第10章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN BONNEVILLE",免费读到尾

  Theynowproceededonuntiltheydoubledthepointofthehill,

  whenthewholepopulationofthevillagebrokeupontheirview,

  drawnoutinthemostimposingstyle,andarrayedinalltheir

  finery。Theeffectofthewholewaswildandfantastic,yet

  singularlystriking。Inthefrontrankwerethechiefsand

  principalwarriors,glaringlypaintedanddecorated;behindthemwerearrangedtherestofthepeople,men,women,andchildren。CaptainBonnevilleandhispartyadvancedslowly,exchanging

  salutesoffirearms。Whenarrivedwithinarespectfuldistance,

  theydismounted。Thechiefsthencameforwardsuccessively,

  accordingtotheirrespectivecharactersandconsequence,to

  offerthehandofgoodfellowship;eachfilingoffwhenhehad

  shakenhands,tomakewayforhissuccessor。Thoseinthenext

  rankfollowedinthesameorder,andsoon,untilallhadgiven

  thepledgeoffriendship。Duringallthistime,thechief,

  accordingtocustom,tookhisstandbesidetheguests。Ifanyof

  hispeopleadvancedwhomhejudgedunworthyofthefriendshipor

  confidenceofthewhitemen,hemotionedthemoffbyawaveof

  thehand,andtheywouldsubmissivelywalkaway。WhenCaptain

  Bonnevilleturneduponhimaninquiringlook,hewouldobserve,

  “hewasabadman,“orsomethingquiteasconcise,andtherewasanendofthematter。Mats,poles,andothermaterialswerenowbrought,anda

  comfortablelodgewassoonerectedforthestrangers,wherethey

  werekeptconstantlysuppliedwithwoodandwater,andother

  necessaries;andalltheireffectswereplacedinsafekeeping。

  Theirhorses,too,wereunsaddled,andturnedloosetograze,andaguardsettokeepwatchuponthem。Allthisbeingadjusted,theywereconductedtothemainbuilding

  orcouncilhouseofthevillage,whereanamplerepast,orrather

  banquet,wasspread,whichseemedtorealizeallthe

  gastronomicaldreamsthathadtantalizedthemduringtheirlong

  starvation;forheretheybeheldnotmerelyfishandrootsin

  abundance,butthefleshofdeerandelk,andthechoicestpieces

  ofbuffalomeat。Itisneedlesstosayhowvigorouslythey

  acquittedthemselvesonthisoccasion,andhowunnecessaryitwas

  fortheirhoststopracticetheusualcrammingprincipleofIndianhospitality。Whentherepastwasover,alongtalkensued。Thechiefshowed

  thesamecuriosityevincedbyhistribegenerally,toobtain

  informationconcerningtheUnitedStates,ofwhichtheyknew

  littlebutwhattheyderivedthroughtheircousins,theUpperNez

  Perces;astheirtrafficisalmostexclusivelywiththeBritish

  tradersoftheHudson”sBayCompany。CaptainBonnevilledidhis

  besttosetforththemeritsofhisnation,andtheimportanceof

  theirfriendshiptotheredmen,inwhichhewasablysecondedby

  hisworthyfriend,theoldchiefwiththehardname,whodidallthathecouldtoglorifytheBigHeartsoftheEast。Thechief,andallpresent,listenedwithprofoundattention,and

  evidentlywithgreatinterest;norweretheimportantfactsthus

  setforth,confinedtotheaudienceinthelodge;forsentence

  aftersentencewasloudlyrepeatedbyacrierforthebenefitofthewholevillage。Thiscustomofpromulgatingeverythingbycriers,isnotconfined

  totheNezPerces,butprevailsamongmanyothertribes。Ithas

  itsadvantagewheretherearenogazettestopublishthenewsof

  theday,ortoreporttheproceedingsofimportantmeetings。And

  infact,reportsofthiskind,vivavoce,madeinthehearingof

  allparties,andliabletobecontradictedorcorrectedonthe

  spot,aremorelikelytoconveyaccurateinformationtothe

  publicmindthanthosecirculatedthroughthepress。Theoffice

  ofcrierisgenerallyfilledbysomeoldman,whoisgoodfor

  littleelse。Avillagehasgenerallyseveralofthesewalking

  newspapers,astheyaretermedbythewhites,whogoabout

  proclaimingthenewsoftheday,givingnoticeofpublic

  councils,expeditions,dances,feasts,andotherceremonials,and

  advertisinganythinglost。WhileCaptainBonnevilleremained

  amongtheNezPerces,ifaglove,handkerchief,oranythingof

  similarvalue,waslostormislaid,itwascarriedbythefinder

  tothelodgeofthechief,andproclamationwasmadebyoneoftheircriers,fortheownertocomeandclaimhisproperty。Howdifficultitistogetatthetruecharacterofthese

  wanderingtribesofthewilderness!Inarecentwork,wehavehad

  tospeakofthistribeofIndiansfromtheexperienceofother

  traderswhohadcasuallybeenamongthem,andwhorepresented

  themasselfish,inhospitable,exorbitantintheirdealings,and

  muchaddictedtothieving;CaptainBonneville,onthecontrary,

  whoresidedmuchamongthem,andhadrepeatedopportunitiesof

  ascertainingtheirrealcharacter,invariablyspeaksofthemas

  kindandhospitable,scrupulouslyhonest,andremarkable,above

  allotherIndiansthathehadmetwith,forastrongfeelingof

  religion。Infact,soenthusiasticisheintheirpraise,thathe

  pronouncesthem,allignorantandbarbarousastheyarebytheir

  condition,oneofthepurestheartedpeopleonthefaceoftheearth。SomecureswhichCaptainBonnevillehadeffectedinsimplecases,

  amongtheUpperNezPerces,hadreachedtheearsoftheircousins

  here,andgainedforhimthereputationofagreatmedicineman。

  Hehadnotbeenlonginthevillage,therefore,beforehislodge

  begantobetheresortofthesickandtheinfirm。Thecaptain

  feltthevalueofthereputationthusaccidentallyandcheaply

  acquired,andendeavoredtosustainit。Ashehadarrivedatthat

  agewheneverymanis,experimentally,somethingofaphysician,

  hewasenabledtoturntoadvantagethelittleknowledgeinthe

  healingartwhichhehadcasuallypickedup;andwassufficiently

  successfulintwoorthreecases,toconvincethesimpleIndians

  thatreporthadnotexaggeratedhismedicaltalents。Theonly

  patientthateffectuallybaffledhisskill,orratherdiscouraged

  anyattemptatrelief,wasanantiquatedsquawwithachurchyard

  cough,andoneleginthegrave;itbeingshrunkandrendered

  uselessbyarheumaticaffection。Thiswasacasebeyondhis

  mark;however,hecomfortedtheoldwomanwithapromisethathe

  wouldendeavortoprocuresomethingtorelieveher,atthefort

  ontheWallah-Wallah,andwouldbringitonhisreturn;with

  whichassuranceherhusbandwassowellsatisfied,thathe

  presentedthecaptainwithacolt,tobekilledasprovisionsforthejourney:amedicalfeewhichwasthankfullyaccepted。WhileamongtheseIndians,CaptainBonnevilleunexpectedlyfound

