下载辰思小说免费APP
"Ifoundthisfeather，grandmother，andI
couldnotmakeoutwhattribewearfeathersinthatshape。"
"Ugh，Iamnotaman;youhadbetteraskyouruncle。Besides，youshouldknowityourselfbythistime。Youarenowoldenoughtothinkabouteaglefeathers。"
Ifeltmortifiedbythisreminderofmyignor—
ance。ItseemedareflectiononmethatIwasnotambitiousenoughtohavefoundallsuchmattersoutbefore。
"Uncle，youwilltellme，won’tyou？"Isaid，inanappealingtone。
"Iamsurprised，myboy，thatyoushouldfailtorecognizethisfeather。ItisaCreemedicinefeather，andnotawarrior’s。"
"Then，"Isaid，withmuchembarrassment，youhadbettertellmeagain，uncle，thelan—
guageofthefeathers。Ihavereallyforgottenitall。"
Thedaywasnowgone;themoonhadrisen;
butthecoldhadnotlessened，forthetrunksofthetreeswerestillsnappingallaroundourtee—
pee，whichwaslightedandwarmedbytheim—
menselogswhichUncheedah’sindustryhadpro—
vided。Myuncle，WhiteFoot—print，nowunder—
tooktoexplaintomethesignificanceoftheeagle’sfeather。
"Theeagleisthemostwar—likebird，"hebe—
gan，"andthemostkinglyofallbirds;besides，hisfeathersareunlikeanyothers，andthesearethereasonswhytheyareusedbyourpeopletosignifydeedsofbravery。
"Itisnottruethatwhenamanwearsafeatherbonnet，eachoneofthefeathersrepresentsthekill—
ingofafoeorevenacoup。Whenamanwearsaneaglefeatheruprightuponhishead，heissup—
posedtohavecountedoneoffourcoupsuponhisenemy。"
"Well，then，acoupdoesnotmeanthekillingofanenemy？"
"No，itistheafter—strokeortouchingofthebodyafterhefalls。Itissoordered，becauseoften—
timesthetouchingofanenemyismuchmoredif—
ficulttoaccomplishthantheshootingofonefromadistance。Itrequiresastronghearttofacethewholebodyoftheenemy，inordertocountthecouponthefallenone，wholiesundercoverofhiskinsmen’sfire。Manyabravemanhasbeenlostintheattempt。
"Whenawarriorapproacheshisfoe，deadoralive，hecallsupontheotherwarriorstowit—
nessbysaying：’I，FearlessBear，yourbrave，againperformthebravedeedofcountingthefirst（orsecondorthirdorfourth）coupuponthebodyofthebravestofyourenemies。’Naturally，thosewhoarepresentwillseetheactandbeabletotestifytoit。Whentheyreturn，theheralds，asyouknow，announcepubliclyallsuchdeedsofvalor，whichthenbecomeapartoftheman’swarrecord。Anybravewhowouldweartheeagle’sfeathermustgiveproofofhisrighttodoso。
"Whenabraveiswoundedinthesamebattlewherehecountedhiscoup，hewearsthefeatherhangingdownward。Whenheiswounded，butmakesnocount，hetrimshisfeatherandinthatcase，itneednotbeaneaglefeather。Allotherfeathersaremerelyornaments。Whenawarriorwearsafeatherwitharoundmark，itmeansthatheslewhisenemy。Whenthemarkiscutintothefeatherandpaintedred，itmeansthathetookthescalp。
"Abravewhohasbeensuccessfulintenbat—
tlesisentitledtoawar—bonnet;andifheisarec—
ognizedleader，heispermittedtowearonewithlong，trailingplumes。Alsothosewhohavecountedmanycoupsmaytiptheendsofthefeath—
erswithbitsofwhiteorcoloreddown。Some—
timestheeaglefeatheristippedwithastripofweaselskin;thatmeansthewearerhadthehonorofkilling，scalpingandcountingthefirstcoupupontheenemyallatthesametime。
"ThisfeatheryouhavefoundwaswornbyaCree——itisindiscriminatelypainted。AllotherfeatherswornbythecommonIndiansmeannoth—
ing，"headded。
"Tellme，uncle，whetheritwouldbeproperformetowearanyfeathersatallifIhavenevergoneuponthewar—path。"
"Youcouldwearanyotherkindoffeathers，butnotaneagle’s，"repliedmyuncle，"althoughsometimesoneiswornongreatoccasionsbythechildofanotedman，toindicatethefather’sdig—
nityandposition。"
Thefirehadgonedownsomewhat，soIpushedtheemberstogetherandwrappedmyrobemorecloselyaboutme。Nowandthentheiceonthelakewouldburstwithaloudreportlikethunder。
Uncheedahwasbusyre—stringingoneofuncle’soldsnow—shoes。Thereweretwodifferentkindsthathewore;onewithastraighttoeandlong;
theothershorterandwithanupturnedtoe。Shehadoneoftheshoesfastenedtoedown，betweensticksdrivenintotheground，whilesheputinsomenewstringsandtightenedtheothers。AuntFourStarswasbeadinganewpairofmoccasins。
Wabeda，thedog，thecompanionofmyboy—
hooddays，wasintroublebecauseheinsisteduponbringinghisextraboneintotheteepee，whileUncheedahwasdeterminedthatheshouldnot。
Isympathizedwithhim，becauseIsawthematterashedid。Ifheshouldburyitinthesnowout—
side，IknewShunktokecha（thecoyote）wouldsurelystealit。IknewjusthowanxiousWabedawasabouthisbone。Itwasafatbone——Imeanaboneofafatdeer;andallIndiansknowhowmuchbettertheyarethantheotherkind。
Wabedaalwayshatedtoseeagoodthinggotowaste。Hiseyesspokewordstome，forheandI
hadbeenfriendsforalongtime。WhenIwasafraidofanythinginthewoods，hewouldgetinfrontofmeatonceandgentlywaghistail。Healwaysmadeitapointtolookdirectlyinmyface。
Hiskind，largeeyesgavemeathousandassur—
ances。WhenIwasperplexed，hewouldhangaboutmeuntilheunderstoodthesituation。
ManytimesIbelievedhesavedmylifebyutter—
ingthedogwordintime。
