Kansas City was the landing—and furnished his house handsomely. The restraints of civilization were, however, too much for the prairie-born and plains-reared wife and children, and they returned to the wilderness, after a short trial of their new life. His daughter married some white man at Westport, and the boys returned to their mother's tribe, where they became thorough Indians, although, through the efforts of their father who spared no pains to civilize them, they had acquired moderate educations.

When the ranchmen were retreating from the Platte during the Sioux and Cheyenne troubles-about 1863, I think-it was reported that two of Bent's sons, George Bent, and one called "Little Bent," were in command of Cheyenne bands. None of them ever attained to the celebrity of their father, in anything; the taint of Indian blood poisoning their nobler qualities, and these degenerate sons of an illustrious sire show strongly the evil effects of a mongrel mixture of races, in which, as a general rule, only the worst qualities of each parent are perpetuated, and the nobler extinguished.

CHAPTER XVIII.

ADVENTURES OF J. S. SMITH, THE TRAPPER.

A CELEBRATED TRAPPER-HIS DESCRIPTION

WONDERFUL ADVENTURESTHE FIRST AMERICAN TO REACH CALIFORNIA OVERLAND- SITE OF HIS CAMP RETURNS TO GREEN RIVER- -RETAKES A STOLEN HORSEBLACKBIRD, THE OMAHA CHIEF -A RED DESPOT-A GREAT MEDICINE MAN-UNLUCKY RIVALS- -HIS METHODS OF TRADE-A SEASON OF REMORSE GENERAL JOY-HIS RIVAL, LITTLE BOW-DEATH OF BLACKTHE CEREMONIES -HUMAN SACRIFICES TO

BIRD-CURIOUS BURIAL

THE

THE GREAT STAR (VENUS)-- -SMITH'S TESTIMONY-SECOND TRIP TO CALIFORNIA -CONTINUAL BATTLING-BESIEGED IN CAMPA DESPERATE CHARGE- THE SURVIVORSENTER CALIFORNIA- -ARRESTED BY SPANIARDS- -RELEASED FRIGHTENED JESUITS- -ON TO THE NORTHINDIAN ATTACKS-THE MASSACRE-ESCAPE OF SMITH-RETURNS TO ST. LOUIS -SELLS OUT OF THE FUR COMPANY-GOLD DISCOVERY STARTS FOR SANTA FE OMINOUS WARNINGSWAYLAID BY THE SAVAGES HIS DEATH ON THE CIMMARONA REMARKABLE MAN-ACCOUNT OF COMRADES-A NOBLE PIONEER.

This was one of the most celebrated of American trappers, and was the first American who, by the overland route, ever set foot within the borders of California. Smith was a large-sized, fine looking man, with black hair and blue eyes, and was a native of Virginia or Kentucky. He was a man of the most unbounded courage, and added to his bravery a cool judgment and a ready wit. He was a man for emergencies, and his adventures, like those of another of the Smith family, Captain John Smith, of Virginia, trench closely upon the marvelous.

Living in almost hourly peril, he was one of the few trappers who perished at the hands of the Indians. Leaving his camp on the plains, he started for the Cimmaron River, to search for water for his comrades, and this hero of twice a hundred battles was waylaid by the savages and murdered.

Trapping along the headwaters of the Missouri River, Smith crossed over the mountains in the spring of 1824, and with a small party made his way, the succeeding spring, into California. He camped on the American River, and in July of this year (1825), built a post near the site of the present town of Folsom, and followed his pursuit vigorously.

In October, of the same year, Smith left his men at this post and, undeterred by the imminent perils of his journey, started East to inform his partners-then on Green River-of his new location. He made many narrow escapes on this journey; had his horse stolen by seven Indians, and stalked boldly into their camp and retook it before their faces, they not daring to attack him, so great was their fear of the celebrated trapper.

Before crossing the mountains, Smith had been a prime favorite of Blackbird, the great Omaha chief. This was one of the shrewdest Indians that ever lived, and with a wisdom greater than that of Tecumseh, or Pontiac, he realized at once the futility of a struggle against the whites, and by a peaceful policy, determined to reap the greatest benefit possible from this knowledge.

By his arts of statecraft, backed by a fearless courage and an indomitable will, Blackbird obtained such a supremacy amongst his people, as has seldom fallen to the lot of a self-appointed ruler. His power was absolute. From some of the traders he had learned the use of arsenic, in destroying life, and with a full supply of this deadly poison, he obtained a great reputation as a medicine man.

Whoever opposed his measures or his wishes, was sure to perish -he brooked no rival near the throne. A few days before administering the fatal dose, he would announce that such a chief would die; it had been revealed to him by the Great Spirit. The prophecy never failed. When traders came to the village, Blackbird had their packs brought to his lodge, and there, for the first time, they were opened; no one being admitted to the lodge but the trader and himself.

He then selected such articles as he fancied, often taking half of the goods, but to remunerate the white man, he forced the tribe to buy the rest at a double valuation. In this way he remained on the best of terms with all of the traders; benefitting them and enriching himself at the expense of his followers, somewhat after the manner of more civilized princes, and high tariff politicians.

Remorse seemed never to trouble his adaptable conscience, except upon a single occasion. His favorite squaw offended him in some way, and with a single blow of his knife he stretched her dead at his feet. In an instant he realized what the violence of his temper had caused him to do. Seating himself in his lodge, he covered his

head with his blanket, and in his solitude gave way to the agony of his grief.

For three days and nights he remained thus, deaf to the prayers and entreaties of his people, and never moved, until at last, one of

the squaws brought in the little child of the dead woman, and raising the leg of the chief, placed the child beneath it, with the foot of the chief upon its neck, and then left the lodge. Roused by

the weeping of the infant, Blackbird arose, bathed, and went forth, to the great delight of the tribe.

At last a formidable rival arose in the person of Little Bow, a noted young chief who exited a considerable faction against the tyranny and extortion of Blackbird. For a time he made considerable headway, but was at last overcome by the superior machinations of the wily old chief. He first endeavored to remove the young chief, in his usual manner, by poison, and employed the squaw of the latter to administer it, but Little Bow had, in some way, become suspicious of the actions of the woman, and when she brought him the poisoned food, he detected it from her great embarrasment and forced her to eat it, of course causing her death. Blackbird, nothing daunted, continued his intrigues, and finally succeeded in driving out his rival and the party that adhered to him.

In his latter days, Blackbird became very corpulent and unwieldy, owing to his gluttony and inaction. Continual feasts were now made in his honor, to which he was conveyed, seated upon a blanket borne by four men. Even in this helpless state, he maintained his power, and to the day of his death, ruled his people with a rod of iron. Before he died, he asked that he should be buried on the top of the high hill overlooking the village, that he might still see the boats of the traders ascending the river, and be gladdened by the presence of his white friends.

He desired to be buried sitting upon his favorite steed, with his face looking down the current of the mighty river. All of his wishes were carried out at his burial and for years after food and water were daily placed upon his grave. This was eagerly devoured by the hawks, eagles and coyotes, but his tribe firmly believed that their chief had eaten the food prepared for him. His flag-staff, with its floating pennant, was constantly renewed, until the tribe were forced to leave for another location.

En passant Smith's testimony-for he was a man of more than usual observation and of undoubted veracity-sets at rest all disputes in regard to a custom of some of the plains Indians, in making human sacrifices as a religious duty. He positively asserts, that the Pawnees had such a custom, and states that this sacrifice was made to the Great Star (Venus). One of their prisoners-sometimes a man and sometimes a woman-was selected and carefully fed with every luxury they could obtain. The fate in store for the victim