ContentsI
EARLIESTRECOLLECTIONS
I：Hakadah，\"ThePitifulLast\"
II：EarlyHardshipsIII：MyIndianGrandmotherIV：InIndianSugarCampV：AMidsummerFeastII
ANINDIANBOY’STRAINING
III
MYPLAYSANDPLAYMATES
I：GamesandSportsII：MyPlaymatesIII：TheBoyHunterIV
HAKADAH’SFIRSTOFFERING
V
FAMILYTRADITIONS
I：AVisittoSmokyDayII：TheStoneBoyVI
EVENINGINTHELODGE
I：EveningintheLodgeII：AdventuresofMyUncleVII
THEENDOFTHEBEARDANCE
VIII
THEMAIDENS’FEAST
IX
MORELEGENDS
I：ALegendofDevil’sLakeII：Manitoshaw’sHuntingX
INDIANLIFEANDADVENTURE
I：LifeintheWoodsII：AWinterCampIII：WildHarvestsIV：AMeetingonthePlainsV：AnAdventurousJourneyXI
THELAUGHINGPHILOSOPHER
XII
FIRSTIMPRESSIONSOFCIVILIZATION
I
EarliestRecollectionsI：Hadakah，\"ThePitifulLast\"
WHATboywouldnotbeanIndianforawhilewhenhethinksofthefreestlifeintheworld？Thislifewasmine。Everydaytherewasarealhunt。Therewasrealgame。
Occasionallytherewasamedicinedanceawayoffinthewoodswherenoonecoulddisturbus，inwhichtheboysimpersonatedtheirelders，BraveBull，StandingElk，HighHawk，MedicineBear，andtherest。Theypaintedandimitatedtheirfathersandgrandfatherstotheminutestdetail，andaccuratelytoo，becausetheyhadseentherealthingalltheirlives。
Wewerenotonlygoodmimicsbutwewereclosestudentsofnature。Westudiedthehabitsofanimalsjustasyoustudyyourbooks。Wewatchedthemenofourpeopleandrepresentedtheminourplay;thenlearnedtoemulatetheminourlives。
Nopeoplehaveabetteruseoftheirfivesensesthanthechildrenofthewilderness。Wecouldsmellaswellashearandsee。Wecouldfeelandtasteaswellaswecouldseeandhear。Nowherehasthememorybeenmorefullydevelopedthaninthewildlife，andIcanstillseewhereinIowemuchtomyearlytraining。
OfcourseImyselfdonotrememberwhenI
firstsawtheday，butmybrothershaveoftenrecalledtheeventwithmuchmirth;foritwasacustomoftheSiouxthatwhenaboywasbornhisbrothermustplungeintothewater，orrollinthesnownakedifitwaswintertime;andifhewasnotbigenoughtodoeitherofthesehimself，waterwasthrownonhim。Ifthenew—bornhadasister，shemustbeimmersed。Theideawasthatawarriorhadcometocamp，andtheotherchil—
drenmustdisplaysomeactofhardihood。
Iwassounfortunateastobetheyoungestoffivechildrenwho，soonafterIwasborn，wereleftmotherless。Ihadtobearthehumiliatingname\"Hakadah，\"meaning\"thepitifullast，\"untilI
shouldearnamoredignifiedandappropriatename。Iwasregardedaslittlemorethanaplay—
thingbytherestofthechildren。
Mymother，whowasknownasthehandsomestwomanofalltheSpiritLakeandLeafDwellerSioux，wasdangerouslyill，andoneofthemedi—
cinemenwhoattendedhersaid：\"Anothermedicinemanhascomeintoexistence，butthemothermustdie。Thereforelethimbearthename’MysteriousMedicine。’\"Butoneoftheby—
standershastilyinterfered，sayingthatanuncleofthechildalreadyborethatname，so，forthetime，Iwasonly\"Hakadah。\"
Mybeautifulmother，sometimescalledthe\"Demi—Goddess\"oftheSioux，whotraditionsayshadeveryfeatureofaCaucasiandescentwiththeexceptionofherluxuriantblackhairanddeepblackeyes，heldmetightlytoherbosomuponherdeath—bed，whileshewhisperedafewwordstohermother—in—law。Shesaid：\"Igiveyouthisboyforyourown。Icannottrustmyownmotherwithhim;shewillneglecthimandhewillsurelydie。\"
Thewomantowhomthesewordswerespokenwasbelowtheaverageinstature，remarkablyac—
tiveforherage（shewasthenfullysixty），andpossessedofasmuchgoodnessasintelligence。Mymother’sjudgmentconcerningherownmotherwaswellfounded，forsoonafterherdeaththatoldladyappeared，anddeclaredthatHakadahwastooyoungtolivewithoutamother。SheofferedtokeepmeuntilIdied，andthenshewouldputmeinmymother’sgrave。Ofcoursemyothergrandmotherdenouncedthesugges—
tionasaverywickedone，andrefusedtogivemeup。
Thebabewasdoneupasusualinamovablecradlemadefromanoakboardtwoandahalffeetlongandoneandahalffeetwide。Ononesideofitwasnailedwithbrass—headedtackstherichly—embroideredsack，whichwasopeninfrontandlacedupanddownwithbuckskinstrings。
Overthearmsoftheinfantwasawoodenbow，theendsofwhichwerefirmlyattachedtotheboard，sothatifthecradleshouldfallthechild’sheadandfacewouldbeprotected。Onthisbowwerehungcuriousplaythings——stringsofartis—
ticallycarvedbonesandhoofsofdeer，whichrattledwhenthelittlehandsmovedthem。
InthisuprightcradleIlived，playedandsleptthegreaterpartofthetimeduringthefirstfewmonthsofmylife。WhetherIwasmadetoleanagainstalodgepoleorwassuspendedfromaboughofatree，whilemygrandmothercutwood，orwhetherIwascarriedonherback，orcon—
venientlybalancedbyanotherchildinasimilarcradlehungontheoppositesideofapony，Iwasstillinmyoakenbed。
Thisgrandmother，whohadalreadylivedthroughsixtyyearsofhardships，wasawondertotheyoungmaidensofthetribe。SheshowednolessenthusiasmoverHakadahthanshehaddonewhensheheldherfirst—born，theboy’sfather，inherarms。Everylittleattentionthatisduetoalovedchildsheperformedwithmuchskillandde—
votion。Shemadeallmyscantygarmentsandmytinymoccasinswithagreatdealoftaste。ItwassaidbyallthatIcouldnothavehadmoreatten—
tionhadmymotherbeenliving。
Uncheedah（grandmother）wasagreatsinger。
Sometimes，whenHakadahwakenedtooearlyinthemorning，shewouldsingtohimsomethinglikethefollowinglullaby：
Sleep，sleep，myboy，theChippewasArefaraway——arefaraway。
Sleep，sleep，myboy;preparetomeetThefoebyday——thefoebyday！
ThecowardswillnotdaretofightTillmorningbreak——tillmorningbreak。
Sleep，sleep，mychild，whilestill’tisnight;
Thenbravelywake——thenbravelywake！
