第6章

"Manyyearsago，"hebegan，ashepassedthepipetouncle，"wetraveledfromtheOtter—tailtoMinnewakan（Devil’sLake）。AtthattimethemoundwasverydistinctwhereChotankaliesburied。Thepeopleofhisimmediatebandhadtakencaretopreserveit。

"Thismoundunderwhichliesthegreatmedi—

cinemanisuponthesummitofMinnewakanChantay，thehighesthillinallthatregion。Itisshapedlikeananimal’sheartplacedonitsbase，withtheapexupward。

"ThereasonwhythishilliscalledMinnewa—

kanChantay，ortheHeartoftheMysteriousLand，Iwillnowtellyou。Ithasbeenhandeddownfromgenerationtogeneration，farbeyondthememoryofourgreat—grandparents。ItwasinChotanka’slineofdescentthattheselegendswereoriginallykept，butwhenhediedthestoriesbecameeverybody’s，andthennoonebelievedinthem。Itwastoldinthisway。"

Isatfacinghim，whollywrappedinthewordsofthestory—teller，andnowItookadeepbreathandsettledmyselfsothatImightnotdisturbhimbytheslightestmovementwhilehewasrecitinghistale。Weweretaughtthiscourtesytoourelders，butIwasimpulsiveandsometimesforgot。

"Alongtimeago，"resumedWeyuha，"theredpeopleweremanyinnumber，andtheyinhabi—

tedallthelandfromthecoldestplacetothere—

gionofperpetualsummertime。Itseemedthattheywereallofonetongue，andallwerefriends。

"Alltheanimalswereconsideredpeopleinthosedays。Thebuffalo，theelk，theantelope，weretribesofconsiderableimportance。Thebearswereasmallerband，buttheyobeyedthemandatesoftheGreatMysteryandwerehisfavorites，andforthisreasontheyhavealwaysknownmoreaboutthesecretsofmedicine。Sotheywereheldinmuchhonor。Thewolves，too，werehighlyre—

gardedatonetime。Butthebuffalo，elk，moose，deerandantelopeweretherulingpeople。

"Thesesoonbecameconceitedandconsideredthemselvesveryimportant，andthoughtnoonecouldwithstandthem。Thebuffalomadewarup—

onthesmallertribes，anddestroyedmany。SoonedaytheGreatMysterythoughtitbesttochangethepeopleinformandinlanguage。

"Hemadeagreattentandkeptitdarkfortendays。Intothistentheinvitedthedifferentbands，andwhentheycameouttheyweregreatlychanged，andsomecouldnottalkatallafterthat。How—

ever，thereisasignlanguagegiventoalltheani—

malsthatnomanknowsexceptsomemedicinemen，andtheyareunderaheavypenaltyiftheyshouldtellit。

"Thebuffalocameoutofthedarkenedtenttheclumsiestofalltheanimals。Theelkandmoosewereburdenedwiththeirheavyandmany—

branchedhorns，whiletheantelopeanddeerweremadethemostdefenselessofanimals，onlythattheyarefleetoffoot。Thebearandthewolfweremadetopreyuponalltheothers。

"Manwasalonethen。Whenthechangecame，theGreatMysteryallowedhimtokeephisownshapeandlanguage。Hewaskingoveralltheanimals，buttheydidnotobeyhim。Fromthatday，man’sspiritmaylivewiththebeastsbe—

foreheisbornaman。Hewillthenknowtheanimallanguagebuthecannottellitinhumanspeech。Healwaysretainshissympathywiththem，andcanconversewiththemindreams。

"ImustnotforgettotellyouthattheGreatMysterypitchedhistentinthisveryregion。

SomelegendssaythattheMinnewakanChantaywasthetentitself，whichafterwardbecameearthandstones。Manyoftheanimalswerewashedandchangedinthislake，theMinnewakan，orMysteriousWater。Itistheonlyinlandwaterweknowthatissalt。Noanimalhaseverswuminthislakeandlived。"

"Tellme，"Ieagerlyasked，"isitdangeroustomanalso？"

"Yes，"hereplied，"wethinkso;andnoIn—

dianhaseverventuredinthatlaketomyknow—

ledge。ThatiswhythelakeiscalledMysterious，"

herepeated。

"IshallnowtellyouofChotanka。Hewasthegreatestofmedicinemen。Hedeclaredthathewasagrizzlybearbeforehewasborninhumanform。"Weyuhaseemedtobecomeveryearnestwhenhereachedthispointinhisstory。"ListentoChotanka’slifeasagrizzlybear。"

"’Asabear，’heusedtosay，’myhomewasinsightoftheMinnewakanChantay。Ilivedwithmymotheronlyonewinter，andIonlysawmyfatherwhenIwasababy。ThenwelivedalittlewayfromtheChantaytothenorth，amongscatteredoakuponahillsideoverlookingtheMinnewakan。

"’WhenIfirstrememberanything，IwasplayingoutsideofourhomewithabuffaloskullthatIhadfoundnearby。Isawsomethingthatlookedstrange。Itwalkedupontwolegs，anditcarriedacrookedstick，andsomeredwillowswithfeatherstiedtothem。Itthrewoneofthewil—

lowsatme，andIshowedmyteethandretreatedwithinourden。

"’Justthenmyfatherandmothercamehomewithabuffalocalf。Theythrewdownthedeadcalf，andranafterthequeerthing。Hehadlonghairuponaroundhead。Hisfacewasround，too。

Heranandclimbedupintoasmalloaktree。

"’Myfatherandmothershookhimdown，butnotbeforehehadshotsomeofhisredwillowsintotheirsides。Motherwasverysick，butshedugsomerootsandatethemandshewaswellagain。’ItwasthusthatChotankawasfirsttaughttheuseofcertainrootsforcuringwoundsandsickness，"Weyuhaadded。

"’Oneday’"——heresumedthegrizzly’sstory——"’whenIwasouthuntingwithmymother——

myfatherhadgoneawayandnevercameback——wefoundabuffalocowwithhercalfinaravine。Sheadvisedmetofollowherclosely，andwecrawledalongonourknees。Allatoncemothercroucheddownunderthegrass，andIdidthesame。Wesawsomeofthosequeerbeingsthatwecalled"twolegs，"ridinguponbig—taildeer（ponies）。Theyyelledastheyrodetowardus。

Mothergrowledterriblyandrusheduponthem。

Shecaughtone，butmanymorecamewiththeirdogsanddroveusintoathicket。Theysenttheredwillowssingingafterus，andtwoofthemstuckinmother’sside。Whenwegotawayatlastshetriedtopullthemout，buttheyhurtherterribly。

Shepulledthembothoutatlast，butsoonaftershelaydownanddied。

"’IstayedinthewoodsalonefortwodaysthenIwentaroundtheMinnewakanChantayonthesouthsideandtheremademylonelyden。

ThereIfoundplentyofhazelnuts，acornsandwildplums。Upontheplainstheteepsinnawereabundant，andIsawnothingofmyenemies。

