y obeyed. His corpse was placed astride
of his war-steed and a mound raised over them on the summit of the hill.
On top of the mound was erected a staff, from which fluttered the banner
of the chieftain, and the scalps that he had taken in battle. When the
expedition under Mr. Hunt visited that part of the country, the staff
still remained, with the fragments of the banner; and the superstitious
rite of placing food from time to time on the mound, for the use of the
deceased, was still observed by the Omahas. That rite has since fallen
into disuse, for the tribe itself is almost extinct. Yet the hill of the
Blackbird continues an object of veneration to the wandering savage,
and a landmark to the voyager of the Missouri; and as the civilized
traveller comes within sight of its spell-bound crest, the mound is
pointed out to him from afar, which still incloses the grim skeletons of
the Indian warrior and his horse.

CHAPTER XVII.

Rumors of Danger From the Sioux Tetons.--Ruthless Character
of Those Savages.--Pirates of the Missouri.--Their Affair
with Crooks and M'Lellan.--A Trading Expedition Broken Up.--
M'Lellan's Vow of Vengeance.--Uneasiness in the Camp.--
Desertions.-Departure From the Omaha Village.--Meeting With
Jones and Carson, two Adventurous Trappers.--Scientific
Pursuits of Messrs. Bradbury and Nuttall.--Zeal of a
Botanist.--Adventure of Mr. Bradbury with a Ponca Indian.--
Expedient of the Pocket Compass and Microscope.--A Messenger
From Lisa.--Motives for Pressing Forward.

WHILE Mr. Hunt and his party were sojourning at the village of the
Omahas, three Sioux Indians of the Yankton Alma tribe arrived, bringing
unpleasant intelligence. They reported that certain bands of the Sioux
Tetons, who inhabited a region many leagues further up the Missouri,
were near at hand, awaiting the approach of the party, with the avowed
intention of opposing their progress.

The Sioux Tetons were at that time a sort of pirates of the Missouri,
who considered the well freighted bark of the American trader fair game.
They had their own traffic with the British merchants of the Northwest,
who brought them regular supplies of merchandise by way of the river
St. Peter. Being thus independent of the Missouri traders for their
supplies, they kept no terms with them, but plundered them whenever they
had an opportunity. It has been insinuated that they were prompted to
these o