32 EARLY DAY STORIES. 



tion. I do not now think there was a particle of danger, 

 but we were looking for it then and to some extent at Icast, 

 expecting it. My cousin and I were both with our team 

 which was very near the head of the procession. As we 

 came to Shell creek bridge we found a large force of In- 

 dians, mostly on horseback, and all armed, and most if not 

 all painted. They had bows and arrows in their hands and 

 quivers, filled with arrows, hung over their shoulders ; some 

 few of them also had guns. It looked warlike the way they 

 were armed, but they appeared friendly. As I came up 

 one of the Indians was trying to talk with Mr. Knapp, who 

 with Capt. Wells and three or four of the guards was a 

 little in advance of the teams. The Indian addressed him- 

 self to Mr. Knapp, thinking him to be our captain, prob- 

 ■ ably because he was on horseback, the others of us all being 

 on foot. The Indian handed Mr. Knapp a paper, which, 

 instead of reading himself he passed directly to me. It 

 was written in a very plain, nice hand and stated that the 

 bearer, giving his name which I have forgotten, was the 

 head chief of the Pawnees and that it would be to the in- 

 terest of the emigrants to treat him with consideration and 

 respect. After reading it aloud to those present, I was asked 

 by Mr. Knapp to try and see if I could make out what he 

 wanted. I had lived for several years within a mile of about 

 a dozen families of Chippewa Indians, had played with and 

 gone to school with the children, and could speak Chippewa 

 fairly well, and also knew something of the sign language. 

 My knowledge of Chippewa did no good, but by signs we 

 managed to come to an understanding. The chief claimed 

 that the Pawnees had built the bridge over the creek, and 

 wanted pay for crossing — he made signs of planting corn, 

 and wanted his pay in corn. There was doubt expressed 

 about the Indians having built the bridge, although I be- 

 lieve personally that the chief told the truth about it. How- 

 ever it was decided to pay toll in corn. Accordingly the 