Mostanimals，eventhedangerousgrizzly，donotcaretobeseenwhenthetwo—leggedkindandhisdogareabout。WhenIfearedasurprisebyabearoragreywolf，IwouldsaytoWabeda："Now，mydog，giveyourwar—whoop："andimmediatelyhewouldsituponhishaunchesandbark"tobeattheband"asyouwhiteboyssay。Whenabearorwolfheardthenoise，hewouldbeapttoretreat。
SometimesIhelpedWabedaandgaveawar—
whoopofmyown。Thisdrovethedeerawayaswell，butitrelievedmymind。
Whenheappealedtomeonthisoccasion，there—
fore，Isaid："Come，mydog，letusburyyourbonesothatnoShunktokechawilltakeit。"
Heappearedsatisfiedwithmysuggestion，sowewentouttogether。
Weduginthesnowandburiedourbonewrappedupinapieceofoldblanket，partlyburned;thenwecovereditupagainwithsnow。
Weknewthatthecoyotewouldnottouchany—
thingburnt。IdidnotputitupatreebecauseWabedaalwaysobjectedtothat，andImadeitapointtoconsulthiswisheswheneverIcould。
IcameinandWabedafollowedmewithtwoshortribbonesinhismouth。Apparentlyhedidnotcaretoriskthosedelicacies。
"There，"exclaimedUncheedah，"youstillin—
sistuponbringinginsomesortofbone！"butI
beggedhertolethimgnawtheminsidebecauseitwassocold。Havingbeengrantedthisprivilege，hesettledhimselfatmybackandIbecameab—
sorbedinsomespeciallynicearrowsthatunclewasmaking。
"O，uncle，youmustputonthreefeatherstoallofthemsothattheycanflystraight，"Isug—
gested。
"Yes，butifthereareonlytwofeathers，theywillflyfaster，"heanswered。
"Woow！"Wabedautteredhissuspicions。
"Woow！"hesaidagain，andrushedfortheentranceoftheteepee。Hekickedmeoverashewentandscatteredtheburningembers。
"Ennahena！"Uncheedahexclaimed，buthewasalreadyoutside。
"Wow，wow，wow！Wow，Wow，wow！"
Adeepgutturalvoiceansweredhim。
OutIrushedwithmybowandarrowsinmyhand。
"Come，uncle，come！Abigcinnamonbear！"I
shoutedasIemergedfromtheteepee。
Unclesprangoutandinamomenthehadsentaswiftarrowthroughthebear’sheart。Theani—
malfelldead。HehadjustbeguntodigupWabeda’sbone，whenthedog’squickearhadheardthesound。
"Ah，uncle，WabedaandIoughttohaveatleastalittleeaglet’sfeatherforthis。Itoosentmysmallarrowintothebearbeforehefell，"Iex—
claimed。"ButIthoughtallbearsoughttobeintheirlodgesinthewintertime。Whatwasthisonedoingatthistimeoftheyearandnight？"
"Well，"saidmyuncle，"Iwilltellyou。Amongthetribes，somearenaturallylazy。Thecinnamonbearisthelazyoneofhistribe。Healonesleepsoutofdoorsinthewinterandbecausehehasnotawarmbed，heissoonhungry。Sometimeshelivesinthehollowtrunkofatree，wherehehasmadeabedofdrygrass;butwhenthenightisverycold，liketo—night，hehastomoveabouttokeephimselffromfreezingandasheprowlsaround，hegetshungry。"
Wedraggedthehugecarcasswithinourlodge。
"O，whatniceclawshehas，uncle！"Iexclaimedeagerly。"CanIhavethemformynecklace？"
"Itisonlytheoldmedicinemenwhowearthemregularly。Thesonofagreatwarriorwhohaskilledagrizzlymaywearthemuponapub—
licoccasion，"heexplained。
"Andyouarejustlikemyfatherandarecon—
sideredthebesthunteramongtheSanteesandSis—
setons。Youhavekilledmanygrizzliessothatnoonecanobjecttomybear’s—clawsnecklace，"I
saidappealingly。
WhiteFoot—printsmiled。"Myboy，youshallhavethem，"hesaid，"butitisalwaysbet—
tertoearnthemyourself。"Hecuttheclawsoffcarefullyformyuse。
"Tellme，uncle，whetheryoucouldweartheseclawsallthetime？"Iasked。
"Yes，Iamentitledtowearthem，buttheyaresoheavyanduncomfortable，"hereplied，withasuperiorair。
Atlastthebearhadbeenskinnedanddressedandweallresumedourusualplaces。Uncheedahwasparticularlypleasedtohavesomemorefatforhercooking。
"Now，grandmother，tellmethestoryofthebear’sfat。Ishallbesohappyifyouwill，"I
begged。
"Itisagoodstoryanditistrue。Youshouldknowitbyheartandgainalessonfromit，"shereplied。"ItwasintheforestsofMinnesota，inthecountrythatnowbelongstotheOjibways。
FromtheBedawakantonSiouxvillageayoungmarriedcouplewentintothewoodstogetfreshvenison。Thesnowwasdeep;theicewasthick。
Farawayinthewoodstheypitchedtheirlonelyteepee。Theyoungmanwasawell—knownhunterandhiswifeagoodmaidenofthevillage。
"Hehuntedentirelyonsnow—shoes，becausethesnowwasverydeep。Hiswifehadtowearsnow—shoestoo，togettothespotwheretheypitchedtheirtent。Itwasthawingthedaytheywentout，sotheirpathwasdistinctafterthefreezecameagain。
"Theyoungmankilledmanydeerandbears。
Hiswifewasverybusycuringthemeatandtry—
ingoutthefatwhilehewasawayhuntingeachday。Intheeveningsshekeptontryingthefat。
Hesatononesideoftheteepeeandsheontheother。
"Oneevening，shehadjustloweredakettleoffattocool，andasshelookedintothehotfatshesawthefaceofanOjibwayscoutlookingdownatthemthroughthesmoke—hole。Shesaidnothing，nordidshebetrayherselfinanyway。
"Afteralittleshesaidtoherhusbandinanat—
uralvoice：’Marpeetopah，someoneislookingatusthroughthesmokehole，andIthinkitisanenemy’sscout。’
"ThenMarpeetopah（Four—skies）tookuphisbowandarrowsandbegantostraightenanddrythemforthenextday’shunt，talkingandlaugh—
ingmeanwhile。Suddenlyheturnedandsentanarrowupward，killingtheOjibway，whofelldeadattheirdoor。
