LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 81 



" had brought the horses for themselves — their hearts were big-, 

 but not toward the Yanka-taus : and if they had to give up their 

 animals, it would be to men and not squalen. They were not 

 * wah-keitcha,'* (French engages), but Long-knives ; and, however 

 short were the tongues of the Yanka-taus, theirs were still shorter, 

 and their rifles longer. The Yanka-taus, were dogs and squaws, 

 and the Long-knives spat upon them." 



Saying this, the trapper turned his back and rejoined his com- 

 panions ; wliile the Indian slowly proceeded to his people, who, on 

 learning the contemptuous way in which their threats had been 

 treated, testified their anger with loud yells ; and, seeking whatever 

 coyer was afibrded, commenced a scattering volley upon the camp 

 of the mountaineers. The latter reserv^ed their fire, treating with 

 cool indifl^erence the balls which began to rattle about them ; but 

 as the Indians, emboldened by this apparent inaction, rushed for a 

 closer position, and exposed their bodies within a long range, half- 

 a-dozen rifles rang from the assailed, and two Indians fell dead, 

 one or tM'o more being wounded. As yet, not one of the whites 

 had been touched, but several of the animals had received wounds 

 from the enemies' fire of balls and arrows. Indeed, the Indians re- 

 mained at too great a distance to render the volleys from their crazy 

 fusees any thing like eflectual, and had to raise their pieces corf- 

 si derably to make their bullets reach as far as the camp. After three 

 of their band had been killed outright, and many more wounded, 

 their fire began to slacken, and they drew off* to a greater distance, 

 evidently resolved to beat a retreat. Retiring to the bluff', they dis- 

 charged their pieces in a last volley, mounted their horses and gal- 

 loped off', carrying their wounded with them. This last volley, 

 however, although intended as a mere bravado, unfortunately proved 

 fatal to one of the whites. Gonneville, at the moment, was stand- 



* The French Canadians are called wah-Tieitcha — "bad medicine" — by the In- 

 dians, who account them ti-eacherous and vindictive, and at the same time less 

 daring than the American hunters. 



