if such was the case, why had not the Blackfeet come forward on
discovering their mistake, greeted their white brothers as friends
and returned their property to them.

The replies were evasive and the hunters became convinced that the
Indians were seeking to gain time for some sinister purpose; but a
full parley having been agreed upon, both parties left their guns
behind and advanced to where their representatives were holding
their interview.

The Blackfeet still professed the most ardent friendship, and as an
emphatic token of the same, produced the calumet and began smoking
the pipe of peace. The tobacco having been lit, each took several
whiffs and then passed it to his neighbor, who did the same until
the round was completed. This solemn pledge of good will having
been exchanged, the convention or peace congress was opened as may
be said, in due and ancient form.

Carson and his companions were distrustful from the start, though
it was hard for them to decide the meaning of the prolonged
negotiations, since no one could see what the Blackfeet were to
gain by such a course. They may have hoped to deceive the hunters
and throw them off their guard, but, if such was the case, they
failed.

First of all, the leading warriors indulged in several long speeches
which were without point, but what was said in reply could admit of
no doubt as to its meaning. The trappers understood the Blackfoot
tongue well enough to make their responses models in the way of
brevity and force. They said that it was idle to talk of friendship