"’OnedayIfoundafootprintnotunlikemyown。Ifollowedittoseewhothestrangermightbe。UponthebluffsamongtheoakgrovesIdis—

coveredabeautifulyoungfemalegatheringacorns。

Shewasofadifferentbandfrommine，forsheworeajetblackdress。

"’Atfirstshewasdisposedtoresentmyintru—

sion;butwhenItoldherofmylonelylifesheagreedtoshareitwithme。Wecamebacktomyhomeonthesouthsideofthehill。Therewelivedhappyforawholeyear。WhentheautumncameagainWoshepee，forthiswashername，saidthatshemustmakeawarmnestforthewinter，andIwasleftaloneagain。’

"Now，"saidWeyuha，"Ihavecometoapartofmystorythatfewpeopleunderstand。AllthelongwinterChotankasleptinhisden，andwiththeearlyspringtherecameagreatthunderstorm。

Hewasarousedbyafrightfulcrashthatseemedtoshakethehills;andlo！ahandsomeyoungmanstoodathisdoor。Helooked，butwasnotafraid，forhesawthatthestrangercarriednoneofthoseredwillowswithfeatheredtips。Hewasunarmedandsmiling。

"’Icome，’saidhe，’withachallengetorunarace。Whoeverwinswillbetheheroofhiskind，andthedefeatedmustdoasthewinnersaysthere—

after。ThisisararehonorthatIhavebroughtyou。Thewholeworldwillseetherace。Theanimalworldwillshoutforyou，andthespiritswillcheermeon。Youarenotacoward，andthereforeyouwillnotrefusemychallenge。’

"’No，’repliedChotanka，afterashorthesita—

tion。Theyoungmanwasfine—looking，butlightlybuilt。

"’WeshallstartfromtheChantay，andthatwillbeourgoal。Come，letusgo，fortheuniverseiswaiting！’impatientlyexclaimedthestranger。

"Hepassedoninadvance，andjustthenanold，oldwrinkledmancametoChotanka’sdoor。

Heleanedforwarduponhisstaff。

"’Myson，’hesaidtohim，’Idon’twanttomakeyouacoward，butthisyoungmanisthegreatestgambleroftheuniverse。Hehaspow—

erfulmedicine。Hegamblesforlife;becareful！

MybrothersandIaretheonlyoneswhohaveeverbeatenhim。Butheissafe，forifheiskilledhecanresurrecthimself——Itellyouheisgreatmedicine。

"’However，IthinkthatIcansaveyou——lis—

ten！Hewillrunbehindyouallthewayuntilyouarewithinashortdistanceofthegoal。Thenhewillpassyoubyinaflash，forhisnameisZig—

ZagFire！（lightning）。Hereismymedicine。’Sospeaking，hegavemearabbitskinandthegumofacertainplant。’Whenyoucomenearthegoal，rubyourselfwiththegum，andthrowtherabbitskinbetweenyou。Hecannotpassyou。’

"’Andwhoareyou，grandfather？’Chotankainquired。

"’Iamthemedicineturtle，’theoldmanre—

plied。’Thegamblerisaspiritfromheaven，andthosewhomheoutrunsmustshortlydie。Youhaveheard，nodoubt，thatallanimalsknowbe—

forehandwhentheyaretobekilled;andanymanwhounderstandsthesemysteriesmayalsoknowwhenheistodie。’

Theracewasannouncedtotheworld。Thebuffalo，elk，wolvesandalltheanimalscametolookon。Allthespiritsoftheaircamealsotocheerfortheircomrade。Intheskythetrumpetwassounded——thegreatmedicinedrumwasstruck。

Itwasthesignalforastart。ThecoursewasaroundtheMinnewakan。（Thatmeansaroundtheearthortheocean。）Everywherethemulti—

tudecheeredasthetwospedby。

"TheyoungmankeptbehindChotankaallthetimeuntiltheycameoncemoreinsightoftheChantay。Thenhefeltaslightshockandhethrewhisrabbitskinback。Thestrangertrippedandfell。

Chotankarubbedhimselfwiththegum，andranonuntilhereachedthegoal。Therewasagreatshoutthatechoedovertheearth，butintheheavenstherewasmutteringandgrumbling。Therefereede—

claredthatthewinnerwouldlivetoagoodoldage，andZig—ZagFirepromisedtocomeathiscall。Hewasindeedgreatmedicine，"Weyuhaconcluded。

"ButyouhavenottoldmehowChotankabe—

cameaman，"Isaid。

"Onenightabeautifulwomancametohiminhissleep。Sheenticedhimintoherwhiteteepeetoseewhatshehadthere。ThensheshutthedooroftheteepeeandChotankacouldnotgetout。Butthewomanwaskindandpettedhimsothathelovedtostayinthewhiteteepee。Thenitwasthathebecameahumanborn。Thisisalongstory，butIthink，Ohiyesa，thatyouwillre—

memberit，"saidWeyuha，andsoIdid。

II：Manitoshaw’sHuntingITwasinthewinter，intheMoonofDifficulty（January）。Wehadeatenourvenisonroastforsup—

per，andtheemberswereburn—

ingbrightly。Ourteepeewases—

peciallycheerful。Uncheedahsatneartheentrance，myuncleandhiswifeupontheoppositeside，whileIwithmypetsoccupiedtheremainingspace。

Wabeda，thedog，laynearthefireinahalfdoze，watchingoutofthecornersofhiseyesthetameraccoon，whichsnuggledbackagainstthewallsoftheteepee，hisshrewdbrain，doubtless，concoctingsomemischiefforthehoursofdarkness。Ihadalreadyrecitedalegendofourpeople。AllagreedthatIhaddonewell。Havingbeengenerouslypraised，Iwaseagertoearnsomemorecompli—

mentsbylearninganewone，soIbeggedmyuncletotellmeastory。Musinglyhereplied：

"IcangiveyouaSioux—Creetradition，"andimmediatelybegan：

"Manywintersago，thereweresixteepeesstand—

ingonthesouthernslopeofMoosemountainintheMoonofWildCherries（September）。Thementowhomtheseteepeesbelongedhadbeenat—

tackedbytheSiouxwhilehuntingbuffalo，andnearlyallkilled。Twoorthreewhomanagedtogethometotelltheirsadstoryweremortallywounded，anddiedsoonafterward。Therewasonlyoneoldmanandseveralsmallboyslefttohuntandprovideforthisunfortunatelittlebandofwomenandchildren。

"Theyliveduponteepsinna（wildturnips）andberriesformanydays。Theywerealmostfamishedformeat。Theoldmanwastoofeebletohuntsuccessfully。OnedayinthisdesolatecampayoungCreemaiden——forsuchtheywere——declaredthatshecouldnolongersitstillandseeherpeo—

plesuffer。Shetookdownherdeadfather’ssecondbowandquiverfullofarrows，andbeggedheroldgrandmothertoaccompanyhertoLakeWana—

giska，wheresheknewthatmoosehadoftentimesbeenfound。IforgottotellyouthathernamewasManitoshaw。

