\"Manyyearsago，\"hebegan，ashepassedthepipetouncle，\"wetraveledfromtheOtter—tailtoMinnewakan（Devil’sLake）。AtthattimethemoundwasverydistinctwhereChotankaliesburied。Thepeopleofhisimmediatebandhadtakencaretopreserveit。
\"Thismoundunderwhichliesthegreatmedi—
cinemanisuponthesummitofMinnewakanChantay，thehighesthillinallthatregion。Itisshapedlikeananimal’sheartplacedonitsbase，withtheapexupward。
\"ThereasonwhythishilliscalledMinnewa—
kanChantay，ortheHeartoftheMysteriousLand，Iwillnowtellyou。Ithasbeenhandeddownfromgenerationtogeneration，farbeyondthememoryofourgreat—grandparents。ItwasinChotanka’slineofdescentthattheselegendswereoriginallykept，butwhenhediedthestoriesbecameeverybody’s，andthennoonebelievedinthem。Itwastoldinthisway。\"
Isatfacinghim，whollywrappedinthewordsofthestory—teller，andnowItookadeepbreathandsettledmyselfsothatImightnotdisturbhimbytheslightestmovementwhilehewasrecitinghistale。Weweretaughtthiscourtesytoourelders，butIwasimpulsiveandsometimesforgot。
\"Alongtimeago，\"resumedWeyuha，\"theredpeopleweremanyinnumber，andtheyinhabi—
tedallthelandfromthecoldestplacetothere—
gionofperpetualsummertime。Itseemedthattheywereallofonetongue，andallwerefriends。
\"Alltheanimalswereconsideredpeopleinthosedays。Thebuffalo，theelk，theantelope，weretribesofconsiderableimportance。Thebearswereasmallerband，buttheyobeyedthemandatesoftheGreatMysteryandwerehisfavorites，andforthisreasontheyhavealwaysknownmoreaboutthesecretsofmedicine。Sotheywereheldinmuchhonor。Thewolves，too，werehighlyre—
gardedatonetime。Butthebuffalo，elk，moose，deerandantelopeweretherulingpeople。
\"Thesesoonbecameconceitedandconsideredthemselvesveryimportant，andthoughtnoonecouldwithstandthem。Thebuffalomadewarup—
onthesmallertribes，anddestroyedmany。SoonedaytheGreatMysterythoughtitbesttochangethepeopleinformandinlanguage。
\"Hemadeagreattentandkeptitdarkfortendays。Intothistentheinvitedthedifferentbands，andwhentheycameouttheyweregreatlychanged，andsomecouldnottalkatallafterthat。How—
ever，thereisasignlanguagegiventoalltheani—
malsthatnomanknowsexceptsomemedicinemen，andtheyareunderaheavypenaltyiftheyshouldtellit。
\"Thebuffalocameoutofthedarkenedtenttheclumsiestofalltheanimals。Theelkandmoosewereburdenedwiththeirheavyandmany—
branchedhorns，whiletheantelopeanddeerweremadethemostdefenselessofanimals，onlythattheyarefleetoffoot。Thebearandthewolfweremadetopreyuponalltheothers。
\"Manwasalonethen。Whenthechangecame，theGreatMysteryallowedhimtokeephisownshapeandlanguage。Hewaskingoveralltheanimals，buttheydidnotobeyhim。Fromthatday，man’sspiritmaylivewiththebeastsbe—
foreheisbornaman。Hewillthenknowtheanimallanguagebuthecannottellitinhumanspeech。Healwaysretainshissympathywiththem，andcanconversewiththemindreams。
\"ImustnotforgettotellyouthattheGreatMysterypitchedhistentinthisveryregion。
SomelegendssaythattheMinnewakanChantaywasthetentitself，whichafterwardbecameearthandstones。Manyoftheanimalswerewashedandchangedinthislake，theMinnewakan，orMysteriousWater。Itistheonlyinlandwaterweknowthatissalt。Noanimalhaseverswuminthislakeandlived。\"
\"Tellme，\"Ieagerlyasked，\"isitdangeroustomanalso？\"
\"Yes，\"hereplied，\"wethinkso;andnoIn—
