第2章
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  Asheapproachedtheminhisalmostirresistiblespeed,everysavageheartthumpedlouderintheIndian’sduskybosom。InanothermomenttherewouldbeadefeatfortheKaposiasoraprolonga—

  tionofthegame。Thetwomen,withadeterminedlookapproachedtheirfoeliketwopantherspre—

  paredtospring;yetheneitherslackenedhisspeednordeviatedfromhiscourse。Acrash——amightyshout!——thetwoKaposiascollided,andtheswiftAntelopehadwonthelaurels!

  Theturmoilandcommotionatthevictors’

  campwereindescribable。Afewbeatsofadrumwereheard,afterwhichthecriershurriedalongthelines,announcingthelastacttobeperformedatthecampofthe\"LeafDwellers。\"

  Thedayhadbeenaperfectone。Everyeventhadbeenasuccess;and,asamatterofcourse,theoldpeoplewerehappy,fortheylargelyprofitedbytheseoccasions。Withinthecircleformedbythegeneralassemblysatinagroupthemembersofthecommoncouncil。BlueEartharose,andinafewappropriateandcourteousremarksas—

  suredhisgueststhatitwasnotselfishnessthatledhisbravestocarryoffthehonorsofthelastevent,butthatthiswasafriendlycontestinwhicheachbandmustassertitsprowess。Inmemoryofthisvictory,theboywouldnowreceivehisname。A

  loud\"Ho—o—o\"ofapprobationreverberatedfromtheedgeoftheforestupontheMinnesota’sbank。

  Halffrightened,thelittlefellowwasnowbroughtintothecircle,lookingverymuchasifhewereabouttobeexecuted。Cheeraftercheerwentupfortheawe—strickenboy。Chankpee—yuhah,themedicineman,proceededtoconferthename。

  \"Ohiyesa(orWinner)shallbethynamehence—

  forth。Bebrave,bepatientandthoushaltalwayswin!ThynameisOhivesa。\"

  II

  AnIndianBoy’sTrainingITiscommonlysupposedthatthereisnosystematiceducationoftheirchildrenamongtheaboriginesofthiscountry。Nothingcouldbefartherfromthetruth。Allthecus—

  tomsofthisprimitivepeoplewereheldtobedivinelyinstituted,andthoseinconnec—

  tionwiththetrainingofchildrenwerescrupulouslyadheredtoandtransmittedfromonegenerationtoanother。

  Theexpectantparentsconjointlybentalltheireffortstothetaskofgivingthenew—comerthebesttheycouldgatherfromalonglineofancestors。A

  pregnantIndianwomanwouldoftenchooseoneofthegreatestcharactersofherfamilyandtribeasamodelforherchild。Thisherowasdailycalledtomind。Shewouldgatherfromtraditionallofhisnoteddeedsanddaringexploits,rehearsingthemtoherselfwhenalone。Inorderthattheimpres—

  sionmightbemoredistinct,sheavoidedcompany。

  Sheisolatedherselfasmuchaspossible,andwan—

  deredinsolitude,notthoughtlessly,butwithaneyetotheimpressgivenbygrandandbeautifulscenery。

  TheIndiansbelieved,also,thatcertainkindsofanimalswouldconferpeculiargiftsupontheun—

  born,whileotherswouldleavesostronganadverseimpressionthatthechildmightbecomeamonstros—

  ity。Acaseofhare—lipwascommonlyattributedtotherabbit。Itwassaidthatarabbithadcharmedthemotherandgiventothebabeitsownfeatures。

  Eventhemeatofcertainanimalswasdeniedthepregnantwoman,becauseitwassupposedtoinflu—

  encethedispositionorfeaturesofthechild。

  Scarcelywastheembyrowarriorusheredintotheworld,whenhewasmetbylullabiesthatspeakofwonderfulexploitsinhuntingandwar。Thoseideaswhichsofullyoccupiedhismother’smindbeforehisbirtharenowputintowordsbyallaboutthechild,whoisasyetquiteunresponsivetotheirappealstohishonorandambition。Heiscalledthefuturedefenderofhispeople,whoselivesmaydependuponhiscourageandskill。Ifthechildisagirl,sheisatonceaddressedasthefuturemotherofanoblerace。

  Inhuntingsongs,theleadinganimalsareintro—

  duced;theycometotheboytooffertheirbodiesforthesustenanceofhistribe。Theanimalsareregardedashisfriends,andspokenofalmostastribesofpeople,orashiscousins,grandfathersandgrandmothers。Thesongsofwooing,adaptedaslullabies,wereequallyimaginative,andthesuitorswereoftenanimalspersonified,whileprettymaid—

  enswererepresentedbytheminkandthedoe。

  Veryearly,theIndianboyassumedthetaskofpreservingandtransmittingthelegendsofhisan—

  cestorsandhisrace。Almosteveryeveningamyth,oratruestoryofsomedeeddoneinthepast,wasnarratedbyoneoftheparentsorgrand—

  parents,whiletheboylistenedwithpartedlipsandglisteningeyes。Onthefollowingevening,hewasusuallyrequiredtorepeatit。Ifhewasnotanaptscholar,hestruggledlongwithhistask;but,asarule,theIndianboyisagoodlistenerandhasagoodmemory,sothatthestoriesweretolerablywellmas—

  tered。Thehouseholdbecamehisaudience,bywhichhewasalternatelycriticizedandap—

  plauded。

  Thissortofteachingatonceenlightenstheboy’smindandstimulateshisambition。Hisconcep—

  tionofhisownfuturecareerbecomesavividandirresistibleforce。Whateverthereisforhimtolearnmustbelearned;whateverqualificationsarenecessarytoatrulygreatmanhemustseekatanyexpenseofdangerandhardship。SuchwasthefeelingoftheimaginativeandbraveyoungIndian。

  Itbecameapparenttohiminearlylifethathemustaccustomhimselftorovealoneandnottofearordisliketheimpressionofsolitude。

  Itseemstobeapopularideathatallthechar—

  acteristicskilloftheIndianisinstinctiveandhereditary。Thisisamistake。AllthestoicismandpatienceoftheIndianareacquiredtraits,andcontinualpracticealonemakeshimmasteroftheartofwood—craft。Physicaltraininganddietingwerenotneglected。IrememberthatIwasnotallowedtohavebeefsouporanywarmdrink。Thesoupwasfortheoldmen。Generalrulesfortheyoungwerenevertotaketheirfoodveryhot,nortodrinkmuchwater。

  Myuncle,whoeducatedmeuptotheageoffifteenyears,wasastrictdisciplinarianandagoodteacher。WhenIlefttheteepeeinthemorning,hewouldsay:\"Hakadah,lookcloselytoeverythingyousee\";andatevening,onmyre—

  turn,heusedoftentocatechizemeforanhourorso。

  \"Onwhichsideofthetreesisthelighter—col—

  oredbark?Onwhichsidedotheyhavemostregularbranches?\"