"’Quick，Wadutah！’heexclaimed;’youmusthurryhomeuponourtrail。Iwillstayhere。Whenthisscoutdoesnotreturn，thewar—
partymaycomeinabodyorsendanotherscout。
Ifonlyonecomes，IcansoondispatchhimandthenIwillfollowyou。IfIdonotdothat，theywillovertakeusinourflight。’
"Wadutah（Scarlet）protestedandbeggedtobeallowedtostaywithherhusband，butatlastshecameawaytogetreinforcements。
"ThenMarpeetopah（Four—skies）putmoresticksonthefiresothattheteepeemightbebright—
lylitandshowhimtheway。Hethentookthescalpoftheenemyandproceededonhistrack，untilhecametotheupturnedrootofagreattree。
Therehespreadouthisarrowsandlaidouthistomahawk。
"SoontwomorescoutsweresentbytheOjib—
waywar—partytoseewhatwasthetroubleandwhythefirstonefailedtocomeback。Heheardthemastheyapproached。Theywereonsnow—
shoes。Whentheycameclosetohim，heshotanarrowintotheforemost。Asfortheother，inhisefforttoturnquicklyhissnow—shoesstuckinthedeepsnowanddetainedhim，soMarpeetopahkilledthemboth。
"QuicklyhetookthescalpsandfollowedWa—
dutah。Heranhard。ButtheOjibwayssus—
pectedsomethingwrongandcametothelonelyteepee，tofindalltheirscoutshadbeenkilled。
TheyfollowedthepathofMarpeetopahandWa—
dutahtothemainvillage，andthereagreatbattlewasfoughtontheice。Manywerekilledonbothsides。ItwasafterthisthattheSiouxmovedtotheMississippiriver。"
IwassleepybythistimeandIrolledmyselfupinmybuffalorobeandfellasleep。
II：AdventuresofMyUncleITwasabeautifulfallday——’agopher’slastlookback，’asweusedtosayofthelastwarmdaysofthelateautumn。Wewereencampedbesideawildricelake，wheretwomonthsbeforewehadharvestedourwateryfieldsofgrain，andwherewehadnowreturnedfortheduck—hunting。
Allwaswellwithus。Duckswerekilledincount—
lessnumbers，andintheeveningsthemenhunteddeerincanoesbytorchlightalongtheshoresofthelake。Butalas！lifeismadeupofgoodtimesandbadtimes，anditiswhenweareperfectlyhappythatweshouldexpectsomeoverwhelmingmisfortune。
"Soitwasthatuponthispeacefulandstillmorn—
ing，allofasuddenaharshandterriblewar—crywasheard！Yourfatherwasthenquiteayoungman，andaveryambitiouswarrior，sothatIwasalwaysfrightenedonhisaccountwhenevertherewasachanceoffighting。ButIdidnotthinkofyouruncle，MysteriousMedicine，forhewasnotoverfifteenatthetime;besides，hehadnevershownanytasteforthefield。
"Ourcampwasthrownintogreatexcitement;
andasthewarriorsadvancedtomeettheenemy，Iwasalmostovercomebythesightofyouruncleamongthem！Itwasofnouseformetocallhimback——IthinkIprayedinthatmomenttotheGreatMysterytobringmyboysafelyhome。
"Ishallneverforget，aslongasIlive，theeventsofthatday。Manybravemenwerekilled;
amongthemtwoofyouruncle’sintimatefriends。
Butwhenthebattlewasover，myboycameback;
onlyhisfacewasblackenedinmourningforhisfriends，andheboreseveralwoundsinhisbody。
Iknewthathehadprovedhimselfatruewarrior。
"Thiswasthebeginningofyouruncle’scareer，Hehassurpassedyourfatherandyourgrand—
father;yes，allhisancestorsexceptJinglingThun—
der，indaringandskill。"
Suchwasmygrandmother’saccountofthemaidenbattleofherthirdson，MysteriousMed—
icine。Heachievedmanyothernames;amongthemBigHunter，LongRifleandWhiteFoot—
print。HehadafavoriteKentuckyriflewhichhecarriedformanyyears。Thestockwasseveraltimesbroken，buthealwaysmadeanother。Withthisgunheexcelledmostofhiscontemporariesinaccuracyofaim。HeusedtocalltheweaponIshtahbopopa——aliteraltranslationwouldbe"Pops—the—eye。"
Myuncle，whowasafathertomefortenyearsofmylife，wasalmostagiantinhispropor—
tions，verysymmetricaland"straightasanarrow。"
Hisfacewasnotatallhandsome。Hehadveryquietandreservedmannersandwasamanofactionratherthanofunnecessarywords。BehindtheveilofIndianreticencehehadaninexhausti—
blefundofwitandhumor;butthispartofhischaracteronlyappearedbeforehisfamilyandveryintimatefriends。Fewmenknownaturemorethoroughlythanhe。Nothingirritatedhimmorethantohearsomenaturalfactmisrepresented。I
haveoftenthoughtthatwitheducationhemighthavemadeaDarwinoranAgassiz。
Hewasalwaysmodestandunconsciousofselfinrelatinghisadventures。"Ihaveoftenbeenforcedtorealizemydanger，"heusedtosay，"butnotinsuchawayastooverwhelmme。OnlytwiceinmylifehaveIbeenreallyfrightened，andforaninstantlostmypresenceofmind。
"OnceIwasinfullpursuitofalargebuckdeerthatIhadwounded。Itwaswinter，andtherewasaveryheavyfalloffreshsnowupontheground。AllatonceIcameuponthebodyofthedeerlyingdeadonthesnow。Ibegantomakeahastyexamination，butbeforeIhadmadeanydiscoveries，Ispiedthetipsoftwoearspeep—
ingjustabovethesurfaceofthesnowabouttwentyfeetfromme。Imadeafeintofnotsee—
inganythingatall，butmovedquicklyinthedirectionofmygun，whichwasleaningagainstatree。Feeling，somehow，thatIwasabouttobetakenadvantageof，Isnatchedatthesamemo—
mentmyknifefrommybelt。
"Thepanther（forsuchitwas）madeasuddenanddesperatespring。Itriedtododge，buthewastooquickforme。Hecaughtmebytheshoulderwithhisgreatpaw，andthrewmedown。
