach with the exception of the snakes and the flatheads. And they did not escape frequent ruptures with them brought about by the Indians universal obtuseness as to all law relating to the right of property in horses. The crows could raise an army of 16,000 warriors and although there were tribes much more numerous there were none could match them in an open fight. The Comanches and Apaches have tilted lances with them repeatedly and invariably to their discomforture. If the crows ever suffered defeat it was when overwhelmed by numbers. One principal cause of their mark superiority was their plentiful supply of guns and ammunition which the Whites always more readily exchanged to them on account of their well-proved fidelity to the white man. When other tribes were constrained to leave their firearms and their lodges for want of ammunition the crows would have plenty and could use their arms with great effect against an enemy which had only bow and arrows to shoot with. Farther they were the most expert horsemen of any Indian tribe notwithstanding the great name bestowed upon the Comanches and Apaches those two great terrors of northern Mexico. I have seen them all and consider myself in a position to judge although some perhaps will say that I am prejudiced in favor of the crows seeing that I am one myself. Previous to my going among the crows the smallpox had been ravaging their camp carrying them away in thousands until as I was informed by themselves their number was reduced by that fatal Indian scourge to little better than one half. None of their medicine would arrest its course. After our last mentioned victory the crows met with numerous reverses which were attended with severe loss of life. In their small war parties going out on marauding expeditions I had never much confidence although individually they were good warriors therefore I never took part with them until six or eight of their parties would come back severely handled and many of their brave slain. Thus their reverses accumulated until the whole village was one scene of mourning numbers of them being self-mangled in the most shocking manner and the blood trickling from their heads down to the ground. Some had lost a father some a brother some a sweetheart in short their appearance was too fearful to look upon and their cries were too painful to hear. When the last party came in defeated with serious loss I had just returned with a party from the pursuit of horse thieves. We had brought in four scouts and were performing the scout dance in honor of the event. On hearing the disastrous news of the return of the defeated party we arrested the dance and I retired into my lodge. Soon however a crowd of women came and lifted it directly from over me leaving me in the open air. They then threw before me immense quantities of all kinds of goods leggings moccasins and other things until I was nearly covered with their miscellaneous offerings. I called out enough I am aroused I will go with your warriors and revenge the death of your friends. They were all satisfied and stood still. The news then circulated through the village that the antelope was aroused and himself going against the Cheyennes to revenge the death of their braves. I had as yet met with no reverses since my translation. My medicine had always been good and true. I had never come home without scalps or spoils and they began to associate my name with victory. The next day five hundred warriors rallied round me among whom were some who had suffered recent defeat and their minds were burning for revenge. I sent forward fifty spies and moved cautiously on with the main body. My reputation was committed to my present success and I took more than ordinary pains to vindicate the cause they had entrusted to my care. Every man was well armed and mounted and I had full confidence in our ability to give a good account of double our number. My command were very curious to learn my tactics. On one occasion when they were completely harassing me with endless inquiries respecting my plan of attack I told them if they would bring me a silver-gray fox unhurt my medicine would be complete and that we were sure of a great victory. In a moment they left me and shortly returned with a live fox which they had caught in a surround. I ordered them to choke it to death and then flay it. It was done and the beautiful skin was handed to me. I wrapped it round my medicine bow and made a brief speech informing them that the cunning of the fox had descended upon my head and that my wiles would infallibly circumvent the enemy. Like another Alexander I thus inspired confidence in the breaths of my soldiers and the spirit I was infusing in others partly communicated itself to my own breast. Some of the spies now returned and informed me that they had discovered a village of Cheyennes containing 37 lodges. Well said I after learning where it was. Now return and watch them strictly if anything happens acquaint me with it promptly. Away they went but soon returned again to report that the enemy had moved down the creek which was then called Analogue Creek. A small tributary of the Missouri had passed through the cannon and were encamped at its mouth. I ordered them to send in all the spies except ten and to direct those ten to keep a sharp lookout. I then determined to follow them down the cannon and attack them at the mouth thus cutting off their retreat into the cannon. But again I was informed that the enemy had moved farther down and had encamped in the edge of the timber with the evident intention of remaining there. I approached their village with great caution moving a few miles a day until I occupied a position on a hill near it where I had an almost bird's eye view of the village underneath. I then sent all my extra horses together with the boys and women to the rear. I divided the warriors into three parties reserving the smallest division of 50 men to myself. I placed the two chief divisions in juxtaposition out of view of the enemy and with my small party intended to descend upon the horses thinking to draw them after me. My two concealed divisions would then enclose them as in a lane and we returning would place them under a triple fire. I addressed them briefly begging them to show the enemy they were crows and brave ones too and that if they would strictly obey my directions we could retrieve all our recent reverses. The two corps de main being in position I was advancing with my small division when we came suddenly upon two of the enemy whom we instantly killed and scalped. We rode on being in full sight of the enemy but they made no offer to come out of their camp. We tried every means to provoke them to advance we shook our two scalps at them yet reeking with blood and tantalized them all we could but they would not move to have charged them as they were situated would have entailed upon us a severe loss. We had taken two scalps without loss of blood more glorious in an Indians estimation than to take one hundred if a single life was sacrificed.  