TheDakotawomenwerewonttocutandbringtheirfuelfromthewoodsand，infact，toperformmostofthedrudgeryofthecamp。Thisofneces—
sityfelltotheirlot，becausethemenmustfollowthegameduringtheday。Veryoftenmygrand—
mothercarriedmewithherontheseexcursions;
andwhilesheworkeditwasherhabittosuspendmefromawildgrapevineoraspringybough，sothattheleastbreezewouldswingthecradletoandfro。
ShehastoldmethatwhenIhadgrownoldenoughtotakenotice，Iwasapparentlycapableofholdingextendedconversationsinanunknowndialectwithbirdsandredsquirrels。OnceIfellasleepinmycradle，suspendedfiveorsixfeetfromtheground，whileUncheedahwassomedis—
tanceaway，gatheringbirchbarkforacanoe。A
squirrelhadfounditconvenienttocomeuponthebowofmycradleandnibblehishickorynut，untilheawokemebydroppingthecrumbsofhismeal。
Mydisapprovalofhisintrusionwassodecidedthathehadtotakeasuddenandquickflighttoanotherbough，andfromtherehebegantopourouthiswrathuponme，whileIcontinuedmyob—
jectionstohispresencesoaudiblythatUncheedahsooncametomyrescue，andcompelledtheboldintrudertogoaway。Itwasacommonthingforbirdstoalightonmycradleinthewoods。
Myfoodwas，atfirst，atroublesomequestionformykindfoster—mother。Shecookedsomewildriceandstrainedit，andmixeditwithbrothmadefromchoicevenison。Shealsopoundeddriedvenisonalmosttoaflour，andkeptitinwatertillthenourishingjuiceswereextracted，thenmixedwithitsomepoundedmaize，whichwasbrownedbeforepounding。Thissoupofwildrice，poundedveni—
sonandmaizewasmymain—stay。Butsoonmyteethcame——muchearlierthanthewhitechildrenusuallycuttheirs;andthenmygoodnursegavemealittlemorevariedfood，andIdidallmyowngrinding。
AfterIleftmycradle，Ialmostwalkedawayfromit，shetoldme。Shethenbegancallingmyattentiontonaturalobjects。WheneverIheardthesongofabird，shewouldtellmewhatbirditcamefrom，somethingafterthisfashion：
\"Hakadah，listentoShechoka（therobin）call—
inghismate。Hesayshehasjustfoundsome—
thinkgoodtoeat。\"Or\"ListentoOopehanska（thethrush）;heissingingforhislittlewife。Hewillsinghisbest。\"Whenintheeveningthewhippoorwillstartedhissongwithvim，nofurtherthanastone’sthrowfromourtentinthewoods，shewouldsaytome：
\"Hush！ItmaybeanOjibwayscout！\"
Again，whenIwakedatmidnight，shewouldsay：
\"Donotcry！Hinakaga（theowl）iswatch—
ingyoufromthetree—top。\"
Iusuallycoveredupmyhead，forIhadperfectfaithinmygrandmother’sadmonitions，andshehadgivenmeadreadfulideaofthisbird。Itwasoneofherlegendsthatalittleboywasoncestand—
ingjustoutsideoftheteepee（tent），cryingvigor—
ouslyforhismother，whenHinakagaswoopeddowninthedarknessandcarriedthepoorlittlefellowupintothetrees。ItwaswellknownthatthehootoftheowlwascommonlyimitatedbyIndianscoutswhenonthewar—path。Therehadbeendreadfulmassacresimmediatelyfollowingthiscall。Thereforeitwasdeemedwisetoimpressthesoundearlyuponthemindofthechild。
Indianchildrenweretrainedsothattheyhardlyevercriedmuchinthenight。Thiswasveryex—
pedientandnecessaryintheirexposedlife。Inmyinfancyitwasmygrandmother’scustomtoputmetosleep，asshesaid，withthebirds，andtowakenmewiththem，untilitbecameahabit。Shedidthiswithanobjectinview。AnIndianmustal—
waysriseearly。Inthefirstplace，asahunter，hefindshisgamebestatdaybreak。Secondly，othertribes，whenonthewar—path，usuallymaketheirattackveryearlyinthemorning。Evenwhenourpeoplearemovingaboutleisurely，weliketorisebeforedaybreak，inordertotravelwhentheairiscool，andunobserved，perchance，byourenemies。
Asalittlechild，itwasinstilledintometobesilentandreticent。Thiswasoneofthemostim—
portanttraitstoforminthecharacteroftheIndian。
Asahunterandwarrioritwasconsideredabso—
lutelynecessarytohim，andwasthoughttolaythefoundationsofpatienceandself—control。Therearetimeswhenboisterousmirthisindulgedinbyourpeople，buttheruleisgravityanddecorum。
Afterall，mybabyhoodwasfullofinterestandthebeginningsoflife’srealities。Thespiritofdaringwasalreadywhisperedintomyears。Thevalueoftheeaglefeatheraswornbythewarriorhadcaughtmyeye。Oneday，whenIwasleftalone，atscarcelytwoyearsofage，Itookmyuncle’swarbonnetandpluckedoutallitseaglefeatherstodecoratemydogandmyself。Sosoonthelifethatwasaboutmehadmadeitsimpress，andalreadyIdesiredintenselytocomplywithallofitsdemands。
II：EarlyHardshipsONEoftheearliestrecollectionsofmyadventurouschildhoodistherideIhadonapony’sside。
Iwaspassiveinthewholemat—
ter。AlittlegirlcousinofminewasputinabagandsuspendedfromthehornofanIndiansaddle;butherweightmustbebalancedorthesaddlewouldnotremainontheanimal’sback。Accordingly，Iwasputintoanothersackandmadetokeepthesaddleandthegirlinposition！Ididnotobjectatall，forIhadaverypleasantgameofpeek—a—
boowiththelittlegirl，untilwecametoabigsnow—drift，wherethepoorbeastwasstuckfastandbegantoliedown。Thenitwasnotsonice！
Thiswastheconvenientandprimitivewayinwhichsomemotherspackedtheirchildrenforwinterjourneys。Howevercoldtheweathermightbe，theinmateofthefur—linedsackwasusuallyverycomfortable——atleastIusedtothinkso。IbelieveIwasaccustomedtoallthepre—
cariousIndianconveyances，and，asaboy，Ien—
joyedthedog—travauxrideasmuchasany。Thetravauxconsistedofasetofrawhidestripssecure—
lylashedtothetent—poles，whichwereharnessedtothesidesoftheanimalasifhestoodbetweenshafts，whilethefreeendswereallowedtodragontheground。Bothponiesandlargedogswereusedasbeastsofburden，andtheycarriedinthiswaythesmallerchildrenaswellasthebaggage。
Thismodeoftravellingforchildrenwaspossi—
bleonlyinthesummer，andasthedogsweresome—
