"At ten o'clock the men returned with the horse, and soon after an
Indian, who had promised to go with us as far as the Chopunnish, came
with two horses, one of which he politely offered to assist in carrying
our baggage. We therefore loaded nine horses, and, giving the tenth to
Bratton, who was still too sick to walk, at about ten o'clock left the
village of these disagreeable people."
At an Indian village which they reached soon after leaving that of the
disagreeable Skilloots, they found the fellow who had gambled away
the horse that he had sold. Being faced with punishment, he agreed to
replace the animal he had stolen with another, and a very good horse was
brought to satisfy the white men, who were now determined to pursue a
rigid course with the thievish Indians among whom they found themselves.
These people, the Eneeshurs, were stingy, inhospitable, and overbearing
in their ways. Nothing but the formidable numbers of the white men saved
them from insult, pillage, and even murder. While they were here, one of
the horses belonging to the party broke loose and ran towards the Indian
village. A buffalo robe attached to him fell off and was gathered in by
one of the Eneeshurs. Captain Lewis, whose patience was now exhausted,
set out, determined to burn the village unless the Indians restored the
robe. Fortunately, however, one of his men found the missing article
hidden in a hut, and so any act of violent reprisal was not necessary.
So scarce had now become fuel, the party were obliged to buy what little
wood they required for their single cooking-fire.
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