  anownerforthehorsewhichhehadpurchasedfromaRootDigger

  attheBigWyer。TheIndiansatisfactorilyprovedthatthehorse

  hadbeenstolenfromhimsometimeprevious,bysomeunknown

  thief。“However,“saidtheconsideratesavage,“yougothimin

  fairtrade——youaremoreinwantofhorsesthanIam:keephim;heisyours——heisagoodhorse;usehimwell。”Thus,inthecontinuedexperienceofactsofkindnessand

  generosity,whichhisdestituteconditiondidnotallowhimto

  reciprocate,CaptainBonnevillepassedsomeshorttimeamong

  thesegoodpeople,moreandmoreimpressedwiththegeneral

  excellenceoftheircharacter。[ReturntoContents]Irving”sBonneville-Chapter33[ReturntoContents]WashingtonIrving”sTheAdventuresofCaptainBonnevilleChapter33SceneryoftheWay-lee-way——Asubstitutefortobacco——SublimesceneryofSnake

  River——Thegarrulousoldchiefandhiscousin——ANezPercemeeting——Astolen

  skin——Thescapegoatdog——Mysteriousconferences——Thelittlechief——His

  hospitality——Thecaptain”saccountoftheUnitedStates——HishealingskillINRESUMINGHISJOURNEY,CaptainBonnevillewasconductedbythesameNez

  Perceguide,whoseknowledgeofthecountrywasimportantinchoosingtheroutesand

  restingplaces。Healsocontinuedtobeaccompaniedbytheworthyoldchiefwiththe

  hardname,whoseemedbentupondoingthehonorsofthecountry,andintroducing

  himtoeverybranchofhistribe。TheWay-lee-way,downthebanksofwhichCaptain

  Bonnevilleandhiscompanionswerenowtravelling,isaconsiderablestreamwinding

  throughasuccessionofboldandbeautifulscenes。Sometimesthelandscapetowered

  intoboldandmountainousheightsthatpartookofsublimity;atothertimes,itstretchedalongthewatersideinfreshsmilingmeadows,andgracefulundulatingvalleys。FrequentlyintheirroutetheyencounteredsmallpartiesoftheNezPerces,withwhom

  theyinvariablystoppedtoshakehands;andwho,generally,evincedgreatcuriosity

  concerningthemandtheiradventures;acuriositywhichneverfailedtobethoroughly

  satisfiedbytherepliesoftheworthyYo-mus-ro-y-e-cut,whokindlytookuponhimselftobespokesmanoftheparty。Theincessantsmokingofpipesincidenttothelongtalksofthisexcellent,but

  somewhatgarrulousoldchief,atlengthexhaustedallhisstockoftobacco,sothathe

  hadnolongerawhiffwithwhichtoregalehiswhitecompanions。Inthisemergency,he

  cutupthestemofhispipeintofineshavings,whichhemixedwithcertainherbs,and

  thusmanufacturedatemporarysuccedaneumtoenablehimtoaccompanyhislongcolloquiesandharangueswiththecustomaryfragrantcloud。IfthesceneryoftheWay-lee-wayhadcharmedthetravellerswithitsmingledamenity

  andgrandeur,thatwhichbrokeuponthemononcemorereachingSnakeRiver,filled

  themwithadmirationandastonishment。Attimes,theriverwasoverhungbydarkand

  stupendousrocks,risinglikegiganticwallsandbattlements;thesewouldberentby

  wideandyawningchasms,thatseemedtospeakofpastconvulsionsofnature。

  Sometimestheriverwasofaglassysmoothnessandplacidity;atothertimesitroared

  alonginimpetuousrapidsandfoamingcascades。Here,therockswerepiledinthe

  mostfantasticcragsandprecipices;andinanotherplace,theyweresucceededby

  delightfulvalleyscarpetedwithgreen-award。Thewholeofthiswildandvariedscenery

  wasdominatedbyimmensemountainsrearingtheirdistantpeaksintotheclouds。“The

  grandeurandoriginalityoftheviews,presentedoneveryside,“saysCaptain

  Bonneville,“beggarboththepencilandthepen。Nothingwehadevergazeduponin

  anyotherregioncouldforamomentcompareinwildmajestyandimpressive

  sternness,withtheseriesofsceneswhichhereateveryturnastonishedoursenses,andfilleduswithaweanddelight。”Indeed,fromallthatwecangatherfromthejournalbeforeus,andtheaccountsof

  othertravellers,whopassedthroughtheseregionsinthememorableenterpriseof

  Astoria,weareinclinedtothinkthatSnakeRivermustbeoneofthemostremarkable

  forvariedandstrikingsceneryofalltheriversofthiscontinent。Fromitsheadwatersin

  theRockyMountains,toitsjunctionwiththeColumbia,itswindingsareupwardofsix

  hundredmilesthrougheveryvarietyoflandscape。Risinginavolcanicregion,amid

  extinguishedcraters,andmountainsawfulwiththetracesofancientfires,itmakesits

  waythroughgreatplainsoflavaandsandydeserts,penetratesvastsierrasor

  mountainouschains,brokenintoromanticandoftenfrightfulprecipices,andcrowned

  witheternalsnows;andatothertimes,careersthroughgreenandsmilingmeadows,

  andwidelandscapesofItaliangraceandbeauty。Wildnessandsublimity,however,appeartobeitsprevailingcharacteristics。CaptainBonnevilleandhiscompanionshadpursuedtheirjourneyaconsiderable

