The Great Salt Trail | Page 5

Mr. Stuart to the ground. Mr. Stuart immediately drew
his pistol and presented it at the head of the impudent savage. Instantly
his bullying ended, and he dodged behind the horse to get away from
the intended shot. As the rest of the Crow warriors were looking on at
the movement of their chief, Mr. Stuart ordered his men to level their
rifles at them, but not to fire. Upon this demonstration the whole band
incontinently fled, and were soon out of sight.
The chief, finding himself alone, with true savage dissimulation began
to laugh, and pretended the whole affair was intended only as a joke.
Mr. Stuart did not relish this kind of joking, but it would not do to
provoke a quarrel; so he joined the chief in his laugh with the best
grace he could affect, and to pacify the savage for his failure to procure
the horse, gave him some powder, and they parted professedly the best
of friends.

It was discovered, after the savage had cleared out, that they had
managed to steal nearly all the cooking utensils of the party.
To avoid meeting the savages again, Mr. Stuart changed his route
farther to the north, leaving Bear River, and following a large branch of
that stream which came down from the mountains. After marching
twenty-five miles from the scene of their meeting with the Crows, they
camped, and that night hobbled all their animals. They preserved a
strict guard, and every man slept with his rifle on his arm, as they
suspected the savages might attempt to stampede their horses.
Next day their course continued northward, and soon their trail began
to ascend the hills, from the top of which they had an extended view of
the surrounding country. Not the sign of an Indian was to be seen, but
they did not feel secure and kept a very vigilant watch upon every
ravine and defile as they approached it. Making twenty-one miles that
day, they encamped on the bank of another stream still running north.
While there an alarm of Indians was given, and instantly every man
was on his feet with rifle ready to sell his life only at the greatest cost.
Indians there were, but they proved to be three miserable Snakes, who
were no sooner informed that a band of Crows were in the
neighbourhood, than they ran off in great trepidation.
Six days afterward they encamped on the margin of Mud River, nearly
a hundred and fifty miles from where they had met the impudent Crows.
Now the party began to believe themselves beyond the possibility of
any further trouble from them, and foolishly relaxed their usual
vigilance. The next morning they were up at the first streak of day, and
began to prepare their breakfast, when suddenly the cry of “Indians!
Indians! to arms! to arms!†sounded through the camp.
In a few moments a mounted Crow came riding past the camp, holding
in his hand a red flag, which he waved in a furious manner, as he halted
on the top of a small divide. Immediately a most diabolical yell broke
forth from the opposite side of the camp where the horses were
picketed, and a band of paint-bedaubed savages came rushing to where
they were feeding. In a moment the animals took fright and dashed
towards the flag-bearer, who vigorously kicked the flanks of his pony,
and loped off, followed by the stampeded animals which were hurried
on by the increasing yells of the retreating savages.
When the alarm was first given, Mr. Stuart's men seized their rifles and

tried to cut off the Indians who were after their horses, but their
attention was suddenly attracted by the yells in the opposite direction.
The savages, as they supposed, intended to make a raid on their camp
equipage, and they all turned to save it. But when the horses had been
secured the reserve party of savages dashed by the camp, whooping and
yelling in triumph, and the very last one of them was the gigantic chief
who had tried to joke with Mr. Stuart. As he passed the latter, he
checked up his animal, raised himself in the saddle, shouted some
insults, and rode on.
The rifle of one of the men, Ben Jones, was instantly levelled at the
chief, and he was just about to pull the trigger, when Mr. Stuart
exclaimed, “Not for your life! not for your life, you will bring
destruction upon us all!â€
It was a difficult matter to restrain Ben, when the target could be so
easily pierced, and he begged, “Oh, Mr. Stuart, only let me have one
crack at the infernal rascal, and you may keep all the pay that is due
me.â€
“By heavens, if you fire, I will