They asked me what I had agreed to pay the Indians. I
told them I had not made any bargain whatever, and that we had not
agreed to pay them anything, nor had they asked it. But we thought
that under the circumstances we did not consider it safe to
attempt to make another trip that fall or winter without an escort
of that kind, and we couldn't expect those Indians to make the
trips free of charge. Col. Bent told me to make my own bargain
with them, and he would pay the bill whatever it might be.
This was the first time these young Indians had ever been in
civilization, so I took them around the place and took particular
pains to show them everything. When we had been all around and I
had showed them everything out doors, I took them into the kitchen
of the hotel. When they saw the cook getting supper on the stove
they said it was no good, for they could not see the fire and they
did not understand how cooking could be done without it.
After they had seen all there was to be seen I took them in where
the two proprietors were, and after telling them that they would
hire them all winter, providing they did not ask too much, I asked
them what they were going to charge us for the trip they had
already made.
The most intelligent one spoke up and said: "Give me one string of
beads and one butcher knife for the trip already made, and give me
one butcher knife for the next trip.
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