ThisManitoshawandheroldgrandmother，Nawakewee，tookeachaponyandwentfarupintothewoodsonthesideofthemountain。Theypitchedtheirwigwamjustoutofsightofthelake，andhobbledtheirponies。ThentheoldwomansaidtoManitoshaw：

"’Go，mygranddaughter，totheoutletoftheWanagiska，andseeifthereareanymoosetracksthere。WhenIwasayoungwoman，Icameherewithyourfather’sfather，andwepitchedourtentnearthisspot。Inthenighttherecamethreedif—

ferentmoose。Bringmeleavesofthebirchandcedartwigs;Iwillmakemedicineformoose，’sheadded。

Manitoshawobedientlydisappearedinthewoods。Itwasagroveofbirchandwillow，withtwogoodsprings。Downbelowwasamarshyplace。

Nawakeweehadbiddenthemaidenlookfornib—

bledbirchandwillowtwigs，forthemooselovestoeatthem，andtohaveherarrowreadyuponthebow—string。Ihaveseenthisveryplacemanyatime，"addedmyuncle，andthissimpleremarkgavetothestoryanairofreal—

ity。

"TheCreemaidenwentfirsttothespring，andtherefoundfreshtracksoftheanimalshesought。

Shegatheredsomecedarberriesandchewedthem，andrubbedsomeofthemonhergarmentssothatthemoosemightnotscenther。Thesunwasal—

readyset，andshefeltshemustreturntoNa—

wakewee。

"JustthenHinhankaga，thehootingowl，gavehisdolefulnightcall。Thegirlstoppedandlis—

tenedattentively。

"’Ithoughtitwasalover’scall，’shewhisperedtoherself。Asingularchallengepealedacrossthelake。Sherecognizedthealarmcalloftheloon，andfanciedthatthebirdmighthavecaughtaglimpseofhergame。

"Soonshewaswithinafewpacesofthetem—

porarylodgeofpineboughsandfernswhichthegrandmotherhadconstructed。Theoldwomanmetheronthetrail。

"’Ah，mychild，youhavereturnednonetoosoon。Ifearedyouhadventuredtoofaraway;

fortheSiouxoftencometothisplacetohunt。

Youmustnotexposeyourselfcarelesslyontheshore。’

"Asthetwowomenlaydowntosleeptheycouldheartheponiesmunchtherichgrassinanopenspotnearby。Throughthesmokeholeofthepine—boughwigwamManitoshawgazedupintothestarrysky，anddreamedofwhatshewoulddoonthemorrowwhensheshouldsurprisethewilymoose。Hergrandmotherwasalreadysleep—

ingsonoisilythatitwasenoughtoscareawaythegame。Atlastthemaiden，too，lostherselfinsleep。

"OldNawakeweeawokeearly。Firstofallshemadeafireandburnedcedarandbirchsothatthemoosemightnotdetectthehumansmell。Thenshequicklypreparedamealofwildturnipsandberries，andawokethemaiden，whowassurprisedtoseethatthesunwasalreadyup。

Sherandowntothespringandhastilysplashedhandsfulofthecoldwaterinherface;thenshelookedforamomentinitsmirror—likesurface。

TherewasthereflectionoftwomoosebytheopenshoreandbeyondthemManitoshawseemedtoseeayoungmanstanding。Inanothermomentallthreehaddisappeared。

"’Whatisthematterwithmyeyes？Iamnotfullyawakeyet，andIimaginethings。Ugh，itisallinmyeyes，’themaidenrepeatedtoher—

self。ShehastenedbacktoNawakewee。Thevisionwassounexpectedandsostartlingthatshecouldnotbelieveinitstruth，andshesaidnoth—

ingtotheoldwoman。

"Breakfasteaten，Manitoshawthrewoffherrobeandappearedinherscantilycutgownofbuckskinwithlongfringes，andmoccasinsandleggingstrimmedwithquillsoftheporcupine。

Herfather’sbowandquiverwerethrownoveroneshoulder，andtheknifedangledfromherbeltinitshandsomesheath。Sheranbreathlesslyalongtheshoretowardtheoutlet。

"WayoffneartheislandMedozatheloonswamwithhismate，occasionallyutteringacryofjoy。

HereandtheretheplayfulHogan，thetrout，spranggracefullyoutofthewater，inashoweroffallingdew。AsthemaidenhastenedalongshescaredupWadawasee，thekingfisher，whoscreamedloudly。

"’Stop，Wadawasee，stop——youwillfrightenmygame！’

"Atlastshehadreachedtheoutlet。Shesawatoncethatthemoosehadbeenthereduringthenight。Theyhadtornupthegroundandbrokenbirchandwillowtwigsinamostdisorderlyway。"

"Ah！"Iexclaimed，"IwishIhadbeenwithManitoshawthen！"

"Hush，myboy;neverinterruptastory—

teller。"

Itookastickandbegantolevelofftheashesinfrontofme，andtodrawamapofthelake，theoutlet，themooseandManitoshaw。Awayofftoonesidewasthesolitarywigwam，Nawakeweeandtheponies。

"Manitoshaw’sheartwasbeatingsoloudthatshecouldnothearanything，"resumedmyuncle。

"Shetooksomeleavesofthewintergreenandchewedthemtocalmherself。ShedidnotforgettothrowinpassingapinchofpulverizedtobaccoandpaintintothespringforManitou，thespirit。

"Amongthetwinklingleavesofthebirchhereyewascaughtbyamovingform，andthenan—

other。Shestoodmotionless，graspingherheavybow。Themoose，notsuspectinganydanger，walkedleisurelytowardthespring。Onewasalargefemalemoose;theotherayearling。

AstheypassedManitoshaw，movingsonat—

urallyandlookingsoharmless，shealmostforgottoletflyanarrow。Themothermooseseemedtolookinherdirection，butdidnotseeher。Theyhadfairlypassedherhiding—placewhenshesteppedforthandsentaswiftarrowintothesideofthelargermoose。Bothdashedintothethickwoods，butitwastoolate。TheCreemaidenhadalreadyloosenedhersecondarrow。Bothfelldeadbeforereachingtheshore。"

"Uncle，shemusthavehadasplendidaim，forinthewoodsthemanylittletwigsmakeanarrowboundofftooneside，"Iinterruptedingreatex—

citement。

"Yes，butyoumustremembershewasverynearthemoose。"

"Itseemstome，then，uncle，thattheymusthavescentedher，foryouhavetoldmethattheypossessthekeenestnoseofanyanimal，"Iper—

sisted。

"Doubtlessthewindwasblowingtheotherway。But，nephew，youmustletmefinishmystory。

"Ovedoyedbyhersuccess，themaidenhas—

tenedbacktoNawakawee，butshewasgone！

Theponiesweregone，too，andthewigwamofbrancheshadbeendemolished。WhileManito—

shawstoodthere，frightenedandundecidedwhattodo，asoftvoicecamefrombehindaneighbor—

ingthicket：

"’Manitoshaw！Manitoshaw！Iamhere！’