dianhaseverventuredinthatlaketomyknow—
ledge。ThatiswhythelakeiscalledMysterious，\"
herepeated。
\"IshallnowtellyouofChotanka。Hewasthegreatestofmedicinemen。Hedeclaredthathewasagrizzlybearbeforehewasborninhumanform。\"Weyuhaseemedtobecomeveryearnestwhenhereachedthispointinhisstory。\"ListentoChotanka’slifeasagrizzlybear。\"
\"’Asabear，’heusedtosay，’myhomewasinsightoftheMinnewakanChantay。Ilivedwithmymotheronlyonewinter，andIonlysawmyfatherwhenIwasababy。ThenwelivedalittlewayfromtheChantaytothenorth，amongscatteredoakuponahillsideoverlookingtheMinnewakan。
\"’WhenIfirstrememberanything，IwasplayingoutsideofourhomewithabuffaloskullthatIhadfoundnearby。Isawsomethingthatlookedstrange。Itwalkedupontwolegs，anditcarriedacrookedstick，andsomeredwillowswithfeatherstiedtothem。Itthrewoneofthewil—
lowsatme，andIshowedmyteethandretreatedwithinourden。
\"’Justthenmyfatherandmothercamehomewithabuffalocalf。Theythrewdownthedeadcalf，andranafterthequeerthing。Hehadlonghairuponaroundhead。Hisfacewasround，too。
Heranandclimbedupintoasmalloaktree。
\"’Myfatherandmothershookhimdown，butnotbeforehehadshotsomeofhisredwillowsintotheirsides。Motherwasverysick，butshedugsomerootsandatethemandshewaswellagain。’ItwasthusthatChotankawasfirsttaughttheuseofcertainrootsforcuringwoundsandsickness，\"Weyuhaadded。
\"’Oneday’\"——heresumedthegrizzly’sstory——\"’whenIwasouthuntingwithmymother——
myfatherhadgoneawayandnevercameback——wefoundabuffalocowwithhercalfinaravine。Sheadvisedmetofollowherclosely，andwecrawledalongonourknees。Allatoncemothercroucheddownunderthegrass，andIdidthesame。Wesawsomeofthosequeerbeingsthatwecalled\"twolegs，\"ridinguponbig—taildeer（ponies）。Theyyelledastheyrodetowardus。
Mothergrowledterriblyandrusheduponthem。
Shecaughtone，butmanymorecamewiththeirdogsanddroveusintoathicket。Theysenttheredwillowssingingafterus，andtwoofthemstuckinmother’sside。Whenwegotawayatlastshetriedtopullthemout，buttheyhurtherterribly。
Shepulledthembothoutatlast，butsoonaftershelaydownanddied。
\"’IstayedinthewoodsalonefortwodaysthenIwentaroundtheMinnewakanChantayonthesouthsideandtheremademylonelyden。
ThereIfoundplentyofhazelnuts，acornsandwildplums。Upontheplainstheteepsinnawereabundant，andIsawnothingofmyenemies。
\"’OnedayIfoundafootprintnotunlikemyown。Ifollowedittoseewhothestrangermightbe。UponthebluffsamongtheoakgrovesIdis—
coveredabeautifulyoungfemalegatheringacorns。
Shewasofadifferentbandfrommine，forsheworeajetblackdress。
\"’Atfirstshewasdisposedtoresentmyintru—
sion;butwhenItoldherofmylonelylifesheagreedtoshareitwithme。Wecamebacktomyhomeonthesouthsideofthehill。Therewelivedhappyforawholeyear。WhentheautumncameagainWoshepee，forthiswashername，saidthatshemustmakeawarmnestforthewinter，andIwasleftaloneagain。’
\"Now，\"saidWeyuha，\"Ihavecometoapartofmystorythatfewpeopleunderstand。AllthelongwinterChotankasleptinhisden，andwiththeearlyspringtherecameagreatthunderstorm。
Hewasarousedbyafrightfulcrashthatseemedtoshakethehills;andlo！ahandsomeyoungmanstoodathisdoor。Helooked，butwasnotafraid，forhesawthatthestrangercarriednoneofthoseredwillowswithfeatheredtips。Hewasunarmedandsmiling。
