M^m i 
 
 * 
 
 -1F& 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES, 
 
 TAKEN 
 DURING AN EXPEDITION 
 
 TO 
 
 THE PAWNEE AND OTHER TRIBES 
 
 OF 
 
 AMERICAN INDIANS. 
 
 BY 
 
 JOHN T. IRVING, JUNIOR. 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 
 
 MDCCCXXXV. 
 
TO 
 
 HENRY L. ELLSWORTH, ESQ. 
 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 HAVING accompanied you throughout 
 the whole of your bold and perilous ex 
 pedition to the Pawnee Towns, permit 
 me to congratulate you upon its success, 
 and upon the benefits secured both to 
 your own countrymen, and to the wild 
 tribes beyond the border, by your enter 
 prise and self-devotion. 
 
 With me it was the juvenile excursion 
 of a minor, where every thing was 
 fraught with novelty and pleasurable 
 excitement ; but with you it was an 
 
 M530821 
 
VI DEDICATION. 
 
 official undertaking, full of anxiety and 
 forethought, and I cannot but fear that 
 to the cares of your office Svas oc 
 casionally added solicitude for the safety 
 of your young and heedless fellow- 
 traveller. 
 
 As it was partly at your own sug 
 gestion that the following pages were 
 written, I beg you will accept this de 
 dication of them as a slight testimonial 
 of my respect and esteem, and an ac 
 knowledgment of the kindness mani 
 fested by you throughout our wild cam 
 paign. If they present but imperfect 
 sketches of the vivid scenes we have 
 witnessed together, you will recollect 
 that they are the first attempts of an 
 inexperienced pencil. 
 
 THE AUTHOR, 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 OF 
 
 THE FIRST VOLUME. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Page 
 
 Introductory Account of the Object of the 
 Expedition, and the Persons who com- 
 posed it - - - 1 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The Indian Country - - 9 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 The Rangers. Indian Habits. Crossing 
 the Kanzas River - - 19 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Shawanese and the Delawares - - 29 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The Prairie. Arrival at Fort Leavenworth - 35 
 
Vlll CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Page 
 The Sac Indian . . . - 41 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 The Kanzas 4-7 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 The Kanzas Chief 64 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The Forest. The Kickapoos 68 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 Departure for the Pawnees Prairie Life 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 The Party of Sac Indians 93 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 The Journey. Saline River - 103 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 The Legend of the Saline River - 110 
 
CONTENTS. IX 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Page 
 
 The Otoe Messengers - - 117 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 An Otoe Warrior. The lotan Chief - - 123 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 The lotan and his Brother, or Indian Revenge 129 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 The Reception. The Town - 136 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 Indian Habits. The Escape - 151 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 The Rival Chiefs. Indian Feasts - 160 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Domestic Grievances 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 A Man of the World - 179 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Page 
 The Chase - 184 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 The Metamorphosis - 194 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII, 
 
 Indian Dogs - 201 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 Indian Life - 208 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 The Indian Guard -213 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 The Otoe Council - 219 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 Distribution of Presents - 226 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 Departure of Otoes for the Hunting Grounds 238 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 Page 
 
 Departure from the Otoe Village - C 243 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 The Alarm . 247 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 Preparations for Reception Reception by 
 
 Grand Pawnees - - -258 
 
IVDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY ACCOUNT OF THE OBJECT OF THE 
 EXPEDITION, AND THE PERSONS WHO COM 
 POSED IT. 
 
 FOR several years past the government 
 of the United States, as is well known, 
 has been engaged in removing the Indian 
 tribes, resident within the States, to tracts 
 of wild but fertile land, situated beyond 
 the verge of white population. Some of 
 the tribes thus removed, however, when 
 they came to hunt over the lands assigned 
 
 VOL. I. B 
 
2 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 them, encountered fierce opposition from 
 the aboriginal tribes of the prairies, who 
 claimed the country as their own, and 
 denied the right of the United States 
 to make the transfer. The migratory 
 tribes were thus placed in a disastrous 
 predicament : having sold their native 
 lands to the United States, they had 
 no place to which they might retreat ; 
 while they could only maintain a foot 
 ing in their new homes, by incessant 
 fighting. 
 
 The government of the United States 
 hastened to put an end to the bloody 
 conflicts thus engendered, by purchasing 
 the contested lands, and effecting treaties 
 of peace between the jarring tribes. In 
 some instances, however, the aboriginals 
 remained unappeased. This especially 
 was the case, with a fierce and numerous 
 tribe of Pawnees, inhabiting the banks of 
 the Platte river, and who were backed in 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 3 
 
 their hostilities by their allies the Otoes, 
 who, though less numerous, were even 
 more daring than themselves. These 
 two tribes laid claim to all the land 
 lying between the Platte and Kanzas 
 rivers ; a region comprising several hun 
 dred square miles. It had long been 
 their favourite hunting ground, in which 
 it was death for a strange hunter to in 
 trude. This forbidden tract, however, 
 had been granted by the United States 
 to the Delawares ; and the latter had 
 made it the scene of their hunting ex 
 cursions. A bitter feud was the conse 
 quence. The tract in question became a 
 debateable ground in which war parties 
 were continually lurking. The Dela 
 wares had been attacked, while hunt 
 ing, by the Pawnees, and many of their 
 tribe had fallen. The Delawares, in 
 revenge, had surprised and burnt one 
 
* INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 of the Pawnee towns, while the warriors 
 were absent on a buffalo hunt. 
 
 The hostile feelings, thus awakened 
 among the aboriginal tribes of the 
 prairies, had been manifested toward 
 the white men. Several trappers and 
 traders had been massacred by the 
 Pawnees, who looked upon them as in- 
 truders ; and who were too far from 
 the settlements, too confident of their 
 own prowess, and too ignorant of the 
 power of the whites, to care much either 
 for their friendship or their enmity. 
 
 In this state of things, the commis 
 sioners, appointed by government to 
 superintend the settlement of the mi 
 gratory tribes, were instructed to pro 
 ceed to the region in question, purchase 
 the contested lands of the Pawnees, and 
 induce them to remove to the north of 
 the river Platte, and effect a treaty of 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 5 
 
 peace between them and their new 
 neighbours. For this purpose, in the 
 summer of 1833, Mr. Ellsworth, the 
 same commissioner who in the preced 
 ing year had explored a tract of the 
 hunting grounds between the Arkansas 
 and the Grand Canadian*, set out from 
 Washington for Fort Leavenworth, a 
 frontier post on the Missouri river, 
 about forty miles beyond the boundary 
 line of the State of Missouri, where he 
 was to await the arrival of one of his 
 fellow commissioners, before proceeding 
 to visit the hostile tribes. In this ex 
 pedition he was accompanied by the 
 writer of the following pages, who was 
 glad of the opportunity to visit strange 
 scenes and strange people, of which he 
 had only heard wild and exaggerated 
 
 * See a Tour on the Prairies by W. Irving. 
 B 3 
 
O INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 rumours. There was another volunteer, 
 a Scotch gentleman, travelling for in 
 formation and amusement ; and a son 
 of the commissioner (Mr. Edward Ells 
 worth), who acted as secretary to the 
 expedition, made up our party. 
 
 At St. Louis we hired two servants 
 to accompany us throughout the expe 
 dition. One was a half breed, a cross 
 between the Creek Indian and the 
 Negro ; he was named Mordecai, and 
 inherited the lazy propensities of both 
 races, but entertained a high opinion of 
 his own merits. The other was a tall 
 awkward boy, with a low forehead, and 
 a dull, sleepy countenance, nearly hidden 
 by elf locks. His name was Joseph. 
 He spoke a mixture of French and 
 English, and would fain have passed 
 for a full blooded white ; but his mother 
 was a thorough squaw, wife to a little 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. / 
 
 Creole Frenchman, named Antoine or 
 Tonish, who had accompanied the com- 
 missioner on the preceding year, in his 
 expedition to the Arkansas frontier. * 
 Joseph inherited from his father a gas 
 conading spirit, and an inveterate habit 
 of lying. Like him, too, he was a first- 
 rate horseman, and a hard rider, who 
 knocked up every horse entrusted to 
 him. To add to his hereditary quali 
 ties, he inherited from his mother an 
 inveterate habit of stealing. Though a 
 downright coward, he boasted much of 
 his valour, and even told me, in con 
 fidence, " that he could lick his daddy." 
 Being of an obstinate disposition, he was 
 wisely appointed by the commissioner to 
 drive a dearborn waggon, drawn by two 
 mules 5 and many a stubborn contest 
 took place between him and his fellow 
 
 * See Tour on the Prairies. 
 B 4 
 
8 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 brutes, in which he was sure to carry 
 the day. 
 
 Such was our party when we left St. 
 Louis, on our route to Fort Leaven- 
 worth. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE INDIAN COUNTRY. 
 
 IT was late upon a fine glowing after 
 noon in July that we first crossed the 
 Indian frontier, and issued from the 
 forest upon a beautiful prairie, spread 
 ing out, as far as the eye could reach, an 
 undulating carpet of green, enamelled 
 with a thousand flowers, and lighted up 
 by the golden rays of the setting sun. 
 Occasionally a grouse, frightened at our 
 approach, would bustle from among the 
 high grass, and fly whining over the 
 tops of the neighbouring hills. 
 
 We had ridden for more than an hour 
 over the ixreen waste. The heat of 
 
10 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 the afternoon was yielding to the cool 
 breezes of sunset ; the sun itself had 
 just hid its crimson- disk below the 
 prairie hills, and the western sky was 
 still glowing with its beams. 
 
 The deer, which, during the scorching 
 heat of mid-day, had nestled among the 
 thick groves which dot the prairie, now 
 began to steal from their hiding places, 
 and were seen bounding over the green 
 sward, or standing buried up to their 
 heads among the tall flowers, and gazing 
 wildly and fearfully at our party. 
 
 At a distance, too, we could perceive 
 the gaunt form of a vagabond wolf, 
 sneaking through the grass, and stealing 
 snake-like upon his beautiful, though 
 timid, co-tenant of the prairie. 
 
 An exclamation from our guide at 
 tracted our attention to a solitary Indian, 
 mounted upon a horse, and standing, 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 11 
 
 statue-like, upon a distant hill directly 
 in our route. 
 
 Although we had often seen strag 
 gling Indians in the frontier towns, 
 they had in general so degraded an air 
 as to attract but little attention. The 
 appearance of this one, however, stand 
 ing alone on his own soil, where he was 
 bowed by no feeling of inferiority, must, 
 we thought, be as noble as the soil of 
 which he was the master ; and we 
 pushed forward to gaze upon him. He 
 remained unmoved, neither advancing a 
 single pace to meet us, nor retiring on 
 our approach. He proved to be a 
 Shawnee ; one of the remnant of that 
 brave tribe who, under Tecumseh, had 
 made such a desperate attack upon the 
 whites near the banks of the Wabash. 
 
 Some years since, they had been re 
 moved from their old hunting grounds, 
 B 6 
 
12 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 and stationed about ten miles beyond 
 the boundary which separates the state 
 of Missouri from the territory bearing 
 the same name. They had left the 
 graves of their fathers, the home of 
 their childhood, to seek in a strange 
 land that freedom which they could no 
 longer enjoy in the homestead handed 
 down to them by their unfettered an 
 cestors ; but not before the sapping in 
 fluence of their communion with the 
 whites had exerted its sway over them, 
 and reduced them to that abject state 
 which distinguishes the civilised from 
 the savage Indian. 
 
 A feeling of disappointment, mingled 
 with sorrow, came over us as we rode 
 up to this solitary being. At a distance 
 our fancies had painted him possessed 
 of all that was noble in the Indian cha 
 racter ; but a nearer view dispelled the 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 13 
 
 illusion. He could not have been older 
 than thirty, but intemperance had left 
 its mark upon his features. His hair 
 was thick and matted, and hung nearly 
 to his eyes. His legs were covered 
 with leggings of deerskin, ornamented 
 with a yellow binding. Over a dirty 
 calico shirt he wore a long surtout coat, 
 with immense brass buttons ; and upon 
 his shoulder he bore a very long and 
 heavy rifle. 
 
 He saluted us with the usual guttural 
 salutation of " ugh !" and, turning round, 
 rode slowly ahead of our party. His 
 horse was one of those tough little In 
 dian ponies celebrated for hard heads, 
 hard mouths, hard constitutions, and a 
 fund of obstinacy which it would puzzle 
 Satan himself to overcome. He wrig 
 gled through the grass with a sideling 
 ricketty pace, that would have wearied 
 
14 INDIAN SKETCHES* 
 
 any other than an Indian ; and, between 
 the incessant drumming of the heels of 
 the rider into the ribs of his steed, and 
 the jerking, hitching pace of the animal, 
 I could not well determine which under 
 went the most labour, the horse or his 
 master. 
 
 He had not ridden in front of us long 
 before we saw, at a distance, another of 
 the same class galloping towards us. 
 He came forward over the prairie at the 
 full speed of a lean raw-boned nag ; and 
 we hoped to find in him a character 
 which might redeem the first, but in 
 this we were disappointed. 
 
 He was short and broad ; dressed in 
 a dirty calico shirt, and an equally dirty 
 and ragged pair of pantaloons. On his 
 head was cocked, with a very knowing 
 air, a something which once might have 
 been called a hat. On his shoulder he 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 15 
 
 carried a long rifle, while he plied its 
 wiping rod lustily upon the flanks of 
 his horse until he reached the party. 
 
 After gazing at us with some curiosity, 
 he rode off to our first acquaintance. A 
 short conversation then took place, after 
 which they thumped their heels into the 
 ribs of their horses, and scampered off 
 over the prairie ; rising at one moment 
 over the top of some ridge, and then 
 again disappearing in the hollow which 
 lay beyond it, until at last we lost sight 
 of them behind a grove which jutted 
 out into the prairie. 
 
 So, these are the Indians ! This is 
 a specimen of the princely race which 
 once peopled the wilds of America, 
 from the silent wilderness which still 
 borders the Pacific, to the now hum 
 ming shores of the Atlantic ! We were 
 disappointed, and did not reflect that 
 we were looking only upon the dregs of 
 
16 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 that people ; that these were but mem 
 bers of those tribes who had long lived 
 in constant intercourse with the whites, 
 imbibing all their vices, without gaining 
 a single redeeming virtue ; and that the 
 wild savage could no more be compared 
 with his civilised brother, than the wild, 
 untamed steed of his own prairie could 
 be brought in comparison with the 
 drooping, broken-spirited drudge horse, 
 who toils away a life of bondage be 
 neath the scourge of a master. 
 
 Upon their departure we urged our 
 horses forward; for the creaking of the 
 prairie insects warned us of the approach 
 of night, and the place of our destination 
 was yet some miles distant. A rapid 
 and silent ride of an hour brought us to 
 the wished-for spot. 
 
 It was a single log cabin, built in the 
 edge of the wood, and inhabited by a 
 white man, the blacksmith appointed by 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 17 
 
 the United States to take charge of, and 
 keep in repair, the arms paid as an an 
 nuity to the Shawnee tribe ; a measure 
 of government highly pleasing to the 
 Indians, who detest labour of all kinds, 
 and would willingly travel a hundred 
 miles to get another to perform some 
 trivial job, which they might themselves 
 accomplish with but a few hours la 
 bour. 
 
 The house of the blacksmith bore all 
 the marks which characterise the back 
 woodsman. It consisted of two small 
 cabins, formed of rough unbarked logs, 
 and united to each other by a covered 
 shed. One or two heavy vehicles were 
 standing in front of it. At about a 
 hundred yards distance was a large field 
 of Indian corn. Two cows, two horses, 
 and a cozy bevy of pigs, who were snuff 
 ing and grunting from a deep mud-hole 
 
18 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 a few yards from the house, made up 
 the live stock of the establishment, and 
 were all that were considered necessary 
 for the comfort of a backwoodsman. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 19 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 THE RANGERS. INDIAN HABITS. CROSSING THE 
 KANZAS RIVER. 
 
 IT was daylight on the following morn 
 ing when we commenced our journey 
 towards Cantonment Leavenworth. It 
 is situated in the Indian country, about 
 forty miles beyond the line which sepa 
 rates the State from the Territory of 
 Missouri. Our guide took the lead, and 
 struck into a narrow foot-path which led 
 through the forest, while the rest of us 
 followed in Indian file. 
 
 There is a deep silence in a western 
 wilderness. No sound is heard, not even 
 the note of a bird, to break the deathly 
 stillness. 
 
20 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 Occasionally a spectre- like raven would 
 flit across our path, saluting us with his 
 ill-omened croak ; or poising himself 
 upon his wings, to take a more minute 
 survey of the strange beings who had 
 invaded his secluded haunts. 
 
 The silence was thrilling. Our voices 
 echoed beneath the leafy canopy with a 
 sound that rendered them strange even 
 to our own ears. Even the crackling of 
 the dry twigs, as they snapped beneath 
 the hoofs of our horses, had a strange 
 and solemn sound : but, as we grew 
 familiarised with it, this feeling wore 
 off, nor was it long before the jest and 
 merry laugh went on as usual ; and, I 
 imagine, many a long day had passed 
 since those aged forests had rung to 
 such sounds of boisterous merriment as 
 burst from the lips of the band, as we 
 galloped towards the prairie, which lay 
 but a few miles beyond. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 21 
 
 In half an hour we reached it. A 
 loud whoop from our guide announced 
 that something more than usual had met 
 his eye. At the same time he struck 
 his spurs into his horse and galloped 
 out into the open prairie. 
 
 At a short distance, a long troop of 
 horsemen was trailing through the high 
 grass, and preparing to enter a small 
 thicket of timber which rose in the 
 prairie at a short distance. They were 
 a body of the United States Rangers, 
 and had just returned from escorting 
 the Santa Fe traders across a portion 
 of the perilous route, which they are 
 obliged to take, in carrying on their 
 profitable, though hazardous, trade with 
 that inland mart. When we met, they 
 had been more than a month absent 
 from the garrison, seeing none but their 
 own party, or occasionally a straggling 
 
22 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 band of friendly Indians, carrying their 
 whole wardrobe in the small valise at 
 tached to their saddles ; dependent for 
 subsistence on hunting alone, and con 
 tinually on the look-out for an enemy, 
 an enemy that always came when least 
 expected, tarried but to strike the blow, 
 and retreated with equal celerity to the 
 fastnesses of their own mountains. 
 
 There is always a feeling of vagabond 
 companionship engendered by travelling 
 in the wilderness ; and, although we were 
 not a day s ride beyond the settlements, 
 we hailed the sight of this tatterdemalion 
 band with as much joy as if we had been 
 united by the links of a long and well- 
 tried friendship. 
 
 We spent half an hour with them ; 
 then spurring on, we soon reached the 
 bank of the Kanzas river. 
 
 This is one of the largest tributaries 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 23 
 
 of the Missouri; being from a quarter 
 to two miles in width, and varying in 
 depth from one to thirty feet. 
 
 Upon reaching its brink, we found 
 attached to a tree a large scow, which 
 was used as a ferry-boat. Its owner, a 
 tall thin Delaware, was quietly seated 
 in one corner, pouring out a flood of 
 smoke from a small pipe which gar 
 nished one corner of his mouth. 
 
 There is always an air of gentlemanly 
 laziness hanging about the Indians. 
 They live they know not how, and 
 they care not where. A little suffices 
 them : if they can get it, they are sa 
 tisfied ; if not, they are satisfied without 
 it. They belong to a sect of philoso 
 phers ranging between the Epicureans 
 and the Stoics. When pleasure pre 
 sents its cup, they drink it to the dregs; 
 and when the reverse is the case, they 
 bear it without a murmur. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 They have no objection to beg, or, 
 if it is equally convenient, to steal ; 
 for, to tell the truth, they are much 
 troubled with confused memories, and 
 are terribly given to mistaking the pro 
 perty of other people for their own. It 
 is a universal practice among them, and 
 brings with it no disgrace. To all this 
 is added a most gentlemanly abhorrence 
 of labour of all descriptions, and a great 
 store of patience in enduring the pinch 
 ing hunger which is often the result of 
 indolence. On a wet day you may 
 travel for miles over the prairies, or 
 through the thickets, and not a single 
 Indian will cross your path ; but let the 
 sun again beam forth, and you will see 
 them around in every direction, lounging 
 in the long grass or sunning themselves 
 upon some high prairie peak, with a 
 most profound forgetfulness of the past, 
 and lordly contempt for the future ; for 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 25 
 
 they are marvellously fond of fulfilling 
 the general sense, though not the literal 
 meaning of the old adage, which says, 
 " make hay while the sun shines." 
 
 Upon our hailing this Charon of the 
 Kanzas, he quietly rose from his seat, 
 and, stepping to the shore, made signs 
 for us to lead our horses into the scow. 
 He remained upon the bank until they 
 were all safely embarked. He did not 
 offer to aid in the least in getting them 
 on board ; nor did our guide appear to 
 expect any assistance from him. When 
 every thing was in readiness, he loosed 
 the fastening, and seizing a long pole, 
 tli rust it into the sandy bottom, and 
 whirled the ticklish vessel far out into 
 the rushing current of the river. The 
 water, at this spot, was not very deep ; 
 and by means of his pole, he soon ran 
 the scow upon the sand of the opposite 
 
 VOL. i. c 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 shore. He then secured it to a tree, 
 and, having received his pay, pocketed 
 it, and strolled off, leaving the party 
 to land, or stay on board, as they might 
 think fit. 
 
 We disembarked and galloped up the 
 bank. On the top was a large log house, 
 inhabited by the blacksmith of the Dela 
 ware Indians, and the last building we 
 were to meet in the route to the garrison. 
 We had scarcely reached it when the 
 woods on the opposite bank of the river 
 began to ring to the shouts of the Ran 
 gers ; and the whole troop, as fantasti 
 cally arrayed as a band of Italian banditti, 
 slowly wound among the tall tree trunks 
 until they reached the bank which over 
 hung the water. 
 
 There was a pause of some moments 
 upon the brink ; then a heavy splash an 
 nounced that the foremost had taken to 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 7 
 
 the water ; and, in a moment after, his 
 powerful animal was struggling against 
 the swift current. The rest paused to 
 watch his progress, then one after another 
 dashed in ; until the long line of snorting 
 steeds, and their whooping riders, ex 
 tended nearly across the river. 
 
 At that moment a dark thunder cloud, 
 which had been hanging over the woods 
 for several hours, opened its fire upon 
 the band, thoroughly drenching all that 
 the water had left untouched, and ren^ 
 dering them almost invisible by reason 
 of the density of its shower. 
 
 The cloud hovered over for about an 
 hour, but at last, one after another, a 
 few rays were seen shooting out their 
 bright lines from behind the dark cur 
 tain, and playing upon the tops of the 
 distant trees. Finally the ragged masses 
 rolling together slowly floated off to the 
 c 2 
 
28 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 eastward, until their dark forms were 
 lost below the horizon, and the heaven 
 was left in its sea of pure and spotless 
 blue. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 29 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 SHAWANESE AND THE DELAVVARES. 
 
 IN an hour, we had left the house of the 
 blacksmith, and were dashing through 
 the moist and glistening grass of the 
 prairie, in front of one of the villages of 
 the Shawanese. It consisted of about 
 a dozen houses or cabins, grouped toge 
 ther upon the top of a hill, and looking 
 on a ragged little prairie. There was 
 but little attraction in its appearance, 
 and withal a most philosophic indif 
 ference to cleanliness or comfort. 
 
 Our approach was announced by 
 about twenty half-starved dogs, who set 
 up a yell which brought to the doors 
 c 3 
 
30 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 every inhabitant of the place, old enough 
 to be tormented with curiosity. 
 
 Presently two of them came forward 
 to meet us. The first was a fat wheezing 
 Indian of about fifty ; he was dressed 
 partly after the fashion of the whites, 
 and partly in his own native style. He 
 wore a broad-brimmed black hat, orna 
 mented with several bands of tin ; a 
 pair of large black-rimmed spectacles ; a 
 blue calico shirt, and a pair of blue 
 cloth pantaloons, secured close to his 
 legs by several bands of yellow riband. 
 
 His companion, who was a little 
 herring of a fellow, retained more of 
 the Indian in his dress and appearance. 
 His head was shaved, with the exception 
 -of a single lock*, which luxuriated upon 
 
 * It is customary with all the Indian tribes, when 
 shaving their heads (as is the almost universal prac 
 tice with the uncivilised tribes), to leave a single. 
 long, thin lock of hair upon the crown, to aid their 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 31 
 
 the top of his crown, surrounded by a 
 little pallisado of stiff bristles, left stand 
 ing at its root amid the general harvest. 
 His face and head had been painted 
 with vermilion, and at a distance bore 
 a strong resemblance to a large red 
 potatoe. A shirt of calico was the only 
 article of civilised manufacture about 
 him. His leggings were of deerskin, 
 the edges of which were cut into a 
 rough border -, and his mocassins were 
 made of the same material. 
 
 Upon our approach, they came out 
 with the intention of holding a convers 
 ation with us, but, owing to an equal 
 
 enemies in removing their scalp. From this it re 
 ceived the appellation of " scalp lock." It is consi 
 dered a point of chivalry among them, to leave this 
 unshorn. Great care is frequently bestowed upon 
 it, and it is usually adorned with plumes of the 
 eagle, the feathers of birds, or ornaments of deer s 
 hair. 
 
 c 4< 
 
32 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 ignorance of the language of each other, 
 we could obtain from them but little 
 information. After wasting a short time 
 in attempting to glean intelligence of 
 our future route, we gave it up, and 
 started forward at random. We rode 
 up hills and down hollows; spattered 
 through streams ; galloped over patches 
 of prairie, and through clumps of wood 
 land ; until, after riding for more than 
 an hour, we found ourselves in the edge 
 of a wood, and in the very heart of a 
 town of the Delawares, 
 
 A general barking of dogs again an- 
 nounced us to the Indians. They flocked 
 out to meet us. From them we learned 
 our route, and, passing through the 
 village, continued our journey towards 
 the cantonment. 
 