  ItwashiscustomtoletmenameallthenewbirdsthatIhadseenduringtheday。I

  wouldnamethemaccordingtothecolorortheshapeofthebillortheirsongortheappearanceandlocalityofthenest——infact,anythingaboutthebirdthatimpressedmeascharacteristic。I

  mademanyridiculouserrors,Imustadmit。Hethenusuallyinformedmeofthecorrectname。

  OccasionallyImadeahitandthishewouldwarm—

  lycommend。

  HewentmuchdeeperintothissciencewhenI

  wasalittleolder,thatis,abouttheageofeightornineyears。Hewouldsay,forinstance:

  \"Howdoyouknowthattherearefishinyonderlake?\"

  \"Becausetheyjumpoutofthewaterforfliesatmid—day。\"

  Hewouldsmileatmypromptbutsuperficialreply。

  \"Whatdoyouthinkofthelittlepebblesgroupedtogetherundertheshallowwater?andwhatmadetheprettycurvedmarksinthesandybottomandthelittlesand—banks?Wheredoyoufindthefish—eatingbirds?Havethein—

  letandtheoutletofalakeanythingtodowiththequestion?\"

  Hedidnotexpectacorrectreplyatoncetoallthevoluminousquestionsthatheputtomeontheseoccasions,buthemeanttomakemeobserv—

  antandagoodstudentofnature。

  \"Hakadah,\"hewouldsaytome,\"yououghttofollowtheexampleoftheshunktokecha(wolf)。

  Evenwhenheissurprisedandrunsforhislife,hewillpausetotakeonemorelookatyoubeforeheentershisfinalretreat。Soyoumusttakeasec—

  ondlookateverythingyousee。

  \"Itisbettertoviewanimalsunobserved。I

  havebeenawitnesstotheircourtshipsandtheirquarrelsandhavelearnedmanyoftheirsecretsinthisway。Iwasoncetheunseenspectatorofathrillingbattlebetweenapairofgrizzlybearsandthreebuffaloes——arashactforthebears,foritwasinthemoonofstrawberries,whenthebuffaloessharpenandpolishtheirhornsforbloodycon—

  testsamongthemselves。

  \"Iadviseyou,myboy,nevertoapproachagrizzly’sdenfromthefront,buttostealupbe—

  hindandthrowyourblanketorastoneinfrontofthehole。Hedoesnotusuallyrushforit,butfirstputshisheadoutandlistensandthencomesoutveryindifferentlyandsitsonhishaunchesonthemoundinfrontoftheholebeforehemakesanyattack。Whileheisexposinghimselfinthisfashion,aimathisheart。Alwaysbeascoolastheanimalhimself。\"Thushearmedmeagainstthecunningofsavagebeastsbyteachingmehowtooutwitthem。

  \"Inhunting,\"hewouldresume,\"youwillbeguidedbythehabitsoftheanimalyouseek。Re—

  memberthatamoosestaysinswampyorlowlandorbetweenhighmountainsnearaspringorlake,forthirtytosixtydaysatatime。Mostlargegamemovesaboutcontinually,exceptthedoeinthespring;itisthenaveryeasymattertofindherwiththefawn。Concealyourselfinaconvenientplaceassoonasyouobserveanysignsofthepresenceofeither,andthencallwithyourbirchendoe—caller。

  \"Whicheveronehearsyoufirstwillsoonappearinyourneighborhood。Butyoumustbeverywatchful,oryoumaybemadeafawnofbyalargewild—cat。Theyunderstandthecharacteristiccallofthedoeperfectlywell。

  \"Whenyouhaveanydifficultywithabearorawild—cat——thatis,ifthecreatureshowssignsofattackingyou——youmustmakehimfullyunder—

  standthatyouhaveseenhimandareawareofhisintentions。Ifyouarenotwellequippedforapitchedbattle,theonlywaytomakehimretreatistotakealongsharp—pointedpoleforaspearandrushtowardhim。Nowildbeastwillfacethisun—

  lessheiscorneredandalreadywounded,Thesefiercebeastsaregenerallyafraidofthecommonweaponofthelargeranimals——thehorns,andiftheseareverylongandsharp,theydarenotriskanopenfight。

  \"Thereisoneexceptiontothisrule——thegreywolfwillattackfiercelywhenveryhungry。Buttheircouragedependsupontheirnumbers;inthistheyarelikewhitemen。Onewolfortwowillneverattackaman。Theywillstampedeaherdofbuffaloesinordertogetatthecalves;theywillrushuponaherdofantelopes,forthesearehelp—

  less;buttheyarealwayscarefulaboutattackingman。\"

  Ofthisnatureweretheinstructionsofmyuncle,whowaswidelyknownatthattimeasamongthegreatesthuntersofhistribe。

  Allboyswereexpectedtoendurehardshipwithoutcomplaint。Insavagewarfare,ayoungmanmust,ofcourse,beanathleteandusedtoundergoingallsortsofprivations。Hemustbeabletogowithoutfoodandwaterfortwoorthreedayswithoutdisplayinganyweakness,ortorunforadayandanightwithoutanyrest。Hemustbeabletotraverseapathlessandwildcountrywithoutlosinghiswayeitherinthedayornighttime。Hecannotrefusetodoanyofthesethingsifheaspirestobeawarrior。

  Sometimesmyunclewouldwakenmeveryearlyinthemorningandchallengemetofastwithhimallday。Ihadtoacceptthechallenge。

  Weblackenedourfaceswithcharcoal,sothateveryboyinthevillagewouldknowthatIwasfastingfortheday。Thenthelittletempterswouldmakemylifeamiseryuntilthemerci—

  fulsunhidbehindthewesternhills。

  Icanscarcelyrecallthetimewhenmysternteacherbegantogivesuddenwar—whoopsovermyheadinthemorningwhileIwassoundasleep。

  Heexpectedmetoleapupwithperfectpresenceofmind,alwaysreadytograspaweaponofsomesortandtogiveashrillwhoopinreply。IfI

  wassleepyorstartledandhardlyknewwhatI

  wasabout,hewouldridiculemeandsaythatI

  needneverexpecttosellmyscalpdear。OftenhewouldvarythesetacticsbyshootingoffhisgunjustoutsideofthelodgewhileIwasyetasleep,atthesametimegivingblood—curdlingyells。AfteratimeIbecameusedtothis。

  WhenIndianswentuponthewar—path,itwastheircustomtotrythenewwarriorsthoroughlybeforecomingtoanengagement。Forinstance,whentheywerenearahostilecamp,theywouldselectthenovicestogoafterthewaterandmakethemdoallsortsofthingstoprovetheircour—

  age。Inaccordancewiththisidea,myuncleusedtosendmeoffafterwaterwhenwecampedafterdarkinastrangeplace。Perhapsthecountrywasfullofwildbeasts,and,foraughtIknew,theremightbescoutsfromhostilebandsofIn—

  dianslurkinginthatveryneighborhood。

  YetIneverobjected,forthatwouldshowcow—

  ardice。Ipickedmywaythroughthewoods,dippedmypailinthewaterandhurriedback,alwayscarefultomakeaslittlenoiseasacat。

