The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-03-19

In the fall OF 1858 thought 1t might be
profitable to start trading post in the
Yellowstone Valley. Learning from the
Biackfeet that the Sioux were camped on
the south side of the river, determined
to ride over and see what arrangements
1 could make with them. 1 crossed the
Belt Mountains, and, riding down the
valley, was soon at their camp, / on the
north side of the river, they On the south.
I sat on my horse and hailed the camp.
"No answer.
II could see plenty of Indians walking
about, and again l hailed.
mo answer.
'I shouted myself hoarse, and the only
notice taken of me was by an old buck,
who walked to the river bank, looked at
me, made an insulting gesture and slowly
walked off. | went there to trade, and
having got angry at the treatment, though
l well knew that ought to leave the val
ley at once, /, like a fool, resolved to
cross the stream and brave the danger, SO
1 forded it and rode into the camp. l
spoke to no one; no one spoke to me.
The sullen braves turned their backs on
me as 1 rode up the street. The young
girls looked curiously at me. Riding
slowly along, / cooled rapidly. l saw
that was not wanted, and fully realized
that was in danger. l did not dare to
ride to the south, ont of the camp, nor did
l have courage enough to attempt to re-
cross the river.
Before me stood a great tent made of
buffalo skins. 1t was the largest T. had
seen. / halted, dismounted and stood ST.
lently at my horses mead. No one no.
ticed me. Indians won't past me, appar-
emily not seeing me. At last young
woman came and stood before me. Look
ing right into my eyes, she said:
-'''What do you want =
'tI looked her coidly in the face and
made no reply. Smiling, she asked:
"'What brings you here
Steadily gazed into her eyes, and was
voiceless.
"She left me and disappeared into the
great lodge.
"Soon an Indian warrior, in full paint
came to me. Speaking Blackfoot. he said j:
"'Why are you in this camp%
ssTo him replied:
".I wish to trade with you.'
~More men came. They took my
horse, and, seizing hold of my arms, they
led me into the lodge. Here 1 was seated,
and council was held. l sat and lis.
tened to them talk of what was best to do
with so presumptious white man. Some
were in favor OF trading. The large ma
jority of the Indians were in favor of kill
ing me. It was soon decided that l
SuOulu D6 UOTLuTSu, dHu tHcy odt stuo ut5-
cussed the various methods.
"After two days talk they decided to
burn me. l was in strange condition
mentally. l would listen to a plan of
torture as though it were some other man
they were talking about, and / would
comment to myself on that plan as giving
the chap but little chance for his life;
but when the dusky brave who talked
Blackfoot told me that l was to die by fire
the next day, understood perfectly that
/ was the man they had been talking
about, and replied:
Il know it.
clustering around me, they asked if I
had understood all the talk.
"'Yes; had.'
"'Then why not answer the maiden
when she spoke to your
Il came not to talk with squaws. but
to trade with men,
"No use; 1 could gain nothing by soft
talk, and, having played my hand, finally
resigned myself to my fate.
Il noticed that the girl who had first
spoken to me i'll front of the lodge, was
watching me. She would quickly glance
at me, and then drop her eyes on the
buckskin shirt she was embroidering
with Crow hair. Several times l noticed
this, and once 1 replied with smile.
The lodge emptied. All were gone ex-
cept the girl, who came quickly to my
side apparently to refold some buffalo
robes, and in whisper said:
"'You are to die tomorrow. Tonight
1 will have the best horse in the camp
saddled and standing on the outside of
the lodge. You jump through, mount,
and ride for your life. You may escape.
You will burn if you stay.
'sFhen with smile:
The mare is mine. She is the fastest
animal in the valley of the Yellowstone.
| give her to you.'
"She left me and quickly resumed her
work. AS she wove the hair of the mauy
Crow scalp-locks into the shirt, sat look
ing thankfully at her. She never looked
at me again. | saw chance for my life;
my heart beat 80 loudly that 1 thought it
would be heard; 1 calmed my face and
waited; l ate fairly of supper; smoked
pipe; all were very kind and attentive to
me.
might was passing away, and still the
Indians fingered, looking at the man they
were to burn on the morrow. / leaned
back against. the tent to rest myself, when
l felt hand gently pushing me forward.
Sitting whistling, l felt the point of
knife come through and strike my neck
l did not finch; L could feel the blood
trickle down my back; I could feel the
knife carefully drawn until it hit the
ground. Still whistling, / waited, my
heart humping, my blood on fire-waited
minute to give whoever cut the tent
time to escape. Then, grasping my heart
and nerves for an instant, gathered nv
self and turned backward through the
opening.
eInstantly jumping TO my feet,
vaulted into the saddle that was on the
white horse that stood there, and, in the
midst of yells, rifle shots, a pack of howl
ing dogs, we rushed out of the camp. 1t
seemed to me as though hundred horse
men were in pursuit of me instantly We
galloped up the river to bend I had
seen. Dashing in, We forded it under
fire that made the water boil around us,
and were out of the water ard on the
level land to the north of the river before
anv of the Sioux We're half way across.
Striking the trail to the Bozernan Pass,
took it, and knowing it, pushed boldly
on, and, though hotly pursued, my horse
outlasted theirs, and escaped. I never
drew rein until dismounted to the west
of the pass.
"The girl saved me. With any other
horse | should have been recaptured
and burned. i have not got the girl.
The love l have for her the mare has
instead. l returned to my post, and made
no trade in the Yellowstone that year.
"Agaln. Last winter the snow was on
the ground in January, and for three
daysI had been hunting or running an
telope. The sun was very bright, and my
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