Sheatoncerecognized，thevoiceandfoundittobeNawakeewee，whotoldastrangestory。

ThatmorningacanoehadcrossedtheWanagiskacarryingtwomen。TheywereSioux。Theoldgrandmotherhadseenthemcoming，andtode—

ceivethemsheatoncepulleddownhertemporarywigwam，anddrovetheponiesofftowardhome。

Thenshehidherselfinthebushesnearby，forsheknewthatManitoshawmustreturnthere。

"’Come，mygranddaughter，wemusthastenhomebyanotherway，’criedtheoldwoman。

"Butthemaidensaid，’No，letusgofirsttomytwomoosethatIkilledthismorningandtakesomemeatwithus。’

"’No，no，mychild;theSiouxarecruel。

Theyhavekilledmanyofourpeople。Ifwestayheretheywillfindus。Ifear，Ifearthem，Manitoshaw！’

"Atlastthebravemaidconvincedhergrand—

mother，andthemoreeasilyasshetoowashun—

gryformeat。Theywenttowherethebiggamelayamongthebushes，andbegantodressthemoose。"

"Ithink，ifIwerethey，Iwouldhideallday。

IwouldwaituntiltheSiouxhadgone;thenI

wouldgobacktomymoose，"Iinterruptedforthethirdtime。

"Iwillfinishthestoryfirst;thenyoumaytelluswhatyouwoulddo，"saidmyunclereprov—

ingly。

"ThetwoSiouxwerefatherandson。Theytoohadcometothelakeformoose;butasthegameusuallyretreatedtotheisland，ChatansapahadlandedhissonKangiskatohuntthemontheshorewhilehereturnedinhiscanoetointercepttheirflight。Theyoungmanspedalongthesandybeachandsoondiscoveredtheirtracks。Hefollowedthemupandfoundbloodonthetrail。

Thisastonishedhim。Cautiouslyhefollowedonuntilhefoundthembothlyingdead。Heexam—

inedthemandfoundthatineachmoosetherewasasingleCreearrow。Wishingtosurprisethehunterifpossible，Kangiskalayhiddeninthebushes。

"Afteralittlewhilethetwowomenreturnedtothespot。Theypassedhimascloseasthemoosehadpassedthemaideninthemorning。Hesawatoncethatthemaidenhadarrowsinherquiverlikethosethathadslainthebigmoose。Helaystill。

"KangiskalookeduponthebeautifulCreemaidenandlovedher。Finallyheforgothimselfandmadeaslightmotion。Manitoshaw’squickeyecaughtthelittlestiramongthebushes，butsheimmediatelylookedtheotherwayandKan—

giskabelievedthatshehadnotseenanything，Atlasthereyesmethis，andsomethingtoldboththatallwaswell。Thenthemaidensmiled，andtheyoungmancouldnotremainstillanylonger。

Hearosesuddenlyandtheoldwomannearlyfaintedfromfright。ButManitoshawsaid：

"’Fearnot，grandmother;wearetwoandheisonlyone。’

"Whilethetwowomencontinuedtocutupthemeat，Kangiskamadeafirebyrubbingcedarchipstogether，andtheyallateofthemoosemeat。Thentheoldwomanfinishedherwork，whiletheyoungpeoplesatdownuponalogintheshade，andtoldeachotheralltheirminds。

"KangiskadeclaredbysignsthathewouldgohomewithManitoshawtotheCreecamp，forhelovedher。Theywenthome，andtheyoungmanhuntedfortheunfortunateCreebandduringtherestofhislife。

"Hisfatherwaitedalongtimeontheislandandafterwardsearchedtheshore，butneversawhimagain。HesupposedthatthosefootprintshesawweremadebyCreeswhohadkilledhisson。"

"Isthatstorytrue，uncle？"Iaskedeagerly。

"’Yes，thefactsarewellknown。TherearesomeSiouxmixedbloodsamongtheCreestothisdaywhoaredescendantsofKangiska。"

X

IndianLifeandAdventureI：LifeintheWoodsTHEmonthofSeptemberrecallstoeveryIndian’smindtheseasonofthefallhunt。Irememberonesuchexpeditionwhichistypicalofmany。OurpartyappearedonthenorthwesternsideofTurtlemountain;forwehadbeenhuntingbuffaloesallsummer，intheregionoftheMouseriver，betweenthatmountainandtheupperMissouri。

Asourcone—shapedteepeesroseinclustersalongtheoutskirtsoftheheavyforestthatclothestheslopingsideofthemountain，thescenebelowwasgratifyingtoasavageeye。Therollingyellowplainswerecheckeredwithherdsofbuffaloes。

Alongthebanksofthestreamsthatrandownfromthemountainswerealsomanyelk，whichusuallyappearatmorningandevening，anddisappearintotheforestduringthewarmerpartoftheday。

Deer，too，wereplenty，andthebrookswerealivewithtrout。Hereandtherethestreamsweredammedbytheindustriousbeaver。

Intheinterioroftheforesttherewerelakeswithmanyislands，wheremoose，elk，deerandbearswereabundant。Thewater—fowlwerewonttogatherhereingreatnumbers，amongthemthecrane，theswan，theloon，andmanyofthesmallerkinds。Theforestalsowasfilledwithagreatva—

rietyofbirds。Herethepartridgedrummedhisloudest，whilethewhippoorwillsangwithspirit，andthehootingowlreignedinthenight。

Tome，asaboy，thiswildernesswasaparadise。Itwasalandofplenty。Tobesure，wedidnothaveanyoftheluxuriesofcivilization，butwehadeveryconvenienceandopportunityandluxuryofNature。Wehadalsothegiftofenjoyingourgoodfortune，whateverdangersmightlurkaboutus;andthetruthisthatwelivedinblessedignoranceofanylifethatwasbetterthanourown。

Assoonashuntinginthewoodsbegan，thecustomsregulatingitwereestablished。Thecoun—

cilteepeenolongerexisted。Ahuntingbonfirewaskindledeverymorningatday—break，atwhicheachbravemustappearandreport。Themanwhofailedtodothisbeforethepartysetoutontheday’shuntwasharassedbyridicule。Asarule，thehuntersstartedbeforesunrise，andthebravewhowasannouncedthroughoutthecampasthefirstonetoreturnwithadeeronhisback，wasamantobeenvied。

Thelegend—teller，oldSmokyDay，waschosenheraldofthecamp，anditwashewhomadetheannouncements。Aftersupperwasended，weheardhispowerfulvoiceresoundamongtheteepeesintheforest。Hewouldthennameamantokindlethebonfirethenextmorning。Hissuitoffringedbuckskinsetoffhissplendidphysiquetoadvan—

tage。

Scarcelyhadthemendisappearedinthewoodseachmorningthanalltheboyssalliedforth，ap—

parentlyengrossedintheirgamesandsports，butinrealitycompetingactivelywithoneanotherinquicknessofobservation。Asthedayadvanced，theyallkeptthesharpestpossiblelookout。Sud—

denlytherewouldcometheshrill"Woo—coo—

hoo！"atthetopofaboy’svoice，announcingthebringinginofadeer。Immediatelyalltheotherboystookupthecry，eachonebentongettingaheadoftherest。NowweallsawthebraveWa—

cootafairlybentoverbyhisburden，alargedeerwhichhecarriedonhisshoulders。Hisfringedbuckskinshirtwasbesprinkledwithblood。Hethrewdownthedeeratthedoorofhiswife’smother’shome，accordingtocustom，andthenwalkedproudlytohisown。Atthedoorofhisfather’steepeehestoodforamomentstraightasapine—tree，andthenentered。

