to your good talk, for when you told us that the other nations were
inclined to peace with us, we went out carelessly in small parties, and
some have been killed by the Sioux and Ricaras. But I knew that the
Ricaras were liars, and I told their chief who accompanied you, that his
whole nation were liars and bad men; that we had several times made a
peace with them which they were the first to break; that whenever we
pleased we might shoot them like buffaloe, but that we had no wish to
kill them; that we would not suffer them to kill us, nor steal our
horses; and that although we agreed to make peace with them, because our
two fathers desired it, yet we did not believe that they would be
faithful long. Such, father, was my language to them in your presence,
and you see that instead of listening to your good counsels they have
spilt our blood. A few days ago two Ricaras came here and told us that
two of their villages were making moccasins, that the Sioux were
stirring them up against us, and that we ought to take care of our
horses; yet these very Ricaras we sent home as soon as the news reached
us to-day, lest our people should kill them in the first moment of grief
for their murdered relatives. Four of the Wattasoons whom we expected
back in sixteen days have been absent twenty-four, and we fear have
fallen. But father the snow is now deep, the weather cold, and our
horses cannot travel through the plains; the murderers have gone off: if
you will conduct us in the spring, when the snow has disappeared, we
will assemble all the surrounding warriors and follow you."

Captain Clarke replied that we were always willing and able to defend
them; that he was sorry that the snow prevented their marching to meet
the Sioux, since he wished to show them that the warriors of their great
father would chastise the enemies of his obedient children who opened
their ears to his advice; that if some Ricaras had joined the Sioux,
they should remember that there were bad men in every nation, and that
they should not be offended at the Ricaras till they saw whether these
ill-disposed men were countenanced by the whole tribe; that the Sioux
possessed great influence over the Ricaras, whom they supplied with
military stores, and sometimes led them astray, because they were afraid
to oppose them: but that this should be the less offensive since the
Mandans themselves were under the same apprehensions from the
Assiniboins and Knistenaux, and