We were received at the village with deafening applause every face was washed of its morning paint gloom gave way to rejoicing and the scout dance was performed with enthusiasm and hilarity. I was illustrated with the distinguished name of Big Bowl Bat-Tas-Sarch and hailed as a deliverer by all the women in the village. A little girl who had often asked me to marry her came to me one day and with every opportunity insisted on my accepting her as my wife. I said you are a very pretty girl but you are but a child when you are older I will talk to you about it. But she was not to be put off you are a great brave she said and braves have a right to paint the faces of their wives when they have killed the enemies of the crows. I am a little girl now I know but if I am your wife you will paint my face when you return from the war and I shall be proud that I am the wife of a great brave and can rejoice with the other women whose faces are painted by their brave husbands. You will also give me fine things fine clothes and scarlet cloth and I can make you pretty leggings and moccasins and take care of your war horses and war implements. The little innocent used such powerful appeals that notwithstanding I had already seven wives and a lodge for each. I told her she might be my wife. I took her to the lodge of one of my married sisters told her that the little girl was my wife and that she would make her a good wood carrier and that she must dress her up finally as became the spouse of a brave. My sister was much pleased and cheerfully carried out all my requests. As I shall have occasion to speak of this little girl again in connection with the medicine lodge I shall say comparatively little of her at this time. I spent the summer very agreeably being engaged most of the time in hunting buffalo and trapping beaver. I had now accumulated three full packs worth in market $3,000. One day I took a fancy to hunt mountain sheep and for company took my little wife with me. She was particularly intelligent and I found by her conversation that she surpassed my other wives in sense. She was full of talk and asked all manner of questions concerning my travels among the great lodges and villages of the white man if the white squaws were as pretty as herself and an endless variety of questions. I felt greatly pleased with her peak in curiosity and imparted much information to her. Fixing her deep black eyes full upon mine she at length said I intend some time in my life to go into the medicine lodge. I looked at her with astonishment. The dedication of a female to the service of the great spirit is a dangerous attempt. Like all forms of imposture it requires a peculiar talent and fitness in the candidate who seeks to gain admission into the sacred lodge. The war pass secret is associated with administration with many other fearful ceremonies. The woman who succeeds in her ambitious project is an honored participant in the sacred service of the deity through life. But where one succeeds, numbers fail and the failure entails instant death. Three years subsequent to this conversation I shall have to relate how my little wife in the breathless silence of ten thousand warriors passed the fiery ordeal in safety and went triumphantly into the lodge of the great spirit. I had good success in hunting, killing a great number of sheep and carried their skins with me to the village. On arriving I called at the lodge of my ally brother who insisted on my entering and taking a meal. I accepted his offer while my little wife ran home to communicate my great success in hunting. Our meal consisted of strips of dried buffalo tongue which, as the Indians did not half cook it, was a dish I never partook of. What was served me on this occasion, however, was well done and I ate a hearty meal. Supper completed. I was praising the vines and a chance to inquire what dish I had been eating. The woman replied that it was tongue and expressed by her looks that I must have known what it was. My friend, knowing that I had departed from my rule, inferred that I had infringed my medicine and he started up in horror shouting, Tongue, tongue, you have ruined his medicine.  The poor woman was half dead with fear, her features expressing the utmost horror. I issued from the lodge, bellowing an imitation of the buffalo, protruding my tongue and pying up the ground like a bear in fury. This was in order to remove the spell that had settled over me and recover the strength of my medicine. I recovered at length and proceeded toward my lodge commiserated by a large crowd who all deplored the taking of the food as a lamentable accident. That same evening the village was notified by the crier that on the following day there would be a surround and all were summoned to attend. I accompanied the party and the surround was made, several hundred buffaloes being enclosed. On charging among them to dispatch them we discovered seven black-foot Indians who finding retreat cut off from them had hastily provided themselves with a sand fort. I struck one of the victims with a willow I had in my hand and retired thereupon declaring I had wounded the first enemy. This I believe I have before mentioned is a greater honor than to slay any number in battle. I had retired to a short distance and was standing looking at the fight when a bullet discharged from the fort struck the dagger in my belt and laid me breathless on the ground. Recovering immediately I arose and found myself bleeding at the mouth. Imagining the ball had penetrated some vital place I gave myself up for dead. I was carried to the village by scores of warriors who, with me, supposed my wound to be mortal and were already deploring their warriors' fall. The medicine men surrounded me and searched for my wound but behold, there was only a small discoloration to be seen. The skin was not perforated. The ball was afterward found where I fell flattened as if struck with a hammer. It was then declared that I would recover. The enemy's bullets flattened in contact with my person. My medicine was infallible. I was impenetrable to wound. I did not afford them any light on the matter. As soon as the poor woman who had entertained me at supper heard that I was wounded she left for another village and was not seen again for six months. Supposing herself to have been instrumental in destroying my medicine and knowing that if I died her life would pay the forfeit of her carelessness she did not dare to return. She chanced to see me unharmed at the village where she had taken refuge and then she knew her life was redeemed. While the doctor and medicine men were going through their spells and incantations previous to uncovering my wound my relatives and their solitude for my life offered profuse rewards if they would save me.  