\"’Icome，’saidhe，’withachallengetorunarace。Whoeverwinswillbetheheroofhiskind，andthedefeatedmustdoasthewinnersaysthere—
after。ThisisararehonorthatIhavebroughtyou。Thewholeworldwillseetherace。Theanimalworldwillshoutforyou，andthespiritswillcheermeon。Youarenotacoward，andthereforeyouwillnotrefusemychallenge。’
\"’No，’repliedChotanka，afterashorthesita—
tion。Theyoungmanwasfine—looking，butlightlybuilt。
\"’WeshallstartfromtheChantay，andthatwillbeourgoal。Come，letusgo，fortheuniverseiswaiting！’impatientlyexclaimedthestranger。
\"Hepassedoninadvance，andjustthenanold，oldwrinkledmancametoChotanka’sdoor。
Heleanedforwarduponhisstaff。
\"’Myson，’hesaidtohim，’Idon’twanttomakeyouacoward，butthisyoungmanisthegreatestgambleroftheuniverse。Hehaspow—
erfulmedicine。Hegamblesforlife;becareful！
MybrothersandIaretheonlyoneswhohaveeverbeatenhim。Butheissafe，forifheiskilledhecanresurrecthimself——Itellyouheisgreatmedicine。
\"’However，IthinkthatIcansaveyou——lis—
ten！Hewillrunbehindyouallthewayuntilyouarewithinashortdistanceofthegoal。Thenhewillpassyoubyinaflash，forhisnameisZig—
ZagFire！（lightning）。Hereismymedicine。’Sospeaking，hegavemearabbitskinandthegumofacertainplant。’Whenyoucomenearthegoal，rubyourselfwiththegum，andthrowtherabbitskinbetweenyou。Hecannotpassyou。’
\"’Andwhoareyou，grandfather？’Chotankainquired。
\"’Iamthemedicineturtle，’theoldmanre—
plied。’Thegamblerisaspiritfromheaven，andthosewhomheoutrunsmustshortlydie。Youhaveheard，nodoubt，thatallanimalsknowbe—
forehandwhentheyaretobekilled;andanymanwhounderstandsthesemysteriesmayalsoknowwhenheistodie。’
Theracewasannouncedtotheworld。Thebuffalo，elk，wolvesandalltheanimalscametolookon。Allthespiritsoftheaircamealsotocheerfortheircomrade。Intheskythetrumpetwassounded——thegreatmedicinedrumwasstruck。
Itwasthesignalforastart。ThecoursewasaroundtheMinnewakan。（Thatmeansaroundtheearthortheocean。）Everywherethemulti—
tudecheeredasthetwospedby。
\"TheyoungmankeptbehindChotankaallthetimeuntiltheycameoncemoreinsightoftheChantay。Thenhefeltaslightshockandhethrewhisrabbitskinback。Thestrangertrippedandfell。
Chotankarubbedhimselfwiththegum，andranonuntilhereachedthegoal。Therewasagreatshoutthatechoedovertheearth，butintheheavenstherewasmutteringandgrumbling。Therefereede—
claredthatthewinnerwouldlivetoagoodoldage，andZig—ZagFirepromisedtocomeathiscall。Hewasindeedgreatmedicine，\"Weyuhaconcluded。
\"ButyouhavenottoldmehowChotankabe—
cameaman，\"Isaid。
\"Onenightabeautifulwomancametohiminhissleep。Sheenticedhimintoherwhiteteepeetoseewhatshehadthere。ThensheshutthedooroftheteepeeandChotankacouldnotgetout。Butthewomanwaskindandpettedhimsothathelovedtostayinthewhiteteepee。Thenitwasthathebecameahumanborn。Thisisalongstory，butIthink，Ohiyesa，thatyouwillre—
memberit，\"saidWeyuha，andsoIdid。
II：Manitoshaw’sHuntingITwasinthewinter，intheMoonofDifficulty（January）。Wehadeatenourvenisonroastforsup—
per，andtheemberswereburn—
ingbrightly。Ourteepeewases—
peciallycheerful。Uncheedahsatneartheentrance，myuncleandhiswifeupontheoppositeside，whileIwithmypetsoccupiedtheremainingspace。
Wabeda，thedog，laynearthefireinahalfdoze，watchingoutofthecornersofhiseyesthetameraccoon，whichsnuggledbackagainstthewallsoftheteepee，hisshrewdbrain，doubtless，concoctingsomemischiefforthehoursofdarkness。Ihadalreadyrecitedalegendofourpeople。AllagreedthatIhaddonewell。Havingbeengenerouslypraised，Iwaseagertoearnsomemorecompli—