Whenabearwasbroughtin，ahundredormoreoftheseurchinswerewonttomakethewoodsresoundwiththeirvoices："Wah！wah！wah！

Wah！wah！wah！ThebraveWhiteRabbitbringsabear！Wah！wah！wah！"

Alldaythesesing—songcheerswerekeptup，asthegamewasbroughtin。Atlast，towardthecloseoftheafternoon，allthehuntershadreturned，andhappinessandcontentmentreignedabsolute，inafashionwhichIhaveneverobservedamongthewhitepeople，eveninthebestofcircumstances。

Themenwereloungingandsmoking;thewomenactivelyengagedinthepreparationoftheeveningmeal，andthecareofthemeat。ThechoicestofthegamewascookedandofferedtotheGreatMystery，withalltheaccompanyingceremonies。

Thiswecalledthe"medicinefeast。"Eventhewomen，astheyloweredtheboilingpot，orthefragrantroastofvenisonreadytoserve，wouldfirstwhisper："GreatMystery，dothoupartakeofthisvenison，andstillbegracious！"Thiswasthecommonlysaid"grace。"

Everythingwentsmoothlywithus，onthisoc—

casion，whenwefirstenteredthewoods。Noth—

ingwaswantingtoouroldwayofliving。Thekillingofdeerandelkandmoosehadtobestoppedforatime，sincemeatwassoabundantthatwehadnouseforthemanylonger。Onlythehuntingforpelts，suchasthoseofthebear，beaver，marten，andotterwascontinued。Butwheneverwelivedinblessedabundance，ourbraveswerewonttoturntheirthoughtstootheroccupations——especiallythehot—bloodedyouthswhoseambitionitwastodosomethingnote—

worthy。

Atjustsuchmomentsasthistherearealwaysanumberofpriestsinreadiness，whosevocationitistoseeintothefuture，andeachofwhomcon—

sultshisparticularinterpreteroftheGreatMys—

tery。（Thisceremonyiscalledbythewhitepeople"makingmedicine。"）Totheprieststheyouth—

fulbraveshinttheirimpatienceforthewar—path。

Sooncomesthedesireddreamorprophecyorvisiontofavortheirdeparture。

Ouryoungmenpresentlyreceivedtheirsign，andforafewdaysallwashurryandexcitement。

Ontheappointedmorningweheardthesongsofthewarriorsandthewailingofthewomen，bywhichtheybadeadieutoeachother，andtheeligiblebraves，headedbyanexperiencedman——oldHo—

tankaorLoud—VoicedRaven——setoutfortheGrosVentrecountry。

Ourolderheads，tobesure，hadexpressedsomedisapprovaloftheundertaking，forthecountryinwhichwewereroamingwasnotourown，andwewerelikelyatanytimetobetakentotaskbyitsrightfulowners。Theplaintruthofthematterwasthatwewereintruders。Hencethemorethoughtfulamonguspreferredtobeathome，andtoachievewhatrenowntheycouldgetbydefend—

ingtheirhomesandfamilies。Theyoungmen，however，weresoeagerforactionandexcitementthattheymustneedsgooffinsearchofit。

Fromtheearlymorningwhenthesebravesleftus，ledbytheoldwar—priest，Loud—VoicedRaven，theanxiousmothers，sistersandsweetheartscountedthedays。OldSmokyDaywouldocca—

sionallygetupearlyinthemorning，andsinga"strong—heart"songforhisabsentgrandson。I

stillseemtohearthehoarse，crackedvoiceoftheancientsingerasitresoundedamongthewoods。

Foralongtimeourrovingcommunityenjoyedunbrokenpeace，andweweresparedanytroubleordisturbance。Ourhuntersoftenbroughtinadeerorelkorbearforfreshmeat。Thebeautifullakesfurnisheduswithfishandwild—fowlforvariety。Theirplacidwaters，astheautumnad—

vanced，reflectedthevariegatedcolorsofthechangingfoliage。

Itismyrecollectionthatwewereatthistimeencampedinthevicinityofthe"TurtleMoun—

tain’sHeart。"Itistothehighestcone—shapedpeakthattheIndiansaptlygivethisappellation。

Ourcamping—groundfortwomonthswaswithinashortdistanceofthepeak，andthemenmadeitapointtooftensendoneoftheirnumbertothetop。Itwasunderstoodbetweenthemandthewarpartythatweweretoremainnearthisspot;

andontheirreturntripthelatterweretogivethe"smokesign，"whichwewouldanswerfromthetopofthehill。

Oneday，aswewerecampingontheshoreofalargelakewithseveralislands，signsofmoosewerediscovered，andthemenwentofftothemonrafts，carryingtheirflint—lockgunsinanticipationoffindingtwoorthreeoftheanimals。Welittlefellows，asusual，wereplayingdownbythesandyshore，whenwespiedwhatseemedliketherootofagreattreefloatingtowardus。Butonacloserscrutinywediscoveredourerror。Itwastheheadofahugemoose，swimmingforhislife！Fortun—

atelyforhim，noneofthemenhadremainedathome。

Accordingtoourhabit，welittleurchinsdisap—

pearedinaninstant，likeyoungprairiechickens，inthelonggrass。Iwasnotmorethaneightyearsold，yetItestedthestrengthofmybow—

stringandadjustedmysharpestandbestarrowforimmediateservice。Myheartleapedviolentlyasthehomelybutimposinganimalnearedtheshore。

IwasundecidedforamomentwhetherIwouldnotleavemyhiding—placeandgiveawar—whoopassoonashetouchedthesand。ThenIthoughtIwouldkeepstillandlethimhavemyboyweap—

on;andtheonlyregretthatIhadwasthathewould，inallprobability，takeitwithhim，andI

shouldbeminusonegoodarrow。

"Still，"Ithought，"Ishallclaimtobethesmallestboywhosearrowwasevercarriedawaybyamoose。"Thatwasenough。Igatheredmyselfintoabunch，allreadytospring。Asthelong—leggedbeastpulledhimselfdrippingoutofthewater，andshookoffthedropsfromhislonghair，Isprangtomyfeet。Ifeltsomeofthewaterinmyface！IgavehimmysharpestarrowwithalltheforceIcouldmaster，rightamongthefloatingribs。ThenIutteredmywar—

whoop。

Themoosedidnotseemtomindtheminiatureweapon，buthewasverymuchfrightenedbyourshrillyelling。Hetooktohislonglegs，andinaminutewasoutofsight。

