RKCOI.I.KCTIONS OK AN OLD I'K>M.I i:. 159

often listened to his graphic description of incidents that came under his observation while he was in the service of the Missouri Fur Company. I remember a very interesting uiii-rat ion which I heard from him. I can only give the substance. The hired men of the company were mostly employed in trapping heaver and otter. A war grew up between the whites and Indians, as usual.. It was not desirable to the company, and its manager made efforts to secure peace. For this purpose he consulted with Newell, and asked him if he would he willing to go as a commissioner to the Crow Indians to treat for peace. Newell consented, upon condition that he should only take with him an interpreter and a cook. With these two men Newell boldly made his way to the Crow camp. The Indian chiefs assembled in the council- lodge, and the orator on the part of the tribe brought in a bundle of small sticks. He commenced and stated an ag- gressive wrong against the Crows on the part of the whites,

nd demanded for that a certain number of blankets. Hav-

ing done this lie laid aside one stick, and then proceeded to state another grievance and to lay aside another stick, and so on until the bundle was exhausted. The number of these com- plaints was great, and the amount of merchandise demanded far exceeded the ability of the company to pay. Newell said that while this process was going on he felt himself almost overwhelmed, lie could not make a detailed statement of wrongs committed by the Indians against the whites sufficient to balance this most formidable account. He had m>t prepared himself with a mass of charges and a bundle of sticks to refresh his memory. In this emergency he de- termined to take a bold, frank position, and come directly to the point by a short and comprehensive method. When it came to his turn to speak he told the council that lie was sent as the mere ;i-_'ent of the pany. and as not authori/ed to enter into any stipulation I'm- payment to either party; that be did not ie to count over the wrongs committed in the past; that both parties h;i.| dune wrong often, mid it