The doctors ransomed my life and they received over five hundred horses for their achievement. One day a slight dispute arose between one of the braves and myself about some trivial matter and as both of us were equally obstinate in maintaining our views we both became angry. My disputant remarked with great superciliousness ah you pretend to be a brave but you are no brave. We drew our battle axes at the same instant and rushed at each other but before either had an opportunity to strike the pipe was thrust between us compelling us to desist to disobey which is instant death. This is the duty of certain Indians who occupy the position of policemen in a city. They then said to my antagonist you said that Big Bull was no brave you lied we all know that he is brave our enemies can testify to it and you dare not deny it anymore. Hereafter if you wish to show which is the greatest brave wait until you meet the enemy then we can decide but never again attempt to take each other's lives. This interference procured peace it was not long however before we both had a good opportunity to determine the question of our valor. A small party of 30 warriors was embodied myself and my antagonist being of the number. After a short march we fell in with a war party of 18 Cheyennes who notwithstanding the disparity of numbers accepted battle well knowing that escape was impossible. I pointed out one of the enemy who I could see by his dress and the peculiarity of his hair was a chief. You see him I said well we can decide which is the best man now you charged directly against him by my side this he readily consented to but still I could detect in his consonants an expression which I deciphered I would rather not I saw the Indian we were about to attack open the pan of his gun and give it a slight tap with his hand to render its discharge certain he presented his piece and took the most deliberate aim as we advanced side by side to the attack the death of one of us seemed inevitable and I did not like the feeling of suspense a few spurrings of our chargers and we were upon him I seized the muzzle of his gun at the very instant that it exploded and cut him down with the battle axe in my right hand my left cheek was filled with the powder from the discharge the stains of which remain to this day my rival did not even strike at the Indian I had killed he then said to me you are truly a great warrior and a great brave I was wrong in saying what I did we are now good friends our few enemies were quickly exterminated the loss on our side being forewounded including my powder wound my fame was still farther celebrated for I had again struck down the first man who was a great chief and had actually charged up to the muzzle of his gun what few Indians have the stamina to do on our return with the spoils of victory I warmly congratulated by the tribe and I was still farther ennobled by the additional name of bull's robe conferred on me by my father it was now the fall of the year I had been a crow for many moons it was time to repair to the trading post to obtain what articles we needed I determined to accompany the party and at least attend to the sale of my own effects what peltry I had was worth $3,000 in St. Louis and I was solicitous to obtain something like an equivalent in exchange for it we proceeded to Fort Clark on the Missouri I waited until the Indians had nearly completed their exchanges speaking nothing but crow language dressed like a crow my hair as long as a crow's and myself as black as a crow no one at the post doubted my being a crow toward the conclusion of the business one of my tribe inquired in his own language for behishepehishae the clerk could not understand his want and there was none of the article in sight for the Indian to point out he at length called Kip to see if he could divine the Indians' meaning I then said in English gentlemen, that Indian wants scarlet cloth if a bombshell had exploded in the fort they could not have been more astonished I said one of them you speak English where did you learn it? with the white man how long were you with the whites? more than 20 years where did you live with them? in St. Louis in St. Louis you have lived 20 years in St. Louis? then they scanned me closely from head to foot and Kip said if you have lived 20 years in St. Louis I'll swear you are no crow no, I am not then what may be your name? my name in English is James Beckworth good heavens why have I heard your name mentioned a thousand times you were supposed dead and you were so reported by Captain Sublet I am not dead as you see I still move and breathe this explains the mystery he added turning to the clerk of those beaver skins being marked J.B. well well if you are not a strange mortal all this conversation was unintelligible to my crow brethren who were evidently proud to see a crow talk so fluently to the white man now I said I have seen you transact your business without interposing with a word you have cleared 2 or 3 thousand percent of your exchanges I do not grudge at you where I in your place I should do the same but I want a little more liberal treatment I have toiled hard for what I have obtained and I want the worth of my earnings I set my own price upon my property and to the great astonishment of my Indian brethren I returned with as large a bale of goods as theirs would altogether amount to but as I have said an Indian is in no wise envious and instead of considering themselves unfairly used they rejoiced at the white man's profusion to me and suppose the overplus he had given me was an