ves, and for a time, the poor trapper gave
himself up for lost. Fortunately, the Crows were in a jocose, rather
than a sanguinary mood. They amused themselves heartily, for a while,
at the expense of his terrors; and after having played off divers Crow
pranks and pleasantries, suffered him to depart unharmed. It is true,
they stripped him completely, one taking his horse, another his gun,
a third his traps, a fourth his blanket, and so on, through all his
accoutrements, and even his clothing, until he was stark naked; but then
they generously made him a present of an old tattered buffalo robe, and
dismissed him, with many complimentary speeches, and much laughter. When
the trapper returned to the camp, in such sorry plight, he was greeted
with peals of laughter from his comrades and seemed more mortified by
the style in which he had been dismissed, than rejoiced at escaping with
his life. A circumstance which he related to Captain Bonneville, gave
some insight into the cause of this extreme jocularity on the part
of the Crows. They had evidently had a run of luck, and, like winning
gamblers, were in high good humor. Among twenty-six fine horses, and
some mules, which composed their cavalcade, the trapper recognized a
number which had belonged to Fitzpatrick's brigade, when they parted
company on the Bighorn. It was supposed, therefore, that these vagabonds
had been on his trail, and robbed him of part of his cavalry.

On the day following this affair, three Crows came into Captain
Bonneville's camp, with the most easy, innocent, if not impudent air
imaginable; walking about with the imperturbable coolness and unconcern,
in which the Indian rivals the fine gentleman. As they had not been of
the set which stripped the trapper, though evidently of the same band,
they were not molested. Indeed, Captain Bonneville treated them with his
usual kindness and hospitality; permitting them to remain all day in the
camp, and even to pass the night there. At the same time, however, he
caused a strict watch to be maintained on all their movements; and at
night, stationed an armed sentinel near them. The Crows remonstrated
against the latter being armed. This only made the captain suspect
them to be spies, who meditated treachery; he redoubled, therefore, his
precautions. At the same time, he assured his guests, that while they
were perfectly welcome to the shelter and comfort of his camp, yet,
should any of their tribe venture to appro