  distancedownthecourseofSnakeRiver,whentheoldchiefhaltedonthebank,and

  dismounting,recommendedthattheyshouldturntheirhorsesloosetograze,whilehe

  summonedacousinofhisfromagroupoflodgesontheoppositesideofthestream。

  Hissummonswasquicklyanswered。AnIndian,ofanactiveelasticform,leapedintoa

  lightcanoeofcotton-wood,andvigorouslyplyingthepaddle,soonshotacrosstheriver。

  Boundingonshore,headvancedwithabuoyantairandfrankdemeanor,andgavehis

  righthandtoeachofthepartyinturn。Theoldchief,whosehardnameweforbearto

  repeat,nowpresentedCaptainBonneville,inform,tohiscousin,whosename,we

  regrettosay,wasnolesshardbeingnothinglessthanHay-she-in-cow-cow。Thelatter

  evincedtheusualcuriositytoknowallaboutthestrangers,whencetheycamewhither

  theyweregoing,theobjectoftheirjourney,andtheadventurestheyhadexperienced。

  Allthese,ofcourse,wereampleandeloquentlysetforthbythecommunicativeold

  chief。Toallhisgrandiloquentaccountofthebald-headedchiefandhiscountrymen,the

  BigHeartsoftheEast,hiscousinlistenedwithgreatattention,andrepliedinthe

  customarystyleofIndianwelcome。Hethendesiredthepartytoawaithisreturn,and,

  springingintohiscanoe,dartedacrosstheriver。Inalittlewhilehereturned,bringinga

  mostwelcomesupplyoftobacco,andasmallstockofprovisionsfortheroad,declaring

  hisintentionofaccompanyingtheparty。Havingnohorse,hemountedbehindoneofthemen,observingthatheshouldprocureasteedforhimselfonthefollowingday。Theyallnowjoggedonverysociablyandcheerilytogether。Notmanymilesbeyond,

  theymetothersofthetribe,amongwhomwasone,whomCaptainBonnevilleandhis

  comradeshadknownduringtheirresidenceamongtheUpperNezPerces,andwho

  welcomedthemwithopenarms。Inthisneighborhoodwasthehomeoftheirguide,who

  tookleaveofthemwithaprofusionofgoodwishesfortheirsafetyandhappiness。That

  nighttheyputupinthehutofaNezPerce,wheretheywerevisitedbyseveralwarriors

  fromtheothersideoftheriver,friendsoftheoldchiefandhiscousin,whocameto

  haveatalkandasmokewiththewhitemen。Theheartofthegoodoldchiefwas

  overflowingwithgoodwillatthusbeingsurroundedbyhisnewandoldfriends,andhe

  talkedwithmorespiritandvivacitythanever。Theeveningpassedawayinperfect

  harmonyandgood-humor,anditwasnotuntilalatehourthatthevisitorstooktheirleaveandrecrossedtheriver。AfterthisconstantpictureofworthandvirtueonthepartoftheNezPercetribe,we

  grievetohavetorecordacircumstancecalculatedtothrowatemporaryshadeupon

  thename。Inthecourseofthesocialandharmoniouseveningjustmentioned,oneof

  thecaptain”smen,whohappenedtobesomethingofavirtuosoinhisway,andfondof

  collectingcuriosities,producedasmallskin,agreatrarityintheeyesofmen

  conversantinpeltries。Itattractedmuchattentionamongthevisitorsfrombeyondthe

  river,whopasseditfromonetotheother,examineditwithlooksoflivelyadmiration,andpronounceditagreatmedicine。Inthemorning,whenthecaptainandhispartywereabouttosetoff,thepreciousskin

  wasmissing。Searchwasmadeforitinthehut,butitwasnowheretobefound;andit

  wasstronglysuspectedthatithadbeenpurloinedbysomeoftheconnoisseursfromtheothersideoftheriver。Theoldchiefandhiscousinwereindignantatthesupposeddelinquencyoftheirfriends

  acrossthewater,andcalledoutforthemtocomeoverandanswerfortheirshameful

  conduct。Theothersansweredtothecallwithallthepromptitudeofperfectinnocence,

  andspurnedattheideaoftheirbeingcapableofsuchoutrageuponanyoftheBig-heartednation。

  Allwereatalossonwhomtofixthecrimeofabstractingtheinvaluable

  skin,whenbychancetheeyesoftheworthiesfrombeyondthewaterfelluponan

  unhappycur,belongingtotheownerofthehut。Hewasagallows-lookingdog,butnot

  moresothanmostIndiandogs,who,taketheminthemass,arelittlebetterthana

  generationofvipers。Bethatasitmay,hewasinstantlyaccusedofhavingdevoured

  theskininquestion。Adogaccusedisgenerallyadogcondemned;andadog

  condemnedisgenerallyadogexecuted。Sowasitinthepresentinstance。The

  unfortunatecurwasarraigned;histhievishlookssubstantiatedhisguilt,andhewas

  condemnedbyhisjudgesfromacrosstherivertobehanged。InvaintheIndiansofthe

  hut,withwhomhewasagreatfavorite,intercededinhisbehalf。InvainCaptain

  Bonnevilleandhiscomradespetitionedthathislifemightbespared。Hisjudgeswere

  inexorable。Hewasdoublyguilty:first,inhavingrobbedtheirgoodfriends,theBig

  HeartsoftheEast;secondly,inhavingbroughtadoubtonthehonoroftheNezPerce

  tribe。Hewas,accordingly,swungaloft,andpeltedwithstonestomakehisdeathmore

  certain。Thesentenceofthejudgesbeingthoroughlyexecuted,apostmortem

  examinationofthebodyofthedogwasheld,toestablishhisdelinquencybeyondall

  doubt,andtoleavetheNezPerceswithoutashadowofsuspicion。Greatinterest,of

  course,wasmanifestedbyallpresent,duringthisoperation。Thebodyofthedogwas

  opened,theintestinesrigorouslyscrutinized,but,tothehorrorofallconcerned,notaparticleoftheskinwastobefound——thedoghadbeenunjustlyexecuted!Agreatclamornowensued,butthemostclamorouswasthepartyfromacrossthe

  river,whosejealousyoftheirgoodnamenowpromptedthemtothemostvociferous

  vindicationsoftheirinnocence。Itwaswiththeutmostdifficultythatthecaptainandhis

  comradescouldcalmtheirlivelysensibilities,byaccountingforthedisappearanceof

  theskininadozendifferentways,untilallideaofitshavingbeenstolenwasentirelyoutofthequestion。Themeetingnowbrokeup。Thewarriorsreturnedacrosstheriver,thecaptainandhis

  comradesproceededontheirjourney;butthespiritsofthecommunicativeoldchief,

  Yo-mus-ro-y-e-cut,wereforatimecompletelydampened,andheevincedgreat

  mortificationatwhathadjustoccurred。Herodeoninsilence,except,thatnowandthen

  hewouldgivewaytoaburstofindignation,andexclaim,withashakeoftheheadand

  atossofthehandtowardtheoppositeshore”badmen,verybadmenacrossthe

  river“;toeachofwhichbriefexclamations,hisworthycousin,Hay-she-in-cow-cow,wouldrespondbyagutturalsoundofacquiescence,equivalenttoanamen。Aftersometime,thecountenanceofthe-oldchiefagainclearedup,andhefellinto

