eir
faces and follow me on the war-path. I have spoken!"

[Footnote 5: When a chief wishes to go to war, he sends to his warriors
some leaves of tobacco covered with vermilion. It is a sign that they
must soon be prepared.]

Thus ended the hopes of making agriculturists of the wild people among
whom we lived; nor did I wonder; such as they were, they felt happy.
What could they want besides their neat conical skin lodges, their
dresses, which were good, comfortable, and elegant, and their women, who
were virtuous, faithful, and pretty? Had they not the unlimited range of
the prairies? were they not lords over millions of elks and
buffaloes?--they wanted nothing, except tobacco. And yet it was a pity
we could not succeed in giving them a taste for civilization. They were
gentlemen by nature; as indeed almost all the Indians are, when not
given to drinking. They are extremely well bred, and stamped with the
indubitable seal of nobility on their brow.

The council was broken up, as both Christianity and his own peculiar
sentiments would not permit the Prince Seravalle to entertain the
thought of extending slavery. He bowed meekly to the will of Providence,
and endeavoured by other means to effect his object of enlightening the
minds of this pure and noble, yet savage race of men.

CHAPTER III.

This breaking up, for the time, of our agricultural settlement took
place in the year 1838. Till then, or a few months before, I had passed
my time between my civilized and uncivilized instructors. But although
educated, I was an Indian, not only in my dress but in my heart.

I mentioned that in the council called by the Prince I was present,
having been admitted as a chief, being then about seventeen years old.
My admission was procured in the following manner: when we received
intelligence of the murder, or disappearance of our seven white men,
whom the Prince had sent to Monterey to procure cattle, a party was sent
out on their track to ascertain what had really taken place, and at my
request the command of that party was confided to me.

We passed the Buona Ventura, and followed the track of our white men for
upwards of 200 miles, when we not only could trace it no further, but
found our small party of fifteen surrounded by about eighty of our
implacable enemies, the Crows.

By stratagem, we not only broke through them, but succeeded in
surprising seven of their party. My companions would have put them to
death