indemnity for the captivity they had held me in on our return I made various prisons to all my wives some of whom I did not see for months together and to many other relatives I had still a good stock to trade upon and could exchange with my brethren at any rate I offered they placed implicit confidence in my integrity and a beaver skin exchanged with me for one plug of tobacco contended them better than to have exchanged it for two with the white man I had the fairest opportunity for the acquisition of an immense fortune that ever was placed in man's way by saying one word to the tribe I could have kept the white trader forever out of their territory and thus have gained the monopoly of the trade of the entire nation for any term of years that I am not now in possession of a fortune equal to that of an aster or gerard is solely the fall of my own indolence and I do not to this moment see how I came to neglect the golden opportunity while returning from the trading post we fell in with a party of about 250 Cheyenne warriors to oppose whom we numbered but 200 warriors besides being encumbered with a still greater number of women as good fortune would have it they attacked us in the daytime while we were moving whereas had they but waited till we were encamped and our horses turned out I do not see how we could have escaped a feat in traveling every warrior led his war horse by his side with lance and shield attached to the saddle the enemy was first seen by one of our scouts at some little distance from the main body on seeing they were discovered they gave chase to him and continued on until they came upon our whole party every man transferred himself to his war horse and was instantly ready to receive them they advanced upon our line were received without wavering and finally driven back it was now our turn to attack we charged furiously with our whole force completely sweeping everything from before us and killing or disabling at least 50 of the enemy they rallied in return but the reception they met with soon put them to route and they fled precipitately into the timber where we did not care to follow them our loss was severe 9 warriors killed and 13 wounded including myself who had received an arrow in the head not so serious however as to prevent me from doing duty we also lost one pack horse laden with goods but no scalps we took 11 scalps upon the field and the Cheyennes afterward confessed to the loss of 56 warriors when we lost a horse in the action women would immediately supply its place with a fresh one we were nearly 200 miles from home and we carried our dead all the way to there on arriving at home I found my father greatly irritated he had lost 250 head of horses from his own herd stolen by the black feet who had raised a general contribution from the whole village his voice was still for war and he insisted on giving immediate chase I dissuaded him from his intention representing to him his advanced years and promising to go myself and obtain satisfaction for his losses he reluctantly consented to this arrangement but four or five days after my departure on the errand his medicine became so strong that he started off with a party taking an opposite direction to the one I had gone on my party consisted of 220 good warriors and my core slave for the headwaters of the Arkansas in the Arapaho country we fell in with no enemies on our way until we arrived at a village which contained upward of 100 lodges we formed our plans for assaulting the place the next day when we discovered four white men whom we surrounded the poor fellows thought their last day was come and I was amused to overhear their conversation they will surely kill us all said one and what manner would they kill us asked another they may burn us suggested a third then they communed among themselves little thinking there was one overhearing them who sympathized with every apprehension they expressed they summed up their consultation by one saying if they attempt to kill us let us use our knives to the best advantage and sell our lives as dearly as possible gentlemen said I I will spare you that trouble great god they exclaimed Mr. Beckworth is that you yes I replied that is my name you are perfectly safe but you must not leave our camp till tomorrow for what reason they inquired because there was a village close by which we mean to assault a daybreak and we do not wish our design to be known oh said they we should not communicate your designs and we did not even know of the village they then poured out before me a whole sea of misfortunes they had been trapping had met with very good success the Indians had stolen their horses and attempting to cross the river by means of a badly constructed raft the raft had fallen to pieces and they had lost everything peltry, guns and ammunition they were now making their way to New Mexico with nothing to eat and no gun to kill game with they were among Indians and were two or three hundred miles from the nearest settlements of New Mexico I entertained them well while they stayed and after our assault in the morning I gave them two guns and 20 rounds of ammunition and counseled them to take advantage of the surprise of the Indians one of the four afterward informed me that they reached the settlements in safety having killed a buffalo and a deer on the way we made the assault as appointed we were mounted on horses we had taken from the village during the night as Indians go on horse stealing expeditions on foot I divided my force into two bodies giving my principal scout the command of one I gave orders to run off their horses without risking a battle if no opposition were offered but if they showed fight to kill whatever came in their way the Arapahos are very poor warriors but on this occasion they defended themselves with commendable zeal and bravery we were however compelled to kill 14 of them for our own security before we could get their horses well started on our side we had four wounded and if they had not delayed to scout the fallen Indians that might have been avoided we succeeded in driving away over 1600 horses all well conditioned with which we arrived safely at home my father also returned about the same time with near 3000 head all superior animals the Bulls Road family had certainly done wonders and we were entertained to the greatest feast I had ever seen the whole village was illuminated with numerous faux-déjois and such dancing was never known before I