  Beingonlyaboy,myheartwouldleapateverycracklingofadrytwigordistanthootingofanowl,until,atlast,Ireachedourteepee。Thenmyunclewouldperhapssay:\"Ah,Hakadah,youareathoroughwarrior,\"emptyoutthepreciouscontentsofthepail,andordermetogoasecondtime。

  ImaginehowIfelt!ButIwishedtobeabravemanasmuchasawhiteboydesirestobeagreatlawyerorevenPresidentoftheUnitedStates。SilentlyIwouldtakethepailanden—

  deavortoretracemyfootstepsinthedark。

  Withallthis,ourmannersandmoralswerenotneglected。Iwasmadetorespecttheadultsandespeciallytheaged。Iwasnotallowedtojoinintheirdiscussions,noreventospeakintheirpresence,unlessrequestedtodoso。In—

  dianetiquettewasverystrict,andamongthere—

  quirementswasthatofavoidingthedirectaddress。

  Atermofrelationshiporsometitleofcourtesywascommonlyusedinsteadofthepersonalnamebythosewhowishedtoshowrespect。Weweretaughtgenerositytothepoorandreverenceforthe\"GreatMystery。\"ReligionwasthebasisofallIndiantraining。

  Irecalltothepresentdaysomeofthekindwarningsandreproofsthatmygoodgrandmotherwaswonttogiveme。\"Bestrongofheart——bepatient!\"sheusedtosay。Shetoldmeofayoungchiefwhowasnotedforhisuncontrollabletemper。Whileinoneofhisragesheattemptedtokillawoman,forwhichhewasslainbyhisownbandandleftunburiedasamarkofdisgrace——hisbodywassimplycoveredwithgreengrass。

  IfIeverlostmytemper,shewouldsay:

  \"Hakadah,controlyourself,oryouwillbelikethatyoungmanItoldyouof,andlieunderagreenblanket!\"

  Intheolddays,noyoungmanwasallowedtousetobaccoinanyformuntilhehadbecomeanacknowledgedwarriorandhadachievedarecord。

  Ifayouthshouldseekawifebeforehehadreachedtheageoftwenty—twoortwenty—three,andbeenrecognizedasabraveman,hewassneeredatandconsideredanill—bredIndian。Hemustalsobeaskillfulhunter。AnIndiancannotbeagoodhusbandunlesshebringshomeplentyofgame。

  Thesepreceptswereinthelineofourtrainingforthewildlife。

  III

  MyPlaysandPlaymatesI:GamesandSportsTHEIndianboywasaprinceofthewilderness。Hehadbutverylittleworktododuringtheperiodofhisboyhood。Hisprincipaloccupationwasthepracticeofafewsimpleartsinwarfareandthechase。Asidefromthis,hewasmasterofhistime。

  Whateverwasrequiredofusboyswasquicklyperformed:thenthefieldwasclearforourgamesandplays。Therewasalwayskeencompetitionamongus。Wefeltverymuchasourfathersdidinhuntingandwar——eachonestrovetoexcelalltheothers。

  Itistruethatoursavagelifewasaprecariousone,andfullofdreadfulcatastrophes;however,thisneverpreventedusfromenjoyingoursportstothefullestextent。Asweleftourteepeesinthemorning,wewereneversurethatourscalpswouldnotdanglefromapoleintheafternoon!

  Itwasanuncertainlife,tobesure。Yetweob—

  servedthatthefawnsskippedandplayedhappilywhilethegraywolvesmightbepeepingforthfrombehindthehills,readytotearthemlimbfromlimb。

  Oursportsweremoldedbythelifeandcus—

  tomsofourpeople;indeed,wepracticedonlywhatweexpectedtodowhengrown。Ourgameswerefeatswiththebowandarrow,footandponyraces,wrestling,swimmingandimitationofthecustomsandhabitsofourfathers。Wehadshamfightswithmudballsandwillowwands;weplayedlacrosse,madewaruponbees,shotwinterarrows(whichwereusedonlyinthatseason),andcoastedupontheribsofanimalsandbuffalorobes。

  Nosoonerdidtheboysgettogetherthan,asausualthing,theydividedintosquadsandchosesides;thenaleadingarrowwasshotatrandomintotheair。Beforeitfelltothegroundavolleyfromthebowsoftheparticipantsfollowed。Eachplayerwasquicktonotethedirectionandspeedoftheleadingarrowandhetriedtosendhisownatthesamespeedandatanequalheight,sothatwhenitfellitwouldbeclosertothefirstthananyoftheothers。

  Itwasconsideredoutofplacetoshootbyfirstsightingtheobjectaimedat。Thiswasusuallyimpracticableinactuallife,becausetheobjectwasalmostalwaysinmotion,whilethehunterhimselfwasoftenuponthebackofaponyatfullgallop。

  Therefore,itwastheoff—handshotthattheIndianboysoughttomaster。Therewasanothergamewitharrowsthatwascharacterizedbygambling,andwasgenerallyconfinedtothemen。

  Theraceswereanevery—dayoccurrence。Atnoontheboyswereusuallygatheredbysomepleasantsheetofwaterandassoonastheponieswerewatered,theywereallowedtograzeforanhourortwo,whiletheboysstrippedfortheirnoondaysports。Aboymightsaytosomeotherwhomheconsideredhisequal:

  \"Ican’trun;butIwillchallengeyoutofiftypaces。\"

  Aformerhero,whenbeaten,wouldoftenex—

  plainhisdefeatbysaying:\"Idranktoomuchwater。\"

  Boysofallageswerepairedfora\"spin,\"andthelittleredmencheeredontheirfavoriteswithspirit。

  Assoonasthiswasended,theponyracesfol—

  lowed。Allthespeedyponieswerepickedoutandriderschosen。Ifaboydeclinedtoride,therewouldbeshoutsofderision。

  Lastofallcametheswimming。Alittleurchinwouldhangtohispony’slongtail,whilethelat—

  ter,withonlyhisheadabovewater,glidedspor—

  tivelyalong。Finallytheanimalsweredrivenin—

  toafinefieldofgrassandweturnedourattentiontoothergames。

  Lacrossewasanoldergameandwasconfineden—

  tirelytotheSissetonandSanteeSioux。Shinny,suchasisenjoyedbywhiteboysontheice,isstillplayedontheopenprairiebythewesternSioux。The\"moccasingame,\"althoughsometimesplayedbytheboys,wasintendedmainlyforadults。

