The Life of Kit Carson: Hunter, Trapper, Guide, Indian Agent and Colonel U.S.A.
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CHAPTER XIV.
A Strange Occurrence--Arrival of Friends--Carson Joins a Large Company--Trapping on the Yellowstone--The Blackfeet--A Dreadful Scourge--In Winter Quarters--The Friendly Crow Indians--Loss of Two Trappers--On the Head Waters of the Missouri.
A singular occurrence took place a few nights after the return of Carsonand his friends from an extended bison hunt. Their horses and mules werecorralled near the post and a sentinel was on duty at all hours of thenight to prevent the animals being stolen by the Indians who were alwaysprowling through the neighborhood.
In the dim uncertain light, just beyond midnight, the sentinel saw twomen walk forward from the darkness, and without any appearance of haste,let down the bars and drive out the stock. Very naturally he concludedthey were his friends who intended to take out the animals to graze. Asthere was nothing more for him to do, he sought his quarters, lay downand went to sleep.
In the morning not a horse or a mule was to be found. The twoindividuals who had let down the bars and driven them out, wereBlackfeet Indians, whose complete success was due to their amazingaudacity. Had they shown any hesitation or haste, the suspicions of thesentinel would have been aroused, but when the truth became known, hewas the most astonished man at the fort.
The hunters were in a most sorry plight, for the Blackfeet having madea clean sweep, they were without the means of pursuing and recoveringtheir property. The parties who belonged at the fort had suffered asomewhat similar trick a short time before from the same tribe, so thatonly a few rickety horses remained in their possession.
Under the circumstances, the trappers were compelled to accept theirmisfortune with grim philosophy, and await the arrival of the restof the party, who had promised to rejoin them after completing theirbusiness at Fort Walla Walla.
Sure enough, a few weeks later, their friends appeared andprovidentially indeed they brought with them an extra supply ofexcellent horses. The trappers were in overflowing spirits once more andsoon started for the general rendezvous on Green River.
Other trappers continued to arrive for a number of days, until about allthat were expected had come in. Trade and barter then began and lastedsome three weeks. The scene was picturesque and stirring and there wasmuch hand shaking and pleasant wishes when the time came to separate.
Kit Carson left the employ of the Hudson Bay Company trader and attachedhimself to a party numbering fully a hundred who had determined totrap along the Yellowstone. It will be recalled that Carson once quit acompany of trappers because it was too large, and it may be wondered whyhe should join one that was still more numerous. The reason he didso was because they were going into the very heart of the Blackfootcountry. They had suffered so much from these daring marauders thatthey knew there would be no safety unless they went in strong force.Furthermore, the whites had so many old scores to settle with thoseredskins that they meant to invite attack from them. If the Blackfeetwould only offer the opportunity for battle, the trappers meant to givethem their fill.
The formidable company arranged matters according to a system. Dividinginto two equal parties, the duty of one was made to trap beaver, whilethe other furnished food and guarded the property. By this means,they would always be in shape to meet their sworn foes, while the realbusiness which brought them into the country would not be neglected.
The hunters were confident they would not be left alone very long. TheBlackfeet would resent the invasion of their hunting grounds, and to saythe least, would take measures to prevent the time hanging heavily onthe hands of the pale faces.
But, to the astonishment of the trappers, the days passed withoutbringing a glimpse of the savages. No hostile shot awoke the impressivestillness of the wilderness. Could it be the Blackfeet were seeking tothrow the whites off their guard? Did they expect to induce a degree ofcarelessness that would enable the Blackfeet to gather their warriorsand overwhelm them before they could reply?
It was not reasonable to suppose that the sagacious tribe held any suchbelief, for they could not have failed to know that any such hope wasidle.
But the explanation came one day by a party of friendly Crow Indians,who stated that the small pox was raging with such awful virulence amongthe Blackfeet that they were dying by hundreds and thousands. Indeed,the havoc was so dreadful that there was reason to believe the wholetribe would be swept away.
It would not be the first time that such an annihilation has taken placeamong the American Indians. The treatment required by that frightfuldisease is precisely the opposite of that which the red man in hisignorance pursues. When small pox breaks out among them, therefore, themortality becomes appalling.
The Crow Indians affiliated with the trappers and guided them to asecluded valley, where they established themselves for the winter. Thelodges were made strong and substantial, and it was fortunate that suchprecautions were taken, for the winter proved one of the severest knownfor many years. With their abundance of fuel, they kept enormous firesgoing and passed the days and nights in comparative comfort.
But it was far different with their stock. During the severe weather,the only food that could be obtained was the bark of the cottonwood.The inner lining of this is quite palatable to animals and in cases ofextremity it affords temporary sustenance to men. With its help actualstarvation was kept away, though it came very close.
Unusual weather always brings unusual experience, and the intense colddeveloped an annoyance to the trappers upon which they had not counted.The difficulty of finding food was felt by the wild animals as wellas domestic, and the bisons became desperate. When they saw the horseseating their fodder, they rushed forward and with lowered heads drovethem away. If a horse or mule refused, he was likely to be gored todeath.
The beasts finally became so numerous and fierce they would have killedall the stock of our friends if they had not kindled large fires andmounted constant guard. When the weather moderated those annoyancesended.
Had any explorer of the west found his way to the secluded valleywhere the trappers were in winter quarters, he would have looked upona striking scene. The Crow Indians and white men engaged in numerousathletic sports in friendly rivalry. They maintained the best of terms,and when the bisons departed, the strange community enjoyed themselvesfar better than would be supposed. In truth where they were favored withsuch rugged health and where they had plenty of food and comfortablequarters, it would have been remarkable had they not been comparativelyhappy. They were not disturbed by political discussions or diversity ofviews on any public questions and were satisfied that the glorious Unionwas safe without any worriment on their part.
When spring came, two of their party were sent to Fort Laramie toprocure needed supplies. They went off well mounted and armed andwere never heard of again. Somewhere in the recesses of the forest ormountain, the Blackfeet had probably killed them as they had done withmany a brave man before, and as they have done with multitudes since.
When it became certain the messengers had been slain, the companybegan the spring hunt without them. After trapping a brief while on theYellowstone, they worked their way to the head waters of the Missouri.They met with fair success and while engaged in that section, learnedthat the reports of the ravages of the small pox among the Blackfeet hadbeen greatly exaggerated. Instead of being decimated, the tribe hadnot suffered to any serious extent and were as strong and aggressive asever.
The trappers were not displeased to learn that such was the case,for they desired a settlement of accounts with them. Under suchcircumstances it was impossible that hostilities should be long delayed.