Deerfoot in The Mountains — Key Ideas to Explore

Movement Between Wilderness and Village

The book’s structure hinges on a repeated cycle: the party journeys through mountain passes or across plains, then settles for weeks or months in a Blackfoot village. Chapter titles such as “Eastward Bound,” “The Trail Northward,” and “Homeward Bound” signal the travel segments, while “In Winter Quarters,” “Blackfoot Citizens,” and “Summoned to Court” mark the stationary interludes. This alternation creates a rhythm of exposure to natural hazards followed by diplomatic or social challenges. The excerpts show that even within the village, movement continues—Deerfoot goes on hunting expeditions, crosses the river by canoe, and eventually participates in a foot race. The setting shifts from the Columbia River overlook to a “bleak plain at the rear of the village,” reinforcing that the landscape is never far from the action.

Snow, Fire, and the Passing of Seasons

Ellis uses weather and elemental imagery to mark time and mood. In one excerpt, snow ceases falling and a thin coating melts by daylight, giving way to “almost spring-like” weather that resembles “the lingering days of Indian summer.” This description serves as a prelude to the arrival of Deerfoot in the Blackfoot village, linking seasonal change with narrative transition. Fire appears in the chapter “By the Camp Fire,” where Deerfoot is shown lost in reverie—a moment of stillness that contrasts with the physical contests to come. The cold and snow of winter quarters (Chapter XI) give way to the “bright, keen, sunshiny afternoon” of the foot race, suggesting that the story’s climax is timed to a thaw. These recurring details root the plot in a tangible, seasonal world.

The Athletic Contest as Structural Centerpiece

The foot race described in the excerpts is the most fully developed scene in the available text, and it functions as a structural pivot. Ellis devotes a week of preparation within the story and a full chapter (“A Memorable Duel”) to the event. The race is framed as a test of Deerfoot’s reputation: boasts by Mul-tal-la and the Shelton brothers have preceded him, and the Blackfeet are skeptical. Deerfoot initially avoids displaying his skill, but the contest forces him to act. The description emphasizes the crowd, the five contestants, and the two-hundred-yard distance. Ellis notes that “the most noted test of athletic skill that ever occurred in the history of the Blackfeet tribe” takes place on a bleak plain, and the outcome is never in doubt for the reader. This scene crystallizes the book’s interest in physical prowess and cultural encounter.

Voice and Narrative Distance

Ellis’s narrator frequently addresses the reader directly, using phrases like “you have no more doubt of the result than did the victor.” This technique creates a conspiratorial tone and signals that the outcome is predetermined. The narrator also editorializes about Deerfoot’s modesty, noting that he “did not wish to become a competitor and deceive the others by not doing his best.” Such commentary shapes the reader’s perception of the protagonist without relying on interior monologue. The voice is consistently omniscient, moving from the group’s collective experience to Deerfoot’s private feelings. This narrative distance allows Ellis to present the Blackfoot village from an outsider’s perspective while still rendering its customs and inhabitants with enough detail to ground the story.

Readers may find it useful to track how each chapter’s setting—open trail or enclosed village—shapes the kind of conflict that emerges. The recurring images of snow, fire, and footraces are not merely decorative; they organize the plot and signal shifts in tension. Pay attention to how Ellis uses the changing seasons to mark the passage of time, and how the narrator’s direct addresses guide expectations about Deerfoot’s abilities.

That snow in the Blackfoot passes—how it hushes everything, same as the quiet house in spring. I remember finishing Deerfoot in the Mountains on a cold evening, then later finding that same stillness in The Story of a Cat — Reading Notes, where a creature's small rituals become the whole world. Both books said: watch, wait, and the warmth comes to you.