 There is but little in the civilised 
 Indian to excite interest, or to enlist 
 the feelings ; they are a race between 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 33 
 
 the whites, and their own people, as 
 God made them. We have heard tales 
 of those from whom they sprang j of 
 their contests for their soil ; of their 
 fierce and bloody defence of their vil 
 lages, and of the graves of their an 
 cestors. But where are they ? Where 
 are the braves of the nation ? They 
 have come within the blighting influence 
 of the white man ; they have been swept 
 away even as is the grass of their own 
 prairie before the fire of the hunter. 
 A spring may come again to revive the 
 drooping face of nature ; but to them 
 there is no spring no renovation. It 
 is probable that, ere two centuries shall 
 elapse, there will be but a very remnant 
 of their race a few wretched beings 
 lingering about the then abodes of civil 
 isation, unheeded, unnoticed strangers 
 in the land of their fathers. 
 
 We paused for a short time in the 
 c 5 
 
34? INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 edge of the forest to take a lingering 
 look of the village ; then turning away, 
 we pursued our course until our horses 
 again brought us to the prairie, upon 
 which was imprinted the wide trail lead 
 ing to Leaven worth. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 35 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 THE PRAIRIE, ARRIVAL AT FORT LEAVEN 
 
 WORTH. 
 
 THE passing cloud which had swept 
 over the prairie in the morning, had 
 left nothing but beauty. A cool fresh 
 ness exhaled from the tall grass glit 
 tering with its water beads. The rich, 
 though parched foliage seemed to have 
 given place to a young and luxuriant 
 growth of the richest green. The 
 clusters of flowers which had worn a 
 dried and feverish look, now rose in 
 renovated beauty, as if from their bed 
 of sickness, and spread their perfumes 
 through the morning air. 
 c 6 
 
36 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 In the spring of the year, these 
 prairies are covered with a profusion ot 
 pale pink flowers, rearing their delicate 
 stalks among the rough blades of the 
 wild grass. These were too fragile to 
 withstand the scorching heat of sum- 
 mer ; they had disappeared, and their 
 stalks had also withered. Others had 
 succeeded them. There was a gorgeous 
 richness in the summer apparel of the 
 prairie. Flowers of red, yellow, purple, 
 and crimson were scattered in profu 
 sion among the grass, sometimes grow 
 ing singly, and at others spreading out 
 in beds of several acres in extent. Like 
 many beauties in real life, they make 
 up in the glare of their colours, what 
 they want in delicacy ; they dazzle but 
 at a distance, and will not bear closer 
 scrutiny. 
 
 There is a sensation of wild pleasure, 
 in traversing these vast and boundless 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. -~5J 
 
 wastes. At one moment we were stand 
 ing upon the crest of some wave- like hill, 
 which commanded a wide view of the 
 green desert before us. Here and there, 
 were small clumps of trees, resting, like 
 islands, upon the bosom of this sea of 
 grass. Far off, a long waving line of 
 timber winding like a serpent over the 
 country, marked the course of some 
 hidden stream. But a hundred steps of 
 our horses carried us from the point of 
 look-out. Passing down the sides of the 
 hill, we splashed through the water at 
 the bottom ; tore a path through the 
 grass, which frequently rose, in these 
 hollows, to the height of eight or ten 
 feet, and the next moment stood upon 
 the crest of a hill similar to the first. 
 This was again cut off as we descended 
 a second time into the trough which 
 followed the long surge-like swell of 
 land. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 Such is the prairie hill follows hill, 
 and hollow succeeds hollow, with the 
 same regularity as the sweeping billows 
 of the ocean. Occasionally a high 
 broken bluff rears its solitary head in 
 the midst, like some lonely sentinel 
 overlooking the country. Upon the tops 
 of these we frequently saw an Indian, 
 standing in bold relief against the sky, 
 or seated upon some pleasant spot on 
 its summit, and basking in the sunshine, 
 with that air of lazy enjoyment which 
 characterises the race. 
 
 Hour after hour passed on ; the pros 
 pect was still the same. At last a loud 
 cry from our guide announced that we 
 had come in sight of the cantonment. 
 
 There was a snowy speck resting upon 
 the distant green ; behind it rose a forest 
 of lofty timber, which shadowed the Mis 
 souri. This was Leavenworth. But still, 
 many miles intervened ; for the prairie 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 39 
 
 is like the ocean the view is wide 
 and boundless ; and it requires an eye 
 trained by many months residence in 
 these regions to measure accurately the 
 distance of objects. 
 
 It was mid-day when we first caught 
 sight of Leavenworth, but it was neat- 
 sunset before we arrived there. About 
 a dozen white-washed cottage-looking 
 houses compose the barracks and the 
 abodes of the officers. They are so 
 arranged as to form the three sides of 
 a hollow square ; the fourth is open, 
 and looks out into a wide but broken 
 prairie. It is a rural looking spot a 
 speck of civilisation dropped into the 
 heart of a wilderness. There was no 
 thing here to tell a tale of war ; and 
 but for the solitary sentinels upon their 
 posts; the lounging forms of the soldiers, 
 who were nearly worn out with their 
 labours "to kill time; or the occasional 
 
40 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 roll of the drum, as the signal for the 
 performance of some military duty, we 
 should not have known that we were in 
 the heart of a military station. 
 
fNDJAN SKETCHES. il 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 THE SAC INDIAN. 
 
 ON the following day we strolled through 
 the forest which skirted the garrison and 
 overhung the Missouri. At one mo- 
 rnent our eyes would be caught by the 
 dazzling plumage of the little parro- 
 quets, as they whirled through the 
 branches of the trees ; at another we 
 amused ourselves by listening to the 
 shrill screams of a woodpecker, as he 
 saluted some crony mounted on a neigh 
 bouring limb. 
 
 Our attention at other times would be 
 attracted by the movements of some old 
 antiquarian bird of the same species, 
 who was busy peeping into the holes 
 
i<2 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 and crannies of some ruined trunk, 
 to ascertain if possible the cause of it* 
 decay. 
 
 In another direction might be seen a 
 solitary raven, sitting in silence upon the 
 naked limb of some mouldering tree, 
 and apparently brooding over the ruin 
 that reigned around him. 
 
 As we passed an opening between the 
 houses, which gave us a view of the 
 green in front, we caught sight of a 
 single Indian, standing beneath the shade 
 of a tall oak. 
 
 Whilst we were regarding him, a little 
 red-nosed soldier came up. He in 
 formed us that the Indian was a Sac, 
 one of those who had fought against the 
 whites under Black Hawk. As he men 
 tioned this, he took the opportunity of 
 uncorking his indignation, and letting 
 off the superfluous foam, in a volley of 
 oaths and anathemas against the whole 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 4-3 
 
 race in, general, and this individual in 
 particular. He threw out dark hints of 
 what he had himself done in the war, 
 and what he would now do, if the major 
 would only permit it. At the time, we 
 looked upon him with considerable awe ; 
 but we afterwards learned that there 
 was little to be apprehended from him. 
 He was a character notorious for boil 
 ing over in the excess of his wrath, 
 especially in time of peace ; but beyond 
 this was distinguished for nothing, ex 
 cept a strong attachment to liquors of 
 all descriptions. 
 
 We soon left him, and crossed over 
 the green, to the spot where the Indian 
 was standing. 
 
 I had formed but a poor opinion of 
 the race from those whom I had al 
 ready seen ; but never was I more agree 
 ably disappointed never had I beheld 
 such a princely fellow. He stood un- 
 
44 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 moved as we came up, viewing us with 
 a calm, cold, but unwavering gaze. His 
 eyelid never drooped ; nor was the eye 
 averted for an instant as it met our look. 
 A large blanket, here and there streaked 
 with vermilion, and ornamented with 
 hawks bells, was so disposed around his 
 folded arms, that it left bare his finely- 
 formed shoulder, and half of his high and 
 sinewy chest. A bright, steel-headed 
 tomahawk peeped from beneath its folds, 
 and a quiver of arrows hung at his back. 
 His legs were cased in leggings of 
 dressed deerskin, with the edges cut 
 into a rough fringe. He wore a pair 
 of mocassins of dressed buffalo hide. 
 The top of his head was closely shaven, 
 and covered with vermilion ; but his 
 face was free from any colouring what 
 ever, with the exception of a ring of 
 black paint, which was carefully drawn 
 around each eye. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 45 
 
 As we approached he drew himself 
 up, and threw his head slightly back 
 ward with an air of haughtiness which 
 well became his high stern features. He 
 seemed to feel like a proud but desolate 
 being. Upon his head was bound an 
 eagle s plume, but it was crushed and 
 broken. Could it be emblematic of the 
 broken spirit of his own tribe? Their 
 power was gone ; their strength was 
 withered ; they were scattered to the 
 four winds of heaven ; the bones of their 
 bravest warriors were whitening the 
 prairies, and their chief was in bondage 
 in an unknown land.* 
 
 And this savage he seemed to feel 
 that he was alone ; but his stern fea 
 tures told that he asked no pity, and 
 would brook no insult. 
 
 * At this time, Black Hawk was in the Eastern 
 States. 
 
4t> INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 For some time he stood in front of 
 us, returning gaze for gaze, and for a 
 moment a smile played over his fea 
 tures ; then drawing up his tinkling 
 blanket, he wrapped it closely around 
 him, and walked off. We lost sight of 
 him behind one of the buildings, as he 
 directed his course towards the forest. 
 
 We turned away towards our quarters ; 
 but the roll of the dinner drum sounded 
 across the green ; and, changing our 
 course, we obeyed its summons. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 47 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 THE KANZAS. 
 
 WE had been two days in the garrison. 
 A loud shrill cry arose in the air as 
 we were in the desolate chamber which 
 we called " our quarters." Before we 
 had time to pass a remark as to its 
 cause, it came again, echoing through 
 the building, and causing the forest to 
 ring to its sound. We knew that it pro 
 ceeded from Indians, and immediately 
 left the quarters to see them. They 
 w r ere at a little distance from the fence 
 surrounding the garrison, grouped toge 
 ther under a large oak tree, which grew 
 alone, upon a small level plot of ground 
 directly in front of the quarters. They 
 
48 INDIAN SKETCHES, 
 
 were wanderers from the Kanzas village, 
 which is situated upon the Kanzas river, 
 about a hundred miles beyond the line of 
 the Indian boundary. 
 
 There were about forty of them 
 crowded together around a small fire, 
 which they had kindled under the shade 
 of the tree. 
 
 Give an Indian a fire, and you give 
 him a home. Be there one or a hun 
 dred, a few sticks thrown together and 
 kindled into a flame will be the gather 
 ing place of all. It is the same in the 
 prairies and in the settlements in warm 
 weather and in cold. When they stop 
 from a journey or a hunt, they kindle 
 a fire and nestle around it. From that 
 moment they feel an ideal property in 
 the spot upon which they have thus 
 intimated their intention to linger. 
 
 The band before us were all finely- 
 formed men ; for, with the exception of 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 49 
 
 the Osage Indians of the Arkansas, they 
 are considered the most noble of the 
 tribes which yet roam within the neigh 
 bourhood of the settlements. As yet, 
 from their communion with the whites 
 they have derived benefit alone. Too 
 far from them to imbibe their vices, they 
 have yet been able to hold sufficient 
 intercourse to promote their own in 
 terest. They have thrown aside their 
 buffalo-skin robes, and adopted the 
 blanket. They have become skilful in 
 the use of the rifle, and except in hunt 
 ing the buffalo make no use of bows 
 and arrows. 
 
 When we came up, two or three were 
 engaged in collecting fuel to sustain the 
 fire ; the rest were lounging around, 
 luxuriating in the most perfect laziness. 
 Several were leaning listlessly upon their 
 hunting spears, too indolent to bear even 
 their own weight. Some were resting 
 
 VOL. i. f> 
 
50 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 against the tree ; and a band of five or 
 six were lying upon their backs, with 
 their feet to the fire, drumming with 
 their fists upon their breasts, and chant 
 ing out a sleepy ditty, the chorus of 
 which was filled up by a loud yell from 
 every throat in the band. 
 
 They were all athletic and finely 
 formed. Their heads were shaven with 
 the exception of the scalp lock, which 
 hung down between their shoulders ; and 
 their breasts were left exposed by their 
 blankets. 
 
 There was a little squaw in company 
 with them, a notable character ; and if I 
 might judge from the foolish look of 
 several, and the loud laugh of the rest, 
 gifted with a most peppery tongue. We 
 had heard of Indian beauties, but she 
 was not one of them ; for she engrossed 
 in her own person a concentration of 
 ugliness, which would have more than 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 51 
 
 satisfied a dozen ordinary females. There 
 was an acidity in her black glittering eye 
 which gave a zest to her remarks, 
 causing them to be highly relished by 
 the lounging crew, but rendering them 
 unpalatable to the unfortunate scape 
 goat at whose expense they were ut 
 tered. 
 
 We had not stood there long before 
 we came in for our share of her bless 
 ings : of their nature, however, we re 
 mained in a happy ignorance. They 
 were received with loud bursts of merri 
 ment from the graceless troop around 
 her, with the exception of one or two of 
 the oldest Indians. The grave faces 
 and wrinkled brows of these wore a 
 discouraging sternness. It was in vain 
 that the little woman exhausted her wit 
 for the purpose of enticing a smile upon 
 their features ; their lips were as rigid 
 as ever, nor did the relaxation of a single 
 
 D 2 
 
52 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 muscle of their swarthy faces denote 
 that they participated in the general 
 amusement. In spite of this, however, 
 she appeared loath to relinquish her 
 sport. While this had been going on, 
 an old Indian was sitting close to the 
 fire, with one elbow resting upon his 
 knee, and his hand supporting his chin. 
 His hair was white, and rested in flaky 
 locks upon his shoulders. His eyes 
 were fixed intently upon the blaze, 
 and he was apparently buried in deep 
 thought. 
 
 He had continued in this posture for 
 some time ; but at last a loud burst of 
 laughter, which followed some remark 
 of the squaw, seemed to call him to 
 himself. He looked around for a mo 
 ment with a bewildered air, then start 
 ing to his feet, strode over to the oratrix, 
 and hissed a few low but stern words in 
 her ear. Her face lengthened, and her 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 53 
 
 mouth closed ; the rest instantly fol 
 lowed her example, and the faces of 
 the whole gang were converted to a 
 look of the most penitential gravity. 
 What the charm was that acted so po 
 tently in hushing the clamour of the 
 virago I never knew, or I should have 
 imparted it for the benefit of the civil 
 ised world. 
 
 The old man then stepped from the 
 centre of the crowd, and extended his 
 hand to each of us. After a cordial 
 shaking he pressed his own against his 
 bosom, and withdrew to his former seat 
 at the fire. From that moment the noise 
 and jeering were hushed. The old lady 
 turned her attention to a number of po 
 tatoes which were roasting in the fire. 
 Parties of five or six, wrapping their 
 blankets closely around them, sauntered 
 off towards the quarters of the officers. 
 Others strolled off to the banks of the 
 D 3 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 Missouri ; and five or six, who appeared 
 too idle even to do that, laid themselves 
 at full length upon the grass, and joined 
 in the drum and chorus of those who 
 were already engaged in chanting. A 
 few of the oldest warriors then drew 
 together in a knot, and commenced an 
 earnest debate, in which they were after 
 wards joined by the old Indian who had 
 interfered at first in our behalf. They 
 spoke earnestly ; the matter appeared 
 to be one of moment, and each in 
 turn gave his opinion. There was a 
 warmth and an energy in their tones 
 and gesticulation as they spoke, and an 
 earnestness in their usually calm and 
 dispassionate features, which strongly 
 excited our curiosity. 
 
 The little woman, too, seemed totally 
 engrossed with the interest of the sub 
 ject. She suffered a large potato to 
 roast to coal without noticing it. She 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 55 
 
 sat with her eyes intently fixed upon the 
 varying countenances of the speakers, 
 turning from one to the other as each in 
 turn delivered his opinion. Her air was 
 not that of mere curiosity, there was a 
 strong mixture of anxiety blended with 
 it. She looked as if she were deeply 
 interested in the result. 
 
 The debate continued for some time ; 
 but at length they separated, and appa 
 rently without coming to any conclu 
 sion, strolled off towards the quarters 
 without heeding the squaw, leaving her 
 seated alone at the fire. 
 
 We afterwards learned that this party 
 of Indians had been for two days with 
 out provisions, and that they were con 
 sulting about the selection of a com 
 mittee from their band, who should 
 commence begging for a supply among 
 the soldiers of the garrison. We for- 
 D 4 
 
56 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 gave the little squaw, in consideration 
 of the penance and fasting which she 
 had already undergone. 
 
 This band hung round the garrison for 
 several days. The imposing appearance 
 which they bear at first sight, wears off 
 as you become familiarized with them. 
 The high, haughty carnage, which they 
 wear towards strangers, gradually re 
 laxes as they become acquainted. They 
 were constantly lounging round the quar 
 ters of the soldiers, or strolling in little 
 parties of five or six through the woods. 
 Here and there some curious fellows 
 might be seen, peering into the win 
 dows of the dwelling-houses, or stealing 
 through some open door into the in 
 terior. Their step is so hushed and 
 noiseless, that there is nothing to warn 
 you of their approach. I have fre 
 quently been surprised, upon looking 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES, 67 
 
 round in my chamber, to find a dozen 
 of these fellows quietly seated around 
 me, some upon chairs, others upon the 
 floor, and all apparently as much at their 
 ease as if they had made it their rest 
 ing place for the last century. They 
 seemed neither to care whether you 
 welcomed them or not ; they had made 
 up their minds to visit you, and visit 
 they would. With all this, there was 
 an unobtrusiveness in their manners, 
 which soon reconciled us to their pre 
 sence. They would sit for hours in the 
 same attitude, making no remarks, hold 
 ing no conversation ; and were it not for 
 their glistening, snaky eyes, which were 
 ever fastened on your face, creating a 
 feeling of restless uneasiness, there was 
 little else in their company to annoy 
 you. 
 
 It was near the close of a warm after- 
 D 5 
 
58 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 noon, that I had thrown myself upon a 
 bear- skin on the floor, with that feeling 
 of listless languor which is apt to per 
 vade a stranger, when visiting the west 
 ern country for the first time. The 
 drum was pouring out a dull melancholy 
 roll at the far end of the green, occa 
 sionally enlivened by the shrill tones of 
 a fierce little fife. Under the window, 
 a lounging soldier, half asleep, was 
 drawling out a tedious ditty, with a 
 strong nasal accompaniment which did 
 not add much to the vivacity of the tune. 
 Even the sun himself had been wrought 
 up into a fever. With a face as red as 
 that of a fat butcher, he crawled through 
 the sky, as if he longed for the time when 
 he might take his twelve hours nap in 
 the cool bed of the ocean. The trees 
 nodded over the bank of the Missouri 
 with a heavy, sleepy look. The river 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 59 
 
 itself scampered along its channel, as if 
 anxious to escape from the sultry heat 
 which filled the atmosphere. 
 
 I had lain nearly an hour upon my 
 shaggy couch. My eyes were yielding 
 to slumber ; present things were fast 
 vanishing, or only appeared blended with 
 the fitful forms of a drowsy imagination. 
 
 "Ho! ho! ho!" shouted a dozen 
 voices at my side. I started up a 
 group of Kanzas were seated in a ring, 
 around my bear-skin. For a moment I 
 was bewildered ; but they soon con 
 vinced me of the reality of my situation, 
 and of the difference between their visit 
 ations and those of fancy. 
 
 They were a detachment who had 
 been sent out to forage in the larders 
 of the garrison. Although their lan 
 guage was unknown to me, their object 
 was perfectly intelligible. They signified 
 their wants with a clearness of gesticu- 
 D 6 
 
60 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 lation which could not be misunderstood, 
 and the earnestness of which was, no 
 doubt, enhanced by a keen appetite. 
 
 Seeing that there was no alternative, 
 I called to our half-breed boy, 
 
 "Joseph!" 
 
 "Vat you vant?" sounded a voice 
 from the dark cavern below, which was 
 dignified with the name of a kitchen. 
 
 " Have you any meat or bread for 
 these Indians?" 
 
 " Sacre diable!" answered he, "Vare 
 de devil I to git meat for dem ? I h aint. 
 eat none my own sef, for tree day, nor 
 Mordecai neder." 
 
 This was not altogether true, but it 
 was conclusive ; so I returned to my 
 dusky friends with the heavy intelli 
 gence. 
 
 There are two characters in this world, 
 whom it is impossible to convince of the 
 truth of any thing which jars with their 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 6l 
 
 own opinions or interests ; the first is a 
 politician, the second is a hungry In 
 dian. I soon found it out my red 
 visiters were immoveable they were 
 deaf both to arguments and to state 
 ments of facts. They heard me they 
 understood me but they were not a 
 whit nearer to conviction, and they 
 made no motion to depart. There was 
 no resource left, so I determined to ab 
 dicate in their favour; and taking up my 
 hat I left the house, and strolled off in 
 the woods. 
 
 It was near sunset when I returned 
 to my quarters. I opened the door of 
 the chamber and looked in. 
 
 " Ho ! ho ! ho I" sounded a dozen 
 guttural voices from within. My red 
 friends were there still, waiting for my 
 coming. I closed the door instantly, 
 and walked off with a hasty step to the 
 quarters of one of the officers ; nor did I 
 
2 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 return until late at night, when I found 
 that they had disappeared. 
 
 I afterwards learned that they had 
 been supplied with provisions on the 
 morning previous, and that they were 
 now carrying on the business of beg 
 ging for mere amusement. 
 
 When the night grew dark, there was 
 a bright fire gleaming under the old oak 
 tree where they had taken their station, 
 and the whole group were huddled to 
 gether around it. From the piazza in 
 front of our quarters we could see their 
 forms flitting round the blaze, and could 
 hear their song as it rose up in the damp 
 air, with a wildness not unmixed with 
 melody. The day was past, and they 
 were now enjoying the present moment 
 with their usual happy forgetfulness of 
 toil. In the morning we again visited 
 the spot which they had selected for, 
 their camp ; but it was deserted. The 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 63 
 
 embers had fallen to ashes the fire 
 was extinguished and the whole wild 
 troop had again set out upon its wan 
 derings. 
 
64 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 THE KANZAS CHIEF. 
 
 Two days after the departure of the 
 Kanzas band we were seated in our 
 chamber, when a heavy muffled tread 
 jarred upon the piazza in front of us. 
 A large Indian passed the window, and 
 a moment after he entered the room. 
 
 He was tall and muscular, though 
 his form, through neglect of exercise, 
 was fast verging towards corpulency. 
 He wore a hat after the fashion of 
 the whites, a calico hunting shirt and 
 rough leggings. Over the whole was 
 wrapped a heavy blanket. His face was 
 unpainted, and although his age was 
 nearly seventy his hair was raven black, 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 65 
 
 and his eye as keen as a hawk s. He 
 was the White Plume, chief of the 
 Kanzas nation. He had spent much 
 time among the whites, and had gra 
 dually become familiarized with their 
 manners. Upon entering the room he 
 lifted his hat from his head and placed 
 it upon the table; then advancing to 
 wards the Indian commissioner, who was 
 seated near the door, he offered his hand 
 to him; after which he shook hands in 
 turn with the rest. Having done this, 
 he stepped into the centre of the room, 
 and wrapping his blanket closely around 
 his body beneath his arms, commenced 
 an address not that he had any thing 
 in particular to say, for he had come to 
 the garrison by accident ; but he was 
 one of those windy characters who take 
 great delight in listening to their own 
 speeches, and who, unfortunately for the 
 ears of many a civilised man, are not 
 
66 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 confined to savages alone. By his side 
 stood his interpreter, a white man, who 
 had spent many years among the tribe, 
 and who translated the sentences, as the 
 chief paused for that purpose. 
 
 The address lasted for about ten mi 
 nutes, by which time he was completely 
 out of breath, and seated himself from 
 mere exhaustion. The most of it was 
 dull, and a mere repetition of the same 
 ideas ; but once in speaking of the loss 
 of his children, who had died of the 
 cholera during the fall previous, his lan 
 guage was even poetical. 
 
 " My children," said he, "have gone 
 from me ; the Great Spirit has called 
 them 5 they have disappeared like the 
 snow that melteth on the prairie. I was 
 lonely ; I returned to my lodge, but it 
 was desolate, for they were not there." 
 
 When he had rested himself for a few 
 moments he rose up ; and after throwing 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 6? 
 
 out several hints of so broad a character 
 that they smacked strongly of beggary, 
 he received several presents, and left 
 the building, winding his way over the 
 prairie along the narrow trail which led 
 to his village, 
 
68 
 
 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 THE FOREST. THE KICKAPOOS. 
 
