Black feet in the Horse Prairie--Search after the hunters--Difficulties and dangers--Acard party in the wilderness--The card party interrupted--"Old Sledge" a losinggame--Visitors to the camp--Iroquois hunters--Hanging-eared Indians.
ON the 12th of October, two young Indians of the Nez Perce tribe arrived at CaptainBonneville's
encampment. They were on their way homeward, but had been obliged to swerve from theirordinary
route through the mountains, by deep snows. Their new route took them though the HorsePrairie.
In traversing it, they had been attracted by the distant smoke of a camp fire, and on stealing nearto
reconnoitre, had discovered a war party of Blackfeet. They had several horses with them; and, asthey
generally go on foot on warlike excursions, it was concluded that these horses had been capturedin
the course of their maraudings.
This intelligence awakened solicitude on the mind of Captain Bonneville for the party ofhunters
whom he had sent to that neighborhood; and the Nez Perces, when informed of thecircumstances,
shook their heads, and declared their belief that the horses they had seen had been stolen fromthat
very party. Anxious for information on the subject, Captain Bonneville dispatched two hunters tobeat
up the country in that direction. They searched in vain; not a trace of the men could be found; butthey got into a region destitute of game, where they were well-nigh famished. At one time theywere
three entire days with-out a mouthful of food; at length they beheld a buffalo grazing at the footof
the mountain. After manoeuvring so as to get within shot, they fired, but merely wounded him.
He
took to flight, and they followed him over hill and dale, with the eagerness and per-severance ofstarving men. A more lucky shot brought him to the ground. Stanfield sprang upon him, plungedhis
knife into his throat, and allayed his raging hunger by drinking his blood: A fire was instantlykindled
beside the carcass, when the two hunters cooked, and ate again and again, until, perfectly gorged,they sank to sleep before their hunting fire. On the following morning they rose early, madeanother
hearty meal, then loading themselves with buffalo meat, set out on their return to the camp, toreport
the fruitlessness of their mission.
At length, after six weeks' absence, the hunters made their appearance, and were receivedwith joy
proportioned to the anxiety that had been felt on their account. They had hunted with success onthe
prairie, but, while busy drying buffalo meat, were joined by a few panic - stricken Flatheads, whoinformed them that a powerful band of Blackfeet was at hand. The hunters immediatelyabandoned
the dangerous hunting ground, and accompanied the Flatheads to their village. Here they foundMr.
Cerre, and the detachment of hunters sent with him to accompany the hunting party of the NezPerces.
After remaining some time at the village, until they supposed the Blackfeet to have left theneighborhood, they set off with some of Mr. Cerre's men for the cantonment at Salmon River,where
they arrived without accident. They informed Captain Bonneville, however, that not far from hisquarters they had found a wallet of fresh meat and a cord, which they supposed had been left bysome
prowling Blackfeet. A few days afterward Mr. Cerre, with the remainder of his men, likewisearrived
at the cantonment.
Mr. Walker, one of his subleaders, who had gone with a band of twenty hunters to range thecountry
just beyond the Horse Prairie, had likewise his share of adventures with the all-pervadingBlackfeet.
At one of his encampments the guard stationed to keep watch round the camp grew weary oftheir
duty, and feeling a little too secure, and too much at home on these prairies, retired to a smallgrove
of willows to amuse themselves with a social game of cards called "old sledge," which is aspopular
among these trampers of the prairies as whist or ecarte among the polite circles of the cities.
From
the midst of their sport they were suddenly roused by a discharge of firearms and a shrillwar-whoop.
