Jim Bridger and I had talked the matter over concerning this tribe
and the Sioux, for we well knew that if they and the Sioux were on
friendly terms we would get home safe, if not, we would have a
hard time of it.
I proposed to Jim that we make Blackbird a present of something,
and while he was in the best of humor I would ask him the
question. Jim thought it a capital idea, and before supper I went
to our cargo and got three rings and three strings of beads. After
supper I gave one string of beads and one ring to Blackbird, one
to his wife and one to his eldest daughter, who was about grown.
We then sat down and had a social smoke and a friendly chat. By
this time Blackbird was beginning to think I was a pretty good
fellow, so I asked him if the Sioux were good Indians. He said:
"Yes, the Sioux are my friends."
That was all I wanted to know, and I did not ask him any more
questions, nor did I tell him of our trouble with the nine Sioux.
I told him we wanted to hire four young men from his tribe to go
to the fort with us. He said: "All right, I'll see tomorrow."
Our idea in wanting the young Kiowas along, after finding they
were on good terms with the Sioux, was that we knew when we were
in company with the Kiowas the Sioux would not give us any
trouble.
The day following, in the afternoon, Blackbird came to us and told
us that there were four young men who wanted to go with us and
asked how long we would be gone.
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