 DAY after day waned by, still we lin 
 gered in the white-washed cottages of 
 Leavenworth. Urgent preparations were 
 making for our departure to the western 
 wilds, but as yet they were unfinished. 
 To the commissioner who had charge 
 of the expedition every moment was 
 fraught with interest and anxiety, but 
 to several of us who had accompanied 
 him from curiosity alone, there was but 
 little occupation. Still there was a 
 feeling of dreamy pleasure in wandering 
 through the tall moss-grown groves 
 which surrounded the garrison. There 
 was a calm quiet pervading them, which 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 69 
 
 stole soothingly over the mind, drawing 
 it away from dwelling upon things pre 
 sent, and wrapping it up in its own wild 
 musings. The thick arches of over 
 hanging trees threw a dark and night- 
 like shade over the ground. Here and 
 there a solitary ray of sunshine, like a 
 pilgrim in a strange land, strayed through 
 some crevice in the thick foliage, play 
 ing in a bright hazy streak through the 
 gloom, and casting a golden spot upon 
 the dark creeping plants beneath. There 
 was a vastness in the size of the mighty 
 trunks that seized forcibly upon the ima 
 gination. What was America when those 
 veteran trees were but saplings? Who 
 were her children ? Where are they? 
 The tale is a sad one, and fraught with 
 little that reflects credit upon the white 
 man. 
 
 The forest is full of ruins. It gives 
 many a touching memento of the work 
 
70 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 of time. Hundreds of gigantic trees, 
 which have weathered the storms of 
 ages, and for centuries have kept their 
 silent watch, have yielded to its power ; 
 have been hurled from their stands, and 
 their lumbering wrecks are decaying 
 upon the ground the green moss is 
 their covering, the wild ivy their shroud. 
 Thousands of dead trees are still stand 
 ing, shooting up their tall gray forms, 
 stripped of bark, of foliage, and of 
 branches ; still, they cling with a lin 
 gering tenacity to their old abiding 
 places, as if loath to resign themselves 
 to the ruin which is every where reign 
 ing around them, and although despoiled 
 of foliage, as if they still loved to linger 
 on the spot which once bore witness to 
 their magnificence. 
 
 Occasionally in our rambles we would 
 fall upon a solitary Indian, roaming 
 through the woods, or seated in deep 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 71 
 
 meditation upon the wreck of some 
 prostrate tree. It was the place for 
 him. Let him look upon the forests 
 and read his own fate ; they are united 
 their destinies are the same; alike 
 they have lived and flourished in the 
 wildness of nature, and alike they are 
 disappearing before the approach of 
 civilisation. Let the Indian grieve at 
 the sound of the woodman s axe ; for at 
 the fall of every tree the hour of his 
 own ruin draws nearer. 
 
 From the time of our arrival at the 
 garrison, small parties of Indians had 
 been constantly coming and going. 
 They belonged to the Kickapoo tribe ; 
 another band of emigrants from the 
 States. There were many manly forms 
 among them, and some of their females 
 were even beautiful. Scarce a day 
 elapsed that we did not catch a glimpse 
 of the gaudily dressed figures of some 
 
72 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 band, their tin trinkets glistening in the 
 sunbeams, and their bright garments 
 fluttering in the wind, as they galloped 
 over the prairie towards the garrison. 
 They carry on a species of traffic with 
 the sutler at the post; exchanging furs 
 and skins for ribands, and such other 
 showy articles as are likely to catch the 
 eye of a savage. This tribe, from long 
 intercourse with the inhabitants of the 
 settlements, have become accustomed to 
 driving bargains, and are looked upon 
 by the generality of traders as pretty 
 hard customers ; yet even from them, 
 the profits derived by the whites are 
 great. 
 
 From seeing these different bands con 
 stantly coming and going to and from 
 their village, we conceived a desire to 
 visit them ; and accordingly, upon a fine 
 clear morning, we started. 
 
 The path was for the most part 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 7^ 
 
 through the woods. We rode about an 
 hour, crossed several brooks, traversed 
 several small patches of prairie, and at 
 last found ourselves upon the summit of 
 a high bluff which overlooked the little 
 Indian town, and commanded a fine 
 view of the whole neighbouring coun 
 try. At our feet lay a small green 
 prairie, dotted with clusters of wild 
 flowers. Three of its sides were en 
 closed by a ridge of hills, at the foot 
 of which meandered a clear, sparkling 
 brook, brawling in low murmurs over its 
 rocky bottom. A long range of trees 
 stood upon its borders, leaning over the 
 stream, and shading its waters from the 
 noontide sun. The fourth side of the 
 green was hemmed in by a dark thick 
 forest, which extended back to the banks 
 of the Missouri. 
 
 In the edge of this stood the village 
 of the Kickapoos. It fronted upon the 
 
 VOL. I. E 
 
74 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 variegated green. It was a retired, 
 rural spot, shut out from the world, and 
 looked as if it might have been free 
 from its cares also. 
 
 As we stood upon the bluff, a small 
 party of inhabitants from the village 
 moved towards a tree growing alone in 
 the prairie, about a quarter of a mile 
 from the town, and collected together 
 beneath its shade. Presently, two young 
 Indians made their appearance, mounted 
 on horseback. Suspecting that there 
 was to be a race of some description, 
 we left the bluff, dashed through the 
 brook at the bottom of the hill, and in 
 a few moments were under the tree 
 where the group had assembled. They 
 received us in their usual calm manner, 
 and we were satisfied ; for the welcome 
 of an Indian is shown more by actions 
 than words. There is no superfluous 
 expression of feelings which he never 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 7<5 
 
 had he never makes use of hypocrisy 
 he receives you with a good will, or 
 not at all. 
 
 By the time we reached the spot, the 
 preparations were finished. A little, 
 hard-headed, old Indian was appointed 
 umpire, and the two riders were at their 
 posts. They were both young men, 
 dressed in hunting shirts and cloth leg 
 gings. Their horses were not of the 
 class that might strictly be denominated 
 racers. One was black, the other cream- 
 coloured. The black one had fierce little 
 eyes glittering like fire, beneath a long 
 shaggy forelock, which reached nearly 
 to his nose. The eyes of the other 
 were water-coloured, and had a sneak 
 ing slyness about them an air which 
 seemed to insinuate that their owner 
 " knew a thing or two." Both horses 
 were round-bodied, bull-necked, and 
 the thick legs of both were garnished 
 
 E 2 
 
7 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 with fetlocks of matted hair, extending 
 from the knee joint down to the hoof, 
 and trailing on the ground as they 
 walked. There was not much show of 
 spirit about them. They appeared but 
 little ambitious of distinguishing them 
 selves in the coming contest ; and if 
 their own inclinations had been con 
 sulted, it is probable, would have de 
 clined it altogether. Not so their riders; 
 they sat as eager as greyhounds in the 
 leash. Their eyes were intently fixed 
 upon the umpire, who seemed to take 
 the matter with wonderful coolness. At 
 last he gave the signal there was a 
 hard, quick thumping of heels, against 
 the ribs of the horses the next mo 
 ment they had vanished from their 
 posts. There was a great clattering 
 over the hard course their bounds 
 were short but rapid. At last the legs 
 grew invisible, and the bodies looked 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 77 
 
 like two balls moving through the air. 
 The riders whooped and screamed, and 
 the band of lookers-on shouted as loud 
 ,as either. 
 
 The little cream-coloured pony was 
 working wonderfully hard, but the black 
 was gaining ground. There was a tree 
 at some distance, which they were to 
 pass round, and return to the starting 
 place. They reached it, the black 
 taking the lead by a length his legs 
 were invisible as he turned, but the 
 cream-coloured pony pushed him hard. 
 They now approached the goal. 
 
 " Two to one on the black !" shouted 
 one of the whites. 
 
 " Lay it on, old boy, or you re 
 beaten ! " halloed another. 
 
 Both riders exerted themselves to the 
 
 utmost. They flew over the ground 
 
 like lightning. The black still kept the 
 
 lead, but both horses seemed to be 
 
 E 3 
 
78 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 eaten up with fury at being driven at 
 such a rate. They rushed snorting in 
 the crowd shouted, and opened a pas 
 sage for them they dashed through, 
 running nearly a hundred yards beyond 
 the mark before they could check their 
 speed. The black pony had won, but 
 he appeared too angry to enjoy his vic 
 tory. I looked at the other. There 
 he stood there was that self-satisfied, 
 water-coloured eye, which said, " I 
 may have been beaten, but still I know 
 a thing or two." 
 
 When the race was finished, we rode 
 on and entered the town. About thirty 
 huts constructed of bark compose the 
 village. It is impossible to describe 
 their architecture, for no two were built 
 alike ; and, as far as I was able to judge, 
 they had no particular shape. A strong 
 gale of wind would have prostrated even 
 the best of them, had it not been for the 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 79 
 
 shelter of the forest in which they were 
 built. 
 
 As we rode along, the troops of naked 
 children who followed at our heels con 
 vinced us that, among the sundry and 
 manifold cares of the world, this tribe 
 had not forgotten to perpetuate their 
 race ; and, notwithstanding their laziness, 
 had contrived to start a fresh growth of 
 pappooses, that constituted the " rising 
 generation," and were then undergoing 
 the education usual to the Indian child. 
 From what we saw, there is little doubt 
 that when the present race shall pass 
 away, the rising tribe will be fully quali 
 fied to inherit, in a creditable manner, 
 the laziness of their forefathers. 
 
 Here and there, winding through the 
 woods, or strolling over the prairie, might 
 be seen a couple of cooing, greasy lovers ; 
 full of affection and slovenliness ; un 
 washed, but devoted. What a fund of 
 
80 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 affection there must have been to have 
 overlooked such a world of defects ! A 
 loud cry broke out in one of the hovels, 
 and a couple rushed out. The first was 
 a fat blowzy squaw. After her followed 
 a diminutive, spider-legged Indian, who 
 looked as if he had withered away under 
 the gall of his own disposition. He was 
 the lord and master of the lady. In his 
 hand he flourished a stick, with which 
 he had been maintaining that discipline 
 by some deemed proper in a family, and 
 which he now seemed inclined to con 
 tinue. The woman, however, escaped, 
 and made for the woods. The bystanders 
 paused for a moment to look on ; for there 
 was an agreeable excitement about this, 
 which did not occur every day, and which 
 therefore was not to be lost. Upon the 
 escape of his wife, the little man looked 
 around, as if he longed for some other 
 object upon which to vent the remainder 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 81 
 
 of his wrath ; but finding none, he dis 
 consolately entered his dwelling. 
 
 In the centre of the town is a small 
 log house, the residence of the agent 
 appointed by the United States to reside 
 with the tribe, and attend to the payment 
 of the annuities forwarded by the govern 
 ment to this nation. We were cordially 
 welcomed by him. We found the chief 
 and prophet of the tribe with him. The 
 former was a corpulent man, and in his 
 youth must have been peculiarly hand 
 some. The prophet was a tall bony 
 Indian, with a keen black eye, and a 
 face beaming with intelligence. He was 
 leaning upon the muzzle of a long rifle 
 when we entered. This he laid aside, 
 and with the assistance of an interpreter, 
 commenced a conversation with us. It 
 was something unusual for him, as he 
 generally kept aloof from intercourse 
 with the whites. He had been con- 
 E 5 
 
82 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 verted to Christianity, and on Sundays 
 delivered addresses upon this subject to 
 the tribe. 
 
 There is an energy of character about 
 him, which gives much weight to his 
 words, and has created for him an influ 
 ence greater than that of any Indian in 
 the town. From the little that we saw, 
 it was evident that the chief yielded to 
 him, and listened to his remarks with 
 the deference of one who acknowledged 
 his superiority. There was, however, no 
 appearance of jealousy or heart-burning 
 between them. 
 
 It was late in the afternoon before we 
 left. The sun was fast sinking in the 
 west, and his last beams were resting 
 on the tree tops, as we rode out of the 
 woods. One hour s ride, brought us 
 again to our quarters at the cantonment. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 83 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 DEPARTURE FOR THE PAWNEES. PRAIRIE LIFE. 
 
 SEVERAL weeks had elapsed, since our 
 arrival at the garrison ; yet the other 
 commissioner had not made his appear 
 ance. Mr. Ellsworth determined, there 
 fore, to set out without him for the Paw 
 nee villages. The state of the garrison, 
 enfeebled by sickness, did not allow of 
 a sufficient escort to overawe the sa 
 vages. He therefore took the bold 
 alternative of throwing himself among 
 them, in a manner unarmed, piquing 
 their honour and hospitality by this 
 mark of confidence. 
 
 Seven soldiers constituted the whole 
 of the military escort : merely sufficient 
 E 6 
 
84 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 to protect us from any petty, prowling 
 band. 
 
 The two servants, Mordecai and Jo 
 seph, who had hitherto accompanied us, 
 were to have charge of the two light 
 waggons in which were packed our 
 bedding, baggage, and camp furniture. 
 We had also engaged the service of a 
 negro as cook. 
 
 Our own mess was increased by the 
 addition of Major Dougherty from St. 
 Louis, the agent for the Pawnee In 
 dians, and Dr. May, a surgeon resident 
 in Missouri. 
 
 On the morning previous to the day 
 of departure, the soldiers commenced 
 loading two heavy ox waggons with 
 kegs of gunpowder, barrels of flour, 
 sacks of bacon, tents and cooking uten 
 sils, besides boxes and bales contain 
 ing presents for the Indians. Towards 
 evening, a cessation of swearing in the 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 85 
 
 neighbourhood of the storehouse, gave 
 token that the task was accomplished. 
 In the course of an hour, half a dozen 
 oxen were yoked before each waggon, 
 and conducted by two wild teamsters. 
 They departed under escort of the seven 
 soldiers. The whole were to encamp on 
 a small stream a few miles distant, and 
 await our coming. Our party, six in 
 number, were to follow their trail on 
 horseback on the succeeding morning. 
 
 The sun rose cheerily over the tops 
 of the trees on the day following, and 
 we prepared to leave. There was quite 
 an excitement in the garrison. Kind 
 wishes and farewells were exchanged. 
 Many who had been anxious to join 
 the troop, in their journey through this 
 unknown land, now hung round with 
 longing eyes. There was a mystery 
 and shadowy danger, which threw a 
 high excitement around the whole ex- 
 
86 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 pedition. Nothing was positive about 
 the wild tribes we were to visit. It 
 was known that their numbers were 
 large ; it was reported that they were 
 cruel and unsparing in their nature, 
 that they looked upon the whites as 
 their bitterest enemies, and carried on a 
 war of extermination against the whole 
 race. By way of adding to the agree 
 able excitement, two or three had 
 collected all the tales of murder and 
 bloodshed committed by the Indians 
 since the discovery of America, and 
 poured them into our ears, with a most 
 edifying accompaniment of long faces 
 and evil prophecies. They foretold that 
 we should never again be seen at Lea- 
 venworth ; or, at all events, that if we 
 did it would be stripped of our scalps. 
 They thought, as these were the most 
 desirable trophies, perhaps the Indians 
 would have the generosity to permit 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 87 
 
 our return, provided we left them be 
 hind. These, and many other predic 
 tions of an equally comforting nature, 
 were conveyed to us by a number who 
 buzzed around us as we were getting 
 ready. They, however, at last took 
 their leave, not forgetting to give us 
 the rather unnecessary caution, to "take 
 care and not get killed." 
 
 It was near mid-day when we set 
 out. Our little cavalcade clattered over 
 the hard walks until we reached the 
 road. Galloping over the prairie, we 
 at length came upon the broad trail 
 left by the heavy baggage waggons, 
 as they had passed through the high 
 grass. 
 
 A number of the officers accompanied 
 us several miles, but at length they 
 took their leave, and left us to jour, 
 ney onward in our pilgrimage. As long 
 as we were in the garrison, where the 
 
88 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 busy face of man was seen, where ac 
 tive forms were moving around us, and 
 the every-day concerns of life were 
 going forward, we felt that, though dis 
 tant from home, we were still connected 
 with society ; but when we had started 
 on our journey, and bade farewell to 
 those who had accompanied us, as we 
 watched their forms until they were 
 hid by the distant hills, we felt that 
 the last link was broken, which had 
 hitherto united us to the world and its 
 occupations. 
 
 It was intended first to strike up in 
 a northerly direction, until we reached 
 the village of the Otoe and Missouria 
 Indians, situated upon the Platte river, 
 about twenty miles north-west of its 
 junction with the Missouri. Thence 
 the Platte was to be our guide, until 
 we came upon the Pawnee towns. 
 They are seated on its banks, some 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 89 
 
 five or six days journey further to the 
 westward. 
 
 During our stay at the garrison a 
 change had come over the face of na 
 ture. The bright and luxurious sum 
 mer flowers had disappeared; a growth 
 of yellow and blue, the harbingers of 
 the departing year, supplied their places. 
 Here and there might be seen a single 
 red flower, the survivor of those which 
 had flourished in the summer, shooting 
 up its head amidst clusters of golden- 
 hued blossoms, still lingering, though a 
 stranger among them. The deep rich 
 ness of foliage which graced the trees 
 had departed, and the brown tinge of 
 autumn was creeping among the leaves. 
 The bright soft green was disappearing 
 from the prairie grass, giving place to 
 a colour of greenish brown. The geese 
 and pelicans had left their lives of soli 
 tude, and forming themselves into large 
 
90 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 flocks, were winging their way to the 
 north ; the wind swept over the rust 
 ling grass with a moaning sound that 
 spoke strongly of the approach of 
 winter. 
 
 At this season we commenced our 
 travel. It was late in the afternoon 
 when we reached the spot where the 
 soldiers had encamped. It was on the 
 side of a small prairie hill. Within a 
 few yards of their tents, a scanty run 
 of water stole through the grass ; and at 
 the distance of about a hundred yards 
 stood a grove of timber, which supplied 
 the fuel necessary for their night fires. 
 
 There is but little variety on the 
 prairie. The life of one day is the life 
 of a month ; yet there is an excitement 
 about it, The killing of a deer is an 
 era in the day. The appearance of a 
 hunter upon a distant hill would give 
 birth to a thousand speculations, as to 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 91 
 
 his success in the chase. The sight of 
 a deer standing upon an eminence, or 
 reclining in some hollow, was a signal 
 for bustle. There was an intense inte 
 rest excited, in watching the movements 
 of the hunters, as they stole down upon 
 him. As they drew near every eye was 
 fixed, even the breath was restrained : 
 the animal scents them in the tainted 
 air ; the hunters crouch in the tall grass 
 and creep onward ; the deer rises to 
 his feet; his nose is raised high in the 
 air ; he begins to walk off. Now is the 
 time ! Crack ! sounds the rifle. In 
 five minutes, he is far beyond sight, or 
 two hunters are staggering beneath his 
 weight, as they bring him to the camp. 
 
 The sight of foot prints in the grass 
 would be the foundation of a hundred 
 wild fancies. By whom were they made ? 
 by members of what tribe? were they 
 friends or foes ? where were they going ? 
 
92 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 was it a war party or a hunting party ? 
 These and a hundred other conjectures 
 would be offered, by a knot collected 
 around the suspicious mark, denoting 
 that others besides ourselves had passed 
 in that direction, and that we were not 
 the only beings wandering upon that 
 waste, 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 93 
 
 CHAR X. 
 
 THE PARTY OF SAC INDIANS, 
 
 WE had been absent about a week from 
 the garrison, and had traversed nearly a 
 hundred miles of prairie and woodland. 
 Our encampment during the night pre 
 vious had been upon the borders of a 
 small prairie rivulet, which meandered 
 through the country, overhung by a 
 fringe of bushes and trees. Several 
 times during the day previous, foot prints 
 had been observed in the grass ; and the 
 whole party were on the look-out for 
 Indians. At night, lest the horses should 
 stray from the camp, and be driven off 
 by lurking marauders, they had been 
 secured by long ropes to stakes. The 
 
9i INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 night, however, passed without disturb 
 ance ; and in the morning the tents 
 were struck, and the party resumed its 
 journey. 
 
 As the movements of the waggons 
 were necessarily tardy, four of us strolled 
 forward on foot. We were several miles 
 in advance of the party. We travelled 
 slowly that they might overtake us, 
 amusing ourselves by discharging our 
 rifles at the ravens or vultures which 
 soared above our heads. Sometimes we 
 diverged a little from our path, to get 
 a shot at the deer, which we now and 
 then saw standing at a little distance, 
 gazing with surprise at our appearance. 
 
 We were out of sight of the waggons. 
 In front of us, at the distance of a quar 
 ter of a mile, rose a swelling cone-like 
 hill. From each side of it extended a 
 long ridge, effectually shutting out the 
 view beyond. Presently a black object 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 95 
 
 rose over its top. Gradually it grew 
 larger and larger, until the tall, stately 
 form of an Indian appeared, and stood 
 watching our movements. A moment 
 after, another joined him ; he was fol 
 lowed by a third, who took his stand 
 by the side of his comrades. For some 
 moments there appeared to be a consult 
 ation among them ; then seating them 
 selves, they waited for us to come up. 
 The position which they had taken was 
 directly upon the narrow trail we were 
 following ; so that whether friends or 
 foes, there was no possibility of avoid 
 ing them. But as there were only three, 
 there was little to be apprehended. Be 
 fore advancing, however, the soldiers 
 took the precaution to hammer their 
 flints, and renew the priming of their 
 guns. While thus engaged, one of them 
 named Wolf, a tall, gigantic fellow, with 
 a neck like a bull s, who had fought 
 
96 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 against Black Hawk, took the oppor 
 tunity to bestow a little of his advice 
 and opinion upon the others, and turning 
 round he commenced : 
 
 " You see them ar Ingens ; well, them 
 is Sacs and Foxes. I know em, for I 
 $t agin em when Black Hawk led em 
 on. And now I think on t : it s dreadful 
 aggravating to see how the folks at the 
 east ard are honouring that ar rascal for 
 killing and murdering the whites, while 
 we who jit agin him to prevent it, a int 
 taken no notice on ; it s monstrous aggra 
 vating. But that a int nothing to the 
 pint. You see them ar Ingens on that 
 ar hill. Now you think there s only 
 three on em. There you think a lie 
 bekase there s more behind em ; for 
 if there wa rnt they would come on to 
 meet us, and wouldn t be squatting like 
 so many woodchucks in the parara. 
 They m waiting for the rest to come up, 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 97 
 
 to see whether they think it best to rob 
 us or not. That s my opinion, and I 
 know something of Ingen natur, for I 
 Jit agin em. Now I know one what 
 they won t rob, and that s me; first, 
 bekase I ai nt got nothing to lose ; and 
 second, bekase I intend to make my 
 yager* speak to the first red skin what 
 tries to take it. And now, my boys, 
 move a-head keep a stiff upper lip, 
 and don t be in a hurry to use your 
 wepons. If the worst comes to the worst, 
 we can keep em off until the wagons 
 come up, and then we ll lick em." 
 
 After finishing his address, he shoul 
 dered his yager and strode on, followed 
 by the rest of us. Notwithstanding his 
 knowledge of " Ingen natur," we did 
 
 * This is a short rifle, and carries a very large 
 ball. They are used by the U. S. dragoons, on ac 
 count of the convenience of their length. 
 
 VOL. I. F 
 
98 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 not place as much confidence in his 
 experience as he might have supposed ; 
 nor did we expect to push matters to the 
 extremity, which he seemed to take for 
 granted would be the result of our meet 
 ing. In five minutes we were at the 
 bottom of the hill. The savages main 
 tained their sitting posture on the sum 
 mit, nor did they rise until we came 
 within about ten yards of them. Upon 
 reaching them we found that the soldier 
 had been correct in one of his conjec 
 tures ; for at the distance of little less 
 than a quarter of a mile, were about 
 seventy more of the same band, driving 
 in front of them a large drove of horses. 
 They were all wild, uncouth looking 
 fellows. Some few 7 were dressed in 
 blankets, but the most of them in robes 
 of buffalo skin. At the sight of us they 
 raised a loud yell, and leaving their 
 horses to the charge of one or two 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 99 
 
 squaws, scampered over the prairie to 
 meet us. 
 
 " I told you so," said Wolf. " Look 
 to your guns, and when they crowds 
 around, keep a tight grip on the wepons, 
 but don t fire till it comes to the pinch." 
 
 The crowd poured on towards us, eacli 
 endeavouring to outrun his neighbour. 
 Many threw from them the robes which 
 impeded their motions, and several pull 
 ing them from their shoulders, packed 
 them under their arms. Yet they ap 
 peared to be actuated by curiosity alone. 
 But one of them had a gun ; the rest 
 were armed with bows and tomahawks. 
 Upon reaching us, they pressed round, 
 fingering our different articles of dress 
 with much curiosity, though without 
 any appearance of hostility towards the 
 owners. At length they drew round in 
 a closer crowd, and began to hustle us. 
 F 2 
 
100 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 Suddenly a tall, thin fellow grasped hold 
 of Wolf s yager. 
 
 " No you don t, stranger !" shouted 
 Wolfi jerking the gun from his grasp, 
 with the look of a nettled bull. At the 
 same time he whirled the Indian offj 
 with a violence that fairly made him 
 spin, and nearly prostrated two others, 
 whom he encountered in his involuntary 
 movement, " Keep offj you red devils," 
 said he, stepping back, " I wants none 
 of your neighbourship" Seizing his gun 
 by the muzzle, he whirled the breech 
 around with a violence which caused 
 the Indians to draw back, and cleared 
 a small circle around him. 
 
 At this moment the chief, or person 
 who seemed to have charge of the party, 
 made his appearance. He spoke a few 
 words to the band, which caused them 
 to draw off; then walking his horse up 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 101 
 
 to us, he cordially shook hands with all. 
 He was an old man, dressed in Indian 
 style, with the exception of a plaid hand 
 kerchief, tied round his head. Upon 
 the top of this was mounted a broad- 
 brimmed black hat, shadowing a little, 
 dried up, French-looking physiognomy. 
 Agreeable as his presence was at that 
 moment, there was but little about him, 
 to justify the high idea we had formed, 
 of the leader of a wild band of savages ; 
 and there were many nobler men in his 
 troop. As they stood in a large circle 
 around us, I think I never beheld such 
 a number of proud spirits, as were there. 
 It seemed strange that they should all 
 be at the command of such a miserable 
 looking little leader. 
 
