The Crow horsemen, as they escorted them, appeared to take
pride in showing off their equestrian skill and hardihood; careering
at full speed on their half-savage steeds, and dashing among rocks and
crags, and up and down the most rugged and dangerous places with perfect
ease and unconcern.
A ride of sixteen miles brought them, in the afternoon, in sight of the
Crow camp. It was composed of leathern tents, pitched in a meadow on
the border of a small clear stream at the foot of the mountain. A great
number of horses were grazing in the vicinity, many of them doubtless
captured in marauding excursions.
The Crow chieftain came forth to meet his guests with great professions
of friendship, and conducted them to his tents, pointing out, by the
way, a convenient place where they might fix their camp. No sooner had
they done so, than Mr. Hunt opened some of the packages and made the
chief a present of a scarlet blanket and a quantity of powder and ball;
he gave him also some knives, trinkets, and tobacco to be distributed
among his warriors, with all which the grim potentate seemed, for the
time, well pleased. As the Crows, however, were reputed to be perfidious
in the extreme, and as errant freebooters as the bird after which they
were so worthily named; and as their general feelings towards the whites
were known to be by no means friendly, the intercourse with them was
conducted with great circumspection.
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