  repeatedconferences,inanundertone,withhiscousin,whichendedinthedeparture

  ofthelatter,who,applyingthelashtohishorse,dashedforwardandwassoonoutof

  sight。Infact,theyweredrawingneartothevillageofanotherchief,likewise

  distinguishedbyanappellationofsomelongitude,O-pushy-e-cut;butcommonlyknown

  asthegreatchief。Thecousinhadbeensentaheadtogivenoticeoftheirapproach;a

  heraldappearedasbefore,bearingapowder-horn,toenablethemtorespondtothe

  intendedsalute。Asceneensued,ontheirapproachtothevillage,similartothatwhich

  hadoccurredatthevillageofthelittlechief。Thewholepopulationappearedinthefield,

  drawnupinlines,arrayedwiththecustomaryregardtorankanddignity。Thencameon

  thefiringofsalutes,andtheshakingofhands,inwhichlastceremonialeveryindividual,

  man,woman,andchild,participated;fortheIndianshaveanideathatitisas

  indispensableanovertureoffriendshipamongthewhitesassmokingofthepipeis

  amongtheredmen。Thetravellerswerenextusheredtothebanquet,whereallthe

  choicestviandsthatthevillagecouldfurnish,wereservedupinrichprofusion。They

  wereafterwardsentertainedbyfeatsofagilityandhorseraces;indeed,theirvisittothe

  villageseemedthesignalforcompletefestivity。Inthemeantime,askinlodgehadbeen

  spreadfortheiraccommodation,theirhorsesandbaggageweretakencareof,and

  woodandwatersuppliedinabundance。Atnight,therefore,theyretiredtotheir

  quarters,toenjoy,astheysupposed,thereposeofwhichtheystoodinneed。Nosuch

  thing,however,wasinstoreforthem。Acrowdofvisitorsawaitedtheirappearance,all

  eagerforasmokeandatalk。Thepipewasimmediatelylighted,andconstantly

  replenishedandkeptaliveuntilthenightwasfaradvanced。Asusual,theutmost

  eagernesswasevincedbythegueststolearneverythingwithinthescopeoftheir

  comprehensionrespectingtheAmericans,forwhomtheyprofessedthemostfraternal

  regard。Thecaptain,inhisreplies,madeuseoffamiliarillustrations,calculatedtostrike

  theirminds,andimpressthemwithsuchanideaofthemightofhisnation,aswould

  inducethemtotreatwithkindnessandrespectallstragglersthatmightfallintheirpath。

  TotheirinquiriesastothenumbersofthepeopleoftheUnitedStates,heassured

  themthattheywereascountlessasthebladesofgrassintheprairies,andthat,great

  asSnakeRiverwas,iftheywereallencampeduponitsbanks,theywoulddrinkitdryin

  asingleday。Totheseandsimilarstatistics,theylistenedwithprofoundattention,and

  apparently,implicitbelief。Itwas,indeed,astrikingscene:thecaptain,withhishunter”s

  dressandbaldheadinthemidst,holdingforth,andhiswildauditorsseatedaroundlike

  somanystatues,thefirelightinguptheirpaintedfacesandmuscularfigures,allfixed

  andmotionless,exceptingwhenthepipewaspassed,aquestionpropounded,ora

  startlingfactinstatisticsreceivedwithamovementofsurpriseandahalf-suppressedejaculationofwonderanddelight。Thefameofthecaptainasahealerofdiseases,hadaccompaniedhimtothisvillage,

  andthegreatchief,O-push-y-e-cut,nowentreatedhimtoexerthisskillonhisdaughter,

  whohadbeenforthreedaysrackedwithpains,forwhichthePierced-nosedoctors

  coulddevisenoalleviation。Thecaptainfoundherextendedonapalletofmatsin

  excruciatingpain。Herfathermanifestedthestrongestpaternalaffectionforher,and

  assuredthecaptainthatifhewouldbutcureher,hewouldplacetheAmericansnear

  hisheart。Theworthycaptainneedednosuchinducement。Hiskindheartwasalready

  touchedbythesufferingsofthepoorgirl,andhissympathiesquickenedbyher

  appearance;forshewasbutaboutsixteenyearsofage,anduncommonlybeautifulin

  formandfeature。Theonlydifficultywiththecaptainwas,thatheknewnothingofher

  malady,andthathismedicalsciencewasofamosthaphazardkind。Afterconsidering

  andcogitatingforsometime,asamanisapttodowheninamazeofvagueideas,he

  madeadesperatedashataremedy。Byhisdirections,thegirlwasplacedinasortof

  rudevaporbath,muchusedbytheNezPerces,whereshewaskeptuntilnearfainting。

  Hethengaveheradoseofgunpowderdissolvedincoldwater,andorderedhertobe

  wrappedinbuffalorobesandputtosleepunderaloadoffursandblankets。The

  remedysucceeded:thenextmorningshewasfreefrompain,thoughextremelylanguid;

  whereupon,thecaptainprescribedforherabowlofcolt”sheadbroth,andthatsheshouldbekeptforatimeonsimplediet。Thegreatchiefwasunboundedinhisexpressionsofgratitudefortherecoveryofhis

  daughter。Hewouldfainhavedetainedthecaptainalongtimeashisguest,butthe

  timefordeparturehadarrived。Whenthecaptain”shorsewasbroughtforhimtomount,

  thechiefdeclaredthatthesteedwasnotworthyofhim,andsentforoneofhisbest

  horses,whichhepresentedinitsstead;declaringthatitmadehisheartgladtoseehis

  friendsowellmounted。HethenappointedayoungNezPercetoaccompanyhisguest

  tothenextvillage,and“tocarryhistalk“concerningthem;andthetwopartiesseparatedwithmutualexpressionsofgoodwill。ThevaporbathofwhichwehavemadementionisinfrequentuseamongtheNez

  Percetribe,chieflyforcleanliness。Theirsweatinghouses,astheycallthem,aresmall

  andcloselodges,andthevaporisproducedbywaterpouredslowlyuponred-hotstones。OnpassingthelimitsofO-push-y-e-cut”sdomains,thetravellerslefttheelevated

  table-lands,andallthewildandromanticscenerywhichhasjustbeendescribed。Theynow

  traversedagentlyundulatingcountry,ofsuchfertilitythatitexcitedtherapturous

  admirationoftwoofthecaptain”sfollowers,aKentuckianandanativeofOhio。They

  declaredthatitsurpassedanylandthattheyhadeverseen,andoftenexclaimedwhat

  adelightitwouldbejusttorunaploughthroughsucharichandteemingsoil,andseeitopenitsbountifulpromisebeforetheshare。Anotherhaltandsojournofanightwasmadeatthevillageofachiefnamed