 While we were standing thus, a loud 
 
 whoop from one attracted the attention 
 
 of the whole band. The next moment 
 
 the unwieldy waggons came toiling along 
 
 F 3 
 
102 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 a ridge at a distance, followed by the 
 light dearborns, and a train of four 
 soldiers. 
 
 At this discovery the Indians broke 
 away, scampered towards them, and in a 
 short time were all clustering round the 
 vehicles. They remained there about 
 half an hour, and then resumed their 
 journey along the prairie. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 103 
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 
 THE JOURNEY. SALINE RIVER. 
 
 ANOTHER week had elapsed, but still 
 we were on our journey. With the 
 exception of the band of Sac and Fox 
 Indians, we had met with no other 
 savages. We were the only human 
 beings who lived and moved upon the 
 wide waste. Nothing else was visible 
 not a deer, not a tree all was prairie 
 a wide unbroken sea of green where 
 hollow succeeded hollow, and the long 
 grass waved on the hills, with a heavy 
 surge-like motion, until at last it was 
 blended with the hazy atmosphere, which 
 met the horizon. The power of sight 
 was shut out by nothing ; it had its fulJ 
 F 4 
 
104 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 scope, and we gazed around until our 
 eyes ached with the very vastness of 
 the view that lay before them. There 
 was a degree of pain, of loneliness, in 
 the scene. A tree would have been a 
 companion, a friend. It would have 
 thrown an air of sociability over the 
 face of nature, but there was none. 
 The annual fires which sweep over the 
 whole face of the country, during the 
 autumn of every year, effectually destroy 
 any thing of the kind. There will be 
 no forest as long as the Indians possess 
 these regions ; for every year, when the 
 season of hunting arrives, they set fire 
 to the long dry grass. Once fairly on 
 its errand, the destructive messenger 
 speeds onward, licking up every blade 
 and every bush, until some strip of tim 
 ber, whose tall trees protect the shrub 
 bery by the dampness which they diffuse 
 beneath, or some stream, stops it in its 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 105 
 
 desolating path. The object of burning 
 the grass is to drive the deer and elk, 
 that are roving over the broad extent 
 of prairie, into the small groves of tim 
 ber scattered over the surface. Once 
 enclosed within these thickets, they fall 
 an easy prey to the hunters. 
 
 We at last reached the Platte * river, 
 about forty miles distant from the Otoe 
 village ; then striking off to the west, 
 we followed the course of this powerful 
 tributary of the Missouri. 
 
 On the first night, our little camp was 
 placed upon a high bank of the Saline 
 
 * The Indian name for La Platte is Nie-bora/tka, 
 signifying the shallow river; as also the word Nie- 
 agaruh signifies the broken river. This last word 
 might lead to a pretty correct conclusion as to the 
 meaning of the name Niagara, given to the cele 
 brated river and falls connecting Lake Erie with 
 Ontario ; for the word is the same among several of 
 the different tribes, who, though they now dwell in 
 the " far west," may nevertheless have once roamed 
 in the neighbourhood of our eastern waters. 
 F 5 
 
106 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 river, which flows through the prairie 
 until it empties into the Platte. During 
 the spring of every year moisture exudes 
 from the soil near its source, covering 
 the prairie for the distance of many 
 miles. This is dried up by the heat of 
 summer, and leaves in its place a thick 
 incrustation of salt. This is in turn dis 
 solved by every successive rain, and 
 carried off into the Saline river, giving 
 to its water the brackish taste, from 
 which it has derived its name. There 
 is a barrenness around the stream, con 
 trasting strongly with the other rivers 
 that grace the prairie. Around them is 
 always a rich forest of the deepest, rank 
 est green. Every thing marks the luxu 
 riance of the soil, and the nourishment 
 yielded by the streams to the lofty trees 
 which hang like guardians over their 
 waters. 
 
 But the Saline is far different. There 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 107 
 
 are no groves to fringe its banks. Here 
 and there the huge grey forms of a few 
 dead trees may be seen leaning with a 
 melancholy grandeur over its surface, or 
 lying prostrate in the river, while its 
 waters gurgle with a mournful sound 
 around the branches of these fallen 
 giants. There is a cheerless look about 
 it. It winds its way through the prairie 
 with a withering influence, blighting 
 every green shrub ; and seems to bear 
 an ill-will to all the bright beauties of 
 creation. 
 
 1 strayed some distance down the 
 stream, pattering my rifle bullets on 
 the water, to the great annoyance of 
 several ducks who were quietly dozing 
 upon its surface, and some sprawling 
 old terrapins who were floating down 
 the stream, enjoying an evening sail. 
 
 A loud hail from the camp, and the 
 voice of Mordecai announcing that sup- 
 F 6 
 
108 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 per was ready, recalled me to the spot* 
 The roasted shoulder and ribs of a large 
 buck were impaled upon a stake of dog 
 wood, planted in the ground in front 
 of the mess. They had already com 
 menced their meal, with knives of all 
 sizes and descriptions, and the mass of 
 meat disappeared like magic before their 
 reiterated attacks. Though at all times 
 very well qualified to act a conspicuous 
 part in a warfare of that description, 
 they were now more than usually fitted 
 for the task, owing to their eating only 
 two meals a day one at sunrise and 
 one at sunset the rest of the time 
 being occupied in journeying over the 
 prairie. By the time that we finished, 
 the sun had sunk in the west, and the 
 stars were glimmering in the sky. Our 
 party collected round the large fire of 
 blazing logs, and our guide having 
 lighted his Indian pipe, related to us 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 109 
 
 an Indian tale, of which the following 
 is the purport. 
 
 " About forty miles above the spot 
 where we are now encamped, lie the 
 great salt plains, which cause the brack 
 ish taste of the Saline river. In one 
 part of these plains, is a large rock of 
 pure salt of dazzling whiteness, which is 
 highly prized by the Indians, and to 
 which is attached the following story." 
 
110 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 THE LEGEND OF THE SALINE RIVER. 
 
 MANY years since, long before the 
 whites had extended their march be 
 yond the banks of the Mississippi river, 
 a tribe of Indians resided upon the 
 Platte, near its junction with the Saline. 
 Among these was one, the chief war 
 rior of the nation, celebrated through 
 out all the neighbouring country, for 
 his fierce and unsparing disposition. Not 
 a hostile village within several hundred 
 miles, but wailed for those who had 
 fallen beneath his arm ; not a brook, 
 but had run red with the blood of his 
 victims. He was for ever engaged in 
 plotting destruction to his enemies. He 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. ill 
 
 led his warriors from one village to an 
 other, carrying death to the inhabitants, 
 and desolation to their homes. He was 
 a terror to old and young. 
 
 Often, alone and unattended, would 
 he steal off, to bathe his hands in blood, 
 and add new victims to the countless 
 number of those whom he had already 
 slain. But fearful as he was to the hos 
 tile tribes, he was equally dreaded by 
 his own people. They gloried in him 
 as their leader, but shrank from all fel 
 lowship with him. His lodge was de 
 serted, and even in the midst of his 
 own nation he was alone. Yet there 
 was one being who clung to him, and 
 loved him, in defiance of the sternness of 
 his rugged nature. It was the daughter 
 of the chief of the village ; a beautiful 
 girl, and graceful as one of the fawns 
 of her o\vn prairie. 
 
 Though she had many admirers, yet 
 
12 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 when the warrior declared his intention 
 of asking her of her father, none dared 
 corne in competition with so formidable 
 a rival. She became his wife, and he 
 loved her with all the fierce energy of 
 his nature. It was a new feeling to 
 him. It stole like a sunbeam, over the 
 dark passions of his heart. His feelings 
 gushed forth, to meet the warm affection 
 of the only being that had ever loved 
 him. Her sway over him was un 
 bounded. He was as a tiger tamed. 
 But this did not last long. She died ; 
 he buried her ; he uttered no wail, he 
 shed no tear. He returned to his lonely 
 lodge, and forbade all entrance. No 
 sound of grief was heard from it all 
 was silent as the tomb. The morning 
 came, and with its earliest dawn he left 
 the lodge. His body was covered with 
 war paint, and he was fully armed as if 
 for some expedition. His eye was the 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 113 
 
 same; there was the same sullen fire that 
 had ever shot from its deep sunk socket. 
 There was no wavering of a single fea 
 ture ; there was not the shrinking of a 
 single muscle. He took no notice of 
 those around him ; but walked gloomily 
 to the spot where his wife was buried. 
 He paused for a moment over the grave 
 plucked a wild flower from among 
 grass, and cast it upon the upturned 
 sod. Then turning on his heel, strode 
 across the prairie. 
 
 After the lapse of a month, he returned 
 to his village, laden with the scalps of 
 men, women, and children, which he 
 huiiff in the smoke of his lod^e. He 
 
 O O 
 
 tarried but a day among the tribe, and 
 again set off, lonely as ever. A week 
 elapsed, and he returned, bringing with 
 him a large lump of white salt. In a 
 few words he told his tale. He had 
 travelled many miles over the prairie. 
 
114 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 The sun had set in the west, and the 
 moon was just rising above the verge of 
 the horizon. The Indian \vas weary, 
 and threw himself on the grass. He 
 had not slept long, when he was awak 
 ened by the low Availing of a female. 
 He started up, and at a little distance, 
 by the light of the moon, beheld an 
 old, decrepit hag, brandishing a toma 
 hawk over the head of a young female, 
 who was kneeling, imploring mercy. 
 
 The warrior wondered how two fe 
 males could be at this spot, alone, and 
 at that hour of the night ; for there 
 was no village within forty miles of the 
 place. There could be no hunting 
 party near, or he would have discovered 
 it. He approached them ; but they 
 seemed unconscious of his presence. 
 The young female finding her prayers 
 unheeded, sprang up, and made a des 
 perate attempt to get possession of the 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 115 
 
 tomahawk. A furious struggle ensued, 
 but the old woman was victorious. 
 Twisting one hand in the long black 
 hair of her victim, she raised the wea 
 pon in her other, and prepared to 
 strike. The face of the young female 
 was turned to the light, and the warrior 
 beheld with horror, the features of his 
 deceased wife. In an instant he sprang 
 forward, and his tomahawk was buried 
 in the skull of the old squaw. But ere 
 he had time to clasp the form of his 
 wife, the ground opened, both sank 
 from his sight, and on the spot ap 
 peared a rock of white salt. He had 
 broken a piece from it, and brought it 
 to his tribe. 
 
 This tradition is still current among 
 the different tribes of Indians frequent 
 ing that portion of the country. They 
 also imagine, that the rock is still un 
 der custody of the old squaw, and that 
 
116 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 the only way to obtain a portion of it, 
 is to attack her. For this reason, be 
 fore attempting to collect salt, they 
 beat the ground with clubs and toma 
 hawks, and each blow is considered 
 as inflicted upon the person of the hag. 
 The ceremony is continued, until they 
 imagine she has been sufficiently bela 
 boured, to resign her treasure without 
 opposition. This superstition, though 
 privately ridiculed by the chiefs of the 
 different tribes, is still practised by 
 them, and most devoutly credited by 
 the rabble. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 117 
 
 CHAP. XIII. 
 
 THE OTOE MESSENGERS. 
 
 ON the afternoon following, a little be 
 fore sunset, we encamped within ten 
 miles of the Otoe village. Several 
 times during the day, we had observed 
 the heads of Indians, peering over the 
 hills, but they had instantly disappeared 
 upon being remarked, nor had an In 
 dian ventured to approach. Our place 
 of encampment was on a small knoll. 
 At its foot, a meagre run of impure 
 water was struggling through the grass, 
 while a long line of tall, rank weeds 
 marked its course, as it wound a pas 
 sage along the different hollows. A 
 solitary tree grew over a small puddle, 
 
US INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 which had formed in the prairie ; and 
 a cluster of wild plum trees were knot 
 ted together around its trunk. With 
 these exceptions, there was not a tree 
 or a bush in sight. 
 
 At a little distance from us was the 
 site of a deserted Indian village. It 
 had been uninhabited for many years, 
 and the stations where the lodges once 
 stood were overgrown with weeds and 
 creeping vines. A short distance off, 
 was the burial ground of the place, 
 which evidently had not been visited 
 for a long time. The tall grass waved 
 upon the large mounds, and the fright 
 ened prairie hen started up from the 
 resting places of the dead. 
 
 We had scarcely encamped, and fixed 
 up the largest tent, when the loud cry, 
 " Indian a-head!" was bellowed out by 
 the stentorian lungs of one of the sol 
 diers. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 11Q 
 
 The savage was on a hill, about 
 five hundred yards distant. He was 
 mounted upon a small black horse ; 
 clothed in a scarlet blanket, and in his 
 hand held a long spear. He sat for 
 some moments watching our move 
 ments ; then thumping his heels into 
 the sides of his horse, he dashed across 
 a hollow that intervened, and galloped 
 to the door of the tent. Here he 
 sprang from the animal, and turning 
 him loose, walked up to the guide. 
 They were well acquainted ; but his 
 salutation was calm and cold ; a slight 
 smile played over his face, for a mo 
 ment, as he recognised him, then all 
 was quiet. His features were like stone; 
 and whatever passions may have lurked 
 within his bosom, his countenance was 
 not the mirror that reflected them. He 
 was attired in the wild garb of those 
 Indians, who as yet had but little inter- 
 
120 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 course with the whites. A pair of rough 
 leggings were drawn over his legs, and 
 a piece of blue cloth was secured around 
 his hips. The rest of his body was un 
 clothed, unless the red blanket, which 
 most of the time, lay on the ground at 
 his feet, might have been considered 
 part of his apparel. 
 
 The chief of the Otoe village had 
 been apprised of our approach, and had 
 sent this warrior to watch, lest we 
 should come upon the town before it 
 was prepared for our reception. He 
 hung around the tent for some time, 
 saying little ; but we could see, that 
 while his face was apparently turned 
 towards the ground, his dark eyes 
 were moving with restless activity in 
 every direction, scanning every action 
 of the party. He remained with us a 
 short time ; then having received a few 
 presents for the chiefj and one or two 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 for himself, he caught the end of the 
 buffalo tug, which though secured to 
 the neck of his horse, was long enough 
 to trail twenty feet after him in the 
 grass and with a sudden jerk brought 
 the animal to him and sprang upon his 
 back. 
 
 He had scarcely mounted, before an 
 other Indian appeared on an opposite 
 hill, and galloped towards us. He ex 
 changed a slight salutation with the first 
 comer, and passing him, shook hands 
 with the guide. There was more cor 
 diality about him, than we had observed 
 in the other, and his face wanted the 
 cold reserve, which marked that of the 
 first. Upon reaching the tent, he im 
 mediately signified his intention to re 
 main during the night, and accordingly 
 turned loose the small white horse upon 
 which he rode. Then lighting his pipe, 
 he wrapped his blanket round him, and 
 
 VOL. i. G 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 quietly seated himself near the fire- 
 watching the cook, who was busily en 
 gaged in preparing supper. 
 
 The other, finding what was his in 
 tention, started off towards the village, 
 and in a few moments was out of sight. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 123 
 
 CHAP. XIV. 
 
 AN OTOE WARRIOR. THE IOTAN CHIEF. 
 
 THE whole prairie was glowing with the 
 rays of the morning sun when we started 
 ibr the Otoe village. Our journey lay 
 for the whole distance, along the borders 
 of the Platte. It was a soft golden 
 morning, and the water danced with a 
 very air of happiness, sparkling and 
 bubbling in silver and rainbow bright 
 ness, as it scudded along its broad chan 
 nel. Its surface was studded with islands, 
 teeming with verdure, and tinted with all 
 the various hues of autumn. The birds 
 were piping out their matin hymns, and 
 the fish were splashing sportively beneath 
 their watery covering, sending a them* 
 G 2 
 
124 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 sand silver circlets eddying onward to the 
 shore. The prairie grass was bending 
 beneath the dew-drops, which hung like 
 strings of crystal upon their withering 
 blades. 
 
 The heavy waggons were now kept 
 closely together. The whole party, which 
 during the first part of the journey had 
 straggled widely apart, were collected. 
 Our Otoe friend rode in front, accom 
 panied by Major D , the Indian 
 
 agent. We had travelled for several 
 miles, when we observed a single Indian 
 galloping towards us on a large spotted 
 horse. In a few moments he came up. 
 He was one of the principal braves of 
 the Otoe nation. He was completely 
 naked, with the exception of a small 
 piece of cloth secured around his hips. 
 His head was shaven, and to the scalp- 
 lock was attached an ornament of deer s 
 hair, resembling the crest of an ancient 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 helmet. His whole person, head, face, 
 and body, had been covered with ver 
 milion, until it was the colour of blood, 
 and at a few yards distance, he looked 
 as if he had been skinned alive. But 
 notwithstanding his bloody appearance, 
 his countenance, though calm and grave, 
 had a mild expression not usually met 
 with among the Indians. His whole 
 demeanour was prepossessing, and when 
 he spoke, his voice was like soft music. 
 He was a favourite with most of the 
 wild traders in that part of the country, 
 on account of his generous character. 
 If a stranger entered the village, he was 
 the first to welcome him to his lodge, 
 and to protect him from the insults of 
 the meaner spirits of his nation. Yet 
 even with this chivalrous nature, he was 
 an Indian warrior, and an Indian warrior 
 is little better than a murderer. He had 
 counted as many scalps as any of his 
 G 3 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 nation ; but those of hoary age, of the 
 woman and the child, were hanging in 
 the smoke of his lodge, in companionship 
 with those of the war-worn warrior. 
 
 In an hour s time we arrived within a 
 short distance of the village, though as 
 yet it was hidden from our sight by a 
 high bluff. Suddenly, a horseman dashed 
 from behind it, and came towards us, ply 
 ing his lash, and urging his horse forward 
 at a mad speed. The cry of " The 
 lotan!" burst from several who had 
 before seen him ; and in a few moments 
 this redoubtable chief was by our side. 
 He had evidently brought into service 
 the whole of his wardrobe, much of 
 which he had received from the whites. 
 His hair was Jong, and round it was 
 bound a large piece of skin from the 
 head of the grisly bear. Round his 
 neck, hung a necklace of the claws of 
 the same animal; and what was of more 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 1^7 
 
 importance in his estimation, he was 
 clothed in a long surtout coat of blue 
 cloth, adorned with red facings, and 
 enormously large brass buttons, and gar 
 nished upon each shoulder, with a pair 
 of tarnished, sickly-looking, silver epau 
 lettes. From beneath the skirts of the 
 coat appeared two bare legs ; and he 
 wore a pair of coarse mocassins of buffalo 
 hide. 
 
 There was a look of comic slyness 
 lurking around the eyes of this chief, 
 united with an irascible twinkle, which 
 bespoke a character habitually good na- 
 tured, but prone to occasional gusts of 
 passion. The most prominent feature 
 of his face, however, had suffered muti 
 lation. The end of his nose was wanting. 
 I was curious to learn, whether this singu 
 lar wound had been received in battle or 
 private brawl ; and my inquiries made me 
 acquainted with a curious tale of Indian 
 G 4 
 
128 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 revenge. There are a dozen different 
 versions of the story, in circulation among 
 the traders and trappers ; but as far as I 
 could ascertain, the following is the most 
 correct. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 129 
 
 CHAP. XV. 
 
 THE IOTAN AND HIS BROTHER, OR INDIAN 
 REVENGE. 
 
 IT was some years before the totan had 
 reached the rank of a chief, that he was 
 despoiled of his nose in the following- 
 manner : 
 
 Several Otoe Indians, by dint of pay 
 ing fifty times their value, had become 
 possessed of a number of kegs of whiskey. 
 As this was rather a rarity, a council was 
 called, and a general carousal of the male 
 portion of the village resolved upon. 
 The females were excluded : it, being 
 deemed necessary that they should re 
 main sober, to exercise a conjugal care 
 over their husbands, when so inebriated 
 
130 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 as to be unable to take care of them 
 selves. In the mean time, a person was 
 appointed as guard, whose business it 
 was to keep watch over the liquor, and 
 drive off all interlopers, who might be 
 inclined to test its quality before the 
 time appointed. After three long, and 
 to them lingering days, the time came 
 round; and at the appointed hour not 
 a soul was behindhand. 
 
 The signal was given, and the revel 
 commenced. As the liquor began to 
 work upon the passions of the revellers, 
 they grew furious. They howled, yelled, 
 and fought. The females fled from the 
 building. All weapons had been re 
 moved beforehand ; for they knew their 
 own ungovernable nature, when under 
 the influence of liquor, and, therefore, 
 had taken precautions to prevent the 
 occurrence of mischief. 
 
 But when the whiskey commenced its 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 131 
 
 work, the savage was changed to a de 
 mon, and the lodge resounded with their 
 screams and howling ; there was a hell 
 within its bosom. 
 
 The giant warrior fixed his gripe upon 
 the trembling frame of the aged ; brother 
 smote brother ; friends fought with bitter 
 fury, and the weak and decrepit were 
 trampled under foot. 
 
 It was in this stage of the riot that 
 the lotan and his brother had a furious 
 scuffle. They grappled and rolled upon 
 the ground. In the frenzy of strife and 
 intoxication, his brother bit off the end 
 of his nose, and instantly extricating 
 himself, rushed out of the lodge. 
 
 The lotan was perfectly sobered ; he 
 paused for a moment, looking intently in 
 the fire, without uttering a word; then 
 drawing his blanket over his head, walked 
 out of the building and hid himself in his 
 own lodge, On the following morning 
 G 6 
 
132 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 he sought his brother, and told him that 
 he had disfigured him for life: " to 
 night," said he, " I will go to my lodge 
 and sleep ; if I can forgive you when 
 the sun rises, you are safe ; if not, you 
 die." He kept his word ; he slept 
 upon his purpose ; but sleep brought 
 not mercy. He sent word to his brother 
 that he had resolved upon his death, 
 that there was no further hope for him ; 
 at the same time he besought him to 
 make no resistance, but to meet his fate 
 as a warrior should. 
 
 His brother received the message and 
 fled from the village. An Indian is un 
 tiring in his pursuit of revenge, and 
 though years may elapse, yet he will 
 obtain it in the end. From the time 
 that it became the fixed purpose of the 
 lotan to slay his brother, his assiduity 
 never slept ; he hunted him for months. 
 He pursued his trail over the prairies ; 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 133 
 
 he followed his track from one thicket 
 to another; he traced him through the 
 friendly villages, but without success; 
 for although he was untiring, his brother 
 was watchful, and kept out of his way. 
 The old warrior then changed his plan 
 of action. He laid in wait for him in 
 the forest, crouching like a tiger, in the 
 paths which he thought he might fre 
 quent in hunting, but he was for a long 
 time unsuccessful. At length, one day, 
 while seated on a dead tree, he heard 
 the crackling noise of a twig breaking 
 beneath a cautious footstep. He in- 
 stantly crouched behind the log and 
 watched the opposite thicket. Presently 
 an Indian emerged from it, and gazed 
 cautiously around. The lotan recog 
 nized his brother instantly. His care 
 worn face and emaciated form evinced 
 the anxiety and privations that he had 
 suffered. But this was nothing to the 
 
134 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 lotan ; as yet his revenge was unsated, 
 and the miserable appearance of his bro 
 ther touched no chord of his heart. He 
 waited until he was within a few feet of 
 him ; then sprang from his lurking place 
 and met him face to face. His brother 
 was unarmed ; but met his fiery look 
 with calmness and without flinching. 
 
 " Ha! ha! brother," cried the lotan, 
 cocking his rifle, " I have followed you 
 long, in vain, now I have you you 
 must die." 
 
 The other made no reply ; but throw 
 ing off his blanket, stepped before him, 
 and presented his breast. The lotan 
 raised his rifle and shot him through the 
 heart. 
 
 His revenge was gratified ; but from 
 that hour a change came over him. He 
 became gloomy and morose ; shunned the 
 society of his fellow-men, and roamed the 
 woods, where he was nearly driven to 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 135 
 
 suicide by the workings of his feelings, 
 and the phantasies of his brain. It was 
 not until many years had elapsed, that he 
 recovered from the deep anguish caused 
 by this unnatural act of vengeance. 
 
136 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 CHAP. XVI. 
 
 THE RECEPTION. THE TOWN. 
 
 IT was many years after this savage 
 deed that the lotan was appointed chief 
 of the Otoe tribe, and his after conduct 
 fully justified the choice of the nation. 
 To an ingenious skill in devising and 
 planning war parties, he added a des 
 perate daring in carrying them into ef 
 fect. And though now well stricken 
 in years, there is no warrior more con 
 stantly lurking in the path of the enemy, 
 and when it comes to the deadly strug 
 gle, no voice is raised in a louder war 
 whoop, and no arm falls heavier upon 
 their foes, than that of the lotan chief. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 137 
 
 The old warrior welcomed us cordi 
 ally, then turning round, he rode with 
 us in the direction of his village. While 
 he was speaking with the commissioner, 
 several dusky forms clambered the high 
 bluff before us, and stood upon its dizzy 
 verge, watching our movements. Sud 
 denly the lotan galloped a few yards 
 in front, and waved his arm, uttering 
 a long, shrill yell. It was answered by 
 a loud whoop from those on the hill ; 
 who instantly commenced whirling their 
 blankets around their heads. Then all 
 was silent. 
 