Somehow，hedidnotretainhishold，butmadean—
otherleapandagainconcealedhimselfinthesnow。
Evidentlyhewaspreparingtomakeafreshattack。
"Iwaspartiallystunnedandgreatlyconfusedbytheblow;thereforeIshouldhavebeenaneasypreyforhimatthemoment。Butwhenheleftme，Icametomysenses;andIhadbeenthrownnearmygun！Iaroseandaimedbetweenthetipsofhisears——allthatwasvisibleofhim——andfired。Isawthefreshsnowflyfromthespot。Thepantherleapedaboutsixfeetstraightupintotheair，andfellmotionless。Igavetwogoodwar—
whoops，becauseIhadconqueredaveryformid—
ableenemy。Isatdownonthedeadbodytorest，andmyheartbeatasifitwouldknockoutallmyribs。Ihadnotbeenexpectinganydanger，andthatwaswhyIwassotakenbysurprise。
"Theothertimewasontheplains，insummer。
Iwasaccustomedtohuntinginthewoods，andneverbeforehadhuntedbuffaloonhorseback。Be—
ingayoungman，ofcourseIwaseagertodowhat—
everothermendid。ThereforeIsaddledmyponyforthehunt。Ihadaswiftponyandagoodgun，butonthisoccasionIpreferredabowandarrows。
"Itwasthetimeofyearwhenthebuffalogoinlargeherdsandthebullsarevicious。Butthisdidnottroublemeatall;indeed，Ithoughtofnothingbuttheexcitementandhonorofthechase。
"AvastplainneartheSourisriverwasliterallycoveredwithanimmenseherd。Thedaywasfair，andwecameupwiththemveryeasily。Ihadaquiverfullofarrows，withasinew—backedbow。
"Myponycarriedmeinfaraheadofalltheoth—
ers。Ifoundmyselfinthemidstofthebullsfirst，fortheyareslow。Theythrewtowardmeviciousglances，soIhastenedmyponyontothecows。
SoonIwasenvelopedinathickcloudofdust，andcompletelysurroundedbytheherd，whowerebythistimeintheactoffleeing，theirhoofsmakinganoiselikethunder。
"Icouldnotthinkofanythingbutmyownsit—
uation，whichconfusedmeforthemoment。Itseemedtometobeadesperateone。Ifmypony，whichwasgoingatfullspeed，shouldstepintoabadgerhole，Ishouldbethrowntothegroundandtrampledunderfootinaninstant。IfIweretostop，theywouldknockmeover，ponyandall。
Again，itseemedasifmyhorsemustfallfromsheerexhaustion;andthenwhatwouldbecomeofme？
"AtlastIawoketoacalmrealizationofmyownpower。Iutteredayellandbegantoshootrightandleft。Verysoontherewereonlyafewoldbullswhoremainednearme。Theherdhadscattered，andIwasmilesawayfrommycompanions。
"Itiswhenwethinkofourpersonaldangerthatweareapttobeatalosstodothebestthingun—
derthecircumstances。Oneshouldbeunconsciousofselfinordertodohisduty。Weareveryapttothinkourselvesbrave，whenwearemosttimid。
Ihavediscoveredthathalfouryoungmengivethewar—whoopwhentheyarefrightened，becausetheyfearlesttheirsilencemaybetraytheirstateofmind。Ithinkwearereallybravestwhenmostcalmandslowtoaction。"
Iurgedmyuncletotellmemoreofhisadven—
tures。
"Once，"saidhe，"Ihadasomewhatpeculiarexperience，whichIthinkIneverrelatedtoyoubefore。Itwasatthetimeofthefallhunt。OneafternoonwhenIwasaloneIdiscoveredthatIwastoofarawaytoreachthecampbeforedark，soI
lookedaboutforagoodplacetospendthenight。
ThiswasontheUpperMissouri，beforetherewereanywhitepeoplethere，andwhenwewereincon—
stantdangerfromwildbeastsaswellasfromhos—
tileIndians。Itwasnecessarytouseeverypre—
cautionandtheutmostvigilance。
"Iselectedaspotwhichappearedtobewelladaptedtodefense。Ihadkilledtwodeer，andIhunguppiecesofthemeatatcertaindistancesinvariousdirections。Iknewthatanywolfwouldstopforthemeat，Agrizzlybearwouldsome—
timesstop，butnotamountainlionorapanther。
ThereforeImadeafire。Suchananimalwouldbeapttoattackasolitaryfire。Therewasafullmoonthatnight，whichwasmuchinmyfavor。
"Havingcookedandeatensomeofthevenison，Irolledmyselfinmyblanketandlaydownbythefire，takingmyIshtahbopopaforabedfellow。I
huggeditveryclosely，forIfeltthatIshouldneeditduringthenight。IhadscarcelysettledmyselfwhenIheardwhatseemedtobetenortwelvecoyotessetupsuchahowlingthatIwasquitesureofavisitfromthem。Immediatelyafter—。
wardIheardanothersound，whichwaslikethescreamingofasmallchild。Thiswasaporcupine，whichhaddoubtlesssmelledthemeat。
"Iwatcheduntilacoyoteappeareduponaflatrockfiftyyardsaway。Hesniffedtheairineverydirection;then，sittingpartlyuponhishaunches，swungroundinacirclewithhishindlegssawingtheair，andhowledandbarkedinmanydifferentkeys。Itwasagreatfeat！Icouldnothelpwon—
deringwhetherIshouldbeabletoimitatehim。
Whathadseemedtobethevoicesofmanycoy—
oteswasinrealityonlyoneanimal。Hismatesoonappearedandthentheybothseemedsatisfied，andshowednosignsofawishtoinviteanothertojointhem。Presentlytheybothsuddenlyandquietlydisappeared。
"Atthismomentaslightnoiseattractedmyat—
tention，andIsawthattheporcupinehadarrived。
Hehadclimbeduptothepieceofmeatnearestme，andwashelpinghimselfwithoutanycere—
mony。Ithoughtitwasfortunatethathecame，forhewouldmakeagoodwatchdogforme。
Verysoon，infact，heinterruptedhismeal，andcausedallhisquillstostandoutindefiance。I
glancedaboutmeandsawthetwocoyotesslylyapproachingmyopencampfromtwodifferentdi—
