The Impassioned Eloquence Of The Desperado At Length Produced An
Effect; And A Band Of Braves Enlisted Under His Guidance, To
Penetrate Into The Blackfoot Country, Harass Their Villages,
Carry Off Their Horses, And Commit All Kinds Of Depredations.
Kosato pushed forward on his foray as far as the Horse Prairie,
where he came upon a strong party of Blackfeet.
Without waiting
to estimate their force, he attacked them with characteristic
fury, and was bravely seconded by his followers. The contest, for
a time, was hot and bloody; at length, as is customary with these
two tribes, they paused, and held a long parley, or rather a war
of words.
"What need," said the Blackfoot chief, tauntingly, "have the Nez
Perces to leave their homes, and sally forth on war parties, when
they have danger enough at their own doors? If you want fighting,
return to your villages; you will have plenty of it there. The
Blackfeet warriors have hitherto made war upon you as children.
They are now coming as men. A great force is at hand; they are on
their way to your towns, and are determined to rub out the very
name of the Nez Perces from the mountains. Return, I say, to your
towns, and fight there, if you wish to live any longer as a
people."
Kosato took him at his word; for he knew the character of his
native tribe. Hastening back with his band to the Nez Perces
village, he told all that he had seen and heard, and urged the
most prompt and strenuous measures for defence.
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