iarch stepped forward, for the third time, and,
while he laid one hand gently on the mane of the horse, held up the
rifle in the other. "This rifle," said he, "shall be my great medicine.
I will hug it to my heart--I will always love it, for the sake of my
good friend, the bald-headed chief.--But a rifle, by itself, is dumb--I
cannot make it speak. If I had a little powder and ball, I would take it
out with me, and would now and then shoot a deer; and when I brought the
meat home to my hungry family, I would say--This was killed by the
rifle of my friend, the bald-headed chief, to whom I gave that very fine
horse."

There was no resisting this appeal; the captain, forthwith, furnished
the coveted supply of powder and ball; but at the same time, put spurs
to his very fine gift-horse, and the first trial of his speed was to
get out of all further manifestation of friendship, on the part of the
affectionate old patriarch and his insinuating family.

32.

Nez-Perce camp--A chief with a hard name--The Big Hearts of
the East--Hospitable treatment--The Indian guides--
Mysterious councils--The loquacious chief--Indian tomb--
Grand Indian reception--An Indian feast--Town-criers--
Honesty of the Nez-Perces--The captain's attempt at
healing.

FOLLOWING THE COURSE of the Immahah, Captain Bonneville and his three
companions soon reached the vicinity of Snake River. Their route now lay
over a succession of steep and isolated hills, with profound valleys. On
the second day, after taking leave of the affectionate old patriarch, as
they were descending into one of those deep and abrupt intervals,
they descried a smoke, and shortly afterward came in sight of a small
encampment of Nez Perces.

The Indians, when they ascertained that it was a party of white men
approaching, greeted them with a salute of firearms, and invited them to
encamp. This band was likewise under the sway of a venerable chief
named Yo-mus-ro-y-e-cut; a name which we shall be careful not to inflict
oftener than is necessary upon the reader This ancient and hard-named
chieftain welcomed Captain Bonneville to his camp with the same
hospitality and loving kindness that he had experienced from his
predecessor. He told the captain he had often heard of the Americans
and their generous deeds, and that his buffalo brethren (the Upper Nez
Perces) had always spoken of them as the Big-hearted whites of the East,
the very good friends o