第40章

Having at length satisfied their curiosity, they next proceeded to business.The men occupied themselves in procuring supplies for their onward journey; either buying them with money or giving in exchange superfluous articles of their own.

The emigrants felt a violent prejudice against the French Indians, as they called the trappers and traders.They thought, and with some justice, that these men bore them no good will.Many of them were firmly persuaded that the French were instigating the Indians to attack and cut them off.On visiting the encampment we were at once struck with the extraordinary perplexity and indecision that prevailed among the emigrants.They seemed like men totally out of their elements; bewildered and amazed, like a troop of school-boys lost in the woods.It was impossible to be long among them without being conscious of the high and bold spirit with which most of them were animated.But the FOREST is the home of the backwoodsman.On the remote prairie he is totally at a loss.He differs much from the genuine "mountain man," the wild prairie hunter, as a Canadian voyageur, paddling his canoe on the rapids of the Ottawa, differs from an American sailor among the storms of Cape Horn.Still my companion and I were somewhat at a loss to account for this perturbed state of mind.It could not be cowardice; these men were of the same stock with the volunteers of Monterey and Buena Vista.Yet, for the most part, they were the rudest and most ignorant of the frontier population; they knew absolutely nothing of the country and its inhabitants; they had already experienced much misfortune, and apprehended more; they had seen nothing of mankind, and had never put their own resources to the test.

A full proportion of suspicion fell upon us.Being strangers we were looked upon as enemies.Having occasion for a supply of lead and a few other necessary articles, we used to go over to the emigrant camps to obtain them.After some hesitation, some dubious glances, and fumbling of the hands in the pockets, the terms would be agreed upon, the price tendered, and the emigrant would go off to bring the article in question.After waiting until our patience gave out, we would go in search of him, and find him seated on the tongue of his wagon.

"Well, stranger," he would observe, as he saw us approach, "I reckon I won't trade!"Some friend of his followed him from the scene of the bargain and suggested in his ear, that clearly we meant to cheat him, and he had better have nothing to do with us.

This timorous mood of the emigrants was doubly unfortunate, as it exposed them to real danger.Assume, in the presence of Indians a bold bearing, self-confident yet vigilant, and you will find them tolerably safe neighbors.But your safety depends on the respect and fear you are able to inspire.If you betray timidity or indecision, you convert them from that moment into insidious and dangerous enemies.The Dakotas saw clearly enough the perturbation of the emigrants and instantly availed themselves of it.They became extremely insolent and exacting in their demands.It has become an established custom with them to go to the camp of every party, at it arrives in succession at the fort, and demand a feast.Smoke's village had come with the express design, having made several days'

journey with no other object than that of enjoying a cup of coffee and two or three biscuits.So the "feast" was demanded, and the emigrants dared not refuse it.

One evening, about sunset, the village was deserted.We met old men, warriors, squaws, and children in gay attire, trooping off to the encampment, with faces of anticipation; and, arriving here, they seated themselves in a semicircle.Smoke occupied the center, with his warriors on either hand; the young men and boys next succeeded, and the squaws and children formed the horns of the crescent.The biscuit and coffee were most promptly dispatched, the emigrants staring open-mouthed at their savage guests.With each new emigrant party that arrived at Fort Laramie this scene was renewed; and every day the Indians grew more rapacious and presumptuous.One evening they broke to pieces, out of mere wantonness, the cups from which they had been feasted; and this so exasperated the emigrants that many of them seized their rifles and could scarcely be restrained from firing on the insolent mob of Indians.Before we left the country this dangerous spirit on the part of the Dakota had mounted to a yet higher pitch.They began openly to threaten the emigrants with destruction, and actually fired upon one or two parties of whites.A military force and military law are urgently called for in that perilous region; and unless troops are speedily stationed at Fort Laramie, or elsewhere in the neighborhood, both the emigrants and other travelers will be exposed to most imminent risks.