rections。
"Itookthepartoftheporcupine！Iroseinasittingposture，andsentaswiftarrowtoeachofmyunwelcomevisitors。Theybothranawaywithhowlsofsurpriseandpain。
"Theporcupinesawthewholefromhisperch，buthismealwasnotatalldisturbed，forhebeganeatingagainwithapparentrelish。Indeed，Iwassoonfurnishedwithanotheroftheseunconsciousprotectors。Thisonecamefromtheoppositedi—
rectiontoapointwhereIhadhungasplendidhamofvenison。Hecaredtogonofurther，butseatedhimselfatonceonaconvenientbranchandbeganhissupper。
"Thecanonabovemewasfullofrocksandtrees。
Fromthisdirectioncameastartlingnoise，whichcausedmemoreconcernthananythingIhadthusfarheard。Itsoundedmuchlikeahugeanimalstretchinghimself，andgivingagreatyawnwhichendedinascream。Iknewthisforthevoiceofamountainlion，anditdecidedmetoperchuponalimbfortherestofthenight。
"Igotupandclimbedintothenearestlargetree，takingmyweaponswithme;butfirstIrolledashortlogofwoodinmyblanketandlaiditinmyplacebythefire。
"AsIgotup，thetwoporcupinesbegantode—
scend，butIpaidnoattentiontothem，andtheysoonreturnedtotheirformerpositions。VerysoonIheardahissingsoundfromoneofthem，andknewthatanintruderwasnear。Twogreywolvesappeared。
"Ihadhungthehamsbythehamstrings，andtheywerefullyeightfeetfromtheground。Atfirstthewolvescameboldlyforward，butthewarn—
ingoftheporcupinescausedthemtostop，andhesitatetojumpforthemeat。However，theywerehungry，andbegantoleapsavagelyforthehams，althoughevidentlytheyprovedgoodtargetsforthequillsofthepricklyones，foroccasionallyoneofthemwouldsquealandrubhisnosedes—
peratelyagainstthetree。
"Atlastoneofthewolvesburiedhisteethtoodeeplyinatoughportionoftheflesh，andhavingjumpedtoreachit，hisownweightmadeitim—
possibleforhimtoloosenhisupperjaw。Therethegreywolfdangled，kickingandyelping，untilthetendonofthehamgaveway，andbothfellheavilytotheground。Frommyhiding—placeI
senttwoarrowsintohisbody，whichendedhislife。Theotheroneranawaytoalittledistanceandremainedtherealongtime，asifwaitingforhermate。
"Iwasnowveryweary，butIhadseenmanygrizzlybears’tracksinthevicinity，andbesides，I
hadnotforgottenthedreadfulscreamofthemountainlion。Ideterminedtocontinuemywatch。
"AsIhadhalfexpected，therecamepresentlyasuddenheavyfall，andatthesametimetheburn—
ingemberswerescatteredaboutandthefirealmostextinguished。Myblanketwiththeloginitwasrolledoverseveraltimes，amidsnarlsandgrowls。
Thentheassailantofmycamp——apanther——leapedbackintothethickunderbrush，butnotbeforemyarrowhadpenetratedhisside。Hesnarledandtriedtobiteofftheshaft，butafteratimebe—
cameexhaustedandlaystill。
"Icouldnowdistinguishthegreydawnintheeast。Iwasexceedinglydrowsy，soIfastenedmyselfbyaropeofraw—hidetothetrunkofthetreeagainstwhichIleaned。Iwasseatedonalargelimb，andsoonfellasleep。
"Iwasrudelyawakenedbythereportofagundirectlyunderme。Atthesametime，Ithoughtsomeonewastryingtoshakemeoffthetree，InstantlyIreachedformygun。Alas！itwasgone！Atthefirstshakeofthetreebymyvisi—
tor，agrizzlybear，thegunhadfallen，andasitwascocked，itwentoff。
"Thebearpickeduptheweaponandthrewitviolentlyaway;thenheagainshookthetreewithallhisstrength。Ishouted：
"’Ihavestillabowandaquiverfullofarrows;
youhadbetterletmealone。’
"Herepliedtothiswitharoughgrowl。Isentanarrowintohisside，andhegroanedlikeamanashetriedhardtopullitout。Ihadtogivehimseveralmorebeforehewentashortdistanceaway，anddied。Itwasnowdaylight，soIcamedownfrommyperch。Iwasstiff，andscarcelyabletowalk。Ifoundthatthebearhadkilledbothofmylittlefriends，theporcupines，andeatenmostofthemeat。
"Perhapsyouwonder，Ohiyesa，whyIdidnotusemyguninthebeginning;butIhadlearnedthatifIoncemissedmyaimwithit，Ihadnosecondchance。Ihavetoldofthisparticularad—
venture，becauseitwasanunusualexperiencetoseesomanydifferentanimalsinonenight。I
haveoftenbeeninsimilarplaces，andkilledoneortwo。Onceacommonblackbearstoleawholedeerfrommewithoutwakingme。Butallthislifeisfastdisappearing，andtheworldisbecomingdifferent。"
VII
TheEndoftheBearDanceITwasoneofthesuperstitionsoftheSanteeSiouxtotreatdiseasefromthestandpointofsomeani—
malorinanimatething。Thatpersonwho，accordingtotheirbelief，hadbeencommissionedtobecomeamedicinemanorawarchief，mustnotdisobeythebearorothercreatureorthingwhichgavehimhiscommission。Ifheeverventuredtodoso，theoffendermustpayforhisinsubor—
dinationwithhislife，orthatofhisownchildordearestfriend。Itwassupposedtobenecessarythatthesupernaturalordersbecarriedintoeffectataparticularageandacertainseasonoftheyear。Occasionallyaveryyoungman，whoex—
cusedhimselfonthegroundofyouthandmod—
esty，mightbeforgiven。
Oneofmyintimatefriendshadbeenasuffererfromwhat，Isuppose，musthavebeenconsump—
tion。He，likemyself，hadagrandmotherinwhomhehadunlimitedfaith。Butshewasaveryambitiousandpretentiouswoman。Amonghermanyclaimswasthatofbeingagreat"medicinewoman，"andmanyweredeceivedbyit;butreallyshewasafraud，forshedidnotgiveanymedicine，but"conjured"thesickexclusively。