received another addition to my list of titles in commemoration of this event Iska Cha Etchure The Enemy of Horses a feud now broke out which had been long brewing two different parties in our village one of which worshipped foxes and the other worshipped dogs the warriors of the latter party were called dog soldiers of which I was the leader the other party was led by red eyes the quarrel originated about the prowess of the respective parties and was fostered by red eyes on the part of the rival company and by yellow belly Eretche Rez a man in my company this Eretche Rez was as brave an Indian as ever trod the plane but he was also a very bad Indian that is he was disagreeable in his manners and very insulting in his conversation red eyes was equally brave but of a different disposition he was a reserved pride the braggadatio of Eretche Rez offended him this rivalry developed into an open rupture and the pikemen were obliged to interfere to prevent open hostilities at length it was proposed in order to cement a final peace between the two warriors that each should select from his own party a certain number of men and go and wage common war against some enemy the question of bravery to be decided by the number of scalps brought in on each side red eyes accordingly chose from his party 18 of the best men himself making the 19th men who would suffer death rather than show their backs to the enemy Eretche Rez with his accustomed fanfarinate said I can beat that party with less men I will only take 16 men and bring in more scalps than they he came to me and said enemy of horses I want you to go with me and die with me it is of no use for you to stay with this people they are not brave any longer come with me and we will enter the spirit land together where the inhabitants are all brave there is better hunting ground in the country of the great spirit come I replied I would rather not go on such an errand I have women to live for and defend against the enemies of the crows that when I fought I wished to destroy the enemy and preserve my own life that, said I is bravery and prudence combined ah, answered he you a leader of the dog soldiers and refuse to go there are prettier women in the land of the great spirit than any of your squaws and game in much greater abundance I care nothing about my life I am ready to go to the land of the great spirit you must go with me perhaps your medicine will save not only yourself but all of us if so it will be so much the better I not wishing to be thought cowardly especially by a resturace at length consented to accompany him on the condition that he would stifle all harsh feeling against our brethren and let our expedition result as it would accept the decision in good faith and never refer to the past it as well he said let it be as your word speak the two parties started on different routes to the Cheyenne country I regarded it as a full hearty enterprise but if it resulted in the establishment of peace I was contented to take part in it at whatever personal sacrifice we used every precaution against a surprise and a resturace willingly adapted his movements to my council for though he was as brave as a lion and fought with the utmost desperation he was very inconsiderate of consequences and had no power of calculating present combinations to come at a desired result after traveling about twenty days we arrived at a considerable elevation from once we could see at some distance on the prairie about thirty of the enemy engaged in killing Buffalo we could also see their village at a distance of three miles there is an opportunity said a resturace now let us charge these Indians in the open prairie no, no I replied there are too many of them the Cheyennes are brave warriors if you wish to carry home their scalps we must get into their path and waylay them by that means we shall kill many of them and run less risk of our own lives we shall gain more honor by preserving the lives of our warriors and taking back the scalps of the enemy then by sacrificing our lives in a rash and inconsiderate charge your words are true said he and we will do as you say then added I turn your robes the hair side out and follow me we wound our way down the trail through which they must necessarily pass to reach their village and kept on until we reached a place where there were three gullies worn by the passage of the water through the center gully the trail passed thus leaving a formidable position on each side in which an ampus gate had ample concealment I divided my party giving the command of one division to arrest the rays we took our stations in the ditches on each side the trail though not exactly opposite to each other I directed the opposite party not to fire a gun until they should hear ours and then each man to take the enemy in the order of precedence the unsuspecting Cheyennes as soon as they had finished butchering and dressing the buffalo began to approach us in parties of from three to eight or ten their horses loaded with meat which they were bearing to the village when they were about a dozen abreast of our party I made a signal to fire and nine Cheyennes fell before our balls and eight before those of a reshares party some few of the enemy who had passed on hearing the guns returned to see what the matter was and three of them became victims to our bullets we all rushed from our hiding places then and some fell to scalping the prostrate foe and some to cutting the lashings of the meat in order to secure the horses the remainder keeping the surviving enemy at bay having taken twenty scalps we sprang upon the horses we had freed from their packs and retreated precipitately for the enemy was coming in sight in great numbers we made direct for the timber and leaving our horses took refuge in a rocky place in the mountain where we considered ourselves protected for a while from their attacks to storm us in front they had to advance right in the face of our bullets and to reach us in the rear they had to take a circuitous route of several miles around the base of the mountain the enemy events the utmost bravery as they made repeated assaults right up to the fortification that sheltered us their bullets showered around us without worry but we could bring down one man in every discharge to scout them however was out of the question during the combat a great Cheyenne brave named leg in the water charged directly into our midst and aimed a deadly thrust with his lance at