  He-mim-el-pilp,wheresimilarceremonieswereobservedandhospitalityexperienced,asatthe

  precedingvillages。Theynowpursuedawest-southwestcoursethroughabeautifuland

  fertileregion,betterwoodedthanmostofthetractsthroughwhichtheyhadpassed。In

  theirprogress,theymetwithseveralbandsofNezPerces,bywhomtheywere

  invariablytreatedwiththeutmostkindness。Withinsevendaysafterleavingthedomain

  ofHe-mim-el-pilp,theystrucktheColumbiaRiveratFortWallah-Wallah,wherethey

  arrivedonthe4thofMarch,1834。[ReturntoContents]Irving”sBonneville-Chapter34[ReturntoContents]WashingtonIrving”sTheAdventuresofCaptainBonnevilleChapter34FortWallah-Wallah——Itscommander——Indiansinitsneighborhood——ExertionsofMr。

  Pambrune

  fortheirimprovement——Religion——Codeoflaws——RangeoftheLowerNezPerces——Camash,and

  otherroots——NezPercehorses——Preparationsfordeparture——Refusalofsupplies——Departure——A

  laggardandgluttonFORTWALLAH-WALLAHisatradingpostoftheHudson”sBayCompany,situatedjust

  abovethemouthoftheriverbythesamename,andontheleftbankoftheColumbia。Itisbuilt

  ofdrift-wood,andcalculatedmerelyfordefenceagainstanyattackofthenatives。Atthetimeof

  CaptainBonneville”sarrival,thewholegarrisonmusteredbutsixoreightmen;andthepostwasunderthesuperintendenceofMr。Pambrune,anagentoftheHudson”sBayCompany。Thegreatpostandfortofthecompany,formingtheemporiumofitstradeonthePacific,is

  Fort

  Vancouver;situatedontherightbankoftheColumbia,aboutsixtymilesfromthesea,andjust

  abovethemouthoftheWallamut。Tothispoint,thecompanyremoveditsestablishmentfromAstoria,in1821,afteritscoalitionwiththeNorthwestCompany。CaptainBonnevilleandhiscomradesexperiencedapolitereceptionfromMr。Pambrune,the

  superintendent:for,howeverhostilethemembersoftheBritishCompanymaybetothe

  enterprisesofAmericantraders,theyhavealwaysmanifestedgreatcourtesyandhospitalitytothetradersthemselves。FortWallah-Wallahissurroundedbythetribeofthesamename,aswellasbytheSkynses

  and

  theNezPerces;whobringtoitthefursandpeltriescollectedintheirhuntingexpeditions。The

  Wallah-Wallahsareadegenerate,worn-outtribe。TheNezPercesarethemostnumerousand

  tractableofthethreetribesjustmentioned。Mr。PambruneinformedCaptainBonnevillethathe

  hadbeenatsomepainstointroducetheChristianreligion,intheRomanCatholicform,among

  them,whereithadevidentlytakenroot;buthadbecomealteredandmodified,tosuittheir

  peculiarhabitsofthought,andmotivesofaction;retaining,however,theprincipalpointsof

  faith,anditsentirepreceptsofmorality。Thesamegentlemanhadgiventhemacodeoflaws,to

  whichtheyconformedwithscrupulousfidelity。Polygamy,whichonceprevailedamongthemto

  agreatextent,wasnowrarelyindulged。AllthecrimesdenouncedbytheChristianfaithmetwith

  severepunishmentamongthem。Eventheft,sovenialacrimeamongtheIndians,hadrecentlybeenpunishedwithhanging,bysentenceofachief。Therecertainlyappearstobeapeculiarsusceptibilityofmoralandreligiousimprovement

  among

  thistribe,andtheywouldseemtobeoneofthevery,veryfewthathavebenefitedinmoralsand

  mannersbyanintercoursewithwhitemen。Thepartieswhichvisitedthemabouttwentyyears

  previously,intheexpeditionfittedoutbyMr。Astor,complainedoftheirselfishness,their

  extortion,andtheirthievishpropensities。TheveryreverseofthosequalitiesprevailedamongthemduringtheprolongedsojournsofCaptainBonneville。TheLowerNezPercesrangeupontheWay-lee-way,Immahah,Yenghies,andotherofthe

  streamswestofthemountains。Theyhuntthebeaver,elk,deer,whitebear,andmountainsheep。

  Besidesthefleshoftheseanimals,theyuseanumberofrootsforfood;someofwhichwouldbe

  wellworthtransplantingandcultivatingintheAtlanticStates。Amongtheseisthecamash,a

  sweetroot,abouttheformandsizeofanonion,andsaidtobereallydelicious。Thecowish,also,

  orbiscuitroot,aboutthesizeofawalnut,whichtheyreducetoaverypalatableflour;togetherwiththejackap,aisish,quako,andothers;whichtheycookbysteamingthemintheground。InAugustandSeptember,theseIndianskeepalongtherivers,wheretheycatchanddry

  great

  quantitiesofsalmon;which,whiletheylast,aretheirprincipalfood。Inthewinter,they

  congregateinvillagesformedofcomfortablehuts,orlodges,coveredwithmats。Theyare

  generallycladindeerskins,orwoollens,andextremelywellarmed。Aboveall,theyare

  celebratedforowninggreatnumbersofhorses;whichtheymark,andthensuffertorangein

  drovesintheirmostfertileplains。Thesehorsesareprincipallyoftheponybreed;butremarkably

  stoutandlong-winded。TheyarebroughtingreatnumberstotheestablishmentsoftheHudson”sBayCompany,andsoldforameretrifle。SuchistheaccountgivenbyCaptainBonnevilleoftheNezPerces;who,ifnotviewedby

  him

  withtoopartialaneye,arecertainlyamongthegentlest,andleastbarbarouspeopleofthese

  remotewildernesses。TheyinvariablysignifiedtohimtheirearnestwishthatanAmericanpost

  mightbeestablishedamongthem;andrepeatedlydeclaredthattheywouldtradewithAmericans,inpreferencetoanyotherpeople。CaptainBonnevillehadintendedtoremainsometimeinthisneighborhood,toforman

  acquaintancewiththenatives,andtocollectinformation,andestablishconnectionsthatmightbe

  advantageousinthewayoftrade。Thedelays,however,whichhehadexperiencedonhis

  journey,obligedhimtoshortenhissojourn,andtosetoffassoonaspossible,soastoreachthe

  rendezvousatthePortneufattheappointedtime。Hehadseenenoughtoconvincehimthatan

  Americantrademightbecarriedonwithadvantageinthisquarter;andhedeterminedsoontoreturnwithastrongerparty,morecompletelyfittedforthepurpose。Ashestoodinneedofsomesuppliesforhisjourney,heappliedtopurchasethemofMr。