Theleaveshadnowbeguntofall，andtheheavyfrostsmadethenightsverycold。Wewereforcedtorealizethattheshortsummerofthatregionhadsaidadieu！Stillweweregayandlight—

hearted，forwehadplentyofprovisions，andnomisfortunehadyetovertakenusinourwanderingsoverthecountryfornearlythreemonths。

OnedayoldSmokyDayreturnedfromthedailyhuntwithanalarm。Hehadseenasign——

a"smokesign。"Thishadnotappearedinthequarterthattheywereanxiouslywatching——itcamefromtheeast。Afteralongconsultationamongthemen，itwasconcludedfromthenatureanddurationofthesmokethatitproceededfromanaccidentalfire。ItwasfurthersurmisedthatthefirewasnotmadebySioux，sinceitwasoutoftheircountry，butbyawar—partyofOjibways，whowereaccustomedtousematcheswhenlightingtheirpipes，andtothrowthemcarelesslyaway。

Itwasthoughtthatalittletimehadbeenspentinanattempttoputitout。

Thecouncildecreedthatastrictlook—outshouldbeestablishedinbehalfofourparty。Everydayascoutwasappointedtoreconnoitreinthedirec—

tionofthesmoke。Itwasagreedthatnogunshouldbefiredfortwelvedays。Alloursignalswerefreshlyrehearsedamongthemen。Thewomenandoldmenwentsofarastodiglittleconvenientholesaroundtheirlodges，fordefenseincaseofasuddenattack。AndyetanOjibwayscoutwouldnothavesuspected，fromtheordinaryappearanceofthecamp，thattheSiouxhadbe—

comeawareoftheirneighborhood！Scoutswerestationedjustoutsideofthevillageatnight。Theyhadbeensotrainedastorivalanowloracatintheirabilitytoseeinthedark。

Thetwelvedayspassedby，however，withoutbringinganyevidenceofthenearnessofthesup—

posedOjibwaywar—party，andthe"lookout"

establishedforpurposesofprotectionwasaband—

oned。Soonafterthis，onemorningatdawn，wewerearousedbythesoundoftheunwelcomewar—

whoop。Althoughonlyachild，Isprangupandwasabouttorushout，asIhadbeentaughttodo;butmygoodgrandmotherpulledmedown，andgavemeasigntolayflatontheground。I

sharpenedmyearsandlaystill。

Allwasquietincamp，butatsomelittledistancefromustherewasalivelyencounter。Icoulddistinctlyheartheoldherald，shoutingandyell—

inginexasperation。"Whoo！whoo！"wasthesignalofdistress，andIcouldalmosthearthepulseofmyownblood—vessels。

Closerandcloserthestrugglecame，andstillthewomenappearedtogrowmoreandmorecalm。

AtlastatremendouschargebytheSiouxputtheenemytoflight;therewasaburstofyelling;

alas！myfriendandteacher，oldSmokyDay，wassilent。HehadbeenpiercedtotheheartbyanarrowfromtheOjibways。

Althoughsuccessful，wehadlosttwoofourmen，SmokyDayandWhiteCrane，andthisinci—

dent，althoughhardlyunexpected，darkenedourpeacefulsky。Thecampwasfilledwithsongsofvictory，mingledwiththewailingoftherelativesoftheslain。Themothersoftheyouthswhowereabsentonthewar—pathcouldnolongercon—

cealtheiranxiety。

Onefrostymorning——foritwasthenneartheendofOctober——theweirdsongofasolitarybravewasheard。Inaninstantthecampwasthrownintoindescribableconfusion。Themeaningofthiswasclearasdaytoeverybody——allofourwar—partywerekilled，savetheonewhosemourn—

fulsongannouncedthefateofhiscompanions。

ThelonelywarriorwasBaldEagle。

Thevillagewasconvulsedwithgrief;forinsorrow，asinjoy，everyIndianshareswithalltheothers。Theoldwomenstoodstill，wherevertheymightbe，andwaileddismally，atintervalschantingthepraisesofthedepartedwarriors。Thewiveswentalittlewayfromtheirteepeesandthereaudiblymourned;buttheyoungmaidenswanderedfurtherawayfromthecamp，wherenoonecouldwitnesstheirgrief。Theoldmenjoinedinthecryingandsinging。Toallap—

pearancesthemostunmovedofallwerethewar—

riors，whosetearsmustbepouredforthinthecountryoftheenemytoembittertheirvenge—

ance。Thesesatsilentlywithintheirlodges，andstrovetoconcealtheirfeelingsbehindastoicalcountenance;buttheywouldprobablyhavefailedhadnotthesoothingweedcometotheirrelief。

Thefirstsadshockover，thencamethechangeofhabiliments。Insavageusage，theoutwardexpressionofmourningsurpassesthatofciviliza—

tion。TheIndianmournergivesupallhisgoodclothing，andcontentshimselfwithscantyandmiserablegarments。Blanketsarecutintwo，andthehairiscroppedshort。Oftenadevotedmotherwouldscarifyherarmsorlegs;asisterorayoungwifewouldcutoffallherbeautifulhairanddisfigureherselfbyundergoinghardships。

Fathersandbrothersblackenedtheirfaces，andworeonlytheshabbiestgarments。Suchwasthespectaclethatourpeoplepresentedwhenthebrightautumnwasgoneandthecoldshadowofwinterandmisfortunehadfallenuponus。"Wemustsuffer，"saidthey——"theGreatMysteryisoffended。"

II：AWinterCampWHENIwasabouttwelveyearsoldwewinteredupontheMouseriver，westofTurtlemountain。

Itwasoneofthecoldestwin—

tersIeverknew，andwassore—

gardedbytheoldmenofthetribe。

ThesummerbeforetherehadbeenplentyofbuffalouponthatsideoftheMissouri，andourpeoplehadmademanypacksofdriedbuffalomeatandcachedthemindifferentplaces，sothattheycouldgetthemincaseofneed。Thereweremanyblack—taileddeerandelkalongtheriver，andgrizzliesweretobefoundintheopencoun—

try。Apparentlytherewasnodangerofstarva—

tion，soourpeoplethoughttowinterthere;butitprovedtobeahardwinter。

Therewasagreatsnow—fall，andthecoldwasintense。Thesnowwastoodeepforhunting，andthemainbodyofthebuffalohadcrossedtheMissouri，whereitwastoofartogoafterthem。

Butthereweresomesmallerherdsoftheanimalsscatteredaboutinourvicinity，thereforetherewasstillfreshmeattobehad，butitwasnotsecuredwithoutagreatdealofdifficulty。

Noponiescouldbeused。Themenhuntedonsnow—shoesuntilaftertheMoonofSoreEyes（March），whenafteraheavythawacrustwasformedonthesnowwhichwouldscarcelyholdaman。Itwasthenthatourpeoplehuntedbuffalowithdogs——anunusualexpedient。

Sledsweremadeofbuffaloribsandhickorysaplings，therunnersboundwithrawhidewiththehairsidedown。Theseslippedsmoothlyovertheicycrust。Onlysmallmenrodeonthesleds。

Whenbuffalowerereportedbythehunting—

scouts，everybodyhadhisdogteamready。Allwentunderordersfromthepolice，andapproachedtheherdundercoveruntiltheycamewithinchargingdistance。

