There were a lot of confrontations in the vast Wilderness known as the fur country.  Depending on the scenario of events, action could go from shoot first and ask questions later to the use of palaver and diplomacy to accomplish what was needed by both parties.  Diplomacy was usually the first tool of the experienced Mountain Man unless the former incident occurred.  These were troubled times for Native Americans who felt encroached upon.  We all know that diplomacy is extremely important if the alternative is blood-letting.  So the success back then, as it is now, depended on the temperament of the participants.  If one party was desperate and had nothing to gain and everything to lose, then diplomacy got thrown out and the general fighting to the death or submission began.