Atthistimemylittlefriendwasfastlosingground，inspiteofhisgrandmother’sgreatpreten—
sions。AtlastIhintedtohimthatmygrand—
motherwasaherbalist，andaskilfulone。Buthehintedbacktomethat’mostanyoldwomanwhocoulddigrootscouldbeaherbalist，andthatwith—
outasupernaturalcommissiontherewasnopowerthatcouldcopewithdisease。Idefendedmyidealonthegroundthattherearesupernaturalpowersintheherbsthemselves;hencethosewhounder—
standthemhavethesepowersattheircommand。
"But，"insistedmyfriend，"onemustgethisknowledgefromtheGreatMystery！"
Thiscompletelysilencedmyargument，butdidnotshakemyfaithinmygrandmother’sability。
Redhornwasagoodboy，andIlovedhim。I
visitedhimoften，andfoundhimgrowingweakerdaybyday。
"Ohiyesa，"hesaidtomeoneday，"mygrand—
motherhasdiscoveredthecauseofmysickness。"
Ieagerlyinterruptedhimbyshouting："Andcanshecureyounow，Redhorn？"
"Ofcourse，"hereplied，"shecannotuntilI
havefulfilledthecommandment。IhaveconfessedtoherthattwoyearsagoIreceivedmycommis—
sion，andIshouldhavemadeaBearDanceandproclaimedmyselfamedicinemanlastspring，whenIhadseenthirteenwinters。Yousee，Iwasashamedtoproclaimmyselfamedicineman，beingsoyoung;andforthisIampunished。However，mygrandmothersaysitisnotyettoolate。But，Ohiyesa，Iamasweaknowasarheumaticoldman。
Icanscarcelystandup。TheysaythatIcanap—
pointsomeoneelsetoactforme。Hewillbetheactivebear——Ishallhavetoremaininthehole。
Wouldyou，Ohiyesa，bewillingtoactthebearforme？Youknowhehastochasethedancersawayfromhisden。"
"Redhorn，"Irepliedwithmuchembarrass—
ment，"IshouldbehappytodoanythingthatI
couldforyou，butIcannotbeabear。IfeelthatIamnotfit。Iamnotlargeenough;Iamnotstrongenough;andIdon’tunderstandthehabitsoftheanimalwellenough。Idonotthinkyouwouldbepleasedwithmeasyoursubstitute。"
Redhornfinallydecidedthathewouldengagealargerboytoperformforhim。Afewdayslater，itwasannouncedbytheheraldthatmyfriendwouldgiveaBearDance，atwhichhewastobepubliclyproclaimedamedicineman。Itwouldbethegreateventofhisshortexistence，forthedis—
easehadalreadyexhaustedhisstrengthandvital—
ity。Ofcourse，weallunderstoodthattherewouldbeanactiveyouthtoexhibittheferociousnatureofthebeastafterwhichthedanceisnamed。
TheBearDancewasanentertainment，arelig—
iousrite，amethodoftreatingdisease——allinone。
Astrangethingaboutitwasthatnowomanwasallowedtoparticipateintheorgies，unlessshewasherselfthebear。
Thedenwasusuallydugabouttwohundredyardsfromthecamp，onsomeconspicuousplain。
Itwasabouttwofeetdeepandsixfeetsquareandoveritwasconstructedanarborofboughswithfouropenings。Whenthebearmansang，allthemenandboyswouldgatheranddanceabouttheden;andwhenhecameoutandpursuedthemtherewasahastyretreat。Itwassupposedthatwhoevertouchedthebearwithoutbeingtouchedbyhimwouldovercomeafoeinthefield。Ifonewastouched，thereversewastobeexpected。Thethingwhichcausedmostanxietyamongthedancerswasthesuperstitionthatifoneofthemshouldaccidentallytripandfallwhilepursuedbythebear，asuddendeathwouldvisithimorhisnearestrelative。
Boysofmyageweredisposedtorunsomeriskinthisdance;theywouldtakeeveryopportunitytostrikeatthebearmanwithashortswitch，whiletheoldermenshothimwithpowder。ItmayaswellbeadmittedthatonereasonformydecliningthehonorofferedmebymyfriendRedhornwasthatIwasafraidofpowder，andImuchpreferredtobeoneofthedancersandtakemychancesoftouchingthebearmanwithoutbeingtouched。
Itwasabeautifulsummer’sday。Theforestbehindourcampwassweetwiththebreathofblossomingflowers。Theteepeesfacedalargelake，whichwecalledBedatanka。Itsgentlewavescooledtheatmosphere。Thewater—fowldisportedthemselvesoveritssurface，andthebirdsofpass—
ageoverheadnoisilyexpressedtheirsurpriseattheexcitementandconfusioninourmidst。
Theherald，withhisbrassyvoice，againwenttherounds，announcingtheday’seventandthetardyfulfillmentoftheboy’scommission。Thencamethebustleofpreparation。Theout—doortoiletofthepeoplewasperformedwithcare。I
cannotdescribejusthowIwasattiredorpainted，butIamundertheimpressionthattherewasbutlittleofmybrownskinthatwasnotuncovered。
Theothersweresimilarlydressedinfeathers，paintandtinklingornaments。
Isoonheardthetom—tom’sdolefulsoundfromthedirectionofthebear’sden，andafewwar—
whoopsfromthethroatsoftheyouthfulwarriors。
AsIjoinedthemotleyassembly，Inoticedthatthebearman’sdrumwasgoinginearnest，andsoonafterhebegantosing。Thiswastheinvitationtothedance。
Anoldwarriorgavethesignalandweallstartedfortheden，verymuchlikeagroupofdogsat—
tackingastranger。Franticallyweyelledandwhooped，runningaroundtheshelteringarborinahop，skipandjumpfashion。Inspiteoftheapparentconfusion，however，everyparticipantwasonthealertfortheslightestmovementofthebearman。
Allofasudden，abravegavethewarning，andwescatteredinaninstantoverthelittleplainbe—
