white men, in very miserable plight, having one horse each, and but one
rifle among them. They also had been plundered and maltreated by the
Crows, those universal freebooters. The Snake endeavored to pronounce
the names of these three men, and as far as his imperfect sounds could
be understood, they were supposed to be three of the party of four
hunters, namely, Carson, St. Michael, Detaye, and Delaunay, who were
detached from Mr. Hunt's party on the 28th of September, to trap beaver
on the head waters of the Columbia.

In the course of conversation, the Indian informed them that the route
by which Mr. Hunt had crossed the Rocky Mountains was very bad and
circuitous, and that he knew one much shorter and easier. Mr. Stuart
urged him to accompany them as guide, promising to reward him with
a pistol with powder and ball, a knife, an awl, some blue beads,
a blanket, and a looking-glass. Such a catalogue of riches was too
tempting to be resisted; besides the poor Snake languished after the
prairies; he was tired, he said, of salmon, and longed for buffalo meat,
and to have a grand buffalo hunt beyond the mountains. He departed,
therefore, with all speed, to get his arms and equipments for the
journey, promising to rejoin the party the next day. He kept his word,
and, as he no longer said anything to Mr. Stuart on the subject of the
pet horse, they journeyed very harmoniously together; though now and
then, the Snake would regard his quondam steed with a wistful eye.

They had not travelled many miles, when they came to a great bend in the
river. Here the Snake informed them that, by cutting across the hills
they would save many miles of distance. The route across, however, would
be a good day's journey. He advised them, therefore, to encamp here
for the night, and set off early in the morning. They took his advice,
though they had come but nine miles that day.

On the following morning they rose, bright and early, to ascend the
hills. On mustering their little party, the guide was missing. They
supposed him to be somewhere in the neighborhood, and proceeded to
collect the horses. The vaunted steed of Mr. Stuart was not to be found.
A suspicion flashed upon his mind. Search for the horse of the Snake! He
likewise was gone--the tracks of two horses, one after the other, were
found, making off from the camp. They appeared as if one horse had been
mounted, and the other led. They were traced for a few miles above the
camp, u