 For a few moments we were in doubt 
 as to the meaning of the manoeuvre ; 
 but suddenly a loud roar rose from be 
 hind the bluff, and a dark troop of 
 wild horsemen burst round its base, and 
 came pouring down upon us. There 
 must have been several hundred of 
 them. Every man was naked, but glar- 
 
138 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 ing with paint. They flooded onward, 
 pealing out scream upon scream, bran 
 dishing their spears, and whirling their 
 tomahawks around their heads. It 
 seemed as if old Pluto had given a 
 holiday, and that his crew were revel 
 ling upon the earth, under the forms of 
 these snorting steeds and their wilder 
 masters. Still they came on, and the 
 din increased. The old chief was un 
 moved, and sat like a statue upon his 
 horse. I looked around upon our lit 
 tle band : there were several lowering 
 brows and tightly compressed lips, an 1 
 the fingers of two or three were on 
 their gun triggers. They were not ac 
 customed to the Indian welcome ; and 
 to them, all this long parade of yelling 
 warriors wore a menacing appearance. 
 The band had now approached within 
 a hundred yards. We could perceive 
 the flashing eyes of the straining horses, 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 139 
 
 the bare teeth, scowling brows, and start 
 ing muscles of the riders. Bow clat 
 tered against bow ; tomahawk clashed 
 against tomahawk, and voice was blended 
 with voice, until the whole din rose in 
 the air, like the wild tumultuous roar 
 of a raging sea. They were close upon 
 us ; another moment and we were 
 lost. The eyes of the soldiers began 
 to flash fire, their teeth were clenched, 
 and there was an expression about their 
 faces, which told, that in spite of num 
 bers, their resistance would be bloody. 
 At that moment, at a signal of the 
 lotan, the wild horde separated, and 
 whirled around, enveloped in a cloud 
 of dust. 
 
 The old chief smiled with an air of 
 grim satisfaction, as he observed the 
 effect produced upon us by his warriors ; 
 then raising his voice, he joined in the 
 wild mele around us. Horse dashed 
 
140 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 against horse, as the band swept on 
 ward in a large circle. Some were 
 hurled from their seats ; others clung 
 to the manes of the maddened horses. 
 The strong poured down upon the 
 weak and brushed them from their 
 paths. Ever and anon, some little pep 
 per-spirited horse, vexed with the hust 
 ling, would pause to discharge his heels 
 into the ribs of his next neighbour ; but 
 before it could be done, the crowd w r ould 
 press upon him, and again he would 
 be borne onward, in the rushing course 
 of the living whirlpool. No one re 
 garded his neighbour ; each was under 
 the influence of a mad excitement. A 
 giant Indian was dashing around, upon 
 a horse as powerful as himself, at the 
 inner verge of the ring. In front of 
 him was another, on a little nag, who 
 kept near the border for safety. Sud 
 denly they ca*me in contact. The pow- 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 141 
 
 erful steed swept onward as if he had 
 met with no obstacle. The little horse 
 spun out of his path, and his rider 
 threw a somerset in the air, landing in 
 the very midst of the throng. Fifty 
 hoofs clattered over his head ; but 
 he scrambled out, caught his horse, 
 bounded on his back with a loud 
 whoop, and flourish of his tomahawk, 
 and pursued his course as if nothing 
 had happened. 
 
 After this scene of hubbub and con 
 fusion had continued for about fifteen 
 minutes, the crowd gradually ceased its 
 clamour, and formed in a large circle 
 round us, with their horses heads to 
 wards the party. Presently the ring 
 broke and was extended in two lines, 
 through which a band of about thirty 
 warriors slowly advanced, to a long so 
 lemn chant, sung by the whole troop, 
 and accompanied by a kind of drum. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 This band was formed of the flower of 
 the Indian village. None were admitted 
 except those who could boast of having 
 taken a certain number of scalps, or of 
 having performed an equally honourable 
 service, in stealing a large number of 
 horses. These warriors were highly or 
 namented ; paint of every hue was laid 
 upon their bodies. Their heads were 
 decorated with feathers and the varie 
 gated plumage of the gaudy birds of 
 the Platte islands. Long strings of 
 wampum hung from their necks and 
 ears. Each bore a calumet, adorned 
 with feathers and tinkling bells. Some 
 wore glittering armlets and collars of 
 tin. Their heads were shaven, and co 
 vered with vermilion, and from the top 
 of each hung the chivalrous scalp lock, 
 generally adorned with an eagle s plume. 
 As much care had been bestowed upon 
 the horses as upon their riders, and 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 143 
 
 they had been selected from the whole 
 village. They now moved forward with 
 proud step, as if conscious of the 
 haughty character of those who guided 
 them ; but this was as much owing to 
 the horsemanship of the riders, as to 
 the spirit of the animals themselves ; 
 for there is no class of people better 
 able to show off the points of a horse 
 than the Indians, for they almost live 
 in their saddle from childhood. 
 
 The band moved slowly forward, and 
 then commenced walking their horses 
 round, a-breast, in the space between the 
 multitude and our party ; still keeping 
 up their loud and not inharmonious song, 
 which, we afterwards learned, was in 
 praise of the whites that is, of their 
 liberality. 
 
 At length the chief gave a signal, and 
 this troop fell back into the general 
 crowd. Several horses were then pre- 
 
144 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 sented to the party by the braves and 
 distinguished warriors. 
 
 O 
 
 While this was going on, one old war 
 rior, who was notorious for being the 
 greatest thief, and for having killed more 
 men than any other in the village, rose 
 up to boast of what he had done in his 
 younger days ; and to let us know that 
 he was not a man to be overlooked a 
 thing which seemed very likely to happen 
 in the bustle which prevailed. He w r as 
 lean and shrivelled ; but his strength must 
 have been prodigious in his prime, for 
 every muscle rose like a rope, upon his 
 withered frame. He spoke for about 
 fifteen minutes, and then drew back. 
 When he had concluded, another old 
 man rose up, and in like manner vaunted 
 his former exploits, many of which sa 
 voured strongly of the marvellous. These 
 speeches were translated with great gra 
 vity by the interpreter, who, to confirm 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 145 
 
 our wavering belief, took an opportunity 
 of whispering into our ears that, " in 
 boasting of his exploits, an Indian was 
 always scrupulous in adhering to the 
 truth." This w^as perfectly convincing ; 
 and while we travelled along within the 
 verge of possibility, we were resolved to 
 give credence to all that he uttered. 
 
 After listening to a few more of these 
 worthies, and smoking a few pipes of 
 kin-ne-ka-neek with the different chiefs, 
 the lotan rose up, and the party prepared 
 to move onward towards the town. 
 
 In crossing the prairie, which sepa 
 rated us from the village, our course was 
 stopped by a deep gulley, which about a 
 dozen squaws were engaged in filling 
 with bushes and weeds, to render it pass 
 able for the heavy waggons. While this 
 was going on, the old Indian who had 
 first delivered his address, came sweeping 
 
 VOL. I. H 
 
146 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 up at a full gallop. He did not pause at 
 the hollow ; but, probably for the purpose 
 of showing off his horsemanship, dashed 
 down into it. His horse made a vigorous 
 spring up the opposite bank, but lost his 
 footing on its slippery verge, and, after 
 a desperate scrambling, rolled with his 
 rider, floundering in the mud at the 
 bottom. There was a loud shout of 
 laughter at his expense. For a moment 
 he stood glaring about him like an angry 
 tiger ; then raising his withered arm, he 
 shook it at the crowd. " Laugh on ! 
 laugh on!" exclaimed he, "I am old 
 and feeble now ; but there was a time 
 when you would not have dared to have 
 done this." Having given vent to his 
 impotent rage, he sprang upon his horse, 
 scrambled up the bank, and galloped 
 forward to the village. 
 
 In the course of an hour we reached 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 147 
 
 the town. A large concourse of women 
 and children followed at the heels of the 
 party, and clustered like bees around 
 the heavy waggons as they toiled along. 
 We passed through the town, and fixed 
 upon a small hill at about five hundred 
 yards distance, as our camping ground. 
 Accordingly the heavy waggons were 
 drawn up ; the tents were pitched 
 around them, and the horses and oxen, 
 being released from their labours, were 
 sent off to a thick bottom of timber at 
 a short distance, where the wild pea 
 vines were matting together in the 
 greatest luxuriance. 
 
 The village of the Otoe Indians is 
 situated upon a ridge of swelling hills 
 overlooking the darkly wooded banks 
 of the Platte river, about a quarter of 
 a mile distant. There is but little 
 beauty or neatness about an Indian 
 H 2 
 
148 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 town. The lodges are built in the 
 shape of a half egg. They frequently 
 are twenty feet in height, and some 
 times sixty in diameter. The roofs are 
 formed of long poles, which diverge, 
 like the radii of a circle, from one 
 common centre. The ring of the cir 
 cle is formed of upright posts, driven 
 closely together in the ground, and 
 projecting upward about five feet. These 
 are interwoven with brushwood and the 
 smaller branches of trees, and form the 
 support of the outer end of the poles 
 composing the roof, the interstices of 
 which are also interwoven with twigs 
 and brushwood. The whole is then 
 covered with earth, and when finished 
 resembles a large hillock. The town 
 contained about seventy of these lodges, 
 standing singly or in groups, without 
 any attention to order or regularity. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 149 
 
 Within, they are capacious, but dark, 
 being lighted merely by a small aper 
 ture at the top, which serves both as 
 window and chimney. The fire is built 
 in a cavity in the centre, directly under 
 the hole in the roof, by which the 
 smoke escapes after floating in easy 
 wreaths about the interior. 
 
 As the lodges are very spacious, a 
 little back from the fire there is a 
 circular range of tree trunks standing 
 like columns, and connected by timber 
 laid in their forks, forming a support 
 for the roofi which otherwise, from the 
 great length of the poles that form it, 
 and the heavy mass of superincumbent 
 earth, might fall in, and bury the 
 inhabitants. Around the wall of the 
 building, are ranged cribs or berths for 
 sleeping, screened from view by heavy 
 mats of grass arid rushes. Over the 
 H 3 
 
150 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 fire is inclined a forked stake, in the 
 hook of which hangs a large kettle, 
 generally filled with buffalo flesh and 
 corn. This, to judge from its looks, is 
 never removed from the fire, even for 
 the purpose of cleaning it. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 151 
 
 CHAP. XVII. 
 
 INDIAN HABITS THE ESCAPE. 
 
 WE had been a week in the village, 
 and had become familiar with all the 
 antiquated gossips of the place. The old 
 warriors would stop us as we lounged 
 around, to listen to some sly joke, 
 which, as in duty bound, we relished 
 most highly ; though the wit of it was 
 for the most part beyond our fathom, 
 as it lay hid in the arcana of their lan 
 guage. The old squaws would hold us 
 by the button, and whine into our ears 
 some lugubrious tale of misery, equally 
 unintelligible. The children soon lost 
 the shyness which had at first marked 
 their conduct j they were continually 
 H 4 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 hanging around the tents, teasing the 
 black cook, or frightening the oxen. 
 When not thus engaged, they were 
 scampering like deer across the prairie, 
 in the enjoyment of their wild games. 
 Here and there, too, a knot were bu 
 sily engaged in gambling away arrows, 
 which they had received from their pa 
 rents ; discussing, with the most earnest 
 eagerness, the fairness and unfairness 
 of each toss of their competitor. 
 
 Our tents became the gathering place 
 of the whole tribe, where they assembled 
 to discuss the news of the cluy. Here 
 they would light their pipes, and talk 
 over the deeds of former times ; of 
 scalps taken of horses stolen of 
 buffalo hunts, and of hair-breadth es 
 capes from the Sioux and Osage In 
 dians. All the incidents which tend 
 to variegate the desultory life of a sa 
 vage were here brought into review by 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 153 
 
 the gossiping group ; receiving their 
 meed of praise or censure, as they 
 deserved it. Among the rest they 
 spoke high in praise of a young Indian, 
 who stood at a little distance. He was 
 leaning against a wheel of one of the 
 waggons, gazing, though with an evi 
 dent air of abstraction, upon the group 
 collected round the fire. He was 
 scarcely twenty ; yet he was already a 
 brave, and stood high among the older 
 warriors. A long feather hung from 
 his scalp-lock, and was his only orna 
 ment. A blanket was thrown loosely 
 over the lower part of his body, and 
 was his only covering. Among various 
 things related of him, was the follow r 
 ing : 
 
 A few weeks before our arrival at the 
 
 village, he was returning one afternoon 
 
 from an unsuccessful hunting excursion, 
 
 which had taken him to a great dis- 
 
 H 5 
 
154t INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 tance from his home. The crimson 
 disk of the sun was scarcely visible 
 above the tops of the prairie hills. The 
 burning heat of a hot summer s day 
 was mellowing down into the mildness 
 of a July evening, and, one by one, the 
 ravens and vultures were winging a 
 steady course towards their roosts in 
 the thick forest skirting the Missouri. 
 
 The Otoe had yet twenty miles to 
 travel, and it would be night-fall before 
 he could reach his village; but he would 
 not push his generous steed, which was 
 already much fatigued. He, therefore, 
 rode slowly across the prairie, occasion 
 ally chirruping to the horse, or hum 
 ming some Indian song. 
 
 Suddenly his quick eye was caught 
 by the appearance of a black speck, 
 which rose over the edge of a distant 
 hill, between himself and the setting 
 sun. In a moment after, the whole 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 155 
 
 figure of a mounted Indian emerged 
 to view, followed by four others also 
 mounted. They did not observe the 
 Otoe, but continued riding along the 
 top of the ridge, in the same direction 
 with himself. Supposing them to be 
 some of his own tribe, he checked his 
 horse, and raised a loud whoop to 
 attract their notice. 
 
 At first they did not hear him, but a 
 second shout, raised at the full pitch of 
 his lungs, brought them to a halt. A 
 short consultation seemed to take place ; 
 after which they rode slowly and care 
 lessly towards him, as if they by no 
 means intended to hurry themselves in 
 obeying his call. As they were some 
 distance off, he dismounted from his 
 horse, laid his rifle in the grass in front 
 of him, and, lighting his pipe, prepared 
 to smoke until they should reach him. 
 He lay intently watching them as they 
 H 6 
 
156 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 drew nearer. He, however, soon dis 
 covered, from some peculiarity in their 
 dress, that they were not Otoes, but, as 
 he supposed, Kanzas, who were then at 
 peace with his tribe. 
 
 Fearing nothing, therefore, he con 
 tinued lolling on the grass and smoking. 
 As they approached still nearer, their 
 cautious movements awakened suspicion, 
 and he began to doubt their being 
 Kanzas. Raising himself, he sat earnestly 
 watching them with every sense on the 
 alert, though he continued to smoke his 
 pipe with apparent tranquillity. 
 
 He now observed that they gradually 
 separated, as if their object was to sur 
 round him as he sat. Another glance 
 showed that they were O sages, the 
 deadly foes of his tribe. Dashing his 
 pipe to the ground, he bent hastily for 
 ward to seize his rifle. It was fortunate 
 for him that he did so ; for at the 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 157 
 
 instant, a bullet, aimed at his heart, 
 whizzed past him, cutting a deep gash 
 in his shoulder. In an instant he sprang 
 upon his horse. The Osage war whoop 
 rang in his ear ; but w^ith that daring 
 that never forsakes an Indian, he 
 brandished his rifle in the air, and, 
 raising his own answering war cry, 
 dashed off like the wind. He had the 
 start by only a hundred yards. Every 
 thing depended upon the speed and 
 bottom of his horse ; but he was a tried 
 one, and nobly did his duty : hill and 
 dale disappeared behind him. Scarcely 
 had he vanished from the top of one 
 ridge, ere his hoofs clattered over the 
 top of the next. But his enemies 
 pressed on at the same mad rate. The 
 clang of their horses hoofs rang in the 
 ear of the Otoe with a fearful clearness. 
 Luckily they could not pause to take 
 aim with their rifles. At two miles 5 
 
158 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 distance was a skirt of forest : it was 
 growing dark, and could he but reach 
 this he would be safe. His horse, how 
 ever, was nearly broken down ; he 
 panted and staggered. The rider plied 
 the lash with phrenzied fierceness; the 
 generous animal taxed his strength to 
 the uttermost ; but nature was ex 
 hausted. Within a quarter of a mile 
 of the timber he began to fail, when 
 his rider sprang from his back and 
 bounded forward on foot. A loud cry 
 burst from his pursuers as they saw 
 him abandon his horse ; but there was 
 little cause for the shout, for his speed 
 nearly equalled that of their jaded 
 steeds. He was within about a hun 
 dred yards of the thicket, when, finding 
 that they could not overtake him, the 
 Osages drew up and discharged their 
 pieces. The bullets pattered among 
 the leaves of the grove, but missed their 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 159 
 
 mark. The Otoe turned half round, 
 when on the border of the bushes, shook 
 his rifle in the air, and, raising a yell of 
 triumph, plunged into the thicket. 
 
 The advantage was now on his side, 
 for the Osages dared not approach, lest 
 he should fire upon them from his covert. 
 They rode up and down for a time at 
 a distance, vainly endeavouring to catch 
 a glimpse of his figure ; then returned 
 across the prairie, contenting themselves 
 with carrying off the deserted horse. 
 
160 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 CHAP. XVIII. 
 
 THE RIVAL CHIEFS. 7 INDIAN FEASTS. 
 
 BESIDES the lotan, there are two other 
 chiefs, inferior in rank, and far less 
 popular. It was amusing to see how 
 jealous a watchfulness each held over 
 the actions of the other each afraid 
 to take a single step in the transaction 
 of any business whatever, lest it should 
 give some advantage to his rival. They 
 reminded me strongly of two belligerent 
 cats, mounted on the top of some gutter, 
 glaring in each other s eyes, and growl 
 ing deep-muttered sounds of wrath ; but 
 neither venturing to attack or retreat, 
 lest by some unguarded movement, he 
 should expose some unprotected part to 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. l6l 
 
 the fangs of his adversary. The Indian 
 names of these two worthies I have for 
 gotten ; but they are known to the 
 trappers by those of the Big Kaw (or 
 Kanzas) and the Thief. 
 
 This last honourable badge of dis 
 tinction was bestowed upon the father 
 of the present possessor ; but in process 
 of time the old Thief was gathered to 
 his fathers, and the young Thief reigned 
 in his stead. He inherited his name, his 
 worn-out blankets, and so large a num 
 ber of grudges and private quarrels, 
 that, in acting as executor and reveng 
 ing his father s injuries, years had 
 elapsed before he could fairly say that 
 the debts of the deceased were paid off. 
 
 The young Thief had, however, now 
 become the old Thief. His hair was 
 silvered by age ; and he had arrived at 
 that period of life which old folks are 
 apt to call "the years of discretion; 55 
 
162 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 that is, he had passed the prime of his 
 usefulness, and had reached that age 
 when strong attachments are usually 
 formed to easy comforts and chimney 
 corners. 
 
 The Big Kaw is a short thick Indian, 
 rather good-natured, but gifted with a 
 large supply of mulish obstinacy, and a 
 temper like gunpowder. Oppose him 
 flash ! he is in a blaze ; the children 
 scamper ; the squaws scatter ; the rabble 
 vanish. None stay to listen to the out 
 pourings of his wrath, unless it may be 
 one or two old fellows, who are too 
 decrepit to get out of his way, or are 
 blessed with so happy a hardness of 
 hearing, as to render it agreeable to 
 them to be conversed with, even though 
 by a man in a passion. 
 
 The family of this chief consists of 
 several wives, and a son, who is one 
 of the most intelligent young men in 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 163 
 
 the village. He, however, is the very 
 counterpart of the old man in dispo 
 sition ; and when the two get fairly 
 excited, the village is in an uproar. If 
 the quarrel is commenced in a lodge, 
 the building is instantly vacated by the 
 rest of its occupants, until the silence 
 which reigns within gives notice that 
 the storm has blown over. Upon these 
 occasions, it is said that those who re 
 turn generally find the old man looking 
 very foolish, and the son very angry. 
 From this it is suspected that the former 
 is held in subjection by his graceless 
 offspring. Be that as it may, the young 
 warrior still retains a strong affection 
 for his fond old father. Although, in 
 his anger, he sometimes oversteps the 
 bounds of propriety, and conducts him 
 self in an indecorous manner towards 
 him, yet, upon the whole, he is looked 
 upon as a pattern of filial piety par- 
 
164 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 ticularly as he permits nobody to bully 
 his father, but himself. The Thief was 
 in every respect the reverse of his rival. 
 He was tall and wiry of that con 
 struction which denotes extreme hardi 
 ness of constitution, united with a great 
 lack of superfluous flesh. He was calm 
 and quiet in all his movements, and 
 would sit for hours in the same posture, 
 his eyes alone keeping watch. He slid 
 in and out of our tent, with a noiseless 
 step, which frequently caused us to be 
 unaware either of his presence or his 
 absence. We were often startled, when 
 least expecting it, by hearing his deep 
 sonorous tones at our elbows. 
 
 The lotan chief is the lord paramount 
 of the village. With that cunning policy 
 for which he is noted, he contrives, by 
 balancing the interest of the two inferior 
 chiefs, to keep them so constantly en 
 gaged in watching each other, that they 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 1()5 
 
 have no time to turn their attention to 
 himself. 
 
 On the first da} 7 of our arrival, we 
 were invited to feast with about half 
 the village. The first lodge which we 
 entered was that of the lotan. We 
 found him sitting cross-legged upon 
 some cushions to receive us. Upon 
 our coming up to him, he presented 
 the commissioner with a seat next him 
 self. Then turning to his wife, he 
 called for the feast, which consisted of 
 dried buffalo flesh, boiled with a large 
 quantity of hard corn. The interior 
 of his abode wore but a dull, dingy 
 look. The rafters were almost invisible 
 for the eddying clouds of smoke, lazily 
 seeking the hole in the roof, which 
 served for the chimney. 
 
 This old chief had divided his af 
 fections among five wives. They were 
 seated in different parts of the lodge, 
 
166 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 engaged in pounding corn, or chattering 
 over the news of the day. They were 
 evidently under but little subjection. 
 While we were eating with him, the 
 old man took the opportunity to dis- 
 burthen his heart. He let us into a 
 knowledge of the miseries to which he 
 was subjected from their caprices; and 
 the difficulties which he found in main 
 taining a proper discipline where there 
 were so many mistresses and but one 
 master. 
 
 Upon leaving the lodge, we next visited 
 that of the Big Kaw. He guided us 
 himself through the intricacies of the 
 town, until we reached the building and 
 entered through its low funnel-mouthed 
 door. We had scarcely seated our 
 selves, before we found that we had 
 got into warm quarters. The lady of 
 the house had not expected company, 
 and was unprepared for visiters. There 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 167 
 
 was evidently a storm gathering. I read 
 it in her lowering eyes, and in the un 
 easy, stealthy look of the Indian. He 
 made no parade, but glided across the 
 building, and motioned us a seat, with a 
 guilty air ; then slunk upon a cushion, 
 with the look of a man who would wish 
 to pass unnoticed. Occasionally he cast 
 towards his helpmate a deprecating 
 glance, like that of a whipped dog. 
 His eye seemed to say, " I know I was 
 wrong in bringing them ; but I beseech 
 you to keep quiet now, and you may 
 scold as much as you please when the 
 visiters have gone." 
 
 A bowl of dried buffalo flesh was at 
 last placed before us : the viands being 
 rather tough, drew forth some remark 
 from our host, half facetious, half apo 
 logetic. By accident it reached the 
 hearing of the squaw, who thought that 
 it was intended as a reflection upon her. 
 
168 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 In an instant she was in a blaze, and 
 opened her batteries upon the chief, 
 pouring out one continuous torrent of 
 invective. Hot-headed and irascible 
 as he naturally was, nevertheless for a 
 moment he shrank under it: and, if it 
 could have been done with credit to 
 himself, probably would have evacuated 
 the field ; but in the present case that 
 was impossible ; and to be thus lorded 
 over by his wife, and before strangers, 
 was intolerable. Though for a moment 
 overawed by the attack, his touch-paper 
 temper began to take fire. At first it 
 only evinced itself by a few sulky shakes 
 of the head ; but at last it burst through 
 all restraint, and sent back a fire as hot 
 as was given. The war was furious for 
 some moments, and apparently carried 
 on with equal vigour on both sides ; but 
 at length the bursts from the chief grew 
 fewer and fewer : he was evidently get- 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 169 
 
 ting worsted ; his lips grew closer 
 more resolved, and his look began to 
 wander round the dwelling, until at last 
 it rested upon a large stick which lay 
 on the floor at a little distance. A 
 glance of his eye called the attention 
 of his wife in that direction. It is 
 probable that she understood its mean 
 ing ; for after a few sulky looks, and 
 a few sullen mutterings, her words grew 
 more and more rare, and at last ceased 
 altogether. 
 
 We remained but a short time longer, 
 and after visiting the lodges of several 
 others, returned to our tents. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
170 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 CHAP. XIX. 
 
 DOMESTIC GRIEVANCES, 
 
 AMONG the number of our daily visitors, 
 were three old squaws, hideously ugly, 
 and filthy in the extreme. Wrinkle 
 upon wrinkle covered their faces, and 
 layer upon layer of dirt covered the 
 wrinkles. Their long, gray, uncombed 
 hair, hung in thick, matted locks, reach 
 ing nearly to their waists ; and each of 
 their long skinny arms, with which they 
 coaxingly patted us, resembled in ap 
 pearance and delicacy the trunk of a 
 grape vine. These old harridans were 
 perfect nuisances. They were constantly 
 lingering about the door of the tent, on 
 the look-out for plunder. They seemed 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 to possess the power of ubiquity ; it 
 would have puzzled Argus to keep 
 track of their movements. They were 
 shuffling around all day long, peeping 
 into every hole and cranny. One of 
 them even stole meat from the frying 
 pan, while the black cook turned his 
 head to drive off the other. 
 