one of our braves the warrior assailed instantly shivered the weapon with his battle axe and inflicted a ghastly wound in his assailant with a second blow he managed to escape leaving his horse dead in our midst by this time we were encompassed with the enemy which induced the belief in our minds that retreat would be the safest course none of our party was wounded except a resturace who had his arm broken with a bullet between the shoulder and elbow he made light of the wound only regretting no longer discharge his gun but he wielded his battle axe with his left hand as well as ever when night came on we evacuated our fortress unperceived by our enemies they, deeming our escape impossible were quietly resting intending to assault us with their whole force in the morning and take our scalps at all hazards moving with the stealth of a cat we proceeded along the summit of a rocky cliff until we came to a cleft or ravine through which we descended from the bluff to the bottom which was covered with a heavy growth of timber we then hastened home arriving there on the 28th day from the time we left they had given us over for loss but when they saw us returning with 20 scalps and only one of our party hurt their grief gave way to admiration and we were hailed with shouts of applause our rival party under red eyes had returned five or six days previously bringing with them 17 scalps obtained at the loss of one man our party was declared the victor since we had taken the greater number of scalps with the weaker party and without loss of life thus excelling our rivals in three several points red eyes cheerfully acknowledged himself beaten good feeling was restored and the subject of each other's bravery was never after discussed we had still another advantage in as much as we could dance a celebration they were deprived of as they had lost a warrior they however joined our party and wanted nothing in hardiness to render our dance sufficiently boisterous to suffice of both all the dancing is performed in the open air with a solid ground for a floor it consists of jumping up and down intermixed with violent gestures and stamping they keep time with a drum or tambourine composed of antelope skin stretched over a hoop the whole party singing during the performance End of Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Life and Adventures of James P. Beckworth Mountaineer, Scout and Pioneer and Chief of the Crow Nation of Indians Written from his own dictation by T. D. Bonner This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org We went along without noteworthy occurrence until the following March when we moved from the western to the eastern side of what was at that time called Tong River Mountain one of the peaks of the Rocky Mountain chain The buffaloes had receded from the environs of our old camping ground and had been attracted to the region wither we removed and consequence of the grass being in a more forward state Our community number 10,000 souls men, women and children together with an immense number of horses In crossing the mountain we found the snow to be of so great depth being farther increased with a three days recent storm that the mountain was impassable In this severe journey which occupied three days we had 1200 horses perish in the snow Previously the black feet had stolen 100 head and we were in no condition to follow them as we were all engaged in packing up for removal We reached the prairie on the eastern side of the mountain after a toilsome journey and found good camping ground on Box Elder Creek The morning following our arrival we started on a surround in parties of 50 and upward as our whole population was without meat We went to pack horse and three of my wives were with me each leaning a saddle horse I had not proceeded far before I heard a noise that sounded very much like a war hoop I stopped my horse to listen Those near me said it was a signal from one of the parties who had discovered buffalo and we proceeded on our journey Soon however I heard the yell again and I justified there was something more than buffalo a stir I rode to a small eminence close by and described a party of our hunters at a distance making signals for others to sucker them I turned back to my wives and dispatched two of them to the village for my war instruments and then galloped on to ascertain the cause of the alarm Not more than 50 of our warriors were then before me I then learned that they had before them a party of 160 black foot warriors who had thrown themselves into an apparently impregnable fortress It was a stronghold manifestly thrown up in some of nature's grand convulsions it would seem for the very purpose to which it was now applied It was a huge mass of granite a natural wall in front of a graduated height varying from 25 feet to 6 feet the lowest part It was solid and nearly perpendicular all round There was in our camp a young Kentuckian named Robert Mildrum naturally a brave fellow though he seldom went out in the war parties but when the village was assaulted he always fought like a tiger He was a good trapper and a skillful blacksmith and had been out in the employ of the American fur company I met him while we were surveying the enemy stronghold I said to him Mildrum If the adage is true there is policy in war These Indians make no question of our bravery Had we not better resigned to them the brunt of this encounter we would not expose our lives in a cause that we have no concern in How do you intend to act As for me said Mildrum I must be in the fray If we are to see any fun I want my share of the entertainment Well said I I shall endeavor to keep by you The Indians had by this time assembled to the number of from 5 to 700 and were watching the fort indecisively awaiting instructions from the chief Many had succeeded in running and sheltering under the wall while several had been shot in making the attempt I ran to the wall to reckon order it and soon saw there were two ways in which it could be taken One was by bombardment and the other was by storm bombardment was out of the question as our heaviest caliber was a rifle bore I waited to see what steps would be taken Long hair the head chief of the nation said warriors listen our morrow bones are broken the enemy has chosen a strong fort we cannot drive them from it without sacrificing too many men warriors retreat I replied no hold warriors listen if these old men cannot fight let them retire with the