timesunreliable，thelittleoneswereexposedtoacertainamountofdanger。Forinstance，when—
everatrainofdogshadbeentravellingforalongtime，almostperishingwiththeheatandtheirheavyloads，aglimpseofwaterwouldcausethemtoforgetalltheirresponsibilities。Someofthem，inspiteofthescreamsofthewomen，wouldswimwiththeirburdensintothecoolingstream，andIwasthus，onmorethanoneoccasion，madetopartakeofanunwillingbath。
Iwasalittleoverfouryearsoldatthetimeofthe\"Siouxmassacre\"inMinnesota。Inthegeneralturmoil，wetookflightintoBritishColumbia，andthejourneyisstillvividlyremem—
beredbyallourfamily。Ayokeofoxenandalumber—wagonweretakenfromsomewhitefarmerandbroughthomeforourconveyance。
HowdelightedIwaswhenIlearnedthatweweretoridebehindthosewise—lookinganimalsandinthatgorgeouslypaintedwagon！Itseemedalmostlikealivingcreaturetome，thisnewvehiclewithfourlegs，andthemoresowhenwegotoutofaxle—greaseandthewheelswentalongsquealinglikepigs！
Theboysfoundagreatdealofinnocentfuninjumpingfromthehighwagonwhiletheoxenwereleisurelymovingalong。Myelderbrotherssoonbecameexperts。Atlast，Imusteredupcourageenoughtojointheminthissport。Iwassuretheysteppedonthewheel，soIcautiouslyplacedmymoccasinedfootuponit。Alas！beforeIcouldrealizewhathadhappened，Iwasunderthewheels，andhaditnotbeenfortheneighborimmediatelybehindus，Imighthavebeenrunoverbythenextteamaswell。
Thiswasmyfirstexperiencewithacivilizedvehicle。Icriedoutallpossiblereproachesonthewhiteman’steamandconcludedthatadog—
travauxwasgoodenoughforme。Iwasreallyrejoicedthatweweremovingawayfromthepeoplewhomadethewagonthathadalmostendedmylife，anditdidnotoccurtomethatI
alonewastoblame。IcouldnotbepersuadedtorideinthatwagonagainandwasgladwhenwefinallyleftitbesidetheMissouririver。
Thesummerafterthe\"Minnesotamassacre，\"
GeneralSibleypursuedourpeopleacrossthisriver。NowtheMissouriisconsideredoneofthemosttreacherousriversintheworld。Evenagoodmodernboatisnotsafeuponitsuncertaincurrent。Wewereforcedtocrossinbuffalo—skinboats——asroundastubs！
TheWashechu（whitemen）werecomingingreatnumberswiththeirbigguns，andwhilemostofourmenwerefightingthemtogaintime，thewomenandtheoldmenmadeandequippedthetemporaryboats，bracedwithribsofwillow。
Someoftheseweretowedbytwoorthreewomenormenswimminginthewaterandsomebyponies。
Itwasnotaneasymattertokeepthemrightsideup，withtheirhelplessfreightoflittlechildrenandsuchgoodsaswepossessed。
Inourflight，welittlefolkswerestrappedinthesaddlesorheldinfrontofanolderperson，andinthelongnightmarchestogetawayfromthesoldiers，wesufferedfromlossofsleepandinsuf—
ficientfood。Ourmealswereeatenhastily，andsometimesinthesaddle。Waterwasnotalwaystobefound。Thepeoplecarrieditwiththeminbagsformedoftripeorthedriedpericardiumofanimals。
Nowwewerecompelledtotrespassuponthecountryofhostiletribesandwereharassedbythemalmostdailyandnightly。Onlythestrictestvigilancesavedus。
OnedaywemetwithanotherenemyneartheBritishlines。Itwasaprairiefire。Weweresur—
rounded。Anotherfirewasquicklymade，whichsavedourlives。
Oneofthemostthrillingexperiencesofthefollowingwinterwasablizzard，whichovertookusinourwanderings。Hereandthere，afamilylaydowninthesnow，selectingaplacewhereitwasnotlikelytodriftmuch。Foradayandanightwelayunderthesnow。Unclestuckalongpolebesideustotelluswhenthestormwasover。
Wehadplentyofbuffalorobesandthesnowkeptuswarm，butwefounditheavy。Afteratime，itbecamepackedandhollowedoutaroundourbodies，sothatwewereascomfortableasonecanbeunderthosecircumstances。
Thenextdaythestormceased，andwedis—
coveredalargeherdofbuffaloesalmostuponus。
Wedugourwayout，shotsomeofthebuffaloes，madeafireandenjoyedagooddinner。
Iwasnowanexileaswellasmotherless;yetI
wasnotunhappy。Ourwanderingsfromplacetoplaceaffordedusmanypleasantexperiencesandquiteasmanyhardshipsandmisfortunes。Thereweretimesofplentyandtimesofscarcity，andwehadseveralnarrowescapesfromdeath。Insav—
agelife，theearlyspringisthemosttryingtimeandalmostallthefaminesoccurredatthisperiodoftheyear。
TheIndiansareapatientandaclannishpeople;
theirloveforoneanotherisstrongerthanthatofanycivilizedpeopleIknow。Ifthiswerenotso，Ibelievetherewouldhavebeentribesofcannibalsamongthem。Whitepeoplehavebeenknowntokillandeattheircompanionsinpreferencetostarving;butIndians——never！
Intimesoffamine，theadultsoftendeniedthemselvesinordertomakethefoodlastaslongaspossibleforthechildren，whowerenotabletobearhungeraswellastheold。Asapeople，theycanlivewithoutfoodmuchlongerthananyothernation。
Ioncepassedthroughoneofthesehardspringswhenwehadnothingtoeatforseveraldays。I
wellrememberthesixsmallbirdswhichconsti—
tutedthebreakfastforsixfamiliesonemorning;
andthenwehadnodinnerorsuppertofollow！
Whatareliefthatwastome——althoughIhadonlyasmallwingofasmallbirdformyshare！Soonafterthis，wecameintoaregionwherebuffaloeswereplenty，andhungerandscarcitywerefor—
gotten。
SuchwastheIndian’swildlife！Whengamewastobehadandthesunshone，theyeasilyforgotthebitterexperiencesofthewinterbefore。Littlepreparationwasmadeforthefuture。TheyarechildrenofNature，andoccasionallyshewhipsthemwiththelashesofexperience，yettheyareforgetfulandcareless。Muchoftheirsufferingmighthavebeenpreventedbyalittlecalculation。
Duringthesummer，whenNatureisatherbest，andprovidesabundantlyforthesavage，itseemstomethatnolifeishappierthanhis！Foodisfree——lodgingfree——everythingfree！Allwerealikerichinthesummer，and，again，allwerealikepoorinthewinterandearlyspring。However，theirdiseaseswerefewerandnotsodestructiveasnow，andtheIndian’shealthwasgenerallygood。