 Come upon them when we might, 
 they were always sure to greet us with 
 a half-smirking, half-piteous look; but 
 the moment we turned away, they were 
 at their old occupations. They were 
 so constantly at work, that there was 
 some talk of appointing a person whose 
 sole employment should be to keep 
 a keen eye to their movements. They 
 lived at our tent doors, and, for aught 
 we knew to the contrary, might sleep 
 there too; for we left them there in 
 the evenings, and we found them at 
 their posts before sunrise. Indeed, so 
 i 2 
 
172 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 constant was their presence, that the 
 sight of one of them moving off towards 
 the town was the signal for a general 
 search, as they seldom made their dis 
 appearance without taking with them 
 some article which did not belong to 
 them. 
 
 They had taken a particular fancy 
 to Jones, the black cook. This unlucky 
 wight was yet young in years, and in 
 experienced in the ways of the world. 
 He had a fond and foolish heart, and 
 acknowledged that he always felt a sort 
 of sneaking kindness for the other sex. 
 When dwelling upon the subject, he 
 used to open his eyes, until the small 
 speck of a pupil was almost lost in the 
 immense field of white, and exclaim, " I 
 a nt afeard of no man ; but 1 can t stand 
 the wimmen." 
 
 To the young urchins who intruded 
 into his domains he was not so indul- 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 173 
 
 gent, but kept a keen eye and a long 
 stick for their especial benefit. This, 
 however, only subjected him to ten 
 times more annoyance. They would 
 pull him by the coat tail, or jerk his 
 ragged pantaloons until they worked 
 him up into a passion. Then their 
 greatest delight was to be hunted over 
 the prairie by the Black Bear (the 
 name which he had received among 
 them). He might as well have followed 
 a cloud. They sprang like fawns over 
 the prairie, scarcely appearing to rustle 
 the grass in their flight. They played 
 around him like swallows, until com 
 pletely exhausted by his own lumber 
 ing movements, he was fain to give out, 
 and return unavenged to his occupations. 
 Woe to the unlucky urchin, however, 
 who, having been once guilty, should 
 venture at any subsequent time within 
 his reach ! A hearty cuffing would con- 
 i 3 
 
174 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 vince him that the memory of the Black 
 Bear was more tenacious than his own, 
 and would warn him in future to keep 
 clear of so dangerous a neighbourhood. 
 
 During the whole of our journey from 
 Fort Leavenworth to the Otoe town, 
 Mordecai had kept his fellow-servants 
 in a state of constant tribulation. He 
 gave such bloody accounts of Indians 
 and Indian murders, that they regarded 
 death as almost inevitable ; and, I sus 
 pect, would have deserted at the first 
 opportunity, had there not been more 
 danger in leaving than in remaining with 
 the party. When, however, we had been 
 received by the Otoes, and the danger 
 was past, Mordecai forgot his tales of 
 terror. He pretended a kind of fellow- 
 feeling for the Otoes. He talked Creek 
 to the old women, who were willing to 
 understand any language, so that they 
 might but remain sufficiently near the 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 175 
 
 tents to get an opportunity of stealing. 
 He regarded the children that hung 
 round with a kind of parental affection, 
 and thoroughly discountenanced the 
 thwackings which Jones so liberally be 
 stowed upon them. 
 
 When we were perfectly settled in our 
 camp, the horses which he had driven 
 were turned adrift with the rest. He 
 then took upon himself the duties of 
 cook, transferring to Jones the less ho 
 nourable employment of cutting wood 
 for fuel. He would stand by the hour, 
 with a red flannel night- cap stuck upon 
 the side of his head ; his butcher-knife 
 in one hand, and his arm akimbo, des 
 canting upon the arduousness of the 
 office. 
 
 He had a high opinion of his own im 
 portance, and made no hesitation in say 
 ing that he ranked next to the Commis 
 sioner in the estimation of the Indians j 
 i 4 
 
1?6 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 that Mr. Ellsworth was respected by the 
 chiefs on account of his ha,ving charge 
 of the presents. As for himself, that he 
 was popular among the vagabonds of the 
 village ; for they had no hope of pre 
 sents, and, therefore, were delighted to 
 come in for a share of the tit-bits and 
 choice morsels which it was in his power 
 to distribute while cooking. 
 
 Notwithstanding the altered tone of 
 Mordecai, and the cordiality of our re 
 ception, there was one individual who 
 remained inveterate in his prejudices 
 against them. This was the French boy 
 Joe : he never spoke of the Indians 
 without some qualifying expression of 
 ill-will. Whenever any thing was stolen, 
 he at once attributed it to them. Fre 
 quently, however, his loud vociferation 
 on these occasions caused us strongly 
 to suspect that he was the delinquent, 
 and that this clamour of indignation 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 177 
 
 was raised that he might escape unsus 
 pected. 
 
 His sole occupation was to spread the 
 bearskins at night, and remove them in 
 the morning. During the rest of the day 
 he strolled about abusing the Indians, 
 cracking his whip, or hallooing at the 
 stray curs w r ho were skulking around. 
 
 " Mordecai," said he, one day to that 
 worthy, who was standing in the midst 
 of a group of Indians, in his usual 
 stately attitude, with one hand tucked 
 in his side, while the other held a fry 
 ing pan, " Mordecai, dere is no good in 
 having dese Ingens around you ; dey m 
 all d d rascals any how." 
 
 Mordecai gave a self-satisfied smirk, 
 threw a compassionate glance at Joe, 
 then extending his arm with an impres 
 sive air, " Joe," said he, " don t abuse 
 the Indians j it hurts my feelings I m 
 an Indian myself." 
 
 i 5 
 
178 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 " Yes, a nigger von," replied Joe, 
 turning upon his heel. 
 
 It seems, too, that the lotan was of the 
 same opinion ; for whenever Mordecai 
 spoke of his Indian descent, the old 
 warrior quietly shook his head, remark 
 ing, " that he had never seen an Indian 
 with woolly hair." 
 
 It was evident, however, that his con 
 tempt was engendered by seeing him 
 perform menial offices; for, like all 
 Indians, he had a great distaste for 
 labour, and respected those only who, 
 like himself, did nothing. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 179 
 
 CHAP. XX. 
 
 A MAN OF THE WORLD. 
 
 A NUMBER of idlers usually assembled 
 in front of our tents during the fine 
 sunshiny afternoons, to sing their songs 
 and smoke their pipes, and regale them 
 selves by listening to the adventures 
 of their neighbours, which they had 
 heard recounted a hundred times before. 
 Among them was a tall thin Indian, with 
 a wrinkled, hard-looking face, and a head 
 covered with a profusion of long knotty 
 hair, which he occasionally combed by 
 raking it with his fingers. He seemed 
 as if he had been smoke-dried for a 
 century, until his flesh had hardened 
 i 6 
 
180 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 into gristle, and looked as if further 
 shrivelling was an impossibility. He had 
 a very small, busy eye, which twinkled 
 with an incessant play of humour. It 
 overcame even the grave disposition of 
 the oldest warriors, and surprised them 
 into as broad a laugh as was ever known 
 to proceed from the mouth of the most 
 scape-gallows Indian of the tribe, or even 
 from the broader mouth of that vociferous 
 character, the Black Bear. 
 
 He usually made his appearance at 
 the door of the tent a little after sun 
 rise, and continued in its neighbourhood 
 during the whole day, though he shifted 
 from the fire to the tent door, as the 
 process of cooking and carrying the 
 meals within went forward. 
 
 His usual dress was an old buffalo 
 robe, worn almost bare of hair ; and in 
 his hand he carried a long-handled pipe, 
 as antiquated as himself. He was one 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 181 
 
 of those poor but merry dogs, who are 
 found in all countries taking the world 
 as it goes, laughing at care, and free 
 from all of those disturbances which fret 
 their fellow men. He had never held 
 any property of his own, he had never 
 burthened himself with a wife, he had 
 never built a lodge to shelter him. He 
 was a perfect man of the world, and 
 supported himself by visiting his neigh 
 bours. The lodges of the whole tribe 
 he looked upon as his own property ; 
 the children of the whole nation were 
 equally under his charge. His bed was 
 his time-worn buffalo robe \ and the 
 abode in which night surprised him 
 was his usual resting place, until the 
 next morning sun awakened him. He 
 was a welcome visitor at the stately 
 dwelling of the chief, and in the less 
 noble though to him equally prized wig 
 wam of one of the lowest of the town ; 
 
182 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 for in wealth they were all superior to 
 him, and he thought that a poor devil 
 like himself, with scarce a tatter to his 
 back, had no right to sneer at the good 
 will of any individual, who, however 
 needy, was better off than himself. Not 
 withstanding the apparent easiness with 
 which he slid through the world, his 
 life had not been without its spice of 
 adventure. Nor had the lapse of fifty 
 years flown over his head, without bring 
 ing in its train a host of those mishaps, 
 both by " flood and field," with which 
 the history of a savage is ever teeming. 
 These he was accustomed to relate in 
 the different lodges, to the assembled 
 group of old and young, with a degree 
 of humour which completely enraptured 
 the women, and rendered him a wel 
 come guest in every dwelling in the 
 town. 
 
 He was sitting as usual, one fine after- 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 183 
 
 noon, at the door of the tent. After 
 finishing his pipe, he related an account 
 of his having been chased by a party of 
 Sioux Indians, across the prairie which 
 lay between the Elk Horn river and 
 the Missouri, on his way to the Otoe 
 Agency. After laughing heartily, the 
 interpreter translated it for the benefit 
 of the rest. 
 
184 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 CHAP. XXL 
 
 THE CHASE. 
 
 THE Otoe Agency is situated upon the 
 banks of the Missouri river, at thirty- 
 five miles distance from the Otoe village. 
 It consists of half a dozen rough build 
 ings, tenanted by as rough inhabitants. 
 The most of these are half-bred Indians, 
 with full-blooded squaws for wives, and 
 an immense number of mongrel children. 
 The latter may be seen from morning 
 till night lying on the ground in front 
 of the agent s dwelling, and basking in 
 the sunshine, with that listless enjoyment 
 which they inherit with their Indian 
 blood. 
 
 Early one clear morning the Indian 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 185 
 
 mentioned in the last chapter left the 
 Otoe village on a visit to the Agency. 
 After swimming the Platte, and fording 
 the pure still waters of the Elk Horn, 
 he strapped his time-worn buffalo robe 
 tightly round his body, and proceeded 
 onward. 
 
 As he was on a friendly visit, to gossip 
 with his old cronies at the Agency, he 
 had no weapon; but carried under his 
 arm his inseparable companion, his pipe. 
 As this pipe is destined to bear a con 
 spicuous part in the adventure which 
 is to follow, it would perhaps be worth 
 while to describe it. The stem was of 
 ash, about four feet in length, half an 
 inch in diameter, and charred in the 
 fire until it had acquired a dirty brown 
 colour. The bowl was of stone, to con 
 tain the kinne-ka-neek*, which an Indian 
 
 * Kinne-ka-neek is a substance used by the 
 Indians as a substitute for tobacco. It is made by 
 
186 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 uses as a substitute for tobacco. He 
 usually carries it about him in a small 
 pouch, formed of the entire skin of a 
 young otter, musk-rat, or fox-squirrel. 
 
 The route to the Otoe Agency lay 
 across a range of steep, ragged ridges. 
 The Indian sauntered slowly along. He 
 had a whole summer s day before him, 
 and was never in a hurry in his move 
 ments. Arrived at the summit of a hill 
 which commanded a wide prospect, he 
 
 crushing to fineness the dried leaves or bark of the 
 wild sumach. This is then mixed with plug tobacco, 
 cut fine, and is smoked by them. The proportion 
 of tobacco to sumach is about one fourth. The 
 tobacco pouch of the Indians is always formed of 
 the skin of one of the animals above mentioned. 
 The head is left appended to it; and the bones, 
 intestines, and fleshy substance are removed from 
 the body through a small hole cut in the throat, 
 which afterwards serves as the mouth of the pouch. 
 These pouches are often highly ornamented, with 
 stained porcupine quills, beads, and, if their owners 
 can obtain them, hawks bells. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 187 
 
 paused to cast a wary look around him. 
 The country lay spread out at his feet. 
 Here and there it was broken by small 
 patches of timber and brushwood, which 
 served to give relief to the otherwise 
 barren appearance of the prairie. There 
 was nothing to be seen wearing a hostile 
 garb not even a wolf. Notwithstand 
 ing this apparent security, his watchful 
 ness never slumbered. He had been 
 too often hunted and harassed by foes, 
 to relax for an instant that vigilance 
 which from necessity becomes a constant 
 habit with an Indian. 
 
 He travelled for several hours, and 
 his journey was nearly at its end. The 
 tall, thick timber, which darkened the 
 bank of the Missouri, was now seen 
 raising its dusky outline above the sum 
 mits of the distant ridges. The groves 
 and tangled thickets were becoming 
 more and more frequent, and every 
 
188 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 thing bespoke a near approach to that 
 king of rivers, the mighty Missouri. 
 
 A smooth prairie, about two miles in 
 width, alone separated the Indian from 
 the groves in which the Agency was 
 nestled. A few yards in front of him 
 was a low hillock, between two thick 
 clusters of bushes. He sauntered to 
 the top, and looked around. To the 
 left was a small clump of bushes, fring 
 ing the bottom of the hill ; but beyond, 
 in that direction, there was no object 
 to break the spotless green of the prairie. 
 It stretched far off to the northward, 
 until its distant verge was mingled with 
 the haze of the sky. To his right was 
 another clump of thicket, which clustered 
 at the base of the hill, and swept off to 
 a distant ravine. At a short distance 
 beyond this, a long line of lofty timber, 
 rising above a crowded under-brush, 
 stretched off through the prairie, until 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 189 
 
 it joined the forest of the Missouri. All 
 appeared clear of enemies. So, wrapping 
 his robe still closer around him, the 
 Indian was preparing to quit his stand, 
 when his quick eye was caught by the 
 quivering motion of a bush in the thicket 
 at the bottom of the hill on his left. 
 In an instant every sense was on the 
 alert ; it might be a deer, or it might 
 be a lurking foe. He paused, and 
 watched in breathless silence. The 
 bush was again agitated ; the painted 
 head of an Indian emerged from among 
 the leaves, and the form of another was 
 dimly seen crouching in the bushes. 
 
 The Otoe at once recognised them 
 for Sioux, the bitterest and most power 
 ful foes of his tribe. His loud taunting 
 laugh, accompanied by the Otoe war 
 cry, announced to the lurking savages 
 that they were discovered. In an in 
 stant they sprang forth, and raised the 
 well-known war cry of their tribe. 
 
190 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 The Otoe fled down the opposite side 
 of the hill, making for a thicket of 
 bushes and vines at its foot. As he 
 ran he grasped the stem of his pipe 
 in one hand, and the stone bowl in the 
 other. He protruded the end beyond 
 his side, in such a manner as to lead his 
 enemies to suppose that he was armed 
 with a rifle, and carrying it at full cock, 
 ready to be discharged. 
 
 His pursuers, to the number of four, 
 followed at his heels, like a pack of 
 hounds in full cry. They gained upon 
 him, for age had stiffened his joints ; 
 but by dint of hard straining he gained 
 the covert of brushwood, leaving them 
 full two hundred yards behind. A 
 shout betrayed their disappointment. 
 The wary old savage now threaded 
 his way, swiftly but with great caution, 
 through the thick maze of bushes. He 
 scarcely bended a twig or rustled a leaf, 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 lest it should catch the observant eyes 
 or quick ears of the Sioux, whom he 
 could perceive lurking round, though 
 keeping out of rifle-shot distance. 
 
 At last the motion of a large bush, 
 through which he was endeavouring to 
 force a passage, revealed his position. 
 In an instant each Indian fitted an 
 arrow to his bow, and stood ready to 
 let fly his shaft the moment he could 
 get sight of the game ; but they were 
 still careful to keep beyond the reach 
 of the supposed rifle. At length they 
 drew nearer, and stood upon the edge 
 of a ridge, not more than a hundred 
 yards off. An arrow could not be sent 
 with certainty at that distance ; but a 
 bullet could. The Otoe suddenly raised 
 his wild-looking head above the bushes, 
 and levelled his pipe. A loud yell burst 
 from the Sioux, and they darted below 
 the ridge of the hill, beyond his sight, 
 
192 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 to escape the dreaded shot. The mo 
 ment that they disappeared, the Otoe 
 sprang forward and ran. He had suc 
 ceeded in gaining several hundred yards 
 through the underwood, when his route 
 was again detected. He again raised 
 his head above the bushes ; his pipe was 
 again to his shoulder, and pointed in the 
 direction of the hostile group. Once 
 more they disappeared beneath the ridge, 
 and he pushed forward in his course. 
 This manoeuvre was repeated several 
 times, till the Otoe came to where the 
 thicket terminated, and was only sepa 
 rated by about three hundred yards of 
 open prairie from the wooded bottom 
 of the Missouri. 
 
 Seizing the moment of another dis 
 persion of his foes, he burst from the 
 bushes and fled for the timber. He had 
 nearly reached it, when a loud whoop 
 announced that his flight was discovered. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 1Q3 
 
 His pursuers were obliged to force a 
 path through an intervening skirt of 
 brushwood. This gave him some ad 
 vantage, and he gained the timber just 
 as they were emerging from the thicket 
 which he had deserted. After rushing 
 rapidly through the underwood for a 
 long distance, and after several turn 
 ings and doublings, he gradually lost 
 all sounds of pursuit, and reached the 
 Agency in safety, all glorious at having 
 beaten off a w r ar party by means of a 
 pipe. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
19 1 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 CHAP. XXII. 
 
 THE METAMORPHOSIS. 
 
 WE had been attending a feast given 
 at the lodge of the lotan chiefj and 
 were returning through the town, to 
 wards the little eminence on which the 
 white canvass of our tents was fluttering 
 in the wind. As we passed one of the 
 lodges, we observed a group of females 
 in front of it, busily engaged in exposing 
 to the heat of the sun a large quantity 
 of shelled corn. This was done by scat 
 tering it upon a buffalo-skin tent, spread 
 upon the ground for the purpose. One 
 squaw attracted our attention, from her 
 gigantic height ; most of the Indian 
 females being under, rather than above 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 195 
 
 the middle size. As we approached 
 her, there was a masculine coarseness 
 in the features of her face which ren 
 dered her hideously ugly, and formed 
 a contrast highly in favour of the group 
 around her. We afterwards learned that 
 this strange being, though now clad in 
 the garb of a female, and performing 
 the most menial of their offices, was in 
 reality a man, and had once ranked 
 among the proudest and highest braves 
 of the Otoe nation. His name had once 
 stood foremost in war, and in council. 
 He had led on many an expedition 
 against their noble, but bitter foes, the 
 Osages. In the midst of his bright 
 
 o o 
 
 career he stopped short ; a change came 
 over him, and lie commenced his present 
 life of degradation and drudgery. 
 
 The cause of the change was this. 
 He had been for several weeks absent 
 upon a war expedition against his usual 
 K 2 
 
196 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 enemies, the Osages. At a little before 
 sunset, on a fine afternoon, a band of 
 Indians were seen coming over the hills, 
 towards the Otoe village. It was a troop 
 of way-worn warriors. They counted 
 less than when they started; but their 
 tal-e of scalps, and their fierce brows 
 when they spoke of the death of their 
 comrades, told that those comrades had 
 not been unavenged. In front of them 
 strode the stately form of the brave. 
 He was wearied with fatigue and fast 
 ing ; and without staying to receive the 
 greetings of his fellow-townsmen, he 
 hastened to his lodge, and threw himself 
 upon one of the bearskins which form 
 an Indian bed ; and there he remained 
 for the night. In the morning he arose 
 from his couch ; but he was an altered 
 man. A change, fearful and thrilling, 
 had come over him. His eye was 
 quenched ; his proud step wavered ; and 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 197 
 
 his haughty frame seemed almost sink 
 ing beneath the pressure of some heavy 
 calamity. 
 
 He collected his family around him. 
 He told them that the Great Spirit had 
 visited him in a dream, and had told 
 him that he had now reached the zenith 
 of his reputation ; that no voice had 
 more weight at the council fire ; that 
 no arm was heavier in battle. The 
 divine visitant concluded by command 
 ing that he should thenceforth relinquish 
 all claim to the rank of a warrior, and 
 assume the dress and avocations of a 
 female. The group around him heard 
 him in sorrow ; for they prided them 
 selves upon his high and warlike name, 
 arid looked up to him as the defender 
 of their hearths. But none attempted 
 to dissuade him from his determination, 
 for they listened to the communications 
 K 3 
 
198 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 of the deity with a veneration equal 
 to his own. 
 
 After speaking with his own family, 
 he made known his intention to the 
 nation. They heard him gravely, and 
 sadly; but they, too, assented to the 
 correctness of his resolution. He then 
 returned to his lodge, and took down 
 his bow from the place which it had 
 occupied, and, snapping it in two, threw 
 the fragments into the fire, and buried 
 the tomahawk and rifle which had often 
 served him in battle. Having finished 
 this, he washed the war paint from his 
 face, and drew the proud eagle s plume 
 from the scalp-lock. From that hour 
 he ceased to be numbered among the 
 warriors of the nation. He spoke not 
 of battle ; he took no part in the coun 
 cils of the tribe ; and no longer raised 
 his voice in the wild war-whoop. He 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 199 
 
 had relinquished everything which he 
 had formerly gloried in, for the lowly 
 and servile duties of a female. He 
 knew that his allotted course was marked 
 out for him ; that his future life was des 
 tined to be one of toil and degradation ; 
 but he had fixed his resolution, and he 
 pursued his course with unwavering firm 
 ness. Years had elapsed since he first 
 commenced this life of penance. His 
 face was seamed with wrinkles ; his 
 frame was yielding to decrepitude ; and 
 his ever scowling eye now plainly showed 
 that the finer feelings of his nature had 
 been choked by the bitter passions of his 
 heart. His name was scarcely men 
 tioned ; and the remembrance of his 
 chivalrous character was as a dream 
 in the minds of his fellows. He was 
 neglected and scorned by those who 
 had once looked up to him with love 
 and veneration. He had the misery of 
 K 4 
 
200 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 seeing others fill the places which he 
 once filled, and of knowing that how 
 ever exalted he once might have been, 
 and however they might have respected 
 his motives, that he was now looked upon 
 as one of the lowest of the nation. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 201 
 
 CHAP. XXIII. 
 
 INDIAN DOGS. 
 
 THERE are no greater thieves in exist 
 ence than the Indian dogs ; not even 
 excepting the old squaws, who have 
 made it their amusement for half a 
 century. With the last it is a matter 
 of habit and practice ; but with the 
 former it is instinct. It is necessary 
 for their existence that they should be 
 at the same time accomplished thieves 
 and practised hypocrites. They are 
 never fed by their masters, who are 
 always particularly careful to keep every 
 eatable from their reach, their own appe 
 tites being generally sufficient to dispose 
 of every thing of that nature. As far 
 K 5 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 as I was able to judge, the only act 
 of pastoral kindness which they ever 
 exerted over their canine flock con 
 sisted in flogging them whenever a 
 chance offered. 
 
 There is scarcely a lodge which does 
 not patronise at least a dozen of these 
 hangers-on, who, with all their thievish- 
 ness, are the most pious-looking dogs 
 in existence. Frequently have I ob 
 served some gaunt, greedy fellow, who 
 looked as if he had been dieted for a 
 fortnight, steal with a meditative air into 
 the building as if he had strolled in 
 without observing what he was about, 
 so much were his thoughts occupied 
 with more weighty matters. But not 
 withstanding his absence of mind, the 
 moment his look fastened upon any arti 
 cle of food, a change came over him. 
 The air of abstraction passed away ; 
 every latent faculty was called into 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 203 
 
 play; and his eye fairly blazed \vitli 
 a concentration of thievish Ion gin a-. 
 
 c"5 o 
 
 Then, with a fixed gaze, but with an 
 indifferent, lounging step, he would sidle 
 towards the object of his wishes, waiting 
 only for a favourable opportunity to seize 
 his prize, trusting to fortune to make 
 good his retreat. But should he at that 
 moment catch your eye, his flashing, 
 eager look instantly disappeared, and 
 was succeeded by a meek, deprecating, 
 and unpretending slouch, which seemed 
 to beg that you would not place any im 
 proper construction upon his actions. 
 
 It was not long before it became known 
 to these gentry that a band of strangers 
 had arrived among them, who were as 
 yet unacquainted with their evil prac 
 tices. Accordingly they deserted the 
 town, to linger around our tents. The 
 first day was one of jubilee to them, and 
 truly exemplified in us the scriptural 
 K 6 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 saying of " certain men fell among 
 thieves." But we soon became initiated 
 into their customs, and removed from 
 their reach every thing which we ap 
 prehended might be in the slightest 
 degree palatable, or even digestible. 
 
 There appeared to be a most cordial 
 hatred existing between them and the 
 old squaws, who, above all things, de 
 tested opposition in their line of business, 
 and were unwilling that any interlopers 
 should come in to assist in carrying off 
 a share of those spoils which they con 
 sidered their own peculiar property. 
 
 Among the number of our canine 
 visiters were two who seemed to carry 
 on a co-partnership. The one was a 
 little rakish-looking dog, of a dirty 
 white colour, with pinkish-green eyes, 
 who had quite a buckish way of carrying 
 his tail. He was a mighty pragmatical, 
 self-important little body, and was ap- 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 205 
 
 parently endeavouring to pass himself 
 off for more than he really was. He 
 ranged between the gentlemen dogs and 
 the rabble dogs of the village. There 
 was a swaggering, self-important air 
 about him, which reminded me strongly 
 of those individuals of the human kind, 
 who are generally to be found in all 
 places attempting to hide their own 
 natural vulgarity under a great show of 
 dare-devil rakish gentility. The boon 
 companion of this dog was his reverse 
 in every respect. He was a lean, 
 shaggy fellow, with a drooping slouch 
 to his tail, and quiet pensive expression 
 of countenance. No one would have 
 suspected him of being the greatest thief 
 in the village ; yet such he was, and as 
 such his approaches were most tho 
 roughly discountenanced by all the old 
 squaws, who looked upon him as a most 
 formidable rival. He never attempted 
 
206 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 to resist their attacks, but fled howling 
 away at the slightest appearance of 
 danger, though half an hour would not 
 elapse before he was as busy as ever. 
 We found that in stealing he far excelled 
 his companion, who made ten times as 
 much bustle in carrying off ten times 
 as little, and who was frequently left to 
 receive the share of punishment due to 
 both. 
 
