is selected for his speed and spirit and prancing gait, and holds a place in his estimation second only to himself. He shares largely of his bounty, and of his pride and pomp of trapping. He is caparisoned in the most dashing and fantastic style; the bridles and crupper are weightily embossed with beads and cockades; and head, mane and tail are inter woven with abundance of eagles' plumes which flutter in the wind. To complete this grotesque eqipment, the proud animal is bestreaked and bespotted with vermilion, or with white clay, whichever presents the most glaring contrast to his real color. While the two camps were occupying positions near each other on Green River, there arrived a large band of Blackfeet warriors at the camp of Fontenelle. These warriors had just suffered defeat in Pierre's Hole in an engagement with the bands of trappers under William Sublette and his brother Milton, Robert Campbell and Nathaniel J. Wyeth, which has been told in a previous chapter. Fontenelle did not know of the fight, and it was fortunate that his camp was a strong one. The Blackfeet had evidently intended to attack him, but on approaching they discovered that his position was a strong one and so a talk took place. Fontenelle treated them kindly, though his long experience with Blackfeet had convinced him of their dangerous character. On the first opportunity he informed them of the presence of Captain Bonneville's band in the neighborhood, at the same time assuring them that the Captain was a great war chief and that his followers were brave and well-armed warriors. At the request of the Indians, Fontenelle sent one of his Delaware Indians to conduct fifteen of them to Fort Bonneville. On arriving there, the Captain entertained them in a friendly manner. There were two Crow visitors in the camp at the time and as they were the implacable enemies of the Blackfeet they looked with horror as well as surprise on the friendly reception given the dangerous war party. They took the first occasion possible to inform Captain Bonneville that the Blackfeet were bad Indians; that the best thing he could do was to put them to death on the spot. The soldier trapper saw no reason for extreme uneasiness and they were therefore allowed to remain in the camp some little time. They were evidently satisfied that it would be useless for them to attack a fortified position the defense of which was provided for in true military style. They went back to their warriors and must have reported that the trappers were dangerous enemies to attack, as they left the country and nothing more was heard of them. CHAPTER XIV. BONNEVILLE SENDS OUT HIS TRAPPERS. THROUGH VARIOUS DETACHMENTS IN THE FIELD-MAIN PARTY PASS Captain Bonneville learned from the free trappers many important things regarding the methods and the proper season to visit certain localities. He was informed that the Green River Valley was undesirable as a winter camp, as snow to the depth of several feet sometimes fell there and that winter came on very early. He therefore decided to cache his goods and supplies, also his wagons. This he accomplished by the aid of a few confidential men. The balance of his goods were placed in packs ready to be loaded on pack animals, and on the 21st of August his party headed for the upper waters of Solomon River, intending to trap on the way. His broken-down horses were given in charge of a reliable trapper named Matthieu. He was to take with him a brigade of trappers and to proceed west to Bear River, where there was good feed for the horses and oppor tunities to secure beaver. It was expected he would meet a village of Shoshones on the way, and with them he was to trade for a time while his party was engaged with their traps and the horses were renewing their strength on the rich grasses that abound on Bear River, after which he was to join the Captain on the headwaters of the Solomon, where Bonneville intended to make his winter camp. The Captain's own command proceeded up the Green River Valley to near its headwaters. He crossed over into Pierre's Hole and came upon the battlefield where William Sublette and his friends had had the sanguinary encounter with the Blackfeet. They also passed on their way through the dark defile leading to Jackson's Hole, where More and Foy had been killed by the Blackfeet on the 23rd of July. Their remains were found among the rocks and the Bonneville party decently interred them. Arriving in Pierre's Hole, a camp was made on the celebrated battleground near the abandoned fortress of the Blackfeet. The next two weeks were occupied in the march from Pierre's Hole to the upper waters of the Solomon River, and on the 20th of September they met a large body of Nez Perces Indians. Captain Bonneville says that the savages sent forward a single warrior, who made signals of peace and offers of friendship. The Captain, knowing that this tribe was friendly to white people, halted and went into camp and invited the savages to visit him. The warriors lingered long enough to put on their war paint and plumes. They placed themselves in martial array under their chiefs, and advanced shouting, singing, firing off their fusees and clashing their shields. The Bonneville party at this time were sadly in need of provisions, and it turned out that the Indians were nearly so, having only a small supply of dried salmon; this they offered to share with the white men. The Indians were on a hunting expedition and they expected to be able to secure a large amount of buffalo meat. Captain Bonneville sent with the party Mr. Cerre, accompanied by a few men with instructions to trade with the Indians for a winter's supply of meat. After the hunting party had passed, Captain Bonneville steered his course down the river a few miles and camping on the bank proceeded to erect winter quarters. Here he found abundance of feed for his horses and all the necessary surroundings for the construction of his winter cantonment. Temporary fortifications were constructed and huts for the use of men and merchandise, and an inclosure was also built in which the horses could be driven at night. This done, three brigades were organized and sent off in different directions to hunt and trap, with orders to subsist themselves by hunting the buffalo. Twenty men remained with Captain Bonneville at the winter quarters and an attempt was made to supply the camp with wild meat, but it was soon discovered that the Indians had driven the game from that section and the hunters found themselve unable to supply sufficient food for the party and starvation stared them in the face. On the 8th of October five families of Nez Perces arrived and these visitors were in even a worse condition than themselves, and while they could not relieve the wants of the white men they taught them the edible qualities of certain roots and rosebuds, which for the time being kept off starvation. After this Captain Bonneville dispatched a party to Horse Prairie, some distance north of his winter quarters, to procure a supply of buffalo meat, and he invited some of the Nez Perces to accompany his men, but this was declined, the excuse being given that it was a sacred day with them, and if they devoted it to hunting the great spirit would be angry. From this on he employed much time in studying the character of this tribe of Indians. He found them possessed of moral and religious qualities which in spite of their savage state and forlorn condition stamped them as superior to any tribe of Indians he met with while on his expedition. From his narrative it would seem that he explained to these people the Christian faith. "Many a time," says he, "was my little lodge thronged or rather piled, with hearers, for they lay on the ground, one leaning over the other, until there was no further room, all listening with greedy ears to the wonders which the Great Spirit had revealed to the white man. No other subject gave them half the satisfaction, or commanded half the attention, and but few scenes in my life remain so freshly on my memory, or are so pleasurably recalled to my contemplation, as these hours of intercourse with a distant and benighted race in the midst of the desert." The Captain calls these Indians exemplary people and says the only excesses they were guilty of were gambling and horse racing. In this respect they are no worse than white men, and I cannot close this part of the story without mak ing another quotation regarding what Captain Bonneville has to say about the gambling propensities of these Indians: "Knots of gamblers will assemble before one of their lodge fires, early in the evening, and remain absorbed in the chances and changes of the game until long after dawn of the following day. As night advances, they wax warmer and warmer. Bets increase in amount; one loss only serves to lead to a greater, until in the course of a single night's gambling the richest chief may become the poorest varlet in camp." It is not my purpose to follow Captain Bonneville in detail beyond the borders of our state. One of the parties sent out came in contact with the Blackfeet. This party was under the charge of Mr. Walker, and at the time the Indi ans came up the guard stationed over the camp had become interested in a game of cards and in the midst of the fas cinating pastime the Blackfeet stole upon them unperceived, and springing upon the backs of the horses of the party would have carried them off had it not been for the stub. bornness of several mules which were in among the horses. These when the Indians had mounted them bareback and commenced yelling and discharging their firearms, became so confused that they imitated the bucking bronco and threw their riders to the ground. Those who had mounted the horses came to the rescue of their dismounted brethren in the face of a perfect fusillade from the camp. The Indians were glad to steal away without taking any of the animals, seeking shelter in a thicket, from which position they |