Nez Perce camp--A chief with a hard name--The Big Hearts of theEast--Hospitable treatment--The Indian guides--Mysteriouscouncils--The loquacious chief--Indian tomb--Grand Indianreception--An Indian feast--Town-criers--Honesty of the NezPerces--The captain's attempt at healing.
FOLLOWING THE COURSE of the Immahah, Captain Bonneville and histhree companions soon reached the vicinity of Snake River. Theirroute now lay over a succession of steep and isolated hills, withprofound valleys. On the second day, after taking leave of theaffectionate old patriarch, as they were descending into one ofthose deep and abrupt intervals, they descried a smoke, andshortly afterward came in sight of a small encampment of NezPerces.
The Indians, when they ascertained that it was a party of whitemen approaching, greeted them with a salute of firearms, andinvited them to encamp. This band was likewise under the sway ofa venerable chief named Yo-mus-ro-y-e-cut; a name which we shallbe careful not to inflict oftener than is necessary upon thereader This ancient and hard-named chieftain welcomed CaptainBonneville to his camp with the same hospitality and lovingkindness that he had experienced from his predecessor. He toldthe captain he had often heard of the Americans and theirgenerous deeds, and that his buffalo brethren (the Upper NezPerces) had always spoken of them as the Big-hearted whites ofthe East, the very good friends of the Nez Perces.
Captain Bonneville felt somewhat uneasy under the responsibilityof this magnanimous but costly appellation; and began to fear hemight be involved in a second interchange of pledges offriendship. He hastened, therefore, to let the old chief know hispoverty-stricken state, and how little there was to be expectedfrom him.
He informed him that he and his comrades had long resided amongthe Upper Nez Perces, and loved them so much, that they hadthrown their arms around them, and now held them close to theirhearts. That he had received such good accounts from the UpperNez Perces of their cousins, the Lower Nez Perce-s, that he hadbecome desirous of knowing them as friends and brothers. That heand his companions had accordingly loaded a mule with presentsand set off for the country of the Lower Nez Perces; but,unfortunately, had been entrapped for many days among the snowymountains; and that the mule with all the presents had falleninto Snake River, and been swept away by the rapid current. Thatinstead, therefore, of arriving among their friends, the NezPerces, with light hearts and full hands, they came naked,hungry, and broken down; and instead of making them presents,must depend upon them even for food. "But," concluded he, "we aregoing to the white men's fort on the Wallah-Wallah, and will soonreturn; and then we will meet our Nez Perce friends like the trueBig Hearts of the East."
Whether the hint thrown out in the latter part of the speech hadany effect, or whether the old chief acted from the hospitablefeelings which, according to the captain, are really inherent inthe Nez Perce tribe, he certainly showed no disposition to relaxhis friendship on learning the destitute circumstances of hisguests. On the contrary, he urged the captain to remain with themuntil the following day, when he would accompany him on hisjourney, and make him acquainted with all his people. In themeantime, he would have a colt killed, and cut up for travellingprovisions. This, he carefully explained, was intended not as anarticle of traffic, but as a gift; for he saw that his guestswere hungry and in need of food.
Captain Bonneville gladly assented to this hospitablearrangement. The carcass of the colt was forthcoming in dueseason, but the captain insisted that one half of it should beset apart for the use of the chieftain's family.
At an early hour of the following morning, the little partyresumed their journey, accompanied by the old chief and an Indianguide. Their route was over a rugged and broken country; wherethe hills were slippery with ice and snow. Their horses, too,were so weak and jaded, that they could scarcely climb the steepascents, or maintain their foothold on the frozen declivities.
Throughout the whole of the journey, the old chief and the guidewere unremitting in their good offices, and continually on thealert to select the best roads, and assist them through alldifficulties. Indeed, the captain and his comrades had to bedependent on their Indian friends for almost every thing, forthey had lost their tobacco and pipes, those great comforts ofthe trapper, and had but a few charges of powder left, which itwas necessary to husband for the purpose of lighting their fires.
In the course of the day the old chief had several privateconsultations with the guide, and showed evident signs of beingoccupied with some mysterious matter of mighty import. What itwas, Captain Bonneville could not fathom, nor did he make mucheffort to do so. From some casual sentences that he overheard, heperceived that it was something from which the old man promisedhimself much satisfaction, and to which he attached a littlevainglory but which he wished to keep a secret; so he sufferedhim to spin out his petty plans unmolested.
In the evening when they encamped, the old chief and his privycounsellor, the guide, had another mysterious colloquy, afterwhich the guide mounted his horse and departed on some secretmission, while the chief resumed his seat at the fire, and sathumming to himself in a pleasing but mystic reverie.
The next morning, the travellers descended into the valley of theWay-lee-way, a considerable tributary of Snake River. Here theymet the guide returning from his secret errand. Another privateconference was held between him and the old managing chief, whonow seemed more inflated than ever with mystery and self-importance. Numerous fresh trails,and various other signs,