 They continued together for several 
 days. But at length the partnership dis 
 solved, and each went on to steal for his 
 own private benefit. Many were the sly 
 bits which disappeared, and great was 
 the caution used by the occupants of the 
 tents to keep out of their reach every 
 article which they thought would be ac 
 ceptable. They continued their visits 
 for several days after their real character 
 had been discovered. But having been 
 detected in the act of dragging off a large 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 207 
 
 bag, which contained some twenty pounds 
 of bacon, and having been several times 
 flogged for their evil practices, and find 
 ing that the party had now grown quite 
 cautious of their provisions, they de 
 serted us altogether betaking them 
 selves to the town, and leaving their 
 places to be filled by other dogs, equally 
 ravenous, but less experienced in this art 
 of gaining a livelihood. 
 
208 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 CHAP. XXIV. 
 
 INDIAN LIFE. 
 
 To dress and ornament himself with 
 trinkets and gewgaws, is the delight of a 
 savage. The glittering presents of the 
 whites bear as strong an attraction to 
 the warrior as to the female or the child, 
 though his disciplined habits prevent 
 those loud bursts of pleasure which 
 escape unrestrained from them. Scarcely 
 a day elapsed but a little group would 
 collect before our tents for the purpose 
 of ornamenting themselves. They were 
 apparently very fastidious in their taste ; 
 for when hours had been spent by an 
 Indian beau in laying on one streak of 
 paint after another, and in ogling himself 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 209 
 
 by piecemeal in a small scrap of looking 
 glass, some defect would appear, and 
 with an exclamat^n of dissatisfaction the 
 whole would be rubbed ofF, The work 
 would then be recommenced with un 
 abated perseverance, until he succeeded 
 in daubing and ornamenting himself to 
 his entire satisfaction. 
 
 When the toilette was completed, a 
 surprising change came over the young 
 warriors. They would fling their blankets 
 ostentatiously around them, and with a 
 lordly air lounge through the town ; look 
 ing first at one of the young squaws, 
 then at another ; and occasionally con 
 descending to speak to some dirty-look 
 ing brother, with that patronising air 
 which, in all countries, a well-dressed 
 person is apt to assume in conversing 
 with a ragged acquaintance. When they 
 had finished their perambulations, they 
 would mount upon the top of one of the 
 
210 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 highest lodges, and stand for hours to be 
 gazed at by the different idlers ; a term 
 which, in truth, might be applied to the 
 whole of the male portion of the town. 
 
 In war and in hunting there is no 
 being more untiring than the Indian. 
 He will spend days and weeks in search 
 of an enemy. If in the course of his 
 travel he meets with a strange track 
 crossing his path, his journey is at an 
 end, until he has satisfied himself whether 
 it is that of a friend or a foe. If it is 
 ascertained to be that of an enemy, and 
 if there is any prospect of gaining a 
 scalp, the main pursuit gives place to 
 this. He follows upon the trail, rapidly 
 and surely, and nothing is left undone 
 to insure the successful accomplishment 
 of his purpose. He endures fatigues of 
 all kinds ; fasting and peril are unheeded 
 by him ; he has but one aim : it is mur 
 der. There is but little chivalry in the 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 Indian warfare. The pursuer steals like 
 a snake upon his foe. He gives him no 
 warning no opportunity to resist his 
 fate. Often the death-scream of the 
 victim is simultaneous with the crack of 
 the rifle that gives him the first notice 
 of a foe. 
 
 In peace, and in his own village, the 
 Indian is a different being. He lounges 
 about listlessly; he will sit for hours 
 watching the children at their games; 
 or will stop at the different lodges to 
 hear the floating rumours of the town. 
 Sometimes a knot of five or six will 
 gather together, for the sake of talking 
 over their own domestic grievances, and 
 abusing their wives behind their backs. 
 Others will assemble in the prairie, and 
 relate to the young men their exploits in 
 battle ; their success in hunting ; the 
 deeds of the different noted men of the 
 village ; always winding up with the 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 injunction ofj " Go thou and do like 
 wise." At a little distance from these, 
 a single warrior may be seen lolling in 
 the grass ; warming himself in the sun 
 shine, and drawling out a dull sleepy 
 song, with an air of the most perfect 
 indifference to all things, past, present, 
 and to come. Further on, two or three 
 may be observed strolling along the 
 summits of the different prairie hills, and 
 apparently keeping watch over the neigh 
 bouring country. 
 
 In war an Indian is all activity the 
 creature of excitement ; but there is not 
 a more listless being in existence, when 
 this grand object does not call into play 
 the latent energies of his nature. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 213 
 
 CHAP. XXV. 
 
 THE INDIAN GUARD. 
 
 DURING our stay at the village, the 
 crowd of visiters and pilferers increased 
 from day to day. The chief, there 
 fore, stationed one of the warriors at 
 the encampment to keep oft idlers and 
 intruders of all descriptions, and above 
 all to have a keen eye to the move 
 ments of the dogs and. old women. At 
 the same time he took occasion to let 
 us know that though the warrior had 
 been selected by himself, his pay would 
 be expected to come from the hands of 
 the Commissioner. On the following 
 morning the guard made his appear- 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 ance, and prepared to enter upon his 
 office. He was tall and thin, with a 
 shaved head, and a body highly painted 
 with vermilion. He wore, or rather 
 carried with him, a dirty blanket; which, 
 with a small piece of blue cloth around 
 his hips, and a ragged pair of mocas 
 sins, completed his dress, and the whole 
 of his worldly possessions. Like most 
 men in office, he began to hold his 
 head higher than the rest of the world, 
 and to look with a patronising air upon 
 his former cronies. He forthwith com 
 menced the discharge of his duties, with 
 that assiduity which fully verified the 
 trite but true proverb, " a new broom 
 sweeps clean." He routed the droves 
 of vagabond children. He hunted the 
 old squaws over the prairie, till nothing 
 in the shape of a petticoat dared ven 
 ture in the neighbourhood. And a per 
 petual whining and howling of curs, 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 21,5 
 
 accompanied by the hearty thwacks of 
 a cudgel, informed us that this portion 
 of our visiters had also been treated 
 with all the respect due to so numerous 
 and busy a community. 
 
 This lasted for a day ; after which, a 
 perfect calm reigned throughout the 
 camp. There was no excitement ; for 
 the guard had monopolised it. There 
 was no squabbling, or howling ; for the 
 women were driven off, and the dogs 
 knew better than to venture a second 
 time within the reach of a cudgel, whose 
 favours were bestowed with such an un 
 sparing liberality. 
 
 The office now became a sinecure. 
 The guard sat for hours upon the head 
 of an empty pork barrel, drumming his 
 heels against its sides, and trolling out 
 some Indian ditty, or occasionally bel 
 lowing out a threat at some urchin 
 who ventured to steal a distant look at 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 the forbidden premises. When this be 
 came tedious, he stretched himself at 
 full length on the grass, and resumed 
 his old occupation of singing. An hour 
 spent at this exhausted his patience. 
 He then rose up, threw his blanket 
 across one of his shoulders, and swag 
 gered off to the village to hear the news, 
 and to take a chat with the old folks, 
 who treated him with the greatest defer 
 ence, now that he was in office. After 
 paying one of these visits, he always re 
 turned to his post, and regaled us, as 
 well as he was able, with the news of 
 the day. By degrees, his jurisdiction 
 seemed to increase, until at last from 
 the charge of our goods and chattels, 
 it reached to the charge of ourselves ; 
 and none of the party could leave the 
 tent without receiving a very inquiring 
 look, as to what might be the nature 
 of the business which called him forth. 
 
INDIAN 7 SKETCHES. 
 
 All these things tended vastly to raise 
 him in the estimation of the village ; 
 though I verily believe that, at the bot 
 tom, he was one of the most arrant va 
 gabonds breathing ; and that the chief, 
 acting upon the principle usually fol 
 lowed by politicians of the present day, 
 had promoted him to office, because it 
 was necessary that something should be 
 done for him, and because there was no 
 other way of doing it. 
 
 Great as had been his display of dili 
 gence for the first day, it soon disap 
 peared ; and at the end of three days, 
 there was little difference in the appear 
 ance of the camp, from that which it 
 wore previous to his appointment. Ac 
 cording to his notions, he had performed 
 all that was necessary to entitle him to 
 his pay, and any further labour he con 
 sidered as altogether superfluous. Be- 
 
 VOL. I. L 
 
218 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 fore a week had elapsed, he was nearly 
 as great an annoyance as any of the 
 idlers, whom it was his business to re 
 move. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 219 
 
 CHAP. XXVI. 
 
 THE OTOE COUNCIL. 
 
 A DAY had been appointed for holding a 
 council with the nation, for the purpose 
 of forming a treaty, with respect to the 
 lands lying in the neighbourhood of the 
 Nemahaw river. The hour determined 
 upon was three o clock ; and at that 
 time, we proceeded from the tent to 
 the town, with a string of children at 
 our heels. 
 
 We found nearly the whole tribe as- 
 sembled, and seated in circles, in the 
 large lodge of the lotan chief. At the 
 far end of the building, was the lotan ; 
 and by his side, were stationed those 
 two worthies the Big Kaw, and the 
 L 2 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 Thief. Next them, were the stern 
 forms of the older warriors and braves. 
 There was something solemn in the 
 unyielding features of these war-worn 
 veterans. They sat as motionless as 
 stone moving not a single muscle of 
 their dusky countenances. They had 
 thrown aside their usual careless deport 
 ment, and all were prepared to listen, 
 with intense interest, to the terms of 
 the treaty. This was observable, not only 
 in the principal braves, but throughout 
 the whole assembly. Even the veriest 
 scapegrace assumed an air of dignity 
 befitting the occasion. 
 
 The lodge was excessively crowded. 
 One ring was formed beyond another ; 
 one dark head rose behind another ; 
 until the dim, dusk outlines of the more 
 distant were lost in shadow, and their 
 glistening eyes alone could be seen. 
 The passage which led to the air was 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 completely crowded with women and 
 children ; and half a dozen curious faces 
 were peering down through the round 
 hole in the roof. 
 
 The most of them had adorned them 
 selves for the occasion. Plumes were 
 floating from their scalp locks ; their 
 heads and breasts were painted with 
 vermilion, and long strings of wampum 
 hung from their necks and mutilated 
 ears. But at the present moment there 
 seemed to be no thought of their ap 
 pearance. Every sense was wrapped up 
 in an intense interest in the approaching 
 council ; every breath was held ; and 
 every eye fixed with eagerness upon the 
 face of the Commissioner, as he arose 
 to address the meeting. 
 
 He stated simply and clearly the terms 
 
 of the treaty. There was not a sound 
 
 to interrupt his voice ; not a limb stirred 
 
 not a muscle. Their chests seemed 
 
 L 3 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 scarcely to move, so suppressed was 
 their breathing : they were like statues : 
 and their steady stare into the face of 
 the speaker ; and the eagerness with 
 which every eye turned to the inter 
 preter, as he translated each sentence ; 
 showed their deep interest in the scene. 
 At length the speaker concluded; and 
 a loud groan, or grunt of approbation, 
 followed from the throats of the whole 
 meeting. 
 
 The old chief remained in grave deli 
 beration for a few moments ; then light 
 ing his pipe, he drew a few puils, and 
 passed it to his neighbour, until it had 
 completed the round of the whole as 
 sembly. He then rose, and addressed 
 the council. He spoke but a short time. 
 The speech was intended as an answer 
 to that of the Commissioner, though it 
 was addressed principally to his warriors. 
 He spoke warmly of the liberality of the 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 whites. He threw out hints as to the 
 contents of the heavy waggons which 
 they had brought with them ; and that 
 the less difficulty they made in agreeing 
 to the terms of the treaty, the greater 
 would be their share of the presents. 
 He then dilated upon the advantage to 
 be derived from a friendly intercourse 
 with the whites ; and wound up his 
 whole address, with a most pathetic la 
 mentation about the distance between 
 their village and the buffalo hunting 
 grounds. What this last portion of his 
 speech had to do with the rest of the 
 address, I could not well make out ; 
 but it appeared to be received with 
 keen satisfaction by his audience ; and 
 when he resumed his seat he was greeted 
 with a grunt of applause, which would 
 have done credit to a sty of full-grown 
 porkers. 
 
 After him, one of the warriors rose up 
 L 4 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 to address the meeting. He was a lean, 
 sinewy old man ; his hair, which was 
 unshaven, was now beginning to whiten 
 with the frost of years, and hung in long 
 tangled locks upon his shoulders. He 
 rose slowly until he had attained his full 
 height ; then gathering his robe closely 
 round his waist, he commenced his ha 
 rangue. At first he spoke in a low, 
 tremulous tone ; his gestures were feeble 
 but impressive ; but at length he grew 
 warmed with his subject, and his voice 
 rose from its weak tones, until it sounded 
 through the building with a, startling 
 clearness. His withered face lighted 
 up ; and his filmy eye seemed to kindle 
 with a new lustre, as lie proceeded. 
 The whole dusky crowd listened in 
 silence to his words ; but they did not 
 last long. The eloquent spirit, which 
 for a few moments illumined him, passed 
 away. Like the last, leaping flash of a 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 dying flame, it was transient, and ex 
 pired. For a moment the old warrior 
 seemed endeavouring to recall his train 
 of thought, but without success. Then 
 with a melancholy shake of the head, he 
 drew his blanket over him, and sank into 
 his seat. 
 
 None rose after him. The pipe was 
 again passed round ; and the terms of the 
 treaty having been assented to, by the 
 chiefs and principal warriors, the crowd 
 poured from the lodge, and scattered 
 through the town. 
 
 L 5 
 
226 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 CHAP. XXVII. 
 
 DISTRIBUTIOX OF PRESENTS. 
 
 ON the day following the council, the 
 packages containing the presents for the 
 tribe were given to the chief, who pre 
 pared to divide them among the different 
 members of his village. A large circle, 
 composed of every man, woman, and 
 child, had collected in the prairie. In 
 the centre of this sat the chiefs, and 
 five or six of the principal warriors. 
 The packages were opened, and they 
 commenced separating the different par 
 cels for the purpose of distribution. 
 
 There was a great anxiety evinced 
 by the crowd. Every eye was strained 
 with an expression of strong hankering 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 towards the distributors, who quietly 
 proceeded in the business of opening 
 bundles of knives, boxes of kettles, 
 tin cups, packages of beads, cloths, 
 ribands, and other articles, without pay 
 ing the slightest attention to the im 
 ploring, anxious looks of the restless by 
 standers. When this had been com 
 pleted, the chief commenced cutting up 
 the pieces of cloth, calico, and ribands, 
 and sending off the warriors to distribute 
 them. 
 
 Until this moment there had been 
 silence ; but now arose a deafening 
 clamour. The young squaws begged ; 
 the old crones scolded, screamed, and 
 poured out torrents of abuse. The boys 
 whooped, and the poppooses bawled. 
 Never was there such a scene of con 
 fusion. When a warrior approached the 
 edge of the circle, a dozen hands were 
 reached out to seize upon the article 
 L 6 
 
228 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 which he held. But those who had 
 been appointed, had been carefully se 
 lected for their coolness. For, amid all 
 the scrambling, they maintained the 
 most philosophic calmness, and listened 
 to the invectives of those who were dis 
 appointed, with the most composed in 
 difference. The distribution was ma 
 naged witli great impartiality ; though 
 we observed that a low word or an im 
 ploring look from some of the young 
 girls had their weight ; and more than 
 once changed the destination of a gaudy 
 riband, or string of richly coloured 
 beads. A loud outcry was always raised 
 by the neighbours on each of these oc 
 casions; and a few hard epithets were 
 bestowed by the old viragoes, who 
 thought they had lost by this change 
 of intention. 
 
 During the distribution, our attention 
 was attracted by the manoeuvres of one 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 of the many antiquated squaws who 
 crowded in the ring. She was a diminu 
 tive little being, clothed in a dirty flannel 
 jacket, and a tattered piece of dress re 
 sembling a petticoat. As for her years, 
 they must have been countless. There 
 must have been a strong flavour of bit 
 terness about her tongue ; for we ob 
 served that all the warriors seemed to 
 shrink from collision with her. Although 
 they evidently neglected her, still their 
 neglect was of a more deferential nature 
 than that exhibited toward the rest ; and 
 whenever they passed her, it was with 
 a shuffling, apologetic air. There was 
 no more active being in the assembly. 
 She flew round in every direction ; at 
 one moment she was at one part of the 
 circle, and at another moment she was in 
 the opposite. She scolded, screamed, 
 and begged. She writhed, with an eel- 
 like slipperiness, through the crowd. 
 
230 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 Whenever one of the distributors passed 
 across the circle to present some pecu 
 liarly tempting article, a terrible hustling 
 and jostling would be observed at the 
 point to which he appeared to direct his 
 steps -, and before he could reach it, the 
 convulsed face and straining eyes of the 
 little squaw would force a passage 
 through the mass ; and her shrill voice 
 would be heard above the general cla 
 mour. She never obtained the prize ; 
 but the donor, after disappointing her, 
 always moved off, with a hurried step ; 
 until he had placed as much space as 
 possible between himself and her vigor 
 ous tongue. As the distribution pro 
 ceeded, finding herself no better off than 
 before it had commenced, she grew fu 
 rious, and the clamour of her tongue was 
 incessant. At last one of the distributors, 
 an old dried up Indian, with one eye, 
 marched up to her, and either from com- 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 231 
 
 passion, or for the purpose of hushing 
 her abuse, reached out a small piece of 
 red riband towards her. She snatched it 
 eagerly; but after looking at it for a few 
 seconds with an air of deep chagrin, her 
 face began to swell like a roasting pip 
 pin ; and shaking the little fragment of a 
 riband towards him, with an air of the 
 greatest contempt, she opened a torrent 
 of apparently bitter invective. This 
 raised a loud shout of laughter, at the 
 expense of the old man. He, however, 
 did not wait to hear it, but walked off 
 with a cool step, until he had got beyond 
 the reach of her fire. At length another 
 present was given her, but without effect. 
 Her tongue was as inveterate as ever ; 
 and to get rid of her, she was finally pre 
 sented with a large tin kettle, with which 
 she marched off to the village, to the 
 great relief of the whole assemblage. 
 After her departure, the business went 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 on with a degree of good humour, which 
 had not previously existed. 
 
 During the distribution, we observed 
 that those of the females who were trou 
 bled with large families of children, were 
 particularly well provided for. They 
 were presented with those articles most 
 suited to their domestic economy. To 
 the young squaws, were given only 
 trinkets and ribands, which were of small 
 value in themselves, but possessed the 
 strongest attractions for them. The 
 knives and guns were bestowed upon 
 those of the young men who were most 
 distinguished. The chiefs however were 
 particular to lay aside one or two of the 
 best of each article for their own private 
 use. 
 
 In turning over the piles of blankets, 
 a few small ones had been discovered. 
 These were given to several of the wild- 
 looking little fellows who were peering 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 233 
 
 in through the ring. For a moment they 
 seemed to doubt the reality of the gift ; 
 they appeared bewildered ; then forcing 
 a passage through the crowd, they raised 
 a loud whoop, and started off for the 
 town at full speed ; occasionally looking 
 back, as if they feared a change might 
 have taken place in the intention of those 
 who presented them, and that some one 
 might be in pursuit to take away the 
 prize. 
 
 After about an hour s chattering, 
 laughing, and scolding, the ceremony was 
 finished, and the crowd dispersed some 
 with sour and sullen looks, some with an 
 air of indifference while the smiling, 
 pleased countenances of others denoted 
 they at least were fully satisfied with the 
 portion allotted to them. 
 
 Most of the discontent was evinced by 
 the old folks of both sexes. The men 
 restrained themselves, and walked off 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 with lowering brows. The women how 
 ever gave full exercise to their tongues, 
 and continued it, until the sound of their 
 sharp, shrill voices was lost in the dis 
 tance, as they travelled in Indian file to 
 wards the town. Notwithstanding the 
 show of discontent, there were but few 
 who had not obtained some trifle in the 
 general distribution. 
 
 Shortly after this, we observed a troop 
 of Indians coming from the village. 
 They were fantastically dressed in buf 
 falo skins, so as to bear a strong re 
 semblance to that beast. They retained 
 the head, beard, and legs of the animal 
 entire ; and were so well disguised, that 
 several of them, at a little distance, might 
 have been mistaken for the brute itself. 
 They had prepared themselves to give 
 us the buffalo dance. They drew up 
 in a large circle, at a little distance from 
 a skin tent, which had been lent to us 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 235 
 
 by them, our own marquee having be 
 come much tattered in a heavy gale a 
 few nights previous. The leader of this 
 band was the Big Kaw, who frisked 
 behind the grave head and beard of an 
 enormous buffalo bull. In the centre 
 of the circle were seated a number of 
 buffaloes, whose business it was to sing, 
 while the rest, consisting of chiefs, 
 squaws, and pappooses, or, in other 
 words, of bulls, cows, and calves, danced 
 to their music. The chorus commenced 
 with a low, mournful ditty, which set 
 the whole herd of dancers in motion. 
 They began moving slowly round the 
 singers ; but as the chant grew more 
 and more animated, the vivacity of the 
 herd increased. From a walk they 
 quickened their pace to a trot; from 
 a trot, it ambled off into a full gallop. 
 Now the spirit of the beast began to 
 show out. The cows bellowed ; the 
 
236 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 bulls frisked, roared, and fought; they 
 kicked up, they tore up the ground, 
 and chased each other round the circle. 
 This lasted some time, until they grew 
 uproarious, and the butting of horns 
 was furious. At this sight the cows 
 drew off; and several calves, after burst 
 ing out into a loud bawl, raised up from 
 all fours, and mounting upon their two 
 hind feet, started for the village too 
 much frightened to take any further 
 share in the day s diversions. The 
 dance lasted for about two hours, after 
 which, the Big Kaw, under the form 
 of a seven year old bull, came and 
 seated himself upon a billet of wood, 
 at our sides. He appeared perfectly 
 satisfied with his performance, but was 
 grievously out of wind. 
 
 After this followed several other dances 
 of a similar character. They received 
 their appellations from different animals ; 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 237 
 
 and the merit of a dance consisted in 
 imitating, as nearly as possible, the actions 
 of the beast from which it received its 
 name. They continued until late in the 
 afternoon, when the Indians, one after 
 another, departed to their homes; and 
 long before nine o clock, the busy hum 
 was entirely stilled, and a deep silence 
 hung over our tent, and the surrounding 
 prairie. 
 
238 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 CHAP. XXVIII. 
 
 DEPARTURE OF OTOES FOR THE HUNTING 
 GROUNDS. 
 
 SEVERAL days had elapsed, and the grow 
 ing coldness of the weather warned us 
 that it was time for the expedition to 
 be on its move towards the Pawnee vil 
 lages. 
 
 The Otoes had consumed their supply 
 of provisions, and were preparing to de 
 sert their town and start for the hunting 
 grounds. The lotan offered to accom 
 pany us, with about twenty of his prin 
 cipal warriors, that he might exert his 
 influence with the Pawnees, to prevent 
 any hostility towards us. Although chief 
 of a different and but a small tribe, still 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 239 
 
 his influence with these wild hordes 
 was equal to that of any of their own 
 leaders. His desperate courage had 
 rendered him popular with the chiefs, 
 and older warriors ; and his sociable 
 manners, though tinged with a dash of 
 grimness, had rendered him a favourite 
 with the less distinguished of the na 
 tion. In addition to this, the character 
 of the Otoe tribe for furious courage, 
 and pre-eminent skill with the rifle, 
 gave great consequence to their chief 
 tain. 
 
 It was for this reason that the pro 
 position of the lotan was gladly acceded 
 to. And our preparations for departure 
 were forthwith commenced. 
 
 In the meantime, a change took place 
 in the village. Every family was busily 
 engaged in making ready for its de 
 parture, to the distant haunts of the 
 buffalo. Large droves of horses poured 
 
240 INDIAN SKETCHES, 
 
 in from every direction. The town rang 
 with noises of all descriptions. Squaws 
 were scolding ; children were squalling ; 
 pappooses, too young to shift for them 
 selves, like so many little mummies, 
 were suspended in baskets round the 
 inside of the lodges, where they would 
 be out of harm s way, while their mo 
 thers were engaged in packing up. The 
 dogs had probably learned, from dis 
 agreeable experience, that this was one 
 of the ill-humoured seasons of the tribe. 
 Many of them had withdrawn to a short 
 distance in the prairie, where they sat, 
 demurely waiting till the bustle should 
 be finished, and good humour restored 
 to the town. The warriors laid aside 
 their usual indolence, and assisted their 
 wives in loading the horses. The only 
 idlers in the town were children and 
 old men. The first stood in droves, 
 looking on, equally aware with the dogs, 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 of the souring effect of all this bustle 
 upon the tempers of the grown-up por 
 tion of the community ; and equally 
 cautious in avoiding all contact with 
 them. The last strolled up and down ; 
 kicking every stray cur they chanced to 
 meet, and bellowing out advice to all 
 who chose to listen. 
 
