THE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS 



179 



opportunity she might ever have; she started with abso- 

 lutely no covering of any kind, and in this plight she trav- 

 elled across the prairies, almost without stopping to rest, 

 and with little food, iox four days and three nights ; unfor- 

 tunately the weather was unusually cold for the season, 

 as well as wet. She arrived at the fort in a most wretched 

 and pitiable condition, but greatly to the joy and consola- 

 tion of her relations and friends. She said that after her 

 arrival at the Crow village, they made her dance with the 

 scalps of her brother and husband tied to her hair, and 

 clothed in the bloody shirt of the latter. On Wednes- 

 day, 25th, a band of four hundred Crows arrived with 

 the intention of taking the fort by stratagem if they 

 could get the opportunity; but they failed in this, as I 

 would not allow one of them inside the fort, or to come 

 within firing distance of their arms. They used every 

 artifice in their power to persuade me to let in a few of 

 them to smoke the pipe of peace, assuring me that their 

 intentions were good, and that they loved the white peo- 

 ple. Finding all this of no avail, they brought their best 

 horses to give to me, for which they did not wish to re- 

 ceive anything more than the privilege of letting some of 

 them come in; but all this was in vain, as I was well 

 aware of their treacherous intentions. I divided my men 

 in the two bastions, with orders to fire upon the first one 

 that might approach during the night, and warned them 

 of my having given such orders, telling them that I did 

 not wish to strike the first blow, but that if they com- 

 menced they would go off with small numbers, and sore 

 hearts. There was an American with them who now 

 told me of their intentions, and that they were deter- 

 mined to take the fort. I sent them word by him that 

 we were ready for them if they thought themselves able 

 to do so, and to come and try; but when they saw our 

 cannon pointed towards them, they were not so anxious 

 to make a rush. On the 26th the Crows made another 







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