mentsbylearninganewone，soIbeggedmyuncletotellmeastory。Musinglyhereplied：
\"IcangiveyouaSioux—Creetradition，\"andimmediatelybegan：
\"Manywintersago，thereweresixteepeesstand—
ingonthesouthernslopeofMoosemountainintheMoonofWildCherries（September）。Thementowhomtheseteepeesbelongedhadbeenat—
tackedbytheSiouxwhilehuntingbuffalo，andnearlyallkilled。Twoorthreewhomanagedtogethometotelltheirsadstoryweremortallywounded，anddiedsoonafterward。Therewasonlyoneoldmanandseveralsmallboyslefttohuntandprovideforthisunfortunatelittlebandofwomenandchildren。
\"Theyliveduponteepsinna（wildturnips）andberriesformanydays。Theywerealmostfamishedformeat。Theoldmanwastoofeebletohuntsuccessfully。OnedayinthisdesolatecampayoungCreemaiden——forsuchtheywere——declaredthatshecouldnolongersitstillandseeherpeo—
plesuffer。Shetookdownherdeadfather’ssecondbowandquiverfullofarrows，andbeggedheroldgrandmothertoaccompanyhertoLakeWana—
giska，wheresheknewthatmoosehadoftentimesbeenfound。IforgottotellyouthathernamewasManitoshaw。
ThisManitoshawandheroldgrandmother，Nawakewee，tookeachaponyandwentfarupintothewoodsonthesideofthemountain。Theypitchedtheirwigwamjustoutofsightofthelake，andhobbledtheirponies。ThentheoldwomansaidtoManitoshaw：
\"’Go，mygranddaughter，totheoutletoftheWanagiska，andseeifthereareanymoosetracksthere。WhenIwasayoungwoman，Icameherewithyourfather’sfather，andwepitchedourtentnearthisspot。Inthenighttherecamethreedif—
ferentmoose。Bringmeleavesofthebirchandcedartwigs;Iwillmakemedicineformoose，’sheadded。
Manitoshawobedientlydisappearedinthewoods。Itwasagroveofbirchandwillow，withtwogoodsprings。Downbelowwasamarshyplace。
Nawakeweehadbiddenthemaidenlookfornib—
bledbirchandwillowtwigs，forthemooselovestoeatthem，andtohaveherarrowreadyuponthebow—string。Ihaveseenthisveryplacemanyatime，\"addedmyuncle，andthissimpleremarkgavetothestoryanairofreal—
ity。
\"TheCreemaidenwentfirsttothespring，andtherefoundfreshtracksoftheanimalshesought。
Shegatheredsomecedarberriesandchewedthem，andrubbedsomeofthemonhergarmentssothatthemoosemightnotscenther。Thesunwasal—
readyset，andshefeltshemustreturntoNa—
wakewee。
\"JustthenHinhankaga，thehootingowl，gavehisdolefulnightcall。Thegirlstoppedandlis—
tenedattentively。
\"’Ithoughtitwasalover’scall，’shewhisperedtoherself。Asingularchallengepealedacrossthelake。Sherecognizedthealarmcalloftheloon，andfanciedthatthebirdmighthavecaughtaglimpseofhergame。
\"Soonshewaswithinafewpacesofthetem—
porarylodgeofpineboughsandfernswhichthegrandmotherhadconstructed。Theoldwomanmetheronthetrail。
\"’Ah，mychild，youhavereturnednonetoosoon。Ifearedyouhadventuredtoofaraway;
fortheSiouxoftencometothisplacetohunt。
Youmustnotexposeyourselfcarelesslyontheshore。’
\"Asthetwowomenlaydowntosleeptheycouldheartheponiesmunchtherichgrassinanopenspotnearby。Throughthesmokeholeofthepine—boughwigwamManitoshawgazedupintothestarrysky，anddreamedofwhatshewoulddoonthemorrowwhensheshouldsurprisethewilymoose。Hergrandmotherwasalreadysleep—
