Page:Route Across the Rocky Mountains with a Description of Oregon and California.djvu/118

 We found the De Chutes and John Day's Rivers too deep to ford, and were compelled to employ the Indians to take us across them, in their canoes. When we came to John Day's River, it was late, and we encamped. We had been previously informed by the Indians, in case we should find no person here, that if we would go down to the bank of the Columbia and fire a gun, those who were on the opposite side, would come over and assist us. Finding no one where the trail crossed the river, in the morning, one of our party mounted his horse, and rode down to the Columbia; intending, if he found no one there, to make the signal which we had been instructed to give. But finding Indians on the same side we were on, he attempted to make a bargain with them. They pretended at first, not to understand the language which he spoke, (Chenook,) but gave him to understand that they had no canoes. After spending some minutes, endeavoring to pursuade them to do something for us, an old man walked up to him, grasped his horse firmly by the bridle, and made signs to him to dismount; at the same time, a squaw came out of the lodge with a large knife, and stood before him. He kicked at the Indian, and tried to rein his horse away, but was unable to release himself. He then drew a pistol from his belt, cocked it, and threw the muzzle against the Indians breast; at which, letting go his hold on the horse, and extending his arms, he sprang back, with an exclamation of terror, to the door of the hut, and protested that he meant no harm and was only sporting. He saw no arms, and intended first to rob the man of his horse; and having succeeded in that, to strip him, probably, of every thing he had. He did not know that the buckskin coat concealed a pistol, or that there were friends at hand. In a short time, the rest of us having packed up, followed down to where the Indians were; they soon found their canoes, set us over the stream on our own terms, and became exceedingly friendly and accommodating.

They are always very pleasant and harmless in the presence of a superior force, with this unvarying exception; they will always steal any thing and every thing they can lay their hands on, when they think there is a possibility of concealing, or carrying it away, without being detected. But where they have the power, their disposition immediately changes; they are then frowning and insolent; and not satisfied with pilfering, they frequently commit open robberies. Many instances of this have occurred with small companies of emigrants, on their way down the Columbia; who, having imprudently separated themselves from the larger companies, and