tweenthedenandourvillage。Everybodyseemedtoberunningfordearlife，andIsoonfoundmy—
selfsomeyardsbehindtherest。Ihadgoneinboldly，partlybecauseofconversationswithcer—
tainboyswhoproposedtoparticipate，andwhomIusuallyoutdistancedinfootraces。ButitseemedthattheyhadnotcarriedouttheirintentionsandIwasleftalone。Ilookedbackonceortwice，al—
thoughIwasprettybusywithmylegs，andIim—
aginedthatmypursuer，thebearman，lookedtwiceasfearfulasarealbear。Hewasdressedandpaintedupwithaviewtoterrifythecrowd。
IdidnotwanttheotherstoguessthatIwasatalldismayed，soItriedtogivethewar—whoop;
butmythroatwassodryatthemomentthatI
amsureImusthavegivenitverypoorly。
JustasitseemedthatIwasabouttobeover—
taken，thedancerswhohaddesertedmesuddenlyslackenedtheirspeed，andenteredupontheamusementoftormentingthebearmanwithgun—
powderandswitches，withwhichtheytouchedhimfarfromgentlyuponhisnakedbody。Theynowchasedhiminturn，andheagainretreatedtohisden。
Weresteduntilweheardthetom—tomandthesongoncemore，andthenwerushedforthwithfresheagernesstothemimicattack。ThistimeI
observedallnecessaryprecautionsformyownsafety。Istartedinmyflightevenbeforethewarningwasgiven，forIsawthebearmangather—
inghimselfuptospringuponthedancers。ThusIhadplentyofleewaytoobservewhatoccurred。
Thebearmanagainpursuedtheyellingandre—
treatingmob，andwasdealtwithunmercifullybytheswift—footed。Hebecamemuchexcitedashedesperatelychasedamiddle—agedman，whooccasionallyturnedandfiredoffhisgun，butwassuddenlytrippedbyanant—hillandfelltotheground，withtheotherontopofhim。Theex—
citementwasintense。Thebearmanreturnedtohiscompanion，andthedancersgatheredinlittleknotstoexchangewhispers。
"Isitnotamisfortune？""Themostsure—
footedofusall！""Willhedie？""Musthisbeautifuldaughterbesacrificed？"
Themanwhowasthesubjectofallthiscom—
mentdidnotspeakaword。Hisheadhungdown。Finallyheraiseditandsaidinaresolutevoice：
"Weallhaveourtimetogo，andwhentheGreatMysterycallsuswemustanswerascheer—
fullyasatthecallofoneofourownwar—chiefshereonearth。Iamnotsadformyself，butmyheartisnotwillingthatmyWinona（first—borndaughter）shouldbecalled。"
Noonereplied。Presentlythelasttom—tomwasheardandthedancersralliedoncemore。
Themanwhohadfallendidnotjointhem，butturnedtothecouncillodge，wherethewiseoldmenwereleisurelyenjoyingthecalumet。Theybeheldhimenterwithsomesurprise;buthethrewhimselfuponabuffalorobe，andrestinghisheaduponhisrighthand，relatedwhathadhap—
penedtohim。Thereupontheagedmenex—
claimedaswithonevoice："Itneverfails！"
Afterthis，hespokenomore。
Meanwhile，wewerehilariouslyengagedinourlastdance，andwhenthebearmanfinallyre—
tired，wegatheredaboutthearbortocongratulatethesickbearman。But，tooursurprise，hiscom—
paniondidnotre—entertheden。"Heisdead！
Redhorn，thebearman，isdead！"Weallrushedtothespot。Mypoorfriend，Redhorn，laydeadintheden。
Atthisinstanttherewasanothercommotioninthecamp。Everybodywasrunningtowardthecouncillodge。Awell—knownmedicinemanwasloudlysummonedthither。But，alas！themanwhofellinthedancehadsuddenlydroppeddead。
Tothepeople，anotherIndiansuperstitionhadbeenverified。
VIII
TheMaidens’FeastTHEREweremanypeculiarcus—
tomsamongtheIndiansofanearlierperiod，someofwhichtendedtostrengthenthecharac—
terofthepeopleandpreservetheirpurity。Perhapsthemostuniqueofthesewastheannual"feastofmaidens。"
Thecasualobserverwouldscarcelyunderstandthefullforceandmeaningofthisceremony。
ThelastonethatIeverwitnessedwasgivenatFortEllis，Manitoba，abouttheyear1871。UponthetablelandjustbackoftheoldtradingpostandfullyathousandfeetabovetheAssiniboineriver，surroundedbygroves，therewasanaturalamphitheatre。Atoneendstoodtheoldfortwheresince1830thenortherntribeshadcometoreplenishtheirpowderhornsandleadsacksandtodisposeoftheirpelts。
Inthisspottherewasareunionofalltherene—
gadeSiouxontheonehandandoftheAssini—
boinesandCrees，theCanadiantribes，ontheother。Theywerefriendly。Thematterwasnotformallyarranged，butitwasusualforallthetribestomeethereinthemonthofJuly。
TheHudsonBayCompanyalwayshadagoodsupplyofred，blue，greenandwhiteblankets，alsoclothofbrilliantdye，sothatwhentheirsummerfestivaloccurredtheIndiansdidnotlackgaylycoloredgarments。Paintswereboughtbythematpleasure。Shortsleeveswerethefashionintheirbuckskindresses，andbeadsandporcupinequillsweretheprincipaldecorations。
Whencircumstancesarefavorable，theIndiansarethehappiestpeopleintheworld。Therewereentertainmentseverysingleday，whicheverybodyhadthefullestopportunitytoseeandenjoy。Ifanything，thepoorestprofitedthemostbytheseoccasions，becauseafeatureineachcasewasthegivingawayofsavagewealthtotheneedyinhonoroftheevent。Atanypublicaffair，involv—
ingtheprideandhonorofaprominentfamily，theremustalwaysbeadistributionofvaluablepresents。
Onebrightsummermorning，whilewewerestillatourmealofjerkedbuffalomeat，weheardtheheraldoftheWahpetonbanduponhiscalicoponyasherodearoundourcircle。