TheIndianboyenjoyedsuchalifeasalmostallboysdreamofandwouldchooseforthemselvesiftheywerepermittedtodoso。
Theraidsmadeuponourpeoplebyothertribeswerefrequent，andwehadtobeconstantlyonthewatch。Irememberatonetimeanightattackwasmadeuponourcampandallourponiesstam—
peded。Onlyafewofthemwererecovered，andourjourneysafterthismisfortunewereeffectedmostlybymeansofthedog—travaux。
Thesecondwinterafterthemassacre，myfatherandmytwoolderbrothers，withseveralothers，werebetrayedbyahalf—breedatWinnipegtotheUnitedStatesauthorities。AsIwasthenlivingwithmyuncleinanotherpartofthecountry，Ibe—
cameseparatedfromthemfortenyears。Duringallthistimewebelievedthattheyhadbeenkilledbythewhites，andIwastaughtthatImustavengetheirdeathsassoonasIwasabletogouponthewar—path。
Imustsayawordinregardtothecharacterofthisuncle，myfather’sbrother，whowasmyad—
viserandteacherformanyyears。Hewasamanaboutsixfeettwoinchesinheight，veryerectandbroad—shouldered。HewasknownatthattimeasoneofthebesthuntersandbravestwarriorsamongtheSiouxinBritishAmerica，wherehestilllives，fortothisdaywehavefailedtopersuadehimtoreturntotheUnitedStates。
HeisatypicalIndian——nothandsome，buttruthfulandbrave。Hehadafewsimpleprinci—
plesfromwhichhehardlyeverdeparted。SomeoftheseIshalldescribewhenIspeakofmyearlytraining。
Itiswonderfulthatanychildrengrewupthroughalltheexposuresandhardshipsthatwesufferedinthosedays！Thefrailteepeepitchedanywhere，inthewinteraswellasinthesummer，wasalltheprotectionthatwehadagainstcoldandstorms。Icanrecalltimeswhenweweresnowedinanditwasverydifficulttogetfuel。Wewereoncethreedayswithoutmuchfireandallofthistimeitstormedviolently。Thereseemedtobenospecialanxietyonthepartofourpeople;theyratherlookeduponallthisasamatterofcourse，knowingthatthestormwouldceasewhenthetimecame。
Icouldonceendureasmuchcoldandhungerasanyofthem;butnowifImissonemealoraccidentallywetmyfeet，IfeelitasmuchasifI
hadneverlivedinthemannerIhavedescribed，whenitwasamatterofcoursetogetmyselfsoak—
ingwetmanyatime。Eveniftherewasplentytoeat，itwasthoughtbetterforustopracticefast—
ingsometimes;andhardexercisewaskeptupcontinually，bothforthesakeofhealthandtopreparethebodyfortheextraordinaryexertionsthatitmight，atanymoment，berequiredtoundergo。Inmyownremembrance，myuncleusedoftentobringhomeadeeronhisshoulder。Thedistancewassometimescon—
siderable;yethedidnotconsideritanysortofafeat。
Theusualcustomwithuswastoeatonlytwomealsadayandthesewereservedateachendoftheday。Thisrulewasnotinvariable，how—
ever，forifthereshouldbeanycallers，itwasIndianetiquettetooffereithertobaccoorfood，orboth。Theruleoftwomealsadaywasmorecloselyobservedbythemen——especiallytheyoungermen——thanbythewomenandchildren。
ThiswaswhentheIndiansrecognizedthatatruemanhood，oneofphysicalactivityandendurance，dependsupondietingandregularexercise。NosuchsystemispractisedbythereservationIndiansofto—day。
III：MyIndianGrandmotherASamotherlesschild，Ialwaysre—
gardedmygoodgrandmotherasthewisestofguidesandthebestofprotectors。ItwasnotlongbeforeIbegantorealizehersu—
perioritytomostofhercontempo—
raries。Thisideawasnotgainedentirelyfrommyownobservation，butalsofromaknowledgeofthehighregardinwhichshewasheldbyotherwo—
men。Asidefromhernativetalentandingenuity，shewasendowedwithatrulywonderfulmemory。
Noothermidwifeinherdayandtribecouldcom—
petewithherinskillandjudgment。Herobser—
vationsinpracticewereallpreservedinhermindforreference，assystematicallyasiftheyhadbeenwrittenuponthepagesofanote—book。
Idistinctlyrecalloneoccasionwhenshetookmewithherintothewoodsinsearchofcertainmedicinalroots。
\"Whydoyounotuseallkindsofrootsformedicines？\"saidI。
\"Because，\"shereplied，inherquick，charac—
teristicmanner，theGreatMysterydoesnotwillustofindthingstooeasily。Inthatcaseevery—
bodywouldbeamedicine—giver，andOhiyesamustlearnthattherearemanysecretswhichtheGreatMysterywilldiscloseonlytothemostworthy。Onlythosewhoseekhimfastingandinsolitudewillreceivehissigns。\"
Withthisandmanysimilarexplanationsshewroughtinmysoulwonderfulandlivelyconcep—
tionsofthe\"GreatMystery\"andoftheeffectsofprayerandsolitude。Icontinuedmychildishquestioning。
\"Butwhydidyounotdigthoseplantsthatwesawinthewoods，ofthesamekindthatyouarediggingnow？\"
\"Forthesamereasonthatwedonotliketheberrieswefindintheshadowofdeepwoodsaswellastheoneswhichgrowinsunnyplaces。Thelatterhavemoresweetnessandflavor。Thoseherbswhichhavemedicinalvirtuesshouldbesoughtinaplacethatisneithertoowetnortoodry，andwheretheyhaveagenerousamountofsunshinetomaintaintheirvigor。
\"SomedayOhiyesawillbeoldenoughtoknowthesecretsofmedicine;thenIwilltellhimall。
Butifyoushouldgrowuptobeabadman，I
mustwithholdthesetreasuresfromyouandgivethemtoyourbrother，foramedicinemanmustbeagoodandwiseman。IhopeOhiyesawillbeagreatmedicinemanwhenhegrowsup。Tobeagreatwarriorisanobleambition;buttobeamightymedicinemanisanobler！\"
Shesaidthesethingssothoughtfullyandim—
pressivelythatIcannotbutfeelandrememberthemeventothisday。
Ournativewomengatheredallthewildrice，roots，berriesandfruitswhichformedanimpor—
tantpartofourfood。Thiswasdistinctivelyawoman’swork。Uncheedah（grandmother）under—