 Here and there, a long train, who had 
 finished their labours, were slowly wend 
 ing their way, over the western hills, 
 towards the wished-for hunting grounds. 
 A long suite of dogs lounged after them, 
 and disappeared, with them, behind the 
 distant ridges. 
 
 As one family after another dropped 
 off, the town began to wear a lonely air. 
 Wild and uncouth as were its inhabit 
 ants, we had formed a companionship 
 with them. When, however, we entered 
 their lodges, found the fires extinguished, 
 the buildings stripped, and silence and 
 
 VOL. I. M 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 solitude reigning where we had been 
 greeted with kind looks and smiling 
 faces, we experienced a dreary feeling, 
 which increased our desire to be once 
 more on the wing towards our still dis 
 tant goal. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 243 
 
 CHAP. XXIX. 
 
 DEPARTURE FROM THE OTOE VILLAGE. 
 
 IT was about ten o clock, on a rich 
 golden morning, that we started from 
 the Otoe village. The baggage wag 
 gons had left it some hours previous, 
 and had long since passed the hills 
 which rose behind the town. A crowd 
 of gazers collected round us as we 
 saddled our horses. At length every 
 thing was completed, and, bidding fare 
 well to the dusky group, we mounted, 
 and galloped off in the direction taken 
 by the waggons. 
 
 Our course lay along the borders of 
 the Platte, which soon began to lose 
 the luxuriant verdure that had fringed 
 M 2 
 
244 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 its banks in the neighbourhood of the 
 Otoe town. Scarcely a tree or shrub 
 grew upon its borders, or threw a shade 
 upon the glare of its waters. It moved 
 sullenly along, with now and then the 
 floating trunk of some ponderous tree, 
 drifting towards the still more murky 
 waters of the Missouri. 
 
 Our party now counted about thirty, 
 including Indians ; and although, on 
 account of the scarcity of provisions, 
 four of the soldiers had been sent back 
 to the garrison, still the reinforcement 
 of Otoes more than compensated for 
 their loss. They were a noble race of 
 men, with more pride of character than 
 we had observed in any of the Indians 
 we had as yet met with. They had 
 all prepared themselves for the journey. 
 Their blankets were thrown over their 
 shoulders and strapped round their waists, 
 in such a manner as to leave a short skirt 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 extending half way down to the knee. 
 Their legs were protected by coarse 
 leggings of buffalo skin. Each man 
 carried a short scabbard, containing a 
 knife ; and several pair of mocassins 
 were strapped upon the back of each. 
 They had left their rifles at the village ; 
 and a short thick bow, with a well-stocked 
 quiver of arrows, supplied their places. 
 This was the usual equipment of an 
 Indian warrior when starting on a peace 
 ful journey. 
 
 The leader of the band was the lotan 
 chief. Next followed the short, thick 
 figure of the Big Kaw, succeeded by the 
 long form of the Thief ; and after them 
 came the inferior warriors. They moved 
 in front of us, with limbs that seemed 
 not to know fatigue ; and although 
 we travelled over many miles of prairie 
 before nightfall, their pace was the same, 
 and their step as unflagging as ever. 
 M 3 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 Take an Indian upon the prairies, 
 and he is in his element. An air of 
 wild freedom breathes around him. His 
 head droops not; his eye quails not; 
 and not a single feature yields in sub 
 mission to his fellow man. He is un 
 restrained in body, unfettered in spirit, 
 and as wayward as the breeze which 
 sweeps over the grass of his own hills. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 217 
 
 CHAP. XXX. 
 
 THE ALARM. 
 
 ON the fifth night after our departure 
 from the Otoe town, we encamped upon 
 the banks of the Platte river. The 
 night was clear and cool, and the re 
 flected stars sparkled in the neighbour 
 ing river. 
 
 The prevailing silence was now and 
 then broken by the neigh of our horses, 
 who were pasturing at a short distance ; 
 or by the trumpet-toned cry of some 
 wild goose, the leader of a flock, on 
 their way to the north. Far to the 
 south, a faint red light was reflected in 
 the heaven, which one of the hunters 
 M 4 
 
248 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 attributed to the burning of a prairie, 
 some twenty miles off. 
 
 A large fire of heavy logs had been 
 built in front of the tent, and the party 
 had gradually gathered round it. Two 
 or three of our dusky companions 
 mingled with the group grave, but 
 observing, spectators of the actions of 
 the whites. Half of a large deer was 
 roasting before the fire ; and the Black 
 Bear, with a face of vast importance, 
 was busily engaged in concocting our 
 evening s supply of coffee in a large tin 
 bucket, which swung from a pole, in 
 clined over the fire. The interpreter 
 was called upon for a story, and had 
 just discharged a large roll of tobacco 
 from his mouth to make room for the 
 full play of his tongue. " Ugh ! " ex 
 claimed one of the Indians. 
 
 "What s the matter now, Hah-che- 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 24<9. 
 
 kah-sug-hah ? " * asked the doctor, ad 
 dressing the Indian by his native name". 
 The Indian glanced his eye towards the 
 speaker as he heard his name uttered ; 
 but, after standing for a moment, he 
 walked off a few steps and placed his 
 hand behind his ear in the attitude of 
 one engaged in earnest listening. 
 
 " What ^ does he hear, D ~?" said 
 
 the doctor, turning to the Indian agent. 
 
 " We will know presently," returned 
 the other quietly, without evincing more 
 curiosity than the red companion with 
 whom he had so long taken up his 
 residence. 
 
 * This Indian was one of the principal braves of. 
 the Otoe nation, and has since become a chief. 
 The name Hah-che-kah-sug-hah was given to him 
 on account of his deadly success in the war parties 
 against the Osages. It signifies, the man who slays 
 the Osages. Though distinguished for ferocity in 
 battle, yet in private life he was one of the most 
 joyous, pleasant fellows I ever met with. 
 
 M 5 
 
250 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 For a moment the Indian stood with 
 his brows knit, his eyes bent to the 
 ground, his head inclining a little for 
 ward, his nostrils expanded, and every 
 sense apparently on the gui vive. He 
 remained so for a few seconds ; then, 
 throwing himself upon the ground, 
 pressed his ear closely against the sod. 
 
 " What do you hear, Hah-che-kah- 
 sug-hah ? " asked the agent, in the Otoe 
 tongue. 
 
 " There is an Indian on the prairie," 
 was the answer. 
 
 This annunciation, being interpreted, 
 drew forth loud expressions of surprise 
 from the whites : but the Indians were 
 perfectly quiet ; they asked no questions 
 and made no remarks. They appeared 
 to have the greatest reliance upon the 
 Indian, whose keen hearing had been 
 first attracted by the sound. They 
 watched him earnestly, but calmly, as 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 he lay upon the ground. After conti 
 nuing in this position for some time, he 
 slowly rose up, and placed his hand 
 again behind his ear the very image 
 of the most intense attention. Then 
 taking up a pouch and rifle, belonging 
 to one of the hunters, he stole off until 
 he was lost in the gloom which hung 
 over the prairie. 
 
 The contrast between the whites and 
 Indians was now clearly observable. 
 The former immediately commenced a 
 conversation, teeming with suppositions, 
 suggestions, and all that out-pouring of 
 confused ideas, usual when a dozen per 
 sons, altogether ignorant of a subject, 
 attempt to throw a little light upon it 
 for the benefit of their neighbours. The 
 Indians, on the contrary, remained per- 
 fectly cool ; so much so, that one of 
 them quietly turned the attention of 
 the cook to a large piece of meat which 
 M 6 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 he was frying to a cinder, in his eager 
 ness to listen to the comments of the 
 party. They appeared to take the mat 
 ter with as much quietness as if they 
 had been in the heart of their own 
 town, instead of a large prairie, infested 
 by bands of hostile tribes. 
 
 Nearly ten minutes had elapsed, when 
 a loud shrill cry arose in the prairie 
 from two different quarters. 
 
 " Ugh ! Otoe !" repeated several of 
 the Indians, but without moving. 
 
 At that moment another long quaver 
 ing whoop sounded in the air. 
 
 " Hah-che-kah-sug-hah !" ejaculated 
 one of the Otoes. 
 
 A few moments elapsed, and two 
 strange Otoes appeared in the camp, 
 followed by the dusky form of our In 
 dian friend. 
 
 In a few words they told their story. 
 They had been to the Pawnee village, 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 253 
 
 which was about ten miles off, and had 
 left it that evening. About an hour 
 previous they had been espied by a 
 party of Sioux Indians, who had pur 
 sued them. Seeing a light, they fled 
 for it. Their enemies followed ; and 
 they believed that, even now, they were 
 lurking in the prairie, at but a short 
 distance from the camp. 
 
 In an instant all was uproar. Some 
 ran for their guns ; some loaded ; others 
 filled their powder-horns ; others swore 
 at their comrades, on account of the loss 
 of some article of equipment; but all 
 were busily employed in suggesting to 
 their neighbours what was best to be 
 done in the present emergency, and all 
 followed their own inclinations. " Raise 
 the flag!" at last cried one, " and let 
 them see that there are whites in the 
 party ; the fear of their rifles may keep 
 them off." 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 This was no sooner proposed than 
 executed. A tall pole, with a striped 
 flag floating from the end of it, was 
 reared in front of the tent, in the full 
 light of the fire. 
 
 The old lotan saw the flag hoisted, 
 and though he did not exactly under 
 stand why it was done, still he supposed 
 that there was some meaning in it. So 
 he followed the example of the whites, 
 and erected a pole among a pile of 
 kettles, marking his place of encamp 
 ment. He then decorated the end with 
 a striped flag, which he had hitherto 
 used as a wrapper on state occasions. 
 
 "But, Major," said one, looking rather 
 wild, and walking up to the Indian 
 Agent, " we are representatives of go 
 vernment will the Sioux dare to fire 
 on the United States?" 
 
 " If the people of the United States 
 were all assembled, I presume they 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 255 
 
 would not," was the quiet answer. " But 
 you had better get back from the fire. 
 The Otoes have done so already. They 
 know that an Indian can pick a man off 
 easier if he stands in the light of the 
 blaze than if he keeps in the shade. 
 You had better join them in the grass 
 yonder ; there is no chance for running, 
 for there s no place to run to." 
 
 This was satisfactory, and in another 
 moment the questioner had followed the 
 example of the savages. 
 
 The confusion lasted for a short time ; 
 but at length each man had prepared 
 himself. When this was completed, 
 there was nothing more that could be 
 done. There might be an enemy within 
 a few yards, and they might be at the 
 distance of many miles. The darkness 
 was so great that it was impossible to 
 see more than ten yards beyond the fire. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 Our foes, on the other hand, if any there 
 were, would be able to catch sight of 
 our forms moving between them and the 
 flame, at twenty times that distance. At 
 length a young Indian rose up, and, 
 moving swiftly past the fire, threw him 
 self on the ground beyond. For a 
 moment he remained stationary, and 
 then, raising his head, commenced worm 
 ing his way through the long grass, until 
 he was lost in the darkness. He re 
 turned after an absence of nearly half 
 an hour. He had made a long circuit 
 round the camp, but had discovered 
 nothing. He had seen no signs of an 
 enemy ; and he gave it as his opinion, 
 that they had abandoned the pursuit, 
 and that no other human beings besides 
 ourselves were in the neighbourhood. 
 As he concluded he took his seat at the 
 fire, with the confident air of a person 
 who felt that there was nothing to be 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 apprehended from this exposure. He 
 was soon followed by the rest, and in a 
 short time the camp was as merry and 
 noisy as if nothing had taken place to 
 excite their fears. 
 
258 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 CHAP. XXXI. 
 
 PREPARATIONS FOR RECEPTION. RECEPTION BY 
 
 GRAND PAWNEES. 
 
 DURING the evening previous to our ar 
 rival, several half-breeds, who had been 
 sent out by the Commissioner to gain in 
 formation of the probable reception which 
 awaited us, came dropping in, all bearing 
 promises of a friendly welcome from the 
 Pawnee chiefs. At sunrise the next 
 morning, the tents were struck, and 
 placed in the heavy baggage waggons ; 
 and a more than usual bustle and note of 
 preparation was heard in the camp. The 
 soldiers seated themselves upon the grass, 
 to examine and prepare their arms ; and 
 the Otoe Indians were busily engaged in 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 ornamenting themselves for the meeting. 
 Some had spread their blankets upon the 
 prairie, and were anxiously employed in 
 tracing various figures in vermilion upon 
 their woolly surfaces. Some, eagerly 
 bending over the small pools of still 
 water left in the dry bed of the river, 
 were painting their faces with vermilion, 
 manifesting as much interest and anxiety 
 in the choice of their ornaments, as a 
 young belle preparing for her first ball. 
 Paint was placed on and rubbed off. 
 Faces were striped first in one direction, 
 then in another ; and the advice of those 
 who were sitting round was asked, and 
 given, with all the gravity befitting so 
 important an operation. In the mean 
 time, two or three finished their toilets, 
 and seated themselves at a short distance 
 to serve as models for the rest. Several 
 who had acquired some reputation for 
 skill in this art, were busily engaged in 
 
260 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 painting up the less gifted of their com 
 panions. Whilst this was going on in 
 one quarter, in another, five or six In. 
 dians, who either had no paint, or cared 
 not about the opinion of those they in 
 tended to visit, lay stretched at full 
 length in the grass. Here they kept up 
 an incessant drumming upon their breasts 
 with their fists, in exact time to a chant, 
 which they were letting out at the top of 
 their lungs, and which always wound up 
 with a loud yell, by way of chorus. 
 
 But there must be an end of all things, 
 and in due time there was an end of the 
 preparations. The tents were packed ; 
 the Indians were painted and striped to 
 resemble any thing but men ; the soldiers 
 had adjusted their arms; the horses were 
 saddled; the oxen were secured before 
 the heavy baggage waggons, and the party 
 commenced slowly moving towards the 
 village. 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 It was a fine sunny morning ; the 
 clumps of trees which clustered on the 
 low banks of the river, and the number 
 less islands which dotted its broad, 
 shallow waters, were alive with wood 
 peckers of every size and hue. In every 
 direction they darted among the tall 
 dead trees which overhung the muddy 
 stream, making the trunks resound with 
 the incessant hammering of their small 
 but powerful beaks. Large flocks of 
 gaily plumed parroquets whirled scream 
 ing past us, with a surprising velocity. 
 
 At ten o clock the party had travelled 
 several miles across the prairie, and our 
 vicinity to the village was becoming 
 more perceptible. Mounted Indians, 
 sent out to watch for our approach, were 
 seen here and there flying across the 
 hills in the direction of the village, to 
 give notice of the arrival to their chiefs. 
 At a distance we could perceive several 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 bands of Indians in pursuit of large 
 droves of their wild and fiery horses, 
 which they were urging at a headlong 
 speed in the direction of the town. In 
 another quarter, on the top of a ridge of 
 small hills, groups of five or six w r ere 
 standing, intently watching the motions 
 of the party, which, from the jaded state 
 of the oxen, were necessarily slow. The 
 soldiers, who had been lazily lounging 
 across the prairie, were now called in, 
 and formed in a compact body round the 
 baggage waggons. An hour more brought 
 us in sight of the village. 
 
 Upon our near approach, we could 
 perceive that the hills surrounding it 
 were black with masses of mounted 
 warriors. Though they swarmed upon 
 their tops, to the number of several 
 thousands, yet they stood motionless 
 and in silence, watching the approach 
 of the mission. At length a single 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 263 
 
 horseman detached himself from the 
 mass, and came galloping down the hill 
 and over the prairie to meet us. As 
 he approached, there was a wild, free 
 air about him, and he governed his gi 
 gantic black horse with the greatest 
 ease. I could not but think that if 
 the rest of these warriors were of the 
 same mould, any resistance of our band, 
 however desperate, would avail but little 
 against an attack of these proud rulers 
 of the prairie. 
 
 Upon reaching the party, he sprang 
 from his horse, and shook hands with 
 
 Mr. E . He then gave directions, 
 
 through the interpreter, that the band 
 should be drawn up in as small a com 
 pass as possible, to avoid all contact 
 with his warriors. After spending some 
 time in completing his arrangements, 
 he galloped back, and gave the signal 
 to the rest. In an instant the hills were 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 deserted, and the whole mass of war 
 riors were rushing towards us, across 
 the broad bosom of the prairie. It was 
 a moment of intense and fearful expect 
 ation. On they came ; each mad horse 
 with erect mane and blazing eye, urged 
 forward by the bloody spur of an In 
 dian master. They had reached within 
 two hundred yards of the party, but 
 still the speed of their horses was un 
 checked, and the powerful tramp of 
 their hoofs rang like thunder upon the 
 sod of the prairie. At a signal, how 
 ever, from the chief) the band separated 
 to the right and left, and commenced 
 circling round us, in one dark, dense 
 flood. Their whoops and yells, and the 
 furious and menacing manner in which 
 they brandished their bows and toma 
 hawks, would have led a person un 
 acquainted with their habits to have 
 looked upon this reception as any thing 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 265 
 
 but friendly. There is something in the 
 fierce, shrill scream of a band of Indian 
 warriors, which rings through the brain, 
 and sends the blood curdling back to 
 the heart. Their ornaments, though 
 wild, were many of them beautiful. 
 The closely shaved heads of some were 
 adorned with the plumage of different 
 birds. Others wore an ornament of 
 deer s hair, bound up in a form resem 
 bling the crest of an ancient helmet ; 
 and a plume of the bald eagle floated 
 from the long scalp-locks of the prin 
 cipal warriors. 
 
 Some few wore necklaces of the claws 
 of the grisly bear hanging down upon 
 their breasts. The bodies of some were 
 wrapped in buffalo robes, or the skin of 
 the white wolf; but the most of them 
 wore no covering, save a thick coat of 
 paint. This they had profusely smeared 
 over their bodies and arms, and many 
 
 VOL. I. N 
 
266 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 had even bestowed it upon the heads 
 and limbs of their horses. After dash 
 ing round us for some time, the chief 
 waved his hand, and the turmoil ceased. 
 The warriors sprang from their horses, 
 and, seating themselves round in a large 
 circle, waited for the arrival of the chief 
 of the Grand Pawnees. In a few mo 
 ments he advanced to meet Mr. E , 
 
 accompanied by the different chiefs of 
 Tappage Pawnee, Pawnee Republican, 
 and Pawnee Loup villages. He was a 
 tall, powerful Indian. A fillet of the 
 skin of the grisly bear, ornamented with 
 feathers, was bound round his head. 
 Over his shoulder was thrown a large 
 mantle of white wolf-skin, also adorned 
 with feathers. His legs were cased in 
 black leggings of dressed buffalo hide, 
 worked with beads, and fringed with 
 long locks of human hair. These were 
 taken from scalps won in his various 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 26*7 
 
 war expeditions, and hung down over 
 his knees, trailing upon the ground as 
 lie walked. He first advanced and wel 
 comed Mr. E , and afterwards the rest. 
 
 The chiefs of the three different villages 
 were then introduced, and repeated the 
 words of welcome uttered by the first. 
 
 This ceremony was scarcely finished 
 when a movement was observed among 
 the crowd ; and a powerful roan horse, 
 mounted by an armed Indian, bounded 
 forward to the middle of the circle, 
 where the rider sprang from his back. 
 He was a stranger among the tribe, and 
 spoke not their language a Kioway * 
 
 * We afterwards learned that this Indian had 
 become enamoured of a young girl of his own 
 tribe, the wife of another ; but her husband having 
 gone upon some expedition, she had taken ad 
 vantage of his absence to leave her nation with her 
 lover ; and together they had fled to the Pawnee 
 village, which they reached a week previous to our 
 arrival. 
 
 N <2 
 
268 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 Indian, from the borders of Mexico 
 a member of those wild tribes who, like 
 the Arabs, rove the immense plains of 
 the west, and carry destruction to all who 
 are not strong enough to resist them. 
 After pausing and looking around him 
 for a moment, with a glance that seemed 
 to challenge opposition from the as 
 sembled warriors, he walked up to Mr. 
 
 E . He was slight, and beautifully 
 
 formed ; but there was a fire in his eye, 
 a swell of the nostril, and a proud curve 
 of the lip, which showed a spirit that 
 brooked no opposition, shunned no dan 
 ger, and could only be quenched by the 
 chill of the grave. His long black hair, 
 which trailed behind him on the ground, 
 was plaited together, and ornamented 
 with about twenty plates of massive 
 silver. A band of silver was fastened 
 round his throat, and several large 
 medals of the same metal hung upon his 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 breast. Upon his arms were several 
 bands of silver, and rings of the same 
 upon his fingers. His leggings, though 
 more finely wrought, like those of the 
 chiefs, were fringed with scalps. A 
 scalp, consisting of the entire upper part 
 of a human head, hung from the bit of 
 his fiery horse. Upon coming up, he 
 
 offered his hand to Mr. E , and in 
 
 succession to the rest ; and after pausing 
 and gazing upon us for a short time, 
 with some curiosity, he sprang upon his 
 horse, and, riding through the circle, was 
 lost behind the more distant crowd of 
 warriors. 
 
 For a short time after the introduction 
 of the various chiefs, the mass of grim 
 beings hemmed us in, sitting upon the 
 ground like so many dark forms of 
 statuary, without voice or motion. Seve 
 ral at length arose, and, coming towards 
 
 Mr. E and Major D (the 
 
 N 3 
 
270 INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 United States agent for the Pawnee In 
 dians), extended the stem of their pipes 
 to the lips of each ; then, instantly re 
 tiring, resumed their station in the 
 crowd. By this action, we afterwards 
 learned, that each pledged himself to 
 present a horse to the person to whom 
 he extended his pipe. In the mean- 
 while, two old men, who had no horses 
 to lose by the free indulgence of liberal 
 feelings, rose up, and, by loud and vehe 
 ment harangues, endeavoured to pique 
 the liberality of the rest. They boasted 
 of the number they would bestow, if 
 tliey but had them ; and recounted, as 
 examples, the acts of generosity which 
 they had performed in their youth. As 
 that youth ran far back, beyond the 
 memory of the oldest inhabitant, there 
 was little probability of their being con 
 tradicted. 
 
 After they had finished, the Wild 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 Horse (I do not recollect his Indian 
 name), the principal warrior of the nation, 
 stood up and harangued the assembled 
 multitude. He launched out in a long 
 panegyric upon the whites, which was 
 delivered with a warmth of expression no 
 doubt greatly increased by the sight of 
 the waggons laden with presents. This 
 warrior was one of the most singular, as 
 well as ferocious, of the tribe ; and many 
 were the tales of his war expeditions, 
 afterwards related to us by the trappers, 
 as we lay stretched around our night-fires. 
 His height could have been but little 
 short of seven feet, and every limb was 
 in proportion. Unlike the rest of his 
 tribe, his hair remained unshaven, and 
 hung in long tangled locks, which 
 reached nearly to his waist, and were 
 profusely smeared with red ochre. His 
 low, retreating forehead was almost bu 
 ried in wrinkles ; and his eyes, deep set 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 in his head, glowed like living coals. 
 His nose was large and prominent ; and 
 the size of an enormous mouth was not 
 at all diminished by two streaks of ver 
 milion, which he had drawn from each 
 corner to his ears. He wore neither cover 
 ing nor ornament, unless the profusion of 
 black clay and red ochre, which covered 
 his body, deserved that name. He stood 
 out, in his naked proportions, a giant 
 among those who surrounded him ; and 
 the wild energy of his gesticulation, as he 
 delivered his harangue, showed the pro 
 digious strength hidden in his form, and 
 which only required an occasion to bring 
 it into action. From his youth upward he 
 had been the leading warrior in the na 
 tion, and his deeds had spread a terror of 
 his name through all the hostile tribes. 
 Though no chief, his influence in the vil 
 lage was equal to theirs, rendering him as 
 
INDIAN SKETCHES. 273 
 
 much an object of jealousy to them, as 
 of dread to their enemies. 
 
 When he had finished his address, the 
 chief rose and spoke to his men. After 
 this, the circle opened ; and, forming into 
 two lines, one on each side, the warriors 
 prepared to escort us into their village. 
 
 END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed by A. SPOTTISWOODE, 
 New-Street- Square. 
 
This day is published, in 1 vol. post 8vo, 10s. 6d., the 
 THIRD and LAST SERIES of 
 
 GLEANINGS IN NATURAL HISTORY, 
 
 NOTICES OF SOME OF THE ROYAL RESIDENCES. 
 
 By EDWARD JESS ;, Esq., 
 Surveyor of His Majesty s Parks and Palaces. 
 
 Also, price 105. 6d. 
 
 A THIRD EDITION OF JESSE S GLEANINGS, 
 VOLUME I. 
 
 A SECOND EDITION OF JESSE S GLEANINGS, 
 VOLUME II. 
 
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INDIAN SKETCHES. 
 
 our wavering belief, took an opportunity 
 of whispering into our ears that, " in 
 boasting of his exploits, an Indian was 
 always scrupulous in adhering to the 
 truth." This w r as perfectly convincing ; 
 and while we travelled along within the 
 verge of possibility, w r e were resolved to 
 give credence to all that he uttered. 
 
 After listening to a few more of these 
 worthies, and smoking a few pipes of 
 kin-ne-ka-neek with the different chiefs, 
 the lotan rose up, and the party prepared 
 to move onward towards the town. 
 
 In crossing the prairie, which sepa 
 rated us from the village, our course was 
 stopped by a deep gulley, which about a 
 dozen squaws were engaged in filling 
 with bushes and weeds, to render it pass 
 able for the heavy waggons. While this 
 was going on, the old Indian who had 
 first delivered his address, came sweeping 
 
 VOL. I. H