After a short prayer, the company all seated themselves cross-legged, in Turkish fashion, to the banquet, which passed off with great hilarity.  After which various games of strength and agility by both white men and Indians closed the Christmas festivities.

15.

A hunt after hunters—­Hungry times—­A voracious repast—­ Wintry weather—­Godin’s River—­Splendid winter scene on the great—­Lava Plain of Snake River—­Severe travelling and tramping in the snow—­Manoeuvres of a solitary Indian horseman—­Encampment on Snake River—­Banneck Indians—­The horse chief—­His charmed life.

The continued absence of Matthieu and his party had, by this time, caused great uneasiness in the mind of Captain Bonneville; and, finding there was no dependence to be placed upon the perseverance and courage of scouting parties in so perilous a quest, he determined to set out himself on the search, and to keep on until he should ascertain something of the object of his solicitude.

Accordingly on the 20th December he left the camp, accompanied by thirteen stark trappers and hunters, all well mounted and armed for dangerous enterprise.  On the following morning they passed out at the head of the mountain gorge and sallied forth into the open plain.  As they confidently expected a brush with the Blackfeet, or some other predatory horde, they moved with great circumspection, and kept vigilant watch in their encampments.

In the course of another day they left the main branch of Salmon River, and proceeded south toward a pass called John Day’s defile.  It was severe and arduous travelling.  The plains were swept by keen and bitter blasts of wintry wind; the ground was generally covered with snow, game was scarce, so that hunger generally prevailed in the camp, while the want of pasturage soon began to manifest itself in the declining vigor of the horses.

The party had scarcely encamped on the afternoon of the 28th, when two of the hunters who had sallied forth in quest of game came galloping back in great alarm.  While hunting they had perceived a party of savages, evidently manoeuvring to cut them off from the camp; and nothing had saved them from being entrapped but the speed of their horses.

These tidings struck dismay into the camp.  Captain Bonneville endeavored to reassure his men by representing the position of their encampment, and its capability of defence.  He then ordered the horses to be driven in and picketed, and threw up a rough breastwork of fallen trunks of trees and the vegetable rubbish of the wilderness.  Within this barrier was maintained a vigilant watch throughout the night, which passed away without alarm.  At early dawn they scrutinized the surrounding plain, to discover whether any enemies had been lurking about during the night; not a foot-print, however, was to be discovered in the coarse gravel with which the plain was covered.