Year: 1873

soon as il was light enough to see, we
found the ground covered with tho traces


of horsemen, but these diminished aS we


proceeded, and vixen We reached tho rara


rows where the pass for several hundred


yards is confined between walls Of cut


rock forty or fifty feet apart the numer-
GUS traces ceased TO appear, and we began
| to congrnulat ourselves that we should
at leat escape the Indians we hld left be-


hind MS. The pass opened into largo


rolling plain which we entered and con-
tinued down for some distance. We now


again began to find numerous traces of


horsemen and footmen increasing in frc-


quency MS we proceeded In little time


we found ourselves in the edge of battle


field; dead Indians killed and scnlped,


began to make their appearance and in
crea sed in numbers as we advanced; we


counted sixteen in n few hundred yards.


They were not Flat Heads or we should


have recognized some Of them, they ap.


peared to have been killed only few


hours. Here it was certain that bloody


battle had been fought within few hours
past. It was also evident enough that We


had passed one party of the belgerents
during the preceding night, and that the
other party was necessarily ahead Of us,
but who are they? Are they hostile or
friendly? If the Flat Heads and Black


Feet have had fight, which is more than


probable, which of the parties did we


pass in the night, and who are we about


to meet2 These questions were agitated


but not solved, we concluded that the
chances of our meeting friends or foes
were about equal, but VIC resolved to be
extremely vigilant and the moment we
should discover Indians to seek instant
concealment until night, when we would
approach them and ascertain who they
were. These pleasant resolutions were all
suddenly knocked in the head, for we had
scarcely made them before party Of over
hundred Indians filed out of a ravine at
the distance of three or four hundred
yards, and at once came in full view Of us.
We saw at once that with our iaded horses
escape was impossible and Immediately
ascended a hill resolved to sell our lives
as dearly as possible. The 1rroques and
myself dismounted from our horses and
quietly awaited the result The Indian
appeared sulen and by his tenacins grasp
of his gun, and his look of firm resolve, |
know that he intended to kill an advan-
cling foe which was all he could hope to do
before being killed himself. presume
my own feelings were similar to his; had
confidence in myself and gun, and be-
lieved could accomplish as much as the


Indian. The Flat Head pursued differ
ent course. He rode at half speed back
and forth on the top of the mound, and in
a loud put monotone Gus tone sung his death
song, in which he recounted his deeds of
heroism, the scalps he had taken and his
utter readiness and contempt tor death he
invited the advancing Indians to come
and take his worthless life, but assured
them that one of their number should ac-
company him to the bright hunting
grounds. confess that the example of
this gallant Indian inspired me with SINH
lar feelings and could plainly see that it
had the same effect upon my lrroquois
friend. All at once my Flat Head friend
stopped his song and gazed intently at
the advancing Indians for moment and
then dashed headlong, like a madman,
down to them, crying 'Galish = 'Galish


All was instantly explained; the Indians
were the very ones we were seeking. They
had Just started on Buffalo hunt but on
meeting us immediately returned to camp,
Our jaded horses were turned loose
and we were mounted on their war
chargers and went in n sweeping
gallop six or seven miles to their camp


As soon as We arrived and had been suf-
ticiently feasted, Guigueo assembled his
warriors in council to learn the nature Of
E,y embassy. | was instructed TO offer
them q liberal present of ammunition,
blankets and tobacco if they would meet
MS at the rendezvous in Pierres Hole.
My arrival proved to be auspcious; the
day before they had had II severe light with
the Blackfeet indians, that lasted all day
and when the parties withdrew from the
field of battle, the Flatheads had not
single load of powder and ball left for half
of their number, and had the B!ackfeet
known this, the FlatHtads would in all
probability have been exterminated. The
council ut once determined to complywith
our wishes, but old Guigueo said he would
be compelled to make short and easy
marches on account of the forty-odd
wounded Indians in his village. Many of
his braves had been killed, and some OF
the severely wounded were dying daily.
On the following morning we set out, re-
turning by the same route we had aiready
followed. The wounded Indians we're con
veyed on litters consisting of two lodge
poles fastened on either side OF pack
horse with skins stretched on cross bars
so as to form bed for eacn Of the suffer
ers. These lodge poles were very elastic
and passed over rough ground like the
springs of o carriage, yet it was terrible
Journey to the poor invalids, though per-
haps no worse than the carts and smbu-
lapces in which our own wounded are usu-
ally conveyed. We were three days IN
reaching the point where we had passed
the Indian encampmert in the night. Inc
Indians had decamped, and We ascertain
ed that they occupied about three times as
much space as the Flatheads, and judged
from this that they were about three times
as numerous. When we entered the PLAIN
ut the mouth Of the defle, the hostile par
ty could be seen encamped about three
miles north of us on small stream, but
they made no demonstration. They had
evidently had fight enough and were
doubtless as much or more encumbered
with wounded Indians than ourselves We
saw many fresh graves about their EN-,
campme ut and believed that their loss had
exceeQeu stDut Ot tho EiaIheoeo' ~AS '"o
mouth Of the defle, all the skins and
available vessels were filed with water to
sur ply the wounded whilst crossing the
great arid plain. 1t required three days
10 reach the river, but some Of the young
Indians went in advance and brought
back water from the river, keeling suf-
ficient supply on hand for the wounded.


On reaching the river, stranger not
acquainted with the resources Of these
Indians, would have wondered how SO
large force was TO he transported across
q wide and swiftly flowing river without
boats or RATS. He would soon, however,


have been undeceived. All the goods and
chattels belonging 10 lodge were placed
in it, it was then rolled up in the shape OF
bail, puckered and tied at the top, cord


was fastened to each, and they were
launched into the river, the sauaws and


children mounted on these balls, and they


we're towed across the river by an Indian
swimming over with the rope in his mouth.
In twenty minutes the river was covered


with these novel vessels, and in half an
hour all we're safely landed half.a mile be-