CROW INDIANS. 123 



With her permission, next morning I dug a tiny 

 grave at the root of a spreading elm, and with no 

 witnesses but ourselves deposited deep in mother- 

 earth the remains of the little half-breed. Over the 

 grave I placed a rude cross, hewn from the green 

 timber with my hunting-knife. She watched me 

 silently, and when I had concluded asked in mourn- 

 ful tones, ' What for dat ? ' I answered sadly, for I 

 felt keenly grieved for the poor parent, ' That is a 

 mark to indicate that here rests the body of one of 

 the Great Spirit's children/ 



In our ride to overtake the traders, who had gone 

 on, not a word was spoken. The mother's thoughts 

 were with her child, mine far away across the broad 

 bosom of the tempestuous Atlantic. 



That evening the waggons were joined by a party 

 of Indians, an offshoot from the Crow tribe, all miser- 

 ably mounted, and filthy in the extreme. From them 

 we learned that a party of traders were in advance 

 of us, and were hurrying forward as rapidly as pos- 

 sible to the south-west. Of the correctness of their 

 statements there could be no doubt, for a severe cross- 

 examination failed to furnish grounds for doubt. 

 After they were ordered outside our coralle, which 

 was not till dark, Morris and his partner held a con- 

 sultation, at which I was present. The result was a 

 determination to change their course on the morrow 

 to the south-west, giving up their original intention 

 of visiting a party of trappers who were supposed to 

 be hunting about 120 miles to the north-west, and 