stoodthesemattersperfectly，anditbecameakindofinstinctwithhertoknowjustwheretolookforeachediblevarietyandatwhatseasonoftheyear。ThissortoflaborgavetheIndianwomeneveryopportunitytoobserveandstudyNatureaftertheirfashion;andinthisUncheedahwasmoreacutethanmostofthemen。Theabilitiesofherboyswerenotallinheritedfromtheirfather;indeed，thestrongerfamilytraitscameobviouslyfromher。Shewasaleaderamongthenativewomen，andtheycametoher，notonlyformedicalaid，butforadviceinalltheiraffairs。
Inbraverysheequaledanyofthemen。Thistrait，togetherwithheringenuityandalertnessofmind，morethanoncesavedherandherpeoplefromdestruction。Once，whenwewereroamingoveraregionoccupiedbyothertribes，andonadaywhenmostofthemenwereoutuponthehunt，apartyofhostileIndianssuddenlyap—
peared。Althoughtherewereafewmenleftathome，theyweretakenbysurpriseatfirstandscarcelyknewwhattodo，whenthiswomancameforwardandadvancedalonetomeetourfoes。
Shehadgonesomedistancewhensomeofthemenfollowedher。Shemetthestrangersandofferedherhandtothem。Theyacceptedherfriendlygreeting;andasaresultofherbraveactwewereleftunmolestedandatpeace。
Anotherstoryofherwasrelatedtomebymyfather。Mygrandfather，whowasanotedhunter，oftenwanderedawayfromhisbandinsearchofgame。Inthisinstancehehadwithhimonlyhisownfamilyofthreeboysandhiswife。Oneevening，whenhereturnedfromthechase，hefoundtohissurprisethatshehadbuiltastockadearoundherteepee。
Shehaddiscoveredthedanger—signinasinglefoot—print，whichshesawataglancewasnotthatofherhusband，andshewasalsoconvincedthatitwasnotthefoot—printofaSioux，fromtheshapeofthemoccasin。Thisabilitytorecognizefoot—
printsisgeneralamongtheIndians，butmoremarkedincertainindividuals。
ThiscourageouswomanhaddrivenawayapartyoffiveOjibwaywarriors。Theyapproachedthelodgecautiously，butherdoggavetimelywarning，andshepouredintothemfrombehindherdefencesthecontentsofadouble—barrelledgun，withsuchgoodeffectthattheastonishedbravesthoughtitwisetoretreat。
IwasnotmorethanfiveorsixyearsoldwhentheIndiansoldierscameonedayanddestroyedourlargebuffalo—skinteepee。Itwaschargedthatmyunclehadhuntedalonealargeherdofbuffaloes。
Thiswasnotexactlytrue。Hehadunfortunatelyfrightenedalargeherdwhileshootingadeerintheedgeofthewoods。However，itwascustom—
arytopunishsuchanactseverely，eventhoughtheoffensewasaccidental。
Whenwewereattackedbythepolice，Iwasplay—
ingintheteepee，andtheonlyotherpersonathomewasUncheedah。Ihadnotnoticedtheirapproach，andwhenthewar—crywasgivenbythirtyorfortyIndianswithstronglungs，Ithoughtmylittleworldwascomingtoanend。Instantlyinnumerableknivesandtomahawkspenetratedourfrailhome，whilebulletswentthroughthepolesandtent—fasteningsupaboveourheads。
IhardlyknowwhatIdid，butIimagineitwasjustwhatanyotherlittlefellowwouldhavedoneunderlikecircumstances。Myfirstclearrealiza—
tionofthesituationwaswhenUncheedahhadadisputewiththeleader，claimingthatthematterhadnotbeenproperlyinvestigated，andthatnoneofthepolicemenhadattainedtoareputationinwarwhichwouldjustifythemintouchingherson’steepee。Butalas！ourpoordwellingwasalreadyanunrecognizableruin;eventhepoleswerebrokenintosplinters。
TheIndianwomen，afterreachingmiddleage，areusuallyheavyandlackagility，butmygrand—
motherwasinthisalsoanexception。ShewasfullysixtywhenIwasborn;andwhenIwassevenyearsoldsheswamacrossaswiftandwidestream，carryingmeonherback，becauseshedidnotwishtoexposemetoaccidentinoneoftheclumsyroundboatsofbull—hidewhichwereriggeduptocrosstheriverswhichimpededourway，especiallyinthespringtime。Herstrengthandendurancewereremarkable。Evenaftershehadattainedtheageofeighty—two，sheonedaywalkedtwenty—fivemileswithoutappearingmuchfa—
tigued。
Imarvelnowatthepurityandelevatedsenti—
mentpossessedbythiswoman，whenIconsiderthecustomsandhabitsofherpeopleatthetime。
Whenherhusbanddiedshewasstillcompara—
tivelyayoungwoman——stillactive，cleverandindustrious。Shewasdescendedfromahaughtychieftainofthe\"DwellersamongtheLeaves。\"
Althoughwomenofherageandpositionwereheldtobeeligibletore—marriage，andshehadseveralpersistentsuitorswhoweremenofherownageandchiefs，yetshepreferredtocherishinsolitudethememoryofherhusband。
IwasverysmallwhenmyunclebroughthometwoOjibwayyoungwomen。Inthefightinwhichtheywerecaptured，noneoftheSiouxwarpartyhadbeenkilled;thereforetheyweresympathizedwithandtenderlytreatedbytheSiouxwomen。
Theywereapparentlyhappy，althoughofcoursetheyfeltdeeplythelossessustainedatthetimeoftheircapture，andtheydidnotfailtoshowtheirappreciationofthekindnessesreceivedatourhands。
AsIrecallnowtheremarksmadebyoneofthematthetimeoftheirfinalrelease，theyap—
peartomequiteremarkable。Theylivedinmygrandmother’sfamilyfortwoyears，andwerethenreturnedtotheirpeopleatagreatpeacecouncilofthetwonations。Whentheywereabouttoleavemygrandmother，theelderofthetwosistersfirstembracedher，andthenspokesomewhatasfollows：
\"Youareabravewomanandatruemother。
Iunderstandnowwhyyoursonsobravelycon—
queredourband，andtookmysisterandmyselfcaptive。Ihatedhimatfirst，butnowIadmirehim，becausehedidjustwhatmyfather，mybrotherormyhusbandwouldhavedonehadtheyopportunity。Hedidevenmore。Hesavedusfromthetomahawksofhisfellow—war—
riors，andbroughtustohishometoknowanobleandabravewoman。
\"Ishallneverforgetyourmanyfavorsshowntous。ButImustgo。IbelongtomytribeandIshallreturntothem。Iwillendeavortobeatruewomanalso，andtoteachmyboystobegenerouswarriorslikeyourson。\"