Themenhadtheirbowsandarrows，andafewhadguns。Thehugeanimalscouldnotrunfastinthedeepsnow。Theyallfollowedaleader，tramplingoutanarrowpath。Thedogswiththeirdriverssooncaughtupwiththemoneachside，andthehuntersbroughtmanyofthemdown。

Irememberwhenthepartyreturned，lateinthenight。Themencameinsinglefile，wellloaded，andeachdogfollowinghismasterwithanequallyheavyload。Bothmenandanimalswerewhitewithfrost。

Weboyshadwaitedimpatientlyfortheirarri—

val。Assoonaswespiedthemcomingabuffalohuntingwhistlewasstarted，andeveryurchininthevillageaddedhisvoicetotheweirdsound，whilethedogswhohadbeenleftathomejoinedwithusinthechorus。Themen，wearingtheirbuffalomoccasinswiththehairinsideandrobesofthesame，camehomehungryandexhausted。

ItisoftensupposedthatthedogintheIndiancampisauselessmemberofsociety，butitisnotsointhewildlife。Wefoundhimoneofthemostusefulofdomesticanimals，especiallyinanemergency。

Whileatthiscampaludicrousincidentoccurredthatisstilltoldaboutthecamp—firesoftheSioux。

Onedaythemenwerehuntingonsnow—shoes，andcontrivedtogetwithinashortdistanceofthebuffalobeforetheymadetheattack。Itwasim—

possibletorunfast，butthehugeanimalswereequallyunabletogetaway。Manywerekilled。

Justastheherdreachedanopenplainoneofthebuffaloesstoppedandfinallylaydown。Threeofthemenwhowerepursuinghimshortlycameup。

Theanimalwasseverelywounded，butnotdead。

"Ishallcrawluptohimfrombehindandstabhim，"saidWamedee;"wecannotwaithereforhimtodie。"Theothersagreed。Wamedeewasnotconsideredespeciallybrave;buthetookouthisknifeandhelditbetweenhisteeth。Hethenapproachedthebuffalofrombehindandsuddenlyjumpedastridehisback。

Theanimalwasdreadfullyfrightenedandstrug—

gledtohisfeet。Wamedee’sknifefelltotheground，butheheldonbythelongshaggyhair。

Hehadabadseat，forhewasuponthebuffalo’shump。Therewasnochancetojumpoff;hehadtostayonaswellashecould。

"Hurry！hurry！shoot！shoot！"hescreamed，asthecreatureplungedandkickedmadlyinthedeepsnow。Wamedee’sfacelookeddeathly，theysaid;buthistwofriendscouldnothelplaughing。

Hewasstillcallinguponthemtoshoot，butwhentheotherstookaimhewouldcry："Don’tshoot！

don’tshoot！youwillkillme！"Atlasttheani—

malfelldownwithhim;butWamedee’stwofriendsalsofelldownexhaustedwithlaughter。Hewasridiculedasacowardthereafter。

ItwasonthisveryhuntthatthechiefMatowaskilledbyabuffalo。Ithappenedinthisway。

Hehadwoundedtheanimal，butnotfatally;soheshottwomorearrowsathimfromadistance。

Thenthebuffalobecamedesperateandchargeduponhim。InhisflightMatowastrippedbystickingoneofhissnow—shoesintoasnowdrift，fromwhichhecouldnotextricatehimselfintime。

Thebullgoredhimtodeath。ThecreekuponwhichthishappenedisnowcalledMatocreek。

AlittlewayfromourcamptherewasalogvillageofFrenchCanadianhalf—breeds，butthetwovil—

lagesdidnotintermingle。AbouttheMoonofDifficulty（January）wewereinitiatedintosomeofthepeculiarcustomsofourneighbors。Inthemiddleofthenighttherewasafiringofgunsthroughouttheirvillage。Someofthepeoplethoughttheyhadbeenattacked，andwentovertoassistthem，buttotheirsurprisetheyweretoldthatthiswasthecelebrationofthebirthofthenewyear！

Ourmenweretreatedtominnewakanor"spiritwater，"andtheycamehomecrazyandfoolish。Theytalkedloudandsangalltherestofthenight。Finallyourheadchieforderedhisyoungmentotiethesemenupandputtheminalodgebythemselves。Hegaveorderstountiethem"whentheevilspirithadgoneaway。"

Duringthenextdayallourpeoplewereinvitedtoattendthehalf—breeds’dance。Ineverknewbeforethatanewyearbeginsinmid—winter。Wehadalwayscountedthattheyearendswhenthewinterends，andanewyearbeginswiththenewlifeinthespringtime。

Iwasnowtakenforthefirsttimetoawhiteman’sdanceinaloghouse。IthoughtitwasthedizziestthingIeversaw。Onemansatinacor—

ner，sawingawayatastringedboard，andallthewhilehewasstampingthefloorwithhisfootandgivinganoccasionalshout。Whenhecalledout，thedancersseemedtomovefaster。

Themendancedwithwomen——somethingthatweIndiansneverdo——andwhenthemaninthecornershoutedtheywouldswingthewomenaround。Itlookedveryrudetome，asIstoodoutsidewiththeotherboysandpeepedthroughthechinksinthelogs。Atonetimeayoungmanandwomanfacingeachotherdancedinthemid—

dleofthefloor。Ithoughttheywouldsurelyweartheirmoccasinsoutagainsttheroughboards;

butafterafewminutestheywererelievedbyan—

othercouple。

Thenanoldmanwithlongcurlyhairandafox—skincapdancedaloneinthemiddleoftheroom，slappingthefloorwithhismoccasinedfootinalightningfashionthatIhaveneverseenequalled。Heseemedtobealeaderamongthem。

Whenhehadfinished，theoldmaninvitedourprincipalchiefintothemiddleofthefloor，andaftertheIndianhadgivenagreatwhoop，thetwodrankincompany。Afterthis，therewassomuchdrinkingandloudtalkingamongthemen，thatitwasthoughtbesttosenduschildrenbacktothecamp。

Itwasatthisplacethatwefoundmanysandboulderslikeabig"whiteman’shouse。"Therewereholesinthemlikerooms，andweplayedinthesecave—likeholes。Oneday，inthemidstofourgame，wefoundtheskeletonofagreatbear。

Evidentlyhehadbeenwoundedandcametheretodie，fortherewereseveralarrowsonthefloorofthecave。

ThemostexcitingeventofthisyearwastheattackthattheGrosVentresmadeuponusjustaswemovedourcampuponthetablelandbackoftheriverinthespring。Wehadplentyofmeatthenandeverybodywashappy。Thegrasswasbeginningtoappearandtheponiestogrowfat。

Onenighttherewasawardance。AfewofouryoungmenhadplannedtoinvadetheGrosVentrescountry，butitseemedthattheytoohadbeenthinkingofus。Everybodywasinterestedintheproposedwarparty。