women and children we can kill every one of these black feet then let us do it if we attempt to run from here we shall be shot in the back and lose more warriors than to fight and kill them all if we get killed our friends who love us here will mourn our loss while those in the spirit land will sing and rejoice to welcome us there if we ascend to them dying like braves the great spirit has sent these enemies here for us to slay if we do not slay them he will be angry with us and will never suffer us or conquer our enemies again he will drive off all our buffaloes and will wither the grass on the prairies no warriors we will fight as long as one of them survives come follow me and I will show you how the braves are the great white chief fight their enemies enemy of horses exclaimed hundreds of the brave ancient warriors who were crowded around me lead us and we will follow you to the spirit land accepting the charge I stationed a large body of those who were never known to flinch on one side of the position which I with my followers intended to scale I thus thought to engage the attention of the enemy until we made good our entrance no longer doubtful of success I then told them as I threw out my shield the third time and shouted who key hi they were to scale the wall as fast as possible and beat down whatever resistance might be offered them I had divested myself of all my weapons except my battle axe and scalping knife the latter being attached to my wrist with a string I then made the signal and when I raised the shout who key hi the party opposite began to hoist one another up when I sprang for the summit of the wall I found that my women were holding my belt I cut it loose with my knife and left it in their hands I was the first on the wall but was immediately followed by some scores of warriors the enemies whole attention when we entered the arena was directed to the opposite party and we had time to cut numbers down before they were aware of our entrance the carnage for some minutes was fearful and the black feet fought with desperation knowing they're an inevitable doom if taken the clash of battle axes and the spells of the opposing combatants were truly appalling many leaped the wall only to meet their certain doom below where hundreds of battle axes and lances were ready to drink their blood as soon as they touched ground the interior surface of this huge rock was concave and the blood all ran to the center where it formed a pool which emitted a sickening smell and the warm vapor ascended to our nostrils it was also a work of great difficulty to keep one's feet as the mingled gore and brains were scattered everywhere around this fatal place the blood of the crow and the black foot mingled together in this common pool for many of our warriors fell in this terrible strife all was silent within a few minutes after we had gained an entrance victims who were making away with their bowels ripped open were instantly felled with the battle axe and stilled in death the wounded were cared for by their friends and the dead removed from sight upward of 40 crows were killed and double the number wounded they were engaged on the side of the crows about 20 white men and only one was wounded though nearly all scaled the wall with the Indians Mildrum was seriously injured by leaping from the heights after an Indian but he soon recovered our spoils were 160 scalps and an immense quantity of guns and ammunition a large amount of dried meats with arrows, lances knives and great abundance here an incident happened with my little wife and mother worth mentioning they were seated outside and under the wall when Owl Bear, one of the chiefs happening to pass asked the girl if she was not the wife of the enemy of horses she answered that she was I thought so he said because you are such a pretty little squaw but you have no husband now he was shot through the head in the fork and instantly killed and here you are playing with sticks the poor thing together with her mother screamed out at the intelligence and seizing a battle axe each cut off a finger the girl then stabbed her forehead with a knife and was instantly dripping with blood the chief came laughing to me that little wife of yours loves you better than any of your other wives how do you know I inquired because I told them all you were dead and she was the only one that cut off a finger and he laughed aloud as he passed on soon however she climbed the wall and forced her way into the fort and came directly to me she presented a sickening spectacle and was covered entirely with blood seeing me she burst into tears and as soon as she could articulate said why you are not dead after all Albert told me you were killed and I came to seek your body who are you mourning for I asked is your brother or father scalped no I mourned because I thought you were killed Albert told me you were you must not believe all you hear I said some Indians have crooked tongues but come and spread your robe and carry this gun in spoils of my first victim to the village and there wash your face and bind up your finger she did as I directed her and departed as soon as we had collected all the trophies bequeathed us by our fallen foes and gathered all our own dead we moved back to the new camp on our way I exerted myself to the utmost to console the afflicted mourners I told them that their friends were happy in the spirit land where there were no enemies to fight where all was everlast in contentment and where they were happy in endless amusement I said that in a few days to follow our warriors and depart for that peaceful land myself I could plainly see that this last promise afforded them more satisfaction than all my other consoling remarks but I disliked to see their horrid fashion of mourning and my promise of future victory speedily washed their faces of their present grief for a promise from me that I would end by all the tribe there was of course no dancing for we had lost too many warriors but in the evening there was great visiting throughout the village to talk over the events of the day and hear the statements of those who had taken part in the battle long hair came to the lodge of my father to congratulate me on my great feat in scaling the wall for the victory of his people achieved through my valor all who were present related the deeds they had performed as each narrated his exploits all listened with profound attention while this was going on my little wife