  The\"mud—and—willow\"fightwasratherasevereanddangeroussport。Alumpofsoftclaywasstuckontheendofalimberandspringywil—

  lowwandandthrownasboysthrowapplesfromsticks,withconsiderableforce。Whentherewerefiftyorahundredplayersoneachside,thebattlebecamewarm;butanythingtoarousethebraveryofIndianboysseemedtothemagoodandwhole—

  somediversion。

  Wrestlingwaslargelyindulgedinbyusall。Itmayseemodd,,butwrestlingwasdonebyagreatmanyboysatonce——fromtentoanynumberonaside。Itwasreallyabattle,inwhicheachonechosehisopponent。Therulewasthatifaboysatdown,hewasletalone,butaslongashere—

  mainedstandingwithinthefield,hewasopentoanattack。Noonestruckwiththehand,butallmanneroftrippingwithlegsandfeetandbuttingwiththekneeswasallowed。Altogetheritwasanexhaustingpastime——fullyequaltotheAmericangameoffootballandonlytheyoungathletecouldreallyenjoyit。

  Oneofourmostcurioussportswasawaruponthenestsofwildbees。WeimaginedourselvesabouttomakeanattackupontheOjibwaysorsometribalfoe。Weallpaintedandstolecau—

  tiouslyuponthenest;then,witharushandwar—

  whoop,sprangupontheobjectofourattackandendeavoredtodestroyit。Butitseemedthatthebeeswerealwaysonthealertandneverentirelysurprised,fortheyalwaysraisedquiteasmanyscalpsasdidtheirboldassailants!Aftertheon—

  slaughtuponthenestwasended,weusuallyfol—

  loweditbyapretendedscalpdance。

  Ontheoccasionofmyfirstexperienceinthismodeofwarfare,thereweretwootherlittleboyswhowerealsonovices。Oneofthemparticularlywasreallytooyoungtoindulgeinanexploitofthatkind。Asitwasthecustomofourpeople,whentheykilledorwoundedanenemyonthebat—

  tlefield,toannouncetheactinaloudvoice,wedidthesame。Myfriend,LittleWound(asIwillcallhim,forIdonotrememberhisname),beingquitesmall,wasunabletoreachthenestuntilithadbeenwelltrampleduponandbrokenandtheinsectshadmadeacounterchargewithsuchvigorastorepulseandscatterournumbersineverydi—

  rection。However,heevidentlydidnotwanttoretreatwithoutanyhonors;sohebravelyjumpeduponthenestandyelled:

  \"I,thebraveLittleWound,to—daykilltheonlyfierceenemy!\"

  Scarcelywerethelastwordsutteredwhenhescreamedasifstabbedtotheheart。Oneofhisoldercompanionsshouted:

  \"Diveintothewater!Run!Diveintothewater!\"fortherewasalakenearby。Thisad—

  viceheobeyed。

  Whenwehadreassembledandwereindulginginourmimicdance,LittleWoundwasnotallowedtodance。Hewasconsiderednottobeinex—

  istence——hehadbeenkilledbyourenemies,theBeetribe。Poorlittlefellow!Hisswollenfacewassadandashamedashesatonafallenlogandwatchedthedance。Althoughhemightwellhavestyledhimselfoneofthenobledeadwhohaddiedfortheircountry,yethewasnotunmindfulthathehadscreamed,andthisweaknesswouldbeapttorecurtohimmanytimesinthefuture。

  Wehadsomequietplayswhichwealternatedwiththemoresevereandwarlikeones。Amongthemwerethrowingwandsandsnow—arrows。Inthewinterwecoastedmuch。Wehadno\"dou—

  ble—rippers\"ortoboggans,butsixorsevenofthelongribsofabuffalo,fastenedtogetheratthelargerend,answeredallpracticalpurposes。Some—

  timesastripofbass—woodbark,fourfeetlongandaboutsixincheswide,wasusedwithconsiderableskill。Westoodononeendandheldtheother,usingtheslipperyinsideofthebarkfortheout—

  side,andthuscoastingdownlonghillswithre—

  markablespeed。

  Thespinningoftopswasoneoftheall—ab—

  sorbingwintersports。Wemadeourtopsheart—

  shapedofwood,hornorbone。Wewhippedthemwithalongthongofbuckskin。Thehandlewasastickaboutafootlongandsometimeswewhittledthesticktomakeitspoon—shapedatoneend。

  Weplayedgameswiththesetops——twotofiftyboysatonetime。Eachwhipshistopuntilithums;thenonetakestheleadandtherestfol—

  lowinasortofobstaclerace。Thetopmustspinallthewaythrough。Therewerebarsofsnowoverwhichwemustpilotourtopinthespoonendofourwhip;thenagainwewouldtossitintheairontoanotheropenspotoficeorsmoothsnow—

  crustfromtwentytofiftypacesaway。Thetopthatholdsoutthelongestisthewinner。

  Sometimesweplayed\"medicinedance。\"This,tous,wasalmostwhat\"playingchurch\"isamongwhitechildren,butourpeopleseemedtothinkitanactofirreverencetoimitatethesedances,thereforeperformancesofthiskindwerealwaysenjoyedinsecret。Weusedtoobservealltheim—

  portantceremoniesanditrequiredsomethingofanactortoreproducethedramaticfeaturesofthedance。Therealdancesoccupiedadayandanight,andtheprogramwaslongandvaried,sothatitwasnoteasytoexecuteallthedetailsperfectly;buttheIndianchildrenarebornimi—

  tators。

  Theboysbuiltanarborofpineboughsinsomeout—of—the—wayplaceandatoneendofitwasarudelodge。Thiswasthemedicinelodgeorhead—

  quarters。Alltheinitiateswerethere。Atthefurtherendorentrancewerethedoor—keepersorsoldiers,aswecalledthem。Themembersofeachlodgeenteredinabody,standinginsinglefileandfacingtheheadquarters。Eachstretchedouthisrighthandandaprayerwasofferedbytheleader,afterwhichtheytooktheplacesassignedtothem。

  Whenthepreliminarieshadbeencompleted,ourleadersoundedthebigdrumandweallsaid\"A—ho—ho—ho!\"asasortofamen。Thenthechoirbegantheirsongandwhenevertheyendedaverse,weallsaidagain\"A—ho—ho—ho!\"Atlasttheystruckupthechorusandweallgotuponourfeetandbegantodance,bysimplyliftinguponefootandthentheother,withaslightswingtothebody。

  Eachboywasrepresentingorimitatingsomeoneofthemedicinemen。Wepaintedanddecor—

  atedourselvesjustastheydidandcarriedbirdorsquirrelskins,oroccasionallylivebirdsandchipmunksasourmedicinebagsandsmallwhiteshellsorpebblesformedicinecharms。

  Thenthepersonstobeinitiatedwerebroughtinandseated,withmuchceremony,uponablanketorbuffalorobe。Directlyinfrontofthemthegroundwaslevelledsmoothandherewelaidanoldpipefilledwithdriedleavesfortobacco。

