Starting on their feet, and snatching up their rifles, they beheld in dismay their horses and mulesalready in possession of the enemy, who had stolen upon the camp unperceived, while they werespell-bound by the magic of old sledge. The Indians sprang upon the animals barebacked, andendeavored to urge them off under a galling fire that did some execution. The mules, however,confounded by the hurly-burly and disliking their new riders kicked up their heels anddismounted half
of them, in spite of their horsemanship. This threw the rest into confusion; they endeavored toprotect
their unhorsed comrades from the furious assaults of the whites; but, after a scene of "confusionworse confounded," horses and mules were abandoned, and the Indians betook themselves to thebushes. Here they quickly scratched holes in the earth about two feet deep, in which theyprostrated
themselves, and while thus screened from the shots of the white men, were enabled to make suchuse
of their bows and arrows and fusees, as to repulse their assailants and to effect their retreat. Thisadventure threw a temporary stigma upon the game of "old sledge."In the course of the autumn, four Iroquois hunters, driven by the snow from their huntinggrounds,
made their appearance at the cantonment. They were kindly welcomed, and during their sojournmade
themselves useful in a variety of ways, being excellent trappers and first-rate woodsmen. Theywere
of the remnants of a party of Iroquois hunters that came from Canada into these mountain regionsmany years previously, in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company. They were led by a bravechieftain, named Pierre, who fell by the hands of the Blackfeet, and gave his name to the fatedvalley
of Pierre's Hole. This branch of the Iroquois tribe has ever since remained among thesemountains,
at mortal enmity with the Blackfeet, and have lost many of their prime hunters in their feuds withthat
ferocious race. Some of them fell in with General Ashley, in the course of one of his gallantexcursions into the wilderness, and have continued ever since in the employ of the company.
Among the motley Visitors to the winter quarters of Captain Bonneville was a party of PendsOreilles
(or Hanging-ears) and their chief. These Indians have a strong resemblance, in character andcustoms,
to the Nez Perces. They amount to about three hundred lodges, are well armed, and possess greatnumbers of horses. During the spring, summer, and autumn, they hunt the buffalo about thehead-waters of the Missouri, Henry's Fork of the Snake River, and the northern branches ofSalmon River.
Their winter quarters are upon the Racine Amere, where they subsist upon roots and driedbuffalo
meat. Upon this river the Hudson's Bay Company have established a trading post, where thePends
Oreilles and the Flatheads bring their peltries to exchange for arms, clothing and trinkets.
This tribe, like the Nez Perces, evince strong and peculiar feelings of natural piety. Theirreligion is
not a mere superstitious fear, like that of most savages; they evince abstract notions of morality;a
deep reverence for an overruling spirit, and a respect for the rights of their fellow men. In onerespect
their religion partakes of the pacific doctrines of the Quakers. They hold that the Great Spirit isdispleased with all nations who wantonly engage in war; they abstain, therefore, from allaggressive
hostilities. But though thus unoffending in their policy, they are called upon continually to wagedefensive warfare; especially with the Blackfeet; with whom, in the course of their huntingexpeditions, they come in frequent collision and have desperate battles. Their conduct as warriorsis
without fear or reproach, and they can never be driven to abandon their hunting grounds.
Like most savages they are firm believers in dreams, and in the power and efficacy ofcharms and amulets, or medicines as they term them. Some of their braves, also, whohave had numerous hairbreadth 'scapes, like the old Nez Perce chief in the battle ofPierre's Hole, are believed to wear a charmed life, and to be bullet-proof. Of thesegifted beings marvelous anecdotes are related, which are most potently believed bytheir fellow savages, and sometimes almost credited by the white hunters. [Return to Contents].
