rv:" 'f"''^ 



112 



AUDUBON 



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[ilii^li 





or ten in number. They have promised to go to-morrow, 

 but, alas! the half-breeds are so uncertain I cannot tell 

 whether they will move a step or not. Mrs. Culbertson, 

 who has great pride in her pure Indian blood, told me 

 with scorn that "all such no-color fellows are lazy." We 

 were delayed in starting by a very heavy gale of wind and 

 hard rain, which cooled the weather considerably; but we 

 finally got off in the wagon, the cart with three mules 

 following, to bring in the skeleton of the Buffalo which 

 Mr. Culbertson had killed; but we were defeated, for 

 some Wolves had been to it, dragged it about twenty-five 

 feet, and gnawed the ends of the ribs and the backbone. 

 The head of Harris's bull was brought in, but it was 

 smaller; the horns alone were pretty good, and they were 

 given to Sprague. On our return Mrs. Culbertson was 

 good enough to give me six young Mallards, which she 

 had caught by swimming after them in the Missouri; she 

 is a most expert and graceful swimmer, besides being 

 capable of remaining under water a long time; all the 

 Blackfoot Indians excel in swimming and take great pride 

 in the accomplishment. We found three of the Assini- 

 boins had remained, one of whom wanted to carry off a 

 squaw, and probably a couple of horses too. He strutted 

 about the fort in such a manner that we watched him 

 pretty closely. Mr. Culbertson took his gun, and a six- 

 barrelled pistol in his pocket; I, my double-barrelled 

 gun, and we stood at the back gate. The fellow had a 

 spear made of a cut-and-thrust sword, planted in a good 

 stick covered with red cloth, and this he never put down 

 at any time; but no more, indeed, do any Indians, who 

 carry all their goods and chattels forever about their per- 

 sons. The three gentlemen, however, went off about 

 dusk, and took the road to Fort Mortimer, where six half- 

 breeds from the Northeast brought to Fort Mortimer 

 eleven head of cattle, and came to pay a visit to their 

 friends here. All these men know Provost, and have 



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