The Great Salt Lake Trail eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 587 pages of information about The Great Salt Lake Trail.

The Great Salt Lake Trail eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 587 pages of information about The Great Salt Lake Trail.

A brisk fire was now opened by the mountaineers from the wood, answered occasionally from the fort.  Unluckily, the trappers and their allies, in searching for the fort, had got scattered, so that Wyeth and a number of Nez Perces approached it on the northwest side, while others did the same from the opposite quarter.  A cross-fire thus took place, which occasionally did mischief to friends as well as foes.  An Indian, close to Wyeth, was shot down by a ball which, he was convinced, had been sped from the rifle of a trapper on the other side of the fort.

The number of whites and their Indian allies had by this time so much increased, by arrivals from the rendezvous, that the Blackfeet were completely overmatched.  They kept doggedly in their fort, however, making no effort to surrender.  An occasional firing into the breastwork was kept up during the day.  Now and then one of the Indian allies, in bravado, would rush up to the fort, fire over the ramparts, tear off a buffalo-robe or a scarlet blanket, and return with it in triumph to his comrades.  Most of the savage garrison who fell, however, were killed in the first part of the attack.

At one time it was resolved to set fire to the fort, and the squaws belonging to the allies were employed to collect combustibles.  This, however, was abandoned, the Nez Perces being unwilling to destroy the robes and blankets, and other spoils of the enemy, which they felt sure would fall into their hands.

The Indians, when fighting, are prone to taunt and revile each other.  During one of the pauses of the battle the voice of a Blackfoot was heard.

“So long,” said he, “as we had powder and ball, we fought you in the open field; when those were spent we retreated here to die with our women and children.  You may burn us in our fort; but stay by our ashes, and you who are so hungry for fighting will soon have enough.  There are four hundred lodges of our brethren at hand.  They will soon be here—­their arms are strong—­their hearts are big—­ they will avenge us!”

This speech was translated two or three times by Nez Perces and creole interpreters.  By the time it was rendered into English the chief was made to say that four hundred lodges of his tribe were attacking the encampment at the other end of the valley.  Every one now hurried to the defence of the rendezvous.  A party was left to watch the fort; the rest galloped off to the camp.  As night came on, the trappers drew out of the swamp, and remained about the skirts of the wood.  By morning their companions returned from the rendezvous, with the report that all was safe.  As the day opened, they ventured within the swamp and approached the fort.  All was silent.  They advanced up to it without opposition.  They entered; it had been abandoned in the night, and the Blackfeet had effected their retreat, carrying off their wounded on litters made of branches, leaving bloody traces on the grass.  The bodies of ten

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The Great Salt Lake Trail from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.