the dried fish, and the rarefied air in the building, had already begun
to affect many of our men, especially the wounded.

At the end of a week our enemy reappeared, silent and determined. They
had returned for revenge or for death; the struggle was to be a fearful
one. They encamped in the little open prairie on the other side of the
river, and mustered about six hundred men.

The first war-party had overthrown and dispersed the Bonnaxes, as they
were on their way to join the Flat-heads; and the former tribe not being
able to effect the intended junction, threw itself among the Cayuses and
Nez-percés. These three combined nations, after a desultory warfare,
gave way before the second war-party; and the Bonnaxes, being now
rendered desperate by their losses and the certainty that they would be
exterminated if the Shoshones should conquer, joined the Callapoos and
Umbiquas, to make one more attack upon our little garrison.

Nothing could have saved us, had the Flat-heads held out any longer; but
the Black-feet, their irreconcilable enemies, seizing the opportunity,
had entered their territory. They sued to us for peace, and then
detachments from both war-parties hastened to our help. Of this we were
apprised by our runners; and having previously concerted measures with
my father, I started alone to meet these detachments, in the passes of
the Mineral Mountains. The returning warriors were seven hundred strong,
and had not lost more than thirteen men in their two expeditions; they
divided into three bands, and succeeded, without discovery, in
surrounding the prairie in which the enemy were encamped; an Indian was
then sent to cross the river, a few miles to the east, and carry a
message to my father.