"Uncle，areyougoingtoo？"Ieagerlyaskedhim。

"No，"hereplied，withalongsigh。"Itistheworsttimeofyeartogoonthewar—path。Weshallhaveplentyoffightingthissummer，aswearegoingtotrenchupontheirterritoryinourhunts，"headded。

Thenightwasclearandpleasant。ThewardrumwasansweredbythehowlsofcoyotesontheoppositesideoftheMouseriver。Iwasinthethrong，watchingthebraveswhowereabouttogooutinsearchofglory。"IwishIwereoldenough;Iwouldsurelygowiththisparty，"I

thought。MyfriendTatankawastogo。HewasseveralyearsolderthanI，andaheroinmyeyes。Iwatchedhimashedancedwiththerestuntilnearlymidnight。ThenIcamebacktoourteepeeandrolledmyselfinmybuffalorobeandwassoonlostinsleep。

SuddenlyIwasarousedbyloudwarcries。

"’Woo！woo！hay—ay！hay—ay！Uwedo！Uwedo！’"Ijumpeduponmyfeet，snatchedmybowandarrowsandrushedoutoftheteepee，franti—

callyyellingasIwent。

"Stop！stop！"screamedUncheedah，andcaughtmebymylonghair。

BythistimetheGrosVentreshadencircledourcamp，sendingvolleysofarrowsandbulletsintoourmidst。Thewomenwerediggingditchesinwhichtoputtheirchildren。

Myunclewasforemostinthebattle。TheSiouxbravelywithstoodtheassault，althoughseveralofourmenhadalreadyfallen。Manyoftheenemywerekilledinthefieldaroundourteepees。TheSiouxatlastgottheirponiesandmadeacountercharge，ledbyOyemakasan（myuncle）。TheycuttheGrosVentrepartyintwo，anddrovethemoff。

MyfriendTatankawaskilled。Itookoneofhiseaglefeathers，thinkingIwouldwearitthefirsttimethatIeverwentuponthewar—path。I

thoughtIwouldgiveanythingfortheoppor—

tunitytogoagainsttheGrosVentres，becausetheykilledmyfriend。Thewarsongs，thewail—

ingforthedead，thehowlingofthedogswasintolerabletome。Soonafterthiswebrokeupourcampanddepartedfornewscenes。

III：WildHarvestsWHENourpeoplelivedinMin—

nesota，agoodpartoftheirnatur—

alsubsistencewasfurnishedbythewildrice，whichgrewabun—

dantlyinallofthatregion。

Aroundtheshoresandalloversomeoftheinnumerablelakesofthe"LandofSky—blueWater"wasthiswildcerealfound。In—

deed，someofthewateryfieldsinthosedaysmightbecomparedinextentandfruitfulnesswiththefieldsofwheatonMinnesota’smagnificentfarmsto—day。

Thewildriceharvesterscameingroupsoffif—

teentotwentyfamiliestoalake，dependinguponthesizeoftheharvest。SomeoftheIndianshuntedbuffaloupontheprairieatthisseason，butthereweremorewhopreferredtogotothelakestogatherwildrice，fish，gatherberriesandhuntthedeer。Therewasanabundanceofwater—fowlsamongthegrain;andreallynoseasonoftheyearwashappierthanthis。

Thecamping—groundwasusuallyanattractivespot，withshadeandcoolbreezesoffthewater。

Thepeople，whiletheypitchedtheirteepeesupontheheights，ifpossible，forthesakeofagoodout—

look，actuallylivedintheircanoesupontheplacidwaters。Thehappiestofall，perhaps，weretheyoungmaidens，whowerealldaylongintheircanoes，intwosorthrees，andwhentiredofgather—

ingthewildcereal，wouldsitintheboatsdoingtheirneedle—work。

Thesemaidenslearnedtoimitatethecallsofthedifferentwater—fowlsasasortofsignaltothemembersofagroup。Eventheoldwomenandtheboysadoptedsignals，sothatwhilethepopu—

lationofthevillagewaslosttosightinathickfieldofwildrice，ameetingcouldbearrangedwithoutcallinganyonebyhisorherownname。

Itwasagreatconvenienceforthoseyoungmenwhosoughtopportunitytomeetcertainmaidens，forthereweremanycanoepathsthroughtherice。

Augustistheharvestmonth。Thereweremanypreliminaryfeastsoffish，ducksandveni—

son，andofferingsinhonorofthe"WaterChief，"

sothattheremightnotbeanydrowningaccidentduringtheharvest。Thepreparationconsistedofaseriesoffeastsandofferingsformanydays，whilewomenandmenweremakingbirchcanoes，fornearlyeverymemberofthefamilymustbeprovidedwithoneforthisoccasion。Theblue—

berryandhuckleberry—pickingalsoprecededtherice—gathering。

Thereweresocialeventswhichenlivenedthecampoftheharvesters;suchasmaidens’feasts，dancesandacanoeregattaortwo，inwhichnotonlythemenwereparticipants，butwomenandyounggirlsaswell。

Ontheappointeddayallthecanoeswerecarriedtotheshoreandplaceduponthewaterwithprayerandpropitiatoryofferings。Eachfamilytookpossessionoftheallottedfield，andtiedallthegraininbundlesofconvenientsize，al—

lowingittostandforafewdays。Thentheyagainenteredthelake，assigningtwopersonstoeachcanoe。Onemanipulatedthepaddle，whiletheforemostonegentlydrewtheheadsofeachbundletowardhimandgaveitafewstrokeswithalightrod。Thiscausedthericetofallintothebottomofthecraft。Thefieldwastraversedinthismannerbackandforthuntilfinished。

Thiswasthepleasantestandeasiestpartoftheharvesttoil。Therealworkwaswhentheypre—

paredthericeforuse。Firstofall，itmustbemadeperfectlydry。Theywouldspreadituponbuffalorobesandmats，andsometimesuponlay—

ersofcoarseswampgrass，anddryitinthesun。

Ifthetimewasshort，theywouldmakeascaffoldandspreaduponitacertainthicknessofthegreengrassandafterwardtherice。Underthisafirewasmade，takingcarethatthegrassdidnotcatchfire。

Whenallthericeisgatheredanddried，thehullingbegins。Aroundholeisdugabouttwofeetdeepandthesameindiameter。Thenthericeisheatedoverafire—place，andemptiedintotheholewhileitishot。Ayoungman，havingwashedhisfeetandputonanewpairofmocca—

sins，treadsuponituntilallishulled。Thewomenthenpourituponarobeandbegintoshakeitsothatthechaffwillbeseparatedbythewind。Someofthericeisbrownedbeforebeinghulled。

Duringthehullingtimetherewereprizesof—

feredtotheyoungmenwhocanhullquickestandbest。Thereweresometimesfromtwentytofiftyyouthsdancingwiththeirfeetintheseholes。

Prettymoccasinswerebroughtbyshymaidenstotheyouthsoftheirchoice，askingthemtohullrice。Thereweredailyentertainmentswhichde—

servedsomesuchnameas"hullingbee"——atanyrate，weallenjoyedthemhugely。Thegirlsbroughtwiththemplentyofgoodthingstoeat。