"If we keep friends with them," said he, "we have nothing
to fear from the Blackfeet, and can rule the mountains." Arapooish
pretended to be a great "medicine man", a character among the Indians
which is a compound of priest, doctor, prophet, and conjurer. He carried
about with him a tame eagle, as his "medicine" or familiar. With the
white men, he acknowledged that this was all charlatanism, but said it
was necessary, to give him weight and influence among his people.
Mr. Robert Campbell, from whom we have most of these facts, in the
course of one of his trapping expeditions, was quartered in the
village of Arapooish, and a guest in the lodge of the chieftain. He had
collected a large quantity of furs, and, fearful of being plundered,
deposited but a part in the lodge of the chief; the rest he buried in a
cache. One night, Arapooish came into the lodge with a cloudy brow, and
seated himself for a time without saying a word. At length, turning to
Campbell, "You have more furs with you," said he, "than you have brought
into my lodge?"
"I have," replied Campbell.
"Where are they?"
Campbell knew the uselessness of any prevarication with an Indian; and
the importance of complete frankness. He described the exact place where
he had concealed his peltries.
"'Tis well," replied Arapooish; "you speak straight. It is just as you
say. But your cache has been robbed. Go and see how many skins have been
taken from it.
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