  Pambrune;butsoonfoundthedifferencebetweenbeingtreatedasaguest,orasarivaltrader。

  Theworthysuperintendent,whohadextendedtohimallthegenialritesofhospitality,now

  suddenlyassumedawithered-upaspectanddemeanor,andobservedthat,howeverhemightfeel

  disposedtoservehim,personally,hefeltboundbyhisdutytotheHudson”sBayCompany,todo

  nothingwhichshouldfacilitateorencouragethevisitsofothertradersamongtheIndiansinthat

  partofthecountry。HeendeavoredtodissuadeCaptainBonnevillefromreturningthroughthe

  BlueMountains;assuringhimitwouldbeextremelydifficultanddangerous,ifnot

  impracticable,atthisseasonoftheyear;andadvisedhimtoaccompanyMr。Payette,aleaderof

  theHudson”sBayCompany,whowasabouttodepartwithanumberofmen,byamore

  circuitous,butsaferoute,tocarrysuppliestothecompany”sagent,residentamongtheUpper

  NezPerces。CaptainBonneville,however,piquedathishavingrefusedtofurnishhimwith

  supplies,anddoubtingthesincerityofhisadvice,determinedtoreturnbythemoredirectroute

  throughthemountains;thoughvaryinghiscourse,insomerespects,fromthatbywhichhehadcome,inconsequenceofinformationgatheredamongtheneighboringIndians。Accordingly,onthe6thofMarch,heandhisthreecompanions,accompaniedbytheirNez

  Perce

  guides,setoutontheirreturn。Intheearlypartoftheircourse,theytouchedagainatseveralof

  theNezPercevillages,wheretheyhadexperiencedsuchkindtreatmentontheirwaydown。Theywerealwayswelcomedwithcordiality;andeverythingwasdonetocheerthemontheirjourney。OnleavingtheWay-lee-wayvillage,theywerejoinedbyaNezPerce,whosesocietywas

  welcomedonaccountofthegeneralgratitudeandgoodwilltheyfeltforhistribe。Hesoon

  provedaheavycloguponthelittleparty,beingdoltishandtaciturn,lazyintheextreme,anda

  hugefeeder。Hisonlyproofofintellectwasinshrewdlyavoidingalllabor,andavailinghimself

  ofthetoilofothers。Whenonthemarch,healwayslaggedbehindtherest,leavingtothemthe

  taskofbreakingawaythroughalldifficultiesandimpediments,andleisurelyandlazilyjogging

  alongthetrack,whichtheyhadbeatenthroughthesnow。Attheeveningencampment,when

  otherswerebusygatheringfuel,providingforthehorses,andcookingtheeveningrepast,this

  worthySanchoofthewildernesswouldtakehisseatquietlyandcosilybythefire,puffingaway

  athispipe,andeyeinginsilence,butwithwistfulintensityofgaze,thesavorymorselsroastingforsupper。Whenmeal-timearrived,however,thencamehisseasonofactivity。Henolongerhung

  back,and

  waitedforotherstotakethelead,butdistinguishedhimselfbyabrilliancyofonset,anda

  sustainedvigoranddurationofattack,thatcompletelyshamedtheeffortsofhis

  competitors——albeit,experiencedtrenchermenofnomeanprowess。Neverhadtheywitnessed

  suchpowerofmastication,andsuchmarvellouscapacityofstomach,asinthisnativeand

  uncultivatedgastronome。Having,byrepeatedandprolongedassaults,atlengthcompletely

  gorgedhimself,hewouldwraphimselfupandliewiththetorporofananaconda;slowlydigestinghiswayontothenextrepast。Thegormandizingpowersofthisworthywere,atfirst,mattersofsurpriseandmerrimentto

  the

  travellers;buttheysoonbecametooseriousforajoke,threateningdevastationtothefleshpots;

  andhewasregardedaskance,athismeals,asaregularkill-crop,destinedtowastethesubstance

  oftheparty。Nothingbutasenseoftheobligationstheywereundertohisnationinducedthemto

  bearwithsuchaguest;butheproceeded,speedily,torelievethemfromtheweightofthese

  obligations,byeatingareceiptinfull。[ReturntoContents]Irving”sBonneville-Chapter35[ReturntoContents]WashingtonIrving”sTheAdventuresofCaptainBonnevilleChapter35Theuninvitedguest——Freeandeasymanners——Salutaryjokes——Aprodigalson——Exitof

  theglutton——Asuddenchangeinfortune——Dangerofavisittopoorrelations——Plucking

  ofaprosperousman——Avagabondtoilet——Asubstitutefortheveryfinehorse——Hard

  travelling——Theuninvitedguestandthepatriarchalcolt——Abeggaronhorseback——A

  catastrophe——ExitofthemerryvagabondAsCAPTAINBONNEVILLEandhismenwereencampedoneeveningamongthehills

  nearSnakeRiver,seatedbeforetheirfire,enjoyingaheartysupper,theywere

  suddenlysurprisedbythevisitofanuninvitedguest。Hewasaragged,half-naked

  Indianhunter,armedwithbowandarrows,andhadthecarcassofafinebuckthrown

  acrosshisshoulder。Advancingwithanalertstep,andfreeandeasyair,hethrewthe

  buckontheground,and,withoutwaitingforaninvitation,seatedhimselfattheirmess,

  helpedhimselfwithoutceremony,andchattedtotherightandleftintheliveliestand

  mostunembarrassedmanner。Noadroitandveterandinnerhunterofametropolis

  couldhaveacquittedhimselfmoreknowingly。Thetravellerswereatfirstcompletely

  takenbysurprise,andcouldnotbutadmirethefacilitywithwhichthisragged

  cosmopolitemadehimselfathomeamongthem。Whiletheystaredhewenton,making

  themostofthegoodcheeruponwhichhehadsofortunatelyalighted;andwassoonelbowdeepin“potluck,“andgreasedfromthetipofhisnosetothebackofhisears。Asthecompanyrecoveredfromtheirsurprise,theybegantofeelannoyedatthis

  intrusion。Theiruninvitedguest,unlikethegeneralityofhistribe,wassomewhatdirtyas

  wellasraggedandtheyhadnorelishforsuchamessmate。Heapingup,therefore,an

  abundantportionofthe“provant“uponapieceofbark,whichservedforadish,theyinvitedhimtoconfinehimselfthereto,insteadofforaginginthegeneralmess。Hecompliedwiththemostaccommodatingspiritimaginable;andwentoneatingand