HersisterchosetoremainamongtheSiouxallherlife，andshemarriedoneofouryoungmen。
\"IshallmaketheSiouxandtheOjibways，\"
shesaid，\"tobeasbrothers。\"
Therearemanyotherinstancesofintermar—
riagewithcaptivewomen。Themotherofthewell—knownSiouxchieftain，Wabashaw，wasanOjibwaywoman。Ionceknewawomanwhowassaidtobeawhitecaptive。Shewasmarriedtoanotedwarrior，andhadafinefamilyoffiveboys。ShewaswellaccustomedtotheIndianways，andasachildIshouldnothavesuspectedthatshewaswhite。Theskinsofthesepeoplebe—
camesosunburnedandfullofpaintthatitre—
quiredakeeneyetodistinguishthemfromtherealIndians。
IV：AnIndianSugarCampWITHthefirstMarchthawthethoughtsoftheIndianwomenofmychildhooddaysturnedpromptlytotheannualsugar—
making。Thisindustrywaschieflyfollowedbytheoldmenandwomenandthechildren。Therestofthetribewentoutuponthespringfur—huntatthissea—
son，leavingusathometomakethesugar。
Thefirstandmostimportantofthenecessaryutensilswerethehugeironandbrasskettlesforboiling。Everythingelsecouldbemade，butthesemustbebought，beggedorborrowed。A
mapletreewasfelledandalogcanoehollowedout，intowhichthesapwastobegathered。Littletroughsofbasswoodandbirchenbasinswerealsomadetoreceivethesweetdropsastheytrickledfromthetree。
Assoonastheselaborswereaccomplished，weallproceededtothebarksugarhouse，whichstoodinthemidstofafinegroveofmaplesonthebankoftheMinnesotariver。Wefoundthishutpartiallyfilledwiththesnowsofwinterandthewitheredleavesoftheprecedingautumn，anditmustbeclearedforouruse。Inthemeantimeatentwaspitchedoutsideforafewdays’occupancy。Thesnowwasstilldeepinthewoods，withasolidcrustuponwhichwecouldeasilywalk;forweusuallymovedtothesugarhousebeforethesaphadact—
uallystarted，thebettertocompleteourprepara—
tions。
Mygrandmotherworkedlikeabeaverinthesedays（orratherlikeamuskrat，astheIndianssay;
forthisindustriouslittleanimalsometimescollectsasmanyassixoreightbushelsofediblerootsforthewinter，onlytoberobbedofhisstorebysomeofourpeople）。Iftherewasprospectofagoodsugaringseason，shenowmadeasecondandevenathirdcanoetocontainthesap。Thesecanoeswereafterwardutilizedbythehuntersfortheirproperpurpose。
Duringourlastsugar—makinginMinnesota，be—
forethe\"outbreak，\"mygrandmotherwasatworkuponacanoewithheraxe，whileayoungauntofminestoodby。Weboyswerecongregatedwith—
inthelarge，ovalsugarhouse，busilyengagedinmakingarrowsforthedestructionoftherabbitsandchipmunkswhichweknewwouldcomeinnumberstodrinkthesap。Thebirdsalsowerebeginningtoreturn，andthecoldstormsofMarchwoulddrivethemtoourdoor。Iwasthentooyoungtodomuchexceptlookon;butIfullyen—
teredintothespiritoftheoccasion，andrejoicedtoseethebiggerboysindustriouslysharpentheirarrows，restingthemagainsttheendsofthelongstickswhichwereburninginthefire，andoccasion—
allycuttingachipfromthestick。Intheireager—
nesstheypaidlittleattentiontothiscircumstance，althoughtheywellknewthatitwasstrictlyfor—
biddentotouchaknifetoaburningember。
Suddenlyloudscreamswereheardfromwithoutandweallrushedouttoseewhatwasthematter。
Itwasaseriousaffair。Mygrandmother’saxehadslipped，andbyanupwardstrokenearlysev—
eredthreeofthefingersofmyaunt，whostoodlookingon，withherhandsfoldeduponherwaist。
Asweranouttheoldlady，whohadalreadyno—
ticedandreprovedourcarelessnessinregardtotheburningembers，pursueduswithloudreproachesandthreatsofawhipping。Thiswillseemmys—
terioustomyreaders，butiseasilyexplainedbytheIndiansuperstition，whichholdsthatsuchanoffenseaswehadcommittedisinvariablypunishedbytheaccidentalcuttingofsomeoneofthefamily。
Mygrandmotherdidnotconfineherselftocanoe—making。Shealsocollectedagoodsupplyoffuelforthefires，forshewouldnothavemuchtimetogatherwoodwhenthesapbegantoflow。
Presentlytheweathermoderatedandthesnowbe—
gantomelt。ThemonthofAprilbroughtshow—
erswhichcarriedmostofitoffintotheMinnesotariver。Nowthewomenbegantotestthetrees——
movingleisurelyamongthem，axeinhand，andstrikingasinglequickblow，toseeifthesapwouldappear。Thetrees，likepeople，havetheirindi—
vidualcharacters;somewerereadytoyielduptheirlife—blood，whileothersweremorereluctant。Nowoneofthebirchenbasinswassetundereachtree，andahardwoodchipdrivendeepintothecutwhichtheaxehadmade。Fromthecornersofthischip——atfirstdropbydrop，thenmorefreely——
thesaptrickledintothelittledishes。
Itisusualtomakesugarfrommaples，butsev—
eralothertreeswerealsotappedbytheIndians。
Fromthebirchandashwasmadeadark—coloredsugar，withasomewhatbittertaste，whichwasusedformedicinalpurposes。Thebox—elderyieldedabeautifulwhitesugar，whoseonlyfaultwasthattherewasneverenoughofit！
Alongfirewasnowmadeinthesugarhouse，andarowofbrasskettlessuspendedovertheblaze。Thesapwascollectedbythewomenintinorbirchenbucketsandpouredintothecanoes，fromwhichthekettleswerekeptfilled。Theheartsoftheboysbeathighwithpleasantantici—
pationswhentheyheardthewelcomehissingsoundoftheboilingsap！Eachboyclaimedonekettleforhisespecialcharge。Itwashisdutytoseethatthefirewaskeptupunderit，towatchlestitboilover，andfinally，whenthesapbecamesirup，totestituponthesnow，dippingitoutwithawoodenpaddle。Sofrequentweretheseteststhatforthefirstdayortwoweconsumednearlyallthatcouldbemade;anditwasnotuntilthesweetnessbegantopallthatmygrandmothersetherselfinearnesttostoreupsugarforfutureuse。
Shemadeitintocakesofvariousforms，inbirch—
