140 NARRATIVE OP A JOURNEY 



stick, which he held in his hand. This provoked me not a little; 

 and spurring the animal a kw steps forward, I brought my 

 heavy whip several times over his naked shoulders, and sent him 

 screeching into the midst of his people. Several bows were 

 drawn at me for this act, and glad would the savages have been 

 to have had me for a short time at their mercy, but as it was, 

 they feared to let slip their arrows, and soon dropped their 

 points, contenting themselves with vaporing away in all the im- 

 potence of childish rage. As we rode off, they greeted us, not 

 with the usual gay yell, but with a scornful, taunting laugh, that 

 sounded like the rejoicings of an infernal jubilee. Had these 

 people been provided with efficient arms, and the requisite 

 amount of courage to use them, they might have given us some 

 inconvenience. 



Towards evening, we arrived on Snake river, crossed it at a 

 ford, and encamped near a number of lodges along the shore. 

 Shortly afterwards, Captain W., with three men, visited the In- 

 dians, carrying with them some small articles, to trade for fish. 

 In about half an hour they returned, bringing only about ten 

 salmon. They observed, among the Indians, the same disincli- 

 nation to traffic that the others had manifested; or rather, like the 

 first, they placed a higher value than usual upon the commodity, 

 and wanted, in exchange, articles which we were not willing to 

 spare them. They treated Captain W. with the same inso- 

 lence and contempt which was so irritating from those of the 

 other village. 



This kind of conduct is said to be unusual among this tribe, 

 but it is probably now occasioned by their having recently pur- 

 chased a supply of small articles from Captain Bonneville, who, 

 they inform us, has visited them within a few days. 



Being desirous to escape from the immediate vicinity of the 

 village, we moved our camp about four miles further, and 

 stopped for the night. 