  chatting,andlaughingandsmearinghimself,untilhiswholecountenanceshonewith

  greaseandgood-humor。Inthecourseofhisrepast,hisattentionwascaughtbythe

  figureofthegastronome,who,asusual,wasgorginghimselfindoggedsilence。Adroll

  cutoftheeyeshowedeitherthatheknewhimofold,orperceivedatoncehis

  characteristics。Heimmediatelymadehimthebuttofhispleasantries;andcrackedoff

  twoorthreegoodhits,thatcausedthesluggishdolttoprickuphisears,anddelighted

  allthecompany。Fromthistime,theuninvitedguestwastakenintofavor;hisjokes

  begantoberelished;hiscareless,freeandeasyair,tobeconsideredsingularly

  amusing;andintheend,hewaspronouncedbythetravellersoneofthemerriestcompanionsandmostentertainingvagabondstheyhadmetwithinthewilderness。Supperbeingover,theredoubtableShee-wee-she-ouaiter,forsuchwasthesimple

  namebywhichheannouncedhimself,declaredhisintentionofkeepingcompanywith

  thepartyforadayortwo,iftheyhadnoobjection;andbywayofbackinghisself-invitation,

  presentedthecarcassofthebuckasanearnestofhishuntingabilities。By

  thistime,hehadsocompletelyeffacedtheunfavorableimpressionmadebyhisfirst

  appearance,thathewasmadewelcometothecamp,andtheNezPerceguide

  undertooktogivehimlodgingforthenight。Thenextmorning,atbreakofday,he

  borrowedagun,andwasoffamongthehills,norwasanythingmoreseenofhimuntila

  fewminutesafterthepartyhadencampedfortheevening,whenheagainmadehis

  appearance,inhisusualfrank,carelessmanner,andthrewdownthecarcassofanothernobledeer,whichhehadborneonhisbackforaconsiderabledistance。Thiseveninghewasthelifeoftheparty,andhisopencommunicativedisposition,free

  fromalldisguise,soonputtheminpossessionofhishistory。Hehadbeenakindof

  prodigalsoninhisnativevillage;livingaloose,heedlesslife,anddisregardingthe

  preceptsandimperativecommandsofthechiefs。Hehad,inconsequence,been

  expelledfromthevillage,but,innowisedisheartenedatthisbanishment,hadbetaken

  himselftothesocietyoftheborderIndians,andhadledacareless,haphazard,

  vagabondlife,perfectlyconsonanttohishumors;heedlessofthefuture,solongashe

  hadwherewithalforthepresent;andfearingnolackoffood,solongashehadtheimplementsofthechase,andafairhuntingground。Findinghimveryexpertasahunter,andbeingpleasedwithhiseccentricities,andhis

  strangeandmerryhumor,CaptainBonnevillefittedhimouthandsomelyastheNimrod

  oftheparty,whoallsoonbecamequiteattachedtohim。Oneoftheearliestandmost

  signalservicesheperformed,wastoexorcisetheinsatiatekill-cropthathitherto

  oppressedtheparty。Infact,thedoltishNezPerce,whohadseemedsoperfectly

  insensibletoroughtreatmentofeverykind,bywhichthetravellershadendeavoredto

  elbowhimoutoftheirsociety,couldnotwithstandthegood-humoredbantering,and

  occasionallysharpwitofShe-wee-she。Heevidentlyquailedunderhisjokes,andsat

  blinkinglikeanowlindaylight,whenpesteredbythefloutsandpeckingsof

  mischievousbirds。Atlengthhisplacewasfoundvacantatmeal-time;nooneknew

  whenhewentoff,orwhitherhehadgone,buthewasseennomore,andthevast

  surplusthatremainedwhentherepastwasover,showedwhatamightygormandizerhaddeparted。Relievedfromthisincubus,thelittlepartynowwentoncheerily。She-wee-shekept

  theminfunaswellasfood。Hishuntingwasalwayssuccessful;hewaseverreadyto

  renderanyassistanceinthecamporonthemarch;whilehisjokes,hisantics,andtheverycutofhiscountenance,sofullofwhimandcomicality,kepteveryoneingood-humor。InthiswaytheyjourneyedonuntiltheyarrivedonthebanksoftheImmahah,and

  encampedneartotheNezPercelodges。HereShe-wee-shetookasuddennotionto

  visithispeople,andshowoffthestateofworldlyprosperitytowhichhehadso

  suddenlyattained。Heaccordinglydepartedinthemorning,arrayedinhunter”sstyle,

  andwellappointedwitheverythingbenefittinghisvocation。Thebuoyancyofhisgait,

  theelasticityofhisstep,andthehilarityofhiscountenance,showedthatheanticipated,

  withchucklingsatisfaction,thesurprisehewasabouttogivethosewhohadejected

  himfromtheirsocietyinrags。Butwhatachangewasthereinhiswholeappearance

  whenherejoinedthepartyintheevening!Hecameskulkingintocamplikeabeaten

  cur,withhistailbetweenhislegs。Allhisfinerywasgone;hewasnakedaswhenhe

  wasborn,withtheexceptionofascantyflapthatansweredthepurposeofafigleaf。

  Hisfellow-travellersatfirstdidnotknowhim,butsupposedittobesomevagrantRoot

  Diggersneakingintothecamp;butwhentheyrecognizedinthisforlornobjecttheir

  primewag,She-wee-she,whomtheyhadseendepartinthemorninginsuchhighglee

  andhighfeather,theycouldnotcontaintheirmerriment,buthailedhimwithloudandrepeatedpealsoflaughter。She-wee-shewasnotofaspirittobeeasilycastdown;hesoonjoinedinthemerriment

  asheartilyasanyone,andseemedtoconsiderhisreverseoffortuneanexcellentjoke。

  CaptainBonneville,however,thoughtpropertocheckhisgood-humor,anddemanded,

  withsomedegreeofsternness,thecauseofhisalteredcondition。Herepliedinthe

  mostnaturalandself-complacentstyleimaginable,“thathehadbeenamonghis

  cousins,whowereverypoor;theyhadbeendelightedtoseehim;stillmoredelighted

  withhisgoodfortune;theyhadtakenhimtotheirarms;admiredhisequipments;one

  hadbeggedforthis;anotherforthat“——infine,whatwiththepoordevil”sinherent

  heedlessness,andtherealgenerosityofhisdisposition,hisneedycousinshad

  succeededinstrippinghimofallhisclothesandaccoutrements,exceptingthefigleafwithwhichhehadreturnedtocamp。Seeinghistotalwantofcareandforethought,CaptainBonnevilledeterminedtolethim