enmolds，andsometimesinhollowcanesorreeds，andthebillsofducksandgeese。Someofitwaspulverizedandpackedinrawhidecases。Beingaprudentwoman，shedidnotgiveittousafterthefirstmonthorso，exceptuponspecialocca—
sions，anditwasthusmadetolastalmosttheyeararound。Thesmallercandieswerereservedasanoccasionaltreatforthelittlefellows，andthesugarwaseatenatfeastswithwildriceorparchedcorn，andalsowithpoundeddriedmeat。Coffeeandtea，withtheirsubstitutes，wereallunknowntousinthosedays。
Everypursuithasitstrialsandanxieties。Mygrandmother’sspecialtribulations，duringthesugaringseason，weretheupsettingandgnawingofholesinherbirch—barkpans。Thetransgres—
sorsweretherabbitandsquirreltribes，andwelittleboysforoncebecameuseful，inshootingthemwithourbowsandarrows。Wehuntedalloverthesugarcamp，untilthelittlecreatureswerefairlydrivenoutoftheneighborhood。Oc—
casionallyoneofmyolderbrothersbroughthomearabbitortwo，andthenwehadafeast。
ThesugaringseasonextendedwellintoApril，andthereturningbirdsmadetheprecinctsofourcampjoyfulwiththeirsongs。Ioftenfollowedmyolderbrothersintothewoods，althoughIwasthenbutfourorfiveyearsold。UpononeoftheseexcursionstheywentsofarthatIventuredbackalone。Whenwithinsightofourhut，Isawachipmunksittinguponalog，andutteringthesoundhemakeswhenhecallstohismate。Howgloriousitwouldbe，Ithought，ifIcouldshoothimwithmytinybowandarrows！StealthilyandcautiouslyIapproached，keepingmyeyesupontheprettylittleanimal，andjustasIwasabouttoletflymyshaft，Iheardahissingnoiseatmyfeet。Therelayahorridsnake，coiledandreadytospring！ForgetfulthatIwasawarrior，Igavealoudscreamandstartedbackward;butsoonrecollectingmyself，lookeddownwithshame，althoughnoonewasnear。However，Iretreatedtotheinclinedtrunkofafallentree，andthere，asIhaveoftenbeentold，wasoverheardsoliloquiz—
inginthefollowingwords：\"Iwonderifasnakecanclimbatree！\"
IrememberonthisoccasionofourlastsugarbushinMinnesota，thatIstoodonedayoutsideofourhutandwatchedtheapproachofavisitor——abentoldman，hishairalmostwhite，andcarryingonhisbackalargebundleofredwillow，orkinnikinick，whichtheIndiansuseforsmoking。
Hethrewdownhisloadatthedoorandthussalutedus：\"Youhaveindeedperfectweatherforsugar—making。\"
Itwasmygreat—grandfather，CloudMan，whoseoriginalvillagewasontheshoresofLakesCalhounandHarriet，nowinthesuburbsofthecityofMinneapolis。HewasthefirstSiouxchieftowelcometheProtestantmissionariesamonghispeople，andawell—knowncharacterinthosepio—
neerdays。Hebroughtuswordthatsomeofthepeacefulsugar—makersnearusontheriverhadbeenattackedandmurderedbyrovingOjib—
ways。Thisnewsdisturbedusnotalittle，forwerealizedthatwetoomightbecomethevictimsofanOjibwaywarparty。Thereforeweallfeltsomeuneasinessfromthistimeuntilwereturnedheavyladentoourvillage。
V：AMidsummerFeastITwasmidsummer。EverythingthattheSanteeSiouxhadunder—
takenduringtheyearhadbeenun—
usuallysuccessful。Thespringfur—huntershadbeenfortunate，andtheheavywinterhadprovedproductiveofmuchmaplesugar。Thewomen’spatchesofmaizeandpotatoeswerealreadysuffic—
ientlyadvancedtouse。TheWahpetonwanbandofSioux，the\"DwellersamongtheLeaves，\"werefullyawakenedtothefactthatitwasalmosttimeforthemidsummerfestivitiesoftheold，wilddays。
Theinvitationswerebundlesoftobacco，andacceptancesweresentbackfromthevariousbands——the\"LightLodges\"，\"DwellersbackfromtheRiver，\"andmanyothers，insimilarfashion。
BlueEarth，chiefofthe\"DwellersamongtheLeaves，\"wasthehost。
Thereweretobemanydifferentkindsofath—
leticgames;indeed，thefestivalwassomethinglikeaStatefair，inthatthereweremanysideshowsandcompetitiveevents。Forinstance，sup—
posingthat（Miss）WhiteRabbitshoulddesiretogivea\"maidens’feast，\"shewouldemployacriertogoamongthedifferentbandsannouncingthefactinasing—songmanner：
\"MissWhiteRabbitwillreceivehermaidenfriendsto—dayatnoon，insideofthecircularen—
campmentoftheKaposiaband。\"
Again，should（Mr。）SleepyEyewishtohavehischild’searspiercedpublicly，hewouldhavetogiveawayagreatdealofsavagewealth——namely，otter，bearandbeaverskinsandponies——orthechildwouldnotbeconsideredasbelongingtoafamilyingoodstanding。
Buttheoneall—importanteventoftheoccasionwasthelacrossegame，forwhichithadbeencus—
tomarytoselectthosetwobandswhichcouldboastthegreaternumberoffastrunners。
TheWahpetonwanvillageonthebanksoftheMinnesotariverwasalivewiththenewly—arrivedguestsandthepreparationsforthecomingevent。
Meatofwildgamehadbeenputawaywithmuchcareduringthepreviousfallinanticipationofthisfeast。Therewaswildriceandthechoicestofdriedvenisonthathadbeenkeptallwinter，aswellasfreshlydugturnips，ripeberriesandanabundanceoffreshmeat。
Alongtheedgeofthewoodstheteepeeswerepitchedingroupsorsemi—circles，eachbanddis—
tinctfromtheothers。TheteepeeofMankatoorBlueEarthwaspitchedinaconspicuousspot。
Justovertheentrancewaspaintedinredandyel—
lowapictureofapipe，anddirectlyoppositethistherisingsun。Thepaintingwassymbolicofwelcomeandgoodwilltomenunderthebrightsun。
Ameetingwasheldtoappointsome\"medi—
cineman\"tomaketheballsthatweretobeusedinthelacrossecontest;andpresentlytheheraldannouncedthatthishonorhadbeenconferreduponoldChankpee—yuhah，or\"KeepstheClub，\"
whileeveryothermanofhisprofessionwasdis—
appointed。Hewasapowerfulmanphysically，whohadapparentlywontheconfidenceofthepeoplebyhisfinepersonalappearanceandbyworkinguponsuperstitiousminds。
Towardseveningheappearedinthecircle，leadingbythehandaboyaboutfouryearsold。