  Arounditweplacedthevariouslycoloredfeathersofthebirdswehadkilled,andcedarandsweet—

  grassweburnedforincense。

  Finallythoseofuswhohadbeenselectedtoper—

  formthisceremonystretchedoutourarmsatfulllength,holdingthesacredmedicinebagsandaimingthematthenewmembers。Afterswingingthemfourtimes,weshotthemsuddenlyforward,butdidnotletgo。Thenovicesthenfellforwardontheirfacesasifdead。Quicklyachoruswasstruckupandwealljoinedinalivelydancearoundthesup—

  posedbodies。Thegirlscoveredthemupwiththeirblankets,thusburyingthedead。Atlastweresurrectedthemwithourcharmsandledthemtotheirplacesamongtheaudience。Thencamethelastgeneraldanceandthefinalfeast。

  Iwasoftenselectedaschoir—masterontheseoc—

  casions,forIhadhappenedtolearnmanyofthemedicinesongsandwasquiteanaptmimic。Mygrandmother,whowasanotedmedicinewomanoftheTurtlelodge,onhearingofthesesacrilegiousacts(asshecalledthem)warnedmethatifanyofthemedicinemenshoulddiscoverthem,theywouldpunishmeterriblybyshrivelingmylimbswithslowdisease。

  Occasionally,wealsoplayed\"whiteman。\"Ourknowledgeofthepale—facewaslimited,butwehadlearnedthathebroughtgoodswheneverhecameandthatourpeopleexchangedfursforhismer—

  chandise。Wealsoknewthathiscomplexionwaspale,thathehadshorthaironhisheadandlonghaironhisfaceandthatheworecoat,trousers,andhat,anddidnotpatronizeblanketsintheday—

  time。Thiswasthepicturewehadformedofthewhiteman。

  Sowepaintedtwoorthreeofournumberwithwhiteclayandputonthembirchenhatswhichwesewedupfortheoccasion;fastenedapieceoffurtotheirchinsforabeardandalteredtheircos—

  tumesasmuchaslaywithinourpower。Thewhiteofthebirch—barkwasmadetoanswerfortheirwhiteshirts。Theirmerchandiseconsistedofsandforsugar,wildbeansforcoffee,driedleavesfortea,pulverizedearthforgun—powder,pebblesforbulletsandclearwaterforthedangerous\"spiritwater。\"Wetradedforthesegoodswithskinsofsquirrels,rabbitsandsmallbirds。

  Whenweplayed\"huntingbuffalo\"wewouldsendafewgoodrunnersoffontheopenprairiewithasupplyofmeat;thenstartafewequallyswiftboystochasethemandcapturethefood。

  Oncewewereengagedinthissportwhenarealhuntbythemenwasinprogress;yetwedidnotrealizethatitwassonearuntil,inthemidstofourplay,wesawanimmensebuffalocomingatfullspeeddirectlytowardus。Ourmimicbuffalohuntturnedintoaveryrealbuffaloscare。Fortunately,wewereneartheedgeofthewoodsandwesoondisappearedamongtheleaveslikeacoveyofyoungprairie—chickensandsomehidinthebusheswhileotherstookrefugeintalltrees。

  Welovedtoplayinthewater。Whenwehadnoponies,weoftenhadswimmingmatchesofourownandsometimesmaderaftswithwhichwecrossedlakesandrivers。Itwasacommonthingto\"duck\"ayoungortimidboyortocarryhimintodeepwatertostruggleasbesthemight。

  Irememberaperilousridewithacompaniononanunmanageablelog,whenwewerebothlessthansevenyearsold。Theolderboyshadputusonthisuncertainbarkandpushedusoutintotheswiftcurrentoftheriver。Icannotspeakformycomradeindistress,butIcansaynowthatIwouldratherrideonaswiftbroncoanydaythantrytostayonandsteadyashortloginariver。

  Ineverknewhowwemanagedtopreventashipwreckonthatvoyageandtoreachtheshore。

  Wehadmanycuriouswildpets。Therewereyoungfoxes,bears,wolves,raccoons,fawns,buffalocalvesandbirdsofallkinds,tamedbyvariousboys。Mypetsweredifferentatdifferenttimes,butIparticularlyrememberone。IoncehadagrizzlybearforapetandsofarasheandIwereconcerned,ourrelationswerecharmingandveryclose。ButI

  hardlyknowwhetherhemademoreenemiesformeorIforhim。Itwashishabittotreateveryboyunmercifullywhoinjuredme。HewasdespisedforhisconductinmyinterestandIwashatedonaccountofhisinterference。

  II:MyPlaymatesCHATANNAwasthebrotherwithwhomIpassedmuchofmyearlychildhood。FromthetimethatIwasoldenoughtoplaywithboys,thisbrotherwasmyclosecompanion。Hewasahandsomeboy,andanaffectionatecomrade。Weplayedtogether,slepttogetherandatetogether;andasChatannawasthreeyearstheolder,Inaturallylookeduptohimastoasuperior。

  Oesedahwasabeautifullittlecharacter。Shewasmycousin,andfouryearsyoungerthanmy—

  self。Perhapsnoneofmyearlyplaymatesaremorevividlyrememberedthanisthislittlemaiden。

  Thenamegivenherbyanotedmedicine—manwasMakah—oesetopah—win。ItmeansThe—four—

  corners—of—the—earth。Asshewasrathersmall,theabbreviationwithadiminutiveterminationwasconsideredmoreappropriate,henceOesedahbecamehercommonname。

  Althoughshehadaverygoodmother,Un—

  cheedahwasherefficientteacherandchaperonSuchknowledgeasmygrandmotherdeemedsuit—

  abletoamaidenwasdulyimpresseduponhersusceptiblemind。WhenIwasnotinthewoodswithChatanna,Oesedahwasmycompanionathome;andwhenIreturnedfrommyplayatevening,shewouldhaveahundredquestionsreadyformetoanswer。Someofthesewerequestionsconcerningourevery—daylife,andothersweremoredifficultproblemswhichhadsuddenlydawneduponheractivelittlemind。

  Whateverhadoccurredtointerestherduringthedaywasimmediatelyrepeatedformybenefit。

  TherewerecertainquestionsuponwhichOese—

  dahheldmetobeauthority,andaskedwiththehopeofincreasingherlittlestoreofknowledge。

  Ihaveoftenheardherdeclaretohergirlcompan—

  ions:\"Iknowitistrue;Ohiyesasaidso!\"

  Uncheedahwaspartlyresponsibleforthis,forwhenanyquestionscameupwhichlaywithinthesphereofman’sobservation,shewouldsay:

  \"Ohiyesaoughttoknowthat:heisaman——

  Iamnot!Youhadbetteraskhim。\"

