It is a
law with the Indians when they go to war, if an Indian will
not
obey the counsels and commands of his captain or chief, to kill
them.
When their meat was cooked, they ate very hearty, and when they
were
done eating, three of the Indians got up, put on their budgets and
started,
this young Indian was one of them. I also got up to show a
willingness
to be ready. The old chief told me to sit down, and the
three
Indians started off. In about three or four minutes after we
started,
but varied a little in our course. We had not traveled more
than
one hundred yards when we heard the report of a gun. The old chief
then
told me that they had killed the Indian that wanted to kill me. The
other
two Indians fell in company with us before night. We then traveled
till
about 10 o'clock in the night, when we encamped at a large grove of
timber
in a prairie, about four miles from the edge of the woods; made
no fire
that night. We traveled about forty miles that day. After they
rested
a while they sat down to eat their jirk. They gave me some but I
could
not eat any. After they were done eating, one of the Indians was
sitting
with his back against a tree, with his knife between his legs. I
was
sitting facing him with my feet nearly touching his. He began to
inquire
of me of what nation I belonged to. I was determined to pretend
that I
was ignorant and could not understand him. I did not wish them to
know
that I could speak some Indian language, and understand them better
than I
could speak. He first asked me in Indian if I was a Matocush,
(that
is a Frenchman in English). I told him no. He asked me if I was a
Sagenash,
(an Englishman). I told him no. He again asked if I was a
Shemolsea,
(that is a long knife or a Virginian). I told him no. He then
asked
me if I was a Bostonely, (that is American). I told him no. About
one
minute afterwards, he asked me the same questions over again. I then
answered
him yes; he then spoke English and caught up his knife in his
hand,
and said "you are one dam son of a bitch." I really thought he
intended
stabbing me with his knife. I knew it would not do to show
cowardice,
I being pretty well acquainted with their manner and ways. I
then
jumped upon my feet and spoke in Indian and said manetway, kien,
depaway,
in English it is no, I am very good, and clapped my hand on my
breast
when I spoke and looked very bold; the other Indians all set up
such
ha! ha! and laugh that it made the other Indian look very foolish.
He sat
still and looked very sulky. After they had rested a while, they
began
to prepare to lay down. They spread down a deer-skin and blanket
for me
to lay on. They had tied a rope around my arms above my elbows,
and
tied that rope across my back, and a rope around my neck; they then
tied
the end of another rope behind to the neck rope, then down my back
to the
pinion rope; then they drew my hands forward across my stomach
and
crossed my wrists; then tied my wrists very tight; then tied my legs
together,
just below my knees; then tied my feet together with a rope
round
my ankles; then took a small cord and tied in between my wrists,
and
also between my ankles very tight, in order to prevent me from
drawing
out my hands or feet; they then took another cord and tied one
end to
the neck rope; then to the hand rope; then from the hand rope to
the
knee rope; they then took a rope about six feet long and tied one
end to
the wrist rope, and the other end to a stake about six feet from
me
stretched very tight, and an Indian laid on that rope all night; then
they
took another rope about the same length, and tied one end to the
knee
rope and the other end to a stake, and another Indian laid on that
all
night; then they tied a large half-dressed elk rope, one end to the
back
part of the neck rope which made a knot as big as my fist, the
other
end they tied to a stake about six feet from my head. When they
finished
their tying me, they covered me with a blanket. They tied me in
the
aforegoing way nine nights in succession; they had me stretched and
tied so
tight, that I could not move one inch to turn or rest myself;
that
large knot was on the back of my neck, so that I was obliged to lay
on it
all night, and it hurt my neck very much. I never suffered as much
in the
same length of time in all my life; I could hardly walk when we
got out
to their town. They never made me carry anything except a
blanket
they gave me to keep myself warm, when they took all my clothes
from
me. The Indians carried a deer-skin and blanket all the way for me
to
lodge upon. When my hands and feet became sore with the tying the
Indians
would always pull off my moccasins at night and put them on in
the
morning, and patch them when they would require it.
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