ingsonoisilythatitwasenoughtoscareawaythegame。Atlastthemaiden，too，lostherselfinsleep。
\"OldNawakeweeawokeearly。Firstofallshemadeafireandburnedcedarandbirchsothatthemoosemightnotdetectthehumansmell。Thenshequicklypreparedamealofwildturnipsandberries，andawokethemaiden，whowassurprisedtoseethatthesunwasalreadyup。
Sherandowntothespringandhastilysplashedhandsfulofthecoldwaterinherface;thenshelookedforamomentinitsmirror—likesurface。
TherewasthereflectionoftwomoosebytheopenshoreandbeyondthemManitoshawseemedtoseeayoungmanstanding。Inanothermomentallthreehaddisappeared。
\"’Whatisthematterwithmyeyes？Iamnotfullyawakeyet，andIimaginethings。Ugh，itisallinmyeyes，’themaidenrepeatedtoher—
self。ShehastenedbacktoNawakewee。Thevisionwassounexpectedandsostartlingthatshecouldnotbelieveinitstruth，andshesaidnoth—
ingtotheoldwoman。
\"Breakfasteaten，Manitoshawthrewoffherrobeandappearedinherscantilycutgownofbuckskinwithlongfringes，andmoccasinsandleggingstrimmedwithquillsoftheporcupine。
Herfather’sbowandquiverwerethrownoveroneshoulder，andtheknifedangledfromherbeltinitshandsomesheath。Sheranbreathlesslyalongtheshoretowardtheoutlet。
\"WayoffneartheislandMedozatheloonswamwithhismate，occasionallyutteringacryofjoy。
HereandtheretheplayfulHogan，thetrout，spranggracefullyoutofthewater，inashoweroffallingdew。AsthemaidenhastenedalongshescaredupWadawasee，thekingfisher，whoscreamedloudly。
\"’Stop，Wadawasee，stop——youwillfrightenmygame！’
\"Atlastshehadreachedtheoutlet。Shesawatoncethatthemoosehadbeenthereduringthenight。Theyhadtornupthegroundandbrokenbirchandwillowtwigsinamostdisorderlyway。\"
\"Ah！\"Iexclaimed，\"IwishIhadbeenwithManitoshawthen！\"
\"Hush，myboy;neverinterruptastory—
teller。\"
Itookastickandbegantolevelofftheashesinfrontofme，andtodrawamapofthelake，theoutlet，themooseandManitoshaw。Awayofftoonesidewasthesolitarywigwam，Nawakeweeandtheponies。
\"Manitoshaw’sheartwasbeatingsoloudthatshecouldnothearanything，\"resumedmyuncle。
\"Shetooksomeleavesofthewintergreenandchewedthemtocalmherself。ShedidnotforgettothrowinpassingapinchofpulverizedtobaccoandpaintintothespringforManitou，thespirit。
\"Amongthetwinklingleavesofthebirchhereyewascaughtbyamovingform，andthenan—
other。Shestoodmotionless，graspingherheavybow。Themoose，notsuspectinganydanger，walkedleisurelytowardthespring。Onewasalargefemalemoose;theotherayearling。
AstheypassedManitoshaw，movingsonat—
urallyandlookingsoharmless，shealmostforgottoletflyanarrow。Themothermooseseemedtolookinherdirection，butdidnotseeher。Theyhadfairlypassedherhiding—placewhenshesteppedforthandsentaswiftarrowintothesideofthelargermoose。Bothdashedintothethickwoods，butitwastoolate。TheCreemaidenhadalreadyloosenedhersecondarrow。Bothfelldeadbeforereachingtheshore。\"
\"Uncle，shemusthavehadasplendidaim，forinthewoodsthemanylittletwigsmakeanarrowboundofftooneside，\"Iinterruptedingreatex—
citement。
\"Yes，butyoumustremembershewasverynearthemoose。\"
\"Itseemstome，then，uncle，thattheymusthavescentedher，foryouhavetoldmethattheypossessthekeenestnoseofanyanimal，\"Iper—
sisted。
\"Doubtlessthewindwasblowingtheotherway。But，nephew，youmustletmefinishmystory。
\"Ovedoyedbyhersuccess，themaidenhas—
tenedbacktoNawakawee，butshewasgone！