  Thetruthwasthatshehadherselfexplainedtomemanyofthesubjectsunderdiscussion。

  IwasoccasionallyreferredtolittleOesedahinthesamemanner,andIalwaysacceptedherchild—

  ishelucidationsofanymatteruponwhichIhadbeenadvisedtoconsulther,becauseIknewthesourceofherwisdom。Inthissimplewayweweremadetobeteachersofoneanother。

  Veryoftenwediscussedsometopicbeforeourcommoninstructor,oransweredherquestionsto—

  gether,inordertoshowwhichhadthereadiermind。

  \"Towhattribedoesthelizardbelong?\"inquiredUncheedah,upononeoftheseoccasions。

  \"Tothefour—leggedtribe,\"Ishouted。

  Oesedah,withherusualquickness,flashedouttheanswer:

  \"Itbelongstothecreepingtribe。\"

  TheIndiansdividedallanimalsintofourgen—

  eralclasses:1st,thosethatwalkuponfourlegs;

  2nd,thosethatfly;3rd,thosethatswimwithfins;

  4th,thosethatcreep。

  OfcourseIendeavoredtosupportmyassertionthatthelizardbelongswhereIhadplacedit,be—。

  causehehasfourdistinctlegswhichpropelhimeverywhere,onthegroundorinthewater。Butmyopponentclaimedthatthecreatureunderdisputedoesnotwalk,butcreeps。Mystrongestargumentwasthatithadlegs;butOesedahinsistedthatitsbodytouchesthegroundasitmoves。Asalastresort,Ivolunteeredtogofindone,anddemon—

  stratethepointinquestion。

  Thelizardhavingbeenbrought,wesmoothedoffthegroundandstrewedashesonitsothatwecouldseethetrack。ThenIraisedthequestion:

  \"Whatconstitutescreeping,andwhatconstituteswalking?\"

  Uncheedahwasthejudge,andshestated,with—

  outanyhesitation,thatananimalmuststandclearofthegroundonthesupportofitslegs,andwalkwiththebodyabovethelegs,andnotincontactwiththeground,inordertobetermedawalker;

  whileacreeperisonethat,regardlessofitslegs,ifithasthem,dragsitsbodyupontheground。Uponhearingthejudge’sdecision,Iyieldedatoncetomyopponent。

  Atanothertime,whenIwasengagedinasim—

  ilardiscussionwithmybrotherChatanna,Oesedahcametomyrescue。Ourgrandmotherhadaskedus:

  \"Whatbirdshowsmostjudgmentincaringforitsyoung?\"

  Chatannaatonceexclaimed:

  \"Theeagle!\"butIheldmypeaceforamo—

  ment,becauseIwasconfused——somanybirdscameintomymindatonce。Ifinallydeclared:

  \"Itistheoriole!\"

  Chatannawasaskedtostatealltheevidencethathehadinsupportoftheeagle’sgoodsenseinrearingitsyoung。Heproceededwithanairofconfidence:

  \"Theeagleisthewisestofallbirds。Itsnestismadeinthesafestpossibleplace,uponahighandinaccessiblecliff。Itprovidesitsyoungwithanabundanceoffreshmeat。Theyhavethefresh—

  estofair。Theyarebroughtupunderthespellofthegrandestscenes,andinspiredwithloftyfeelingsandbravery。Theyseethatallotherbe—

  ingslivebeneaththem,andthattheyarethechil—

  drenoftheKingofBirds。Ayoungeagleshowsthespiritofawarriorwhilestillinthenest。

  \"Beingexposedtotheinclemencyoftheweathertheyoungeagletsarehardy。TheyareaccustomedtohearthemutteringsoftheThunderBirdandthesighingsoftheGreatMystery。Why,thelit—

  tleeaglescannothelpbeingasnobleastheyare,becausetheirparentsselectedforthemsoloftyandinspiringahome!Howhappytheymustbewhentheyfindthemselvesabovetheclouds,andbeholdthezigzagflashesoflightningallaboutthem!Itmustbenicetotasteapieceoffreshmeatupintheircoolhome,intheburningsum—

  mer—time!Thenwhentheydropdownthebonesofthegametheyfeedupon,wolvesandvulturesgatherbeneaththem,feedingupontheirrefuse。

  Thatalonewouldshowthemtheirchieftainshipoveralltheotherbirds。Isn’tthatso,grand—

  mother?\"Thustriumphantlyheconcludedhisargument。

  IwasstaggeredatfirstbythenoblespeechofChatannna,butIsoonrecoveredfromitseffects。

  ThelittleOesedahcametomyaidbysaying:

  \"WaituntilOhiyesatellsofthelovelinessofthebeautifulOriole’shome!\"ThistimelyremarkgavemecourageandIbegan:

  \"Mygrandmother,whowasitsaidthatamotherwhohasagentleandsweetvoicewillhavechildrenofagooddisposition?Ithinktheorioleisthatkindofaparent。Itprovidesbothsun—

  shineandshadowforitsyoung。Itsnestissus—

  pendedfromtheprettiestboughofthemostgrace—

  fultree,whereitisrockedbythegentlewinds;

  andtheonewefoundyesterdaywasbeautifullylinedwithsoftthings,bothdeepandwarm,sothatthelittlefeatherlessbirdiescannotsufferfromthecoldandwet。\"

  HereChatannainterruptedmetoexclaim:

  \"Thatisjustlikethewhitepeople——whocaresforthem?Theeagleteachesitsyoungtobeac—

  customedtohardships,likeyoungwarriors!\"

  Ohiyesawasprovoked;hereproachedhisbrotherandappealedtothejudge,sayingthathehadnotfinishedyet。

  \"Butyouwouldnothavelived,Chatanna,ifyouhadbeenexposedlikethatwhenyouwereababy!Theorioleshowswisdominprovidingforitschildrenagood,comfortablehome!A

  homeuponahighrockwouldnotbepleasant——

  itwouldbecold!Weclimbedamountainonce,anditwascoldthere;andwhowouldcaretostayinsuchaplacewhenitstorms?Whatwisdomisthereinhavingapileofroughsticksuponabarerock,surroundedwithill—smellingbonesofanimals,forahome?Also,myunclesaysthattheeagletsseemalwaystobeonthepointofstarvation。Youhaveheardthatwhoeverlivesongamekilledbysomeoneelseiscomparedtoaneagle。Isn’tthatso,grandmother?