Closelythelittlefellowobservedeverymotionoftheman;nothingescapedhisvigilantblackeyes，whichseemedconstantlytogrowbrighterandlarger，whilehisexuberantglossyblackhairwasplaitedandwoundaroundhisheadlikethatofaCelestial。Heworeabitofswan’sdownineachear，whichformedastrikingcontrastwiththechild’scomplexion。Furtherthanthis，theboywaspaintedaccordingtothefashionoftheage。Heheldinhishandsaminiaturebowandarrows。
Themedicinemandrewhimselfupinanad—
mirableattitude，andproceededtomakehisshortspeech：
\"Wahpetonwans，youboastthatyourundowntheelk;youcanoutruntheOjibways。Beforeyouall，Idedicatetoyouthisredball。Kaposias，youclaimthatnoonehasalighterfootthanyou;
youdeclarethatyoucanendurerunningawholedaywithoutwater。ToyouIdedicatethisblackball。EitheryouortheLeaf—Dwellerswillhavetodropyoureyesandbowyourheadwhenthegameisover。IwishtoannouncethatiftheWahpetonwansshouldwin，thislittlewarriorshallbearthenameOhiyesa（winner）throughlife;butiftheLightLodgesshouldwin，letthenamebegiventoanychildappointedbythem。\"
Thegroundselectedforthegreatfinalgamewasonanarrowstripoflandbetweenalakeandtheriver。Itwasaboutthreequartersofamilelongandaquarterofamileinwidth。Thespec—
tatorshadalreadyrangedthemselvesallalongthetwosides，aswellasatthetwoends，whichweresomewhathigherthanthemiddle。Thesoldiersappointedtokeeporderfurnishedmuchoftheentertainmentoftheday。Theypaintedartisticallyandtastefully，accordingtotheIndianfashion，notonlytheirbodiesbutalsotheirponiesandclubs。
Theyweresostrictinenforcingthelawsthatnoonecouldventurewithsafetywithinafewfeetofthelimitsofthefield。
Nowalloftheminoreventsandfeasts，occupy—
ingseveraldays’time，hadbeenobserved。Her—
aldsonponies’backsannouncedthatallwhoin—
tendedtoparticipateinthefinalgamewerere—
questedtorepairtotheground;alsothatifanyoneboreagrudgeagainstanother，hewasim—
ploredtoforgethisill—feelinguntilthecontestshouldbeover。
Themostpowerfulmenwerestationedatthehalf—wayground，whilethefastrunnerswereas—
signedtotheback。Itwasanimpressivespectacle——afinecollectionofagileforms，almoststrippedofgarmentsandpaintedinwildimitationoftherainbowandsunsetskyonhumancanvas。SomehadundertakentodepicttheMilkyWayacrosstheirtawnybodies，andoneortwomadeaboldattempttoreproducethelightning。Otherscon—
tentedthemselveswithpaintingthefigureofsomefleetanimalorswiftbirdontheirmuscularchests。
ThecoiffureoftheSiouxlacrosseplayerhasoftenbeenunconsciouslyimitatedbythefashion—
ablehair—dressersofmoderntimes。Somebangedandsingedtheirhair;othersdidalittlemorebyaddingpowder。TheGrecianknotwaslo—
catedonthewrongsideofthehead，beingtiedtightlyovertheforehead。Agreatmanysimplybrushedbacktheirlonglocksandtiedthemwithastripofotterskin。
Atthemiddleofthegroundwerestationedfourimmensemen，magnificentlyformed。Afifthap—
proachedthisgroup，pausedamoment，andthenthrewhisheadback，gazedupintotheskyinthemannerofacockandgaveasmooth，clearoper—
atictone。Instantlythelittleblackballwentupbetweenthetwomiddlerushers，inthemidstofyells，cheersandwar—whoops。Bothmenen—
deavoredtocatchitintheair;butalas！eachin—
terferedwiththeother;thentheguardsoneachsiderusheduponthem。Foratime，ahundredlacrossesticksviedwitheachother，andthewrig—
glinghumanfleshandpaintwereallonecouldseethroughthecloudofdust。Suddenlythereshotswiftlythroughtheairtowardthesouth，towardtheKaposias’goal，theball。Therewasageneralcheerfromtheiradherents，whichechoedbackfromthewhitecliffontheoppositesideoftheMinnesota。
Astheballflewthroughtheair，twoadver—
sarieswerereadytoreceiveit。TheKaposiaquicklymettheball，butfailedtocatchitinhisnettedbag，fortheotherhadswunghisuplikeaflash。Thusitstrucktheground，buthadnoop—
portunitytoboundupwhenaWahpetonpounceduponitlikeacatandslippedoutofthegraspofhisopponents。Amightycheerthunderedthroughtheair。
Thewarriorwhohadundertakentopilotthelittlespherewasriskingmuch，forhemustdodgeahostofKaposiasbeforehecouldgainanyground。
Hewasalertandagile;nowspringinglikeapanther，nowleapinglikeadeeroverastoopingopponentwhotriedtoseizehimaroundthewaist。
Everyopposingplayerwasuponhisheels，whilethoseofhisownsidedidallintheirpowertoclearthewayforhim。Butitwasallinvain。
Heonlygainedfiftypaces。
Thusthegamewent。Firstoneside，thentheotherwouldgainanadvantage，andthenitwaslost，untiltheheraldproclaimedthatitwastimetochangetheball。Novictorywasinsightforeitherside。
Afterafewminutes’rest，thegamewasresumed。
Theredballwasnowtossedintheairintheusualway。Nosoonerhaditdescendedthanoneoftherusherscaughtitandawayitwentnorthward;
againitwasfortunate，foritwasadvancedbyoneofthesameside。Thescenewasnowoneofthewildestexcitementandconfusion。Atlast，thenorthwardflightoftheballwascheckedforamomentandadesperatestruggleensued。Cheersandwar—whoopsbecamegeneral，suchaswereneverequaledinanyconcourseofsavages，andpossiblynowhereexceptatacollegegameoffoot—
ball。
Theballhadnotbeenallowedtocometothesurfacesinceitreachedthispoint，forthereweremorethanahundredmenwhoscrambledforit。
Suddenlyawarriorshotoutofthethrongliketheballitself！Thensomeoftheplayersshouted：
\"LookoutforAntelope！LookoutforAntelope！\"
Butitwastoolate。ThelittlespherehadalreadynestledintoAntelope’spalmandthatfleetestofWahpetonshadthrowndownhislacrossestickandsetadeterminedeyeuponthenortherngoal。
Suchaspeed！Hehadclearedalmostalltheopponents’guards——therewerebuttwomore。
ThesewereexceptionalrunnersoftheKaposias。