44 AUDUBON 



malignant form, that they died oftentimes within the ris- 

 ing and setting of a day's sun. They died by hundreds 

 daily; their bodies were thrown down beneath the high 

 bluff, and soon produced a stench beyond description. 

 Men shot their wives and children, and afterwards, driv- 

 ing several balls in their guns, would place the muzzle 

 in their mouths, and, touching the trigger with their feet, 

 blow their brains out. About this time Mr. Chardon was 

 informed that one of the young Mandan chiefs was bent on 

 shooting him, believing he had brought the pestilence 

 upon the Indians. One of Mr. Chardon' s clerks heard of 

 this plot, and begged him to remain in the store ; at first 

 Mr. Chardon did not place any faith in the tale, but later 

 was compelled to do so, and followed his clerk's advice. 

 The young chief, a short time afterwards, fell a victim to 

 this fearful malady ; but probably others would have taken 

 his life had it not been for one of those strange incidents 

 which come, we know not why, nor can we explain thenj. 

 A number of the chiefs came that day to confer with Mr. 

 Chardon, and while they were talking angrily with him, 

 he sitting with his arms on a table between them, a 

 Dove, being pursued by a Hawk, flew in through the open 

 door, and sat panting and worn out on Mr. Chardon's arm 

 for more than a minute, when it flew off. The Indians, 

 who were quite numerous, clustered about him, and asked 

 him what the bird came to him for.' After a moment's 

 thought, he told them that the bird had been sent by the 

 white men, his friends, to see if it was true that the Man- 

 dans had killed him, and that it must return with the an- 

 swer as soon as possible; he added he had told the Dove 

 to say that the Mandans were his friends, and would 

 never kill him, but would do all they could for him. 

 The superstitious redmen believed this story implicitly; 

 thenceforth they looked on Mr. Chardon as one of the 

 Great Spirit's sons, and believed he alone could help 

 them. Little, however, could be done; the small-pox 