  \"Theoriolesuspendsitsnestfromthelowersideofahorizontalboughsothatnoenemycanapproachit。Itenjoyspeaceandbeautyandsafety。\"

  OesedahwasatOhiyesa’ssideduringthedis—

  cussion,andoccasionallywhisperedintohisear。

  UncheedahdecidedthistimeinfavorofOhiyesa。

  Wewereonceveryshortofprovisionsinthewintertime。Myuncle,ouronlymeansofsup—

  port,wassick;andbesides,wewereseparatedfromtherestofthetribeandinaregionwheretherewaslittlegameofanykind。Oesedahhadapetsquirrel,andassoonaswebegantoecono—

  mizeourfoodhadgivenportionsofherallow—

  ancetoherpet。

  Atlastwewerereducedverymuch,andtheprospectofobtaininganythingsoonbeinggloomy,mygrandmotherreluctantlysuggestedthatthesquirrelshouldbekilledforfood。Thereuponmylittlecousincried,andsaid:

  \"Whycannotwealldiealikewanting?Thesquirrel’slifeisasdeartohimasourstous,\"andclungtoit。Fortunately,reliefcameintimetosaveherpet。

  Oesedahlivedwithusforaportionoftheyear,andastherewerenoothergirlsinthefamilysheplayedmuchalone,andhadmanyimaginarycom—

  panions。Atonetimetherewasasmallwillowtreewhichshevisitedregularly,holdinglongcon—

  versations,apartofwhichshewouldafterwardrepeattome。Shesaidthewillowtreewasherhusband,whomsomemagichadcompelledtotakethatform;butnogrownpersonwaseverallowedtosharehersecret。

  WhenIwasabouteightyearsoldIhadforaplaymatetheadoptedsonofaSioux,whowasawhitecaptive。Thisboywasquiteanotedper—

  sonage,althoughhewasthenonlyabouttenorelevenyearsofage。WhenIfirstbecameac—

  quaintedwithhimwewereontheupperMis—

  souririver。Ilearnedfromhimthathehadbeentakenontheplains,andthatbothofhisparentswerekilled。

  Hewasatfirstsadandlonely,butsoonfoundplentyofconsolationinhisnewhome。Thenameofhisadoptedfatherwas\"Keeps—the—

  Spotted—Ponies。\"Hewasknowntohaveanunusualnumberoftheprettycalicoponies;

  indeed,hehadapassionforaccumulatingprop—

  ertyintheshapeofponies,paintedtents,dec—

  oratedsaddlesandallsortsoffinery。Hehadlosthisonlyson;butthelittlepale—facebecametheadoptedbrotheroftwohandsomeyoungwomen,hisdaughters。Thismadehimquitepopularamongtheyoungwarriors。HewasnotslowtoadopttheIndiancustoms,andheacquiredtheSiouxlanguageinashorttime。

  Iwellrememberhearingofhisfirstexperienceofwar。Hewasnotmorethansixteenwhenhejoinedawar—partyagainsttheGros—VentresandMandans。Myunclereportedthathewasverybraveuntilhewaswoundedintheankle;thenhebeggedwithtearstobetakenbacktoasafeplace。

  Fortunatelyforhim,hisadoptedfathercametotherescue,andsavedhimattheriskofhisownlife。

  Hewascalledthe\"pale—faceIndian。\"Hishairgrewverylongandhelavishedpaintonhisfaceandhairsothatnoonemightsuspectthathewasawhiteman。

  OnedaythisboywasplayingagamblinggamewithoneoftheSiouxwarriors。Hewasanex—

  pertgambler,andwoneverythingfromtheIndian。

  Atacertainpointadisputearose。TheIndianwasveryangry,forhediscoveredthathisfellow—

  playerhaddeliberatelycheatedhim。TheIndianswerestrictlyhonestinthosedays,evenintheirgambling。

  Theboydeclaredthathehadmerelyperformedatrickforthebenefitofhisfriend,butitnearlycosthimhislife。Theindignantwarriorhadalreadydrawnhisbow—stringwiththeintentionofshootingthecaptive,butathirdpersonintervenedandsavedtheboy’slife。Heatonceexplainedhistrick;andinordertoshowhimselfanhonorablegambler,gavebackallthearticlesthathehadwonfromhisopponent。Inthemidstoftheconfusion,old\"Keeps—the—Spotted—Ponies\"camerushingthroughthecrowdinastateofgreatexcitement。

  Hethoughthispale—facesonhadbeenkilled。

  Whenhesawhowmattersstood,hegavetheag—

  grievedwarriorapony,\"inorder,\"ashesaid,\"thattheremaybenoshadowbetweenhimandmyson。\"

  OnespringmyuncletookChatannatotheCanadiantrading—postontheAssiniboineriver,wherehewenttotradeoffhisfursforammunitionandothercommodities。Whenhecameback,mybrotherwasnotwithhim!

  Atfirstmyfearswereevenworsethanthere—

  ality。Thefactswerethese:ACanadianwithwhommyunclehadtradedmuchhadsixdaugh—

  tersandnoson;andwhenhesawthishandsomeandintelligentlittlefellow,heatonceofferedtoadopthim。

  \"Ihavenoboyinmyfamily,\"saidhe,\"andIwilldealwithhimaswithason。Iamalwaysintheseregionstrading;soyoucanseehimtwoorthreetimesinayear。\"

  Hefurtherassuredmyunclethatthepossessionoftheboywouldgreatlystrengthentheirfriend—

  ship。Thematterwasfinallyagreedupon。AtfirstChatannawasunwilling,butasweweretaughttofollowtheadviceofourparentsandguardians,hewasobligedtoyield。

  Thiswasasevereblowtome,andforalongtimeIcouldnotbeconsoled。Uncheedahwasfullyinsympathywithmydistress。Shearguedthatthewhiteman’seducationwasnotdesirableforherboys;infact,sheurgedhersonsostronglytogobackafterChatannathathepromisedonhisnextvisittotheposttobringhimhomeagain。

  Butthetraderwasashrewdman。Heimmedi—

  atelymovedtoanotherpartofthecountry;andI

  neversawmyChatanna,thecompanionofmychildhood,again!Welearnedafterwardthathegrewupandwasmarried;butonedayhelosthiswayinablizzardandwasfrozentodeath。

  MylittlecousinandIwenttoschooltogetherinlateryears;butshecouldnotendurethecon—

  finementoftheschool—room。Althoughappar—

  entlyveryhappy,shesufferedgreatlyfromthechangetoanindoorlife,ashavemanyofourpeo—

  ple,anddiedsixmonthsafterourreturntotheUnitedStates。

  III:TheBoyHunterITwillbenoexaggerationtosaythatthelifeoftheIndianhunterwasalifeoffascination。Fromthemomentthathelostsightofhisrudehomeinthemidstoftheforest,hisuntutoredmindlostit—

  selfinthemyriadbeautiesandforcesofnature。

  Yetheneverforgothispersonaldangerfromsomelurkingfoeorsavagebeast,howeverabsorbingwashispassionforthechase。

  TheIndianyouthwasabornhunter。Everymotion,everystepexpressedaninborndignityand,atthesametime,adepthofnativecaution。