  sufferalittle,inhopesitmightproveasalutarylesson;and,atanyrate,tomakehimno

  morepresentswhileintheneighborhoodofhisneedycousins。Hewasleft,therefore,

  toshiftforhimselfinhisnakedcondition;which,however,didnotseemtogivehimany

  concern,ortoabateonejotofhisgood-humor。Inthecourseofhisloungingaboutthe

  camp,however,hegotpossessionofadeerskin;whereupon,cuttingaslitinthe

  middle,hethrusthisheadthroughit,sothatthetwoendshungdownbeforeand

  behind,somethinglikeaSouthAmericanponcho,orthetabardofaherald。Theseends

  hetiedtogether,underthearmpits;andthusarrayed,presentedhimselfoncemore

  beforethecaptain,withanairofperfectself-satisfaction,asthoughhethoughtitimpossibleforanyfaulttobefoundwithhistoilet。AlittlefurtherjourneyingbroughtthetravellerstothepettyvillageofNezPerces,

  governedbytheworthyandaffectionateoldpatriarchwhohadmadeCaptain

  Bonnevillethecostlypresentoftheveryfinehorse。Theoldmanwelcomedthemonce

  moretohisvillagewithhisusualcordiality,andhisrespectablesquawandhopefulson,

  cherishinggratefulrecollectionsofthehatchetandear-bobs,joinedinachorusoffriendlygratulation。Asthemuch-vauntedsteed,oncethejoyandprideofthisinterestingfamily,wasnow

  nearlyknockedupbytravelling,andtotallyinadequatetothemountainscramblethat

  layahead,CaptainBonnevillerestoredhimtothevenerablepatriarch,withrenewed

  acknowledgmentsfortheinvaluablegift。Somewhattohissurprise,hewasimmediately

  suppliedwithafinetwoyears”oldcoltinhisstead,asubstitutionwhichheafterward

  learnt,accordingtoIndiancustominsuchcases,hemighthaveclaimedasamatterof

  right。Wedonotfindthatanyafterclaimsweremadeonaccountofthiscolt。This

  donationmayberegarded,therefore,asasignalpunctilioofIndianhonor;butitwillbefoundthattheanimalsoonprovedanunluckyacquisitiontotheparty。Whileatthisvillage,theNezPerceguidehadheldconsultationswithsomeofthe

  inhabitantsastothemountaintractthepartywereabouttotraverse。Henowbeganto

  wearananxiousaspect,andtoindulgeingloomyforebodings。Thesnow,hehadbeen

  told,laytoagreatdepthinthepassesofthemountains,anddifficultieswouldincrease

  asheproceeded。HebeggedCaptainBonneville,therefore,totravelveryslowly,soas

  tokeepthehorsesinstrengthandspiritforthehardtimestheywouldhaveto

  encounter。Thecaptainsurrenderedtheregulationofthemarchentirelytohis

  discretion,andpushedonintheadvance,amusinghimselfwithhunting,soas

  generallytokilladeerortwointhecourseoftheday,andarriving,beforetherestoftheparty,atthespotdesignatedbytheguidefortheevening”sencampment。Inthemeantime,theothersploddedonattheheelsoftheguide,accompaniedbythat

  merryvagabond,She-wee-she。Theprimitivegarbwornbythisdrollleftallhisnether

  manexposedtothebitingblastsofthemountains。Stillhiswitwasneverfrozen,norhis

  sunshinytemperbeclouded;andhisinnumerableanticsandpracticaljokes,whiletheyquickenedthecirculationofhisownblood,kepthiscompanionsinhighgood-humor。Sopassedthefirstdayafterthedeparturefromthepatriarch”s。Thesecondday

  commencedinthesamemanner;thecaptainintheadvance,therestoftheparty

  followingonslowly。She-wee-she,forthegreaterpartofthetime,trudgedonfootover

  thesnow,keepinghimselfwarmbyhardexercise,andallkindsofcrazycapers。Inthe

  heightofhisfoolery,thepatriarchalcolt,which,unbrokentothesaddle,wassufferedto

  followonatlarge,happenedtocomewithinhisreach。Inamoment,hewasonhis

  back,snappinghisfingers,andyelpingwithdelight。Thecolt,unusedtosuchaburden,

  andhalfwildbynature,felltoprancingandrearingandsnortingandplungingand

  kicking;and,atlength,setofffullspeedoverthemostdangerousground。Astheroute

  ledgenerallyalongthesteepandcraggysidesofthehills,bothhorseandhorseman

  wereconstantlyindanger,andmorethanoncehadahairbreadthescapefromdeadly

  peril。Nothing,however,coulddauntthismadcapsavage。Hestucktothecoltlikea

  plaister[sic],upridges,downgullies;whoopingandyellingwiththewildestglee。Never

  didbeggaronhorsebackdisplaymoreheadlonghorsemanship。Hiscompanions

  followedhimwiththeireyes,sometimeslaughing,sometimesholdingintheirbreathat

  hisvagaries,untiltheysawthecoltmakeasuddenplungeorstart,andpitchhis

  unluckyriderheadlongoveraprecipice。Therewasageneralcryofhorror,andall

  hastenedtothespot。Theyfoundthepoorfellowlyingamongtherocksbelow,sadly

  bruisedandmangled。Itwasalmostamiraclethathehadescapedwithlife。Eveninthis

  condition,hismerryspiritwasnotentirelyquelled,andhesummonedupafeeblelaugh

  atthealarmandanxietyofthosewhocametohisrelief。Hewasextricatedfromhis

  rockybed,andamessengerdispatchedtoinformCaptainBonnevilleoftheaccident。

  Thelatterreturnedwithallspeed,andencampedthepartyatthefirstconvenientspot。

  Herethewoundedmanwasstretcheduponbuffaloskins,andthecaptain,who

  officiatedonalloccasionsasdoctorandsurgeontotheparty,proceededtoexamine

  hiswounds。Theprincipalonewasalonganddeepgashinthethigh,whichreachedto

  thebone。Callingforaneedleandthread,thecaptainnowpreparedtosewupthe

  wound,admonishingthepatienttosubmittotheoperationwithbecomingfortitude。His

  gayetywasatanend;hecouldnolongersummonupevenaforcedsmile;and,atthe

  firstpunctureoftheneedle,flinchedsopiteously,thatthecaptainwasobligedtopause,

  andtoorderhimapowerfuldoseofalcohol。Thissomewhatrallieduphisspiritand

  warmedhisheart;allthetimeoftheoperation,however,hekepthiseyesrivetedonthe

  wound,withhisteethset,andawhimsicalwincingofthecountenance,thatoccasionallygavehisnosesomethingofitsusualcomiccurl。Whenthewoundwasfairlyclosed,thecaptainwasheditwithrum,andadministereda

  seconddoseofthesametothepatient,whowastuckedinforthenight,andadvisedto

  composehimselftosleep。Hewasrestlessanduneasy,however;repeatedly

  expressinghisfearsthathislegwouldbesomuchswollenthenextday,astoprevent

  hisproceedingwiththeparty;norcouldhebequieted,untilthecaptaingaveadecidedopinionfavorabletohiswishes。

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