who sat nearby crawled behind me and whispering in my ear inquired if I had obtained any coups these coups she inquired after are the same as counts in a game of billiards the death of one warrior counts as one of two warriors counts as two every battle axe or gun taken counts one to the victor's merit I said I had not at which she looked aghast but when the question was put to me by the chief shortly after I answered eleven on this she administered eleven taps on my back with her finger and again whispered ah I thought your tongue was crooked when you told me you had no coups all the coups are registered in the great medicine lodge in favor of the brave who wins them I trust that the reader does not suppose that I waited through these scenes of carnage and desolation without some serious reflections on the matter disgusted at the repeated acts of cruelty I witnessed I often resolved to leave these wild children of the forest and return to civilized life but before I could act upon my decision another scene of strife would occur and the enemy of horses was always the first sought for by the tribe I had been uniformly successful so far and how I had escaped while scores of warriors had been stricken down and the fight was more than I could understand I was well aware that many of my friends knew of the life I was leading and I almost feared to think of the opinions they must form of my character but in justification it may be urged that the crows had never shed the blood of the white man during my stay in their camp and I did not intend to voice to prevent it they were constantly at war with tribes who coveted the scalps of the white man but the crows were uniformly faithful in their obligations to my race and would rather serve than injure their white brethren without any consideration of profit in addition to this self-interest would whisper her counsel I knew I could acquire the riches of this if I could but dispose of the valuable stock of peltry I had the means of accumulating I required but an object in view to turn the attention of the Indians to the thousands of traps that were laid by to rust I would occasionally use arguments to turn them from their unprofitable life and engage them in peaceful industry but I found the Indian would be Indian still in spite of my efforts to improve him they would answer our enemies steal our horses we must fight and get them back again or steal in turn without horses we can make no surrounds nor could we to protect our lives fight our foes when they attack our villages of course these arguments were unanswerable as long as they were surrounded with enemies they must be prepared to defend themselves the large majority of Indian troubles arise from their unrestrained appropriation of each other's horses it is their only branch of wealth like the miser with his gold their greed for horses cannot be satisfied all their other wants are merely attended to day to day their needs applied they look no farther but their appetite for horses is insatiable they are ever demanding more Mildrum and myself had a long conversation on the subject while he was smarting with the injury he received in leaping from the fort he would say Beckworth I am pretty well used to this Indian life there is a great deal in it that holds me but when I think of my old Kentucky home a father, mother and other friends whom I tenderly love and with whom I could be so happy I wonder at the vagabond spirit that holds me here among these savages fighting their battles and risking my life in scalp which I fairly suppose exceeds in value 10,000 of these blood thirsty heathen how in the name of all that is sacred can we reconcile ourselves to it why don't we leave them the medicine man held a council and resolved to remove the village the great spirit was displeased with the spot and had therefore suffered all our warriors to be killed we accordingly pulled up stakes and moved a short distance farther while we were busy moving a little squaw angered me and I drove her away she not daring to disobey me I saw no more of her until she supposed my anger was appeased she then came to the lodge while I was conversing with my brothers and putting her childish head into the door said humbly I know you're angry with me but I want you to come and stay at our lodge tonight we are outside the village and my father and mother are afraid yes said my brother she has no ears now she is but a child she will have ears when she grows older you had better go and protect the old people I told her to run home and I would soon follow I went to the lodge accordingly in the night I heard the snorting of horses which were tied near the lodge door I crept softly out and looked carefully around I then crawled without the least noise out of the lodge and caught sight of an Indian who I knew was there for no good purpose he was using the utmost precaution he had a sharp pointed stick with which he raised the leaves that lay in his way he might not crush them and thus alarm the inmates of the lodge every step brought him near to the animals who with necks curved and ears erect gave an occasional snort at the approach of the Indian this would bring him to a halt then again he would bring his stick into action and prepare a place for another step not mistrusting that he was approaching the threshold of death the ropes were tied close to the lodge door and to untie them he must approach within six feet of where I lay on the ground I let him advance as near as I thought safe when with one bound I grappled him and gave the war hoop he was the hardest to hold that ever I had my arms around but I had both his arms pinned in my embrace round his life in nimble body and he could not release one so as to draw his knife instantly we were surrounded with 50 armed warriors and when I saw a sufficient breast work round about I released my hold and stepped back he was riddled with bullets in an instant and fell without a cry his scalp sufficed to wash off the morning paint from every face in the village and all was turned into mirth although this general change in feeling did not restore the dismembered fingers or heal their voluntary wounds greater than ever was the enemy of horses and I received as still more ennobling appellation the bob tail horse the village exhausted itself in showing its admiration of my exploit and my single scalp was greeted with as much honor as if I had slaughtered a hundred of the enemy End of chapter 14