  Hismoccasinedfootfelllikethevelvetpawofacat——noiselessly;hisglitteringblackeyesscannedeveryobjectthatappearedwithintheirview。Notabird,notevenachipmunk,escapedtheirpierc—

  ingglance。

  IwasscarcelyoverthreeyearsoldwhenIstoodonemorningjustoutsideourbuffalo—skinteepee,withmylittlebowandarrowsinmyhand,andgazedupamongthetrees。Suddenlytheinstincttochaseandkillseizedmepowerfully。Justthenabirdflewovermyheadandthenanothercaughtmyeye,asitbalanceditselfuponaswayingbough。EverythingelsewasforgottenandinthatmomentIhadtakenmyfirststepasahunter。

  TherewasalmostasmuchdifferencebetweentheIndianboyswhowerebroughtupontheopenprairiesandthoseofthewoods,asbetweencityandcountryboys。Thehuntingoftheprairieboyswaslimitedandtheirknowledgeofnaturalhistoryimperfect。Theywere,asarule,goodriders,butinall—roundphysicaldevelopmentmuchinferiortotheredmenoftheforest。

  Ourhuntingvariedwiththeseasonoftheyear,andthenatureofthecountrywhichwasforthetimeourhome。Ourchiefweaponwasthebowandarrows,andperhaps,ifwewerelucky,aknifewaspossessedbysomeoneinthecrowd。Intheoldentimes,knivesandhatchetsweremadefromboneandsharpstones。

  Forfireweusedaflintwithaspongypieceofdrywoodandastonetostrikewith。Anotherwayofstartingfirewasforseveraloftheboystositdowninacircleandrubtwopiecesofdry,spongywoodtogether,oneafteranother,untilthewoodtookfire。

  Wehuntedincompanyagreatdeal,thoughitwasacommonthingforaboytosetoutforthewoodsquitealone,andheusuallyenjoyedhimselffullyasmuch。Ourgameconsistedmainlyofsmallbirds,rabbits,squirrelsandgrouse。Fish—

  ing,too,occupiedmuchofourtime。Wehardlyeverpassedacreekorapondwithoutsearchingforsomesignsoffish。Whenfishwerepresent,wealwaysmanagedtogetsome。Fish—linesweremadeofwildhemp,sineworhorse—hair。Weeithercaughtfishwithlines,snaredorspearedthem,orshotthemwithbowandarrows。Inthefallwecharmedthemuptothesurfacebygentlyticklingthemwithastickandquicklythrewthemout。Wehavesometimesdammedthebrooksanddriventhelargerfishintoawillowbasketmadeforthatpurpose。

  Itwaspartofourhuntingtofindnewandstrangethingsinthewoods。Weexaminedtheslightestsignoflife;andifabirdhadscratchedtheleavesofftheground,orabeardraggeduparootforhismorningmeal,westoppedtospecu—

  lateonthetimeitwasdone。Ifwesawalargeoldtreewithsomescratchesonitsbark,wecon—

  cludedthatabearorsomeraccoonsmustbelivingthere。Inthatcasewedidnotgoanynearerthanwasnecessary,butlaterreportedtheincidentathome。Anolddeer—trackwouldatoncebringonawarmdiscussionastowhetheritwasthetrackofabuckoradoe。Generally,atnoon,wemetandcomparedourgame,notingatthesametimethepeculiarcharacteristicsofeverythingwehadkilled。Itwasnotmerelyahunt,forwecombinedwithitthestudyofanimallife。Wealsokeptstrictaccountofourgame,andthuslearnedwhowerethebestshotsamongtheboys。

  Iamsorrytosaythatweweremercilesstowardthebirds。Weoftentooktheireggsandtheiryoungones。MybrotherChatannaandIoncehadadisagreeableadventurewhilebird—hunting。

  Wewereaccustomedtocatchinourhandsyoungducksandgeeseduringthesummer,andwhiledo—

  ingthiswehappenedtofindacrane’snest。Ofcourse,weweredelightedwithourgoodluck。

  But,asitwasalreadymidsummer,theyoungcranes——twoinnumber——wereratherlargeandtheywerealittlewayfromthenest;wealsoob—

  servedthatthetwooldcraneswereinaswampyplacenearby;but,asitwasmoulting—time,wedidnotsupposethattheywouldventureondryland。Soweproceededtochasetheyoungbirds;

  buttheywerefleetrunnersandittookussometimetocomeupwiththem。

  Meanwhile,theparentbirdshadheardthecriesoftheirlittleonesandcometotheirrescue。Theywerechasingus,whilewefollowedthebirds。Itwasreallyaperilousencounter!Ourstrongbowsfinallygainedthevictoryinahand—to—handstrugglewiththeangrycranes;butafterthatwehardlyeverhuntedacrane’snest。Almostallbirdsmakesomeresistancewhentheireggsoryoungaretaken,buttheywillseldomattackmanfear—

  lessly。

  Weusedtoclimblargetreesforbirdsofallkinds;butweneverundertooktogetyoungowlsunlesstheywereontheground。Thehootingowlespeciallyisadangerousbirdtoattackunderthesecircumstances。

  Iwasoncetryingtocatchayellow—wingedwood—

  peckerinitsnestwhenmyarmbecametwistedandlodgedinthedeepholesothatIcouldnotgetitoutwithouttheaidofaknife;butwewerealongwayfromhomeandmyonlycompanionwasadeafmutecousinofmine。Iwasaboutfiftyfeetupinthetree,inaveryuncomfortableposi—

  tion,butIhadtowaitthereformorethananhourbeforehebroughtmetheknifewithwhichIfin—

  allyreleasedmyself。

  Ourdevicesfortrappingsmallanimalswererude,buttheywereoftensuccessful。Forinstance,weusedtogatherupapeckorsooflarge,sharp—

  pointedburrsandscatterthemintherabbit’sfur—

  row—likepath。Inthemorning,wewouldfindthelittlefellowsittingquietlyinhistracks,unabletomove,fortheburrsstucktohisfeet。

  Anotherwayofsnaringrabbitsandgrousewasthefollowing:Wemadenoosesoftwistedhorse—

  hair,whichwetiedveryfirmlytothetopofalimberyoungtree,thenbentthelatterdowntothetrackandfastenedthewholewithaslip—knot,afteradjustingthenoose。Whentherabbitrunshisheadthroughthenoose,hepullstheslip—knotandisquicklycarriedupbythespringoftheyoungtree。Thisisagoodplan,fortherabbitisoutofharm’swayasheswingshighintheair。

  Perhapsthemostenjoyableofallwasthechip—

  munkhunt。Wekilledtheseanimalsatanytimeofyear,butthespecialtimetohuntthemwasinMarch。Afterthefirstthaw,thechipmunksbur—

  rowaholethroughthesnowcrustandmaketheirfirstappearancefortheseason。Sometimesasmanyasfiftywillcometogetherandholdasocialreunion。Thesegatheringsoccurearlyinthemorning,fromdaybreaktoaboutnineo’clock。

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