98 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 



companions, who doubtless fell a prey to utter exhaustion, and 

 were unable to return to the camp. And thus ended the Digger 

 expedition. 



It may appear almost incredible that men having civilized 

 olood in their veins could perpetrate such wanton and cold- 

 blooded acts of aggression on the wretched Indians, as that de- 

 tailed above ; but it is a fact that the mountaineers never lose an 

 opportunity of slaughtering these miserable Diggers, and attack- 

 ing their villages, often for the purpose of capturing women, whom 

 they carry off, and not unfrequently sell to other tribes, or to each 

 other. In these attacks neither sex nor age is spared ; and your 

 mountaineer has as little compunction in taking the life of an 

 Indian woman, as he would have in sending his rifle-ball through 

 the brain of a Crow or Blackfoot warrior. 



La Bonte now found himself without animals, and fairly 

 " afoot ;" consequently nothing remained for him but to seek some 

 of the trapping bands, and hire himself for the hunt. Luckily for 

 him, he soon fell in with Roubideau, on his way to Uintah, and 

 was supplied by him with a couple of animals ; and thus equipped, 

 he started again with a large band of trappers, who were going to 

 hunt on the waters of Grand River and the Gila. Here they fell 

 in with another nation of Indians, from which branch out the 

 innumerable tribes inhabiting Northern Mexico and part of 

 California. They were in general friendly, but lost no opportunity 

 of stealing horses or any articles left lying about the camp. On 

 one occasion, the trappers being camped on a northern affluent of 

 the Gila, a volley of arrows was discharged among them, severely 

 wounding one or two of the party, as they sat round the camp 

 fires. The attack, however, was not renewed, and the next day 

 the camp was moved further down the stream, where beaver was 

 tolerably abundant. Before sundown a number of Indians made 

 their appearance, and making signs of peace, were admitted into 

 the camp. 



