The trappers understood the Blackfoot tongue well enough to make their responses models in the way of brevity and force.

They said that it was idle to talk of friendship or peace until the stolen property was returned to its owners.

The Indians still attempted to postpone or evade, but the complainants were in no mood for trifling and they repeated their declaration more positively than before.
The Blackfeet were much more numerous than the whites, and confident of their strength, began to bluster and to assert that whatever they did would be dictated by their own wishes and not by any fear of their visitors.

Whether they desired to avoid a fight or not can only be conjectured, but they finally sent back to where the horses were tethered and caused five of the worst to be picked out and brought forward.
When the trappers inquired the meaning of this proceeding, the Indians said that it was the best they could do and the hunters must be content.
This last insult was the spark which exploded the magazine.

Instantly every white man ran for his gun, and the Blackfeet did the same.