NARRATIVE OF THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS. Part 3.

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.