"WhiteEagle’sdaughter，themaidenRedStar，invitesallthemaidensofallthetribestocomeandpartakeofherfeast。ItwillbeintheWahpetoncamp，beforethesunreachesthemiddleofthesky。Allpuremaidensareinvited。RedStaralsoinvitestheyoungmentobepresent，toseethatnounworthymaidenshouldjoininthefeast。"
Theheraldsooncompletedtheroundsofthedifferentcamps，anditwasnotlongbeforethegirlsbegantogatheringreatnumbers。Thefortwasfullyalivetotheinterestofthesesavageen—
tertainments。Thisparticularfeastwaslookeduponasasemi—sacredaffair。Itwouldbedese—
crationforanytoattendwhowasnotperfectlyvirtuous。Henceitwasregardedasanopportunetimefortheyoungmentosatisfythemselvesastowhowerethevirtuousmaidsofthetribe。
Therewereapttobesurprisesbeforetheendoftheday。Anyyoungmanwaspermittedtochallengeanymaidenwhomheknewtobeun—
worthy。Butwoetohimwhocouldnotprovehiscase。Itmeantlittleshortofdeathtothemanwhoendeavoredtodisgraceawomanwithoutcause。
Theyouthshadasimilarfeastoftheirown，inwhichtheeligibleswerethosewhohadneverspokentoagirlinthewayofcourtship。Itwasconsideredridiculoussotodobeforeattainingsomehonorasawarrior，andthenovicespridedthemselvesgreatlyupontheirselfcontrol。
Fromthevariouscampsthegirlscamesinglyoringroups，dressedinbright—coloredcalicoesorinheavilyfringedandbeadedbuckskin。Theirsmoothcheeksandthecentralpartoftheirglossyhairwastouchedwithvermilion。Allbroughtwiththemwoodenbasinstoeatfrom。Somewhocamefromaconsiderabledistanceweremounteduponponies;afew，forcompanyornovelty’ssake，rodedouble。
Themaidens’circlewasformedaboutacone—
shapedrockwhichstooduponitsbase。Thiswaspaintedred。Besideittwonewarrowswerelightlystuckintotheground。Thisisasortofaltar，towhicheachmaidencomesbeforetakingheras—
signedplaceinthecircle，andlightlytouchesfirstthestoneandthenthearrows。Bythisoathshedeclaresherpurity。Wheneveragirlapproachesthealtarthereisastiramongthespectators，andsometimesarudeyouthwouldcallout：
"Takecare！Youwilloverturntherock，orpulloutthearrows！"
Sucharemarkmakesthegirlsnervous，andes—
peciallyonewhoisnotsureofhercomposure。
Immediatelybehindthemaidens’circleistheoldwomen’sorchaperons’circle。Thissecondcircleisalmostasinterestingtolookatasthein—
nerone。Theoldwomenwatchedeverymove—
mentoftheirrespectivechargeswiththeutmostconcern，havingpreviouslyinstructedthemhowtheyshouldconductthemselvesinanyevent。
Therewasneveramoregorgeousassemblyofthekindthanthisone。Thedaywasperfect。TheCrees，displayingtheircharacteristichorseman—
ship，cameingroups;theAssiniboines，withtheircuriouspompadourwellcoveredwithredpaint。
ThevariousbandsofSiouxallcarefullyobservedthetraditionalpeculiaritiesofdressandbehavior。
Theattachesofthefortwerefullyrepresentedattheentertainment，anditwasnotunusualtoseeapale—facemaidentakepartinthefeast。
Thewholepopulationoftheregionhadassem—
bled，andthemaidenscameshylyintothecircle。
Thesimpleceremoniesobservedpriortotheserv—
ingofthefoodwereinprogress，whenamongagroupofWahpetonSiouxyoungmentherewasastirofexcitement。Allthemaidensglancedner—
vouslytowardthesceneofthedisturbance。Soonatallyouthemergedfromthethrongofspectatorsandadvancedtowardthecircle。Everyoneofthechaperonsglaredathimasiftodeterhimfromhispurpose。Butwithasteadystephepassedthembyandapproachedthemaidens’circle。
AtlasthestoppedbehindaprettyAssiniboinemaidenofgoodfamilyandsaid：
"Iamsorry，but，accordingtocustom，youshouldnotbehere。"
Thegirlaroseinconfusion，butshesoonrecov—
eredherself—control。
"Whatdoyoumean？"shedemanded，indig—
nantly。"Threetimesyouhavecometocourtme，buteachtimeIhaverefusedtolistentoyou。
Iturnedmybackuponyou。TwiceIwaswithMashtinna。Shecantellthepeoplethatthisistrue。ThethirdtimeIhadgoneforwaterwhenyouinterceptedmeandbeggedmetostopandlisten。IrefusedbecauseIdidnotknowyou。
Mychaperon，Makatopawee，knowsthatIwasgonebutafewminutes。Ineversawyouany—
whereelse。"
Theyoungmanwasunabletoanswerthisun—
mistakablestatementoffacts，anditbecameap—
parentthathehadsoughttorevengehimselfforherrepulse。
"Woo！woo！Carryhimout！"wastheorderofthechiefoftheIndianpolice，andtheaudaciousyouthwashurriedawayintothenearestravinetobechastised。
Theyoungwomanwhohadthusestablishedhergoodnamereturnedtothecircle，andthefeastwasserved。The"maidens’song"wassung，andfourtimestheydancedinaringaroundthealtar。
Eachmaidasshedepartedoncemoretookheroathtoremainpureuntilsheshouldmeetherhusband。
IX
MoreLegendsI：ALegendofDevil’sLakeAFTERthedeathofSmokyDay，oldWeyuhawasregardedasthegreateststory—telleramongtheWahpetonSioux。
"Tellme，goodWeyuha，ale—
gendofyourfather’scountry，"I
saidtohimoneevening，forIknewthecountrywhichisnowknownasNorthDakotaandSouth—
ernManitobawastheirancienthunting—ground。
IwaspromptedbyUncheedahtomakethisre—
quest，aftertheoldmanhadeateninourlodge。