Theponiesweregone，too，andthewigwamofbrancheshadbeendemolished。WhileManito—
shawstoodthere，frightenedandundecidedwhattodo，asoftvoicecamefrombehindaneighbor—
ingthicket：
\"’Manitoshaw！Manitoshaw！Iamhere！’
Sheatoncerecognized，thevoiceandfoundittobeNawakeewee，whotoldastrangestory。
ThatmorningacanoehadcrossedtheWanagiskacarryingtwomen。TheywereSioux。Theoldgrandmotherhadseenthemcoming，andtode—
ceivethemsheatoncepulleddownhertemporarywigwam，anddrovetheponiesofftowardhome。
Thenshehidherselfinthebushesnearby，forsheknewthatManitoshawmustreturnthere。
\"’Come，mygranddaughter，wemusthastenhomebyanotherway，’criedtheoldwoman。
\"Butthemaidensaid，’No，letusgofirsttomytwomoosethatIkilledthismorningandtakesomemeatwithus。’
\"’No，no，mychild;theSiouxarecruel。
Theyhavekilledmanyofourpeople。Ifwestayheretheywillfindus。Ifear，Ifearthem，Manitoshaw！’
\"Atlastthebravemaidconvincedhergrand—
mother，andthemoreeasilyasshetoowashun—
gryformeat。Theywenttowherethebiggamelayamongthebushes，andbegantodressthemoose。\"
\"Ithink，ifIwerethey，Iwouldhideallday。
IwouldwaituntiltheSiouxhadgone;thenI
wouldgobacktomymoose，\"Iinterruptedforthethirdtime。
\"Iwillfinishthestoryfirst;thenyoumaytelluswhatyouwoulddo，\"saidmyunclereprov—
ingly。
\"ThetwoSiouxwerefatherandson。Theytoohadcometothelakeformoose;butasthegameusuallyretreatedtotheisland，ChatansapahadlandedhissonKangiskatohuntthemontheshorewhilehereturnedinhiscanoetointercepttheirflight。Theyoungmanspedalongthesandybeachandsoondiscoveredtheirtracks。Hefollowedthemupandfoundbloodonthetrail。
Thisastonishedhim。Cautiouslyhefollowedonuntilhefoundthembothlyingdead。Heexam—
inedthemandfoundthatineachmoosetherewasasingleCreearrow。Wishingtosurprisethehunterifpossible，Kangiskalayhiddeninthebushes。
\"Afteralittlewhilethetwowomenreturnedtothespot。Theypassedhimascloseasthemoosehadpassedthemaideninthemorning。Hesawatoncethatthemaidenhadarrowsinherquiverlikethosethathadslainthebigmoose。Helaystill。
\"KangiskalookeduponthebeautifulCreemaidenandlovedher。Finallyheforgothimselfandmadeaslightmotion。Manitoshaw’squickeyecaughtthelittlestiramongthebushes，butsheimmediatelylookedtheotherwayandKan—
giskabelievedthatshehadnotseenanything，Atlasthereyesmethis，andsomethingtoldboththatallwaswell。Thenthemaidensmiled，andtheyoungmancouldnotremainstillanylonger。
Hearosesuddenlyandtheoldwomannearlyfaintedfromfright。ButManitoshawsaid：
\"’Fearnot，grandmother;wearetwoandheisonlyone。’
\"Whilethetwowomencontinuedtocutupthemeat，Kangiskamadeafirebyrubbingcedarchipstogether，andtheyallateofthemoosemeat。Thentheoldwomanfinishedherwork，whiletheyoungpeoplesatdownuponalogintheshade，andtoldeachotheralltheirminds。
\"KangiskadeclaredbysignsthathewouldgohomewithManitoshawtotheCreecamp，forhelovedher。Theywenthome，andtheyoungmanhuntedfortheunfortunateCreebandduringtherestofhislife。
\"Hisfatherwaitedalongtimeontheislandandafterwardsearchedtheshore，butneversawhimagain。HesupposedthatthosefootprintshesawweremadebyCreeswhohadkilledhisson。\"
\"Isthatstorytrue，uncle？\"Iaskedeagerly。
\"’Yes，thefactsarewellknown。TherearesomeSiouxmixedbloodsamongtheCreestothisdaywhoaredescendantsofKangiska。\"
X
IndianLifeandAdventureