第53章 Irving’s Bonneville - Chapter 18(2)

The forlorn band laid heaps of their enemies dead at their feet, but were overwhelmed withnumbers

and pressed into a gorge of the mountain; where they continued to fight until they were cut topieces.

One only, of the thirty, survived. He sprang on the horse of a Blackfoot warrior whom he hadslain,

and escaping at full speed, brought home the baleful tidings to his village.

Who can paint the horror and desolation of the inhabitants? The flower of their warriors laidlow,

and a ferocious enemy at their doors. The air was rent by the shrieks and lamentations of thewomen,

who, casting off their ornaments and tearing their hair, wandered about, frantically bewailing thedead and predicting destruction to the living. The remaining warriors armed themselves forobstinate

defence; but showed by their gloomy looks and sullen silence that they considered defencehopeless.

To their surprise the Blackfeet refrained from pursuing their advantage; perhaps satisfied with theblood already shed, or disheartened by the loss they had themselves sustained. At any rate, theydisappeared from the hills, and it was soon ascertained that they had returned to the HorsePrairie.

The unfortunate Nez Perces now began once more to breathe. A few of their warriors, takingpack-horses, repaired to the defile to bring away the bodies of their slaughtered brethren. Theyfound them

mere headless trunks; and the wounds with which they were covered showed how bravely theyhad

fought. Their hearts, too, had been torn out and carried off; a proof of their signal valor; for indevouring the heart of a foe renowned for bravery, or who has distinguished himself in battle, theIndian victor thinks he appropriates to himself the courage of the deceased.

Gathering the mangled bodies of the slain, and strapping them across their pack-horses, thewarriors

returned, in dismal procession, to the village. The tribe came forth to meet them; the women withpiercing cries and wailings; the men with downcast countenances, in which gloom and sorrowseemed fixed as if in marble. The mutilated and almost undistinguishable bodies were placed inrows

upon the ground, in the midst of the assemblage; and the scene of heart-rending anguish andlamentation that ensued would have confounded those who insist on Indian stoicism.

Such was the disastrous event that had overwhelmed the Nez Perces tribe during the absenceof

Captain Bonneville; and he was informed that Kosato, the renegade, who, being stationed in thevillage, had been prevented from going on the forlorn hope, was again striving to rouse thevindictive feelings of his adopted brethren, and to prompt them to revenge the slaughter of theirdevoted braves.

During his sojourn on the Snake River plain, Captain Bonneville made one of his first essaysat the

strategy of the fur trade. There was at this time an assemblage of Nez Perces, Flatheads, andCottonois Indians encamped together upon the plain; well provided with beaver, which they hadcollected during the spring. These they were waiting to traffic with a resident trader of theHudson's

Bay Company, who was stationed among them, and with whom they were accustomed to deal.

As

it happened, the trader was almost entirely destitute of Indian goods; his spring supply not havingyet reached him. Captain Bonneville had secret intelligence that the supplies were on their way,and

would soon arrive; he hoped, how-ever, by a prompt move, to anticipate their arrival, and securethe

market to himself. Throwing himself, therefore, among the Indians, he opened his packs ofmerchandise and displayed the most tempting wares: bright cloths, and scarlet blankets, andglittering ornaments, and everything gay and glorious in the eyes of warrior or squaw; all,however,

was in vain. The Hudson's Bay trader was a perfect master of his business, thoroughly acquaintedwith the Indians he had to deal with, and held such control over them that none dared to actopenly

in opposition to his wishes; nay, more -- he came nigh turning the tables upon the captain, andshaking the allegiance of some of his free trappers, by distributing liquors among them. Thelatter,

therefore, was glad to give up a competition, where the war was likely to be carried into his owncamp.

In fact, the traders of the Hudson's Bay Company have advantages over all competitors in thetrade

beyond the Rocky Mountains. That huge monopoly centers within itself not merely its ownhereditary and long-established power and influence; but also those of its ancient rival, but nowintegral part, the famous Northwest Company. It has thus its races of traders, trappers, hunters,and

voyageurs, born and brought up in its service, and inheriting from preceding generations aknowledge and aptitude in everything connected with Indian life, and Indian traffic. In theprocess

of years, this company has been enabled to spread its ramifications in every direction; its systemof

intercourse is founded upon a long and intimate knowledge of the character and necessities of thevarious tribes; and of all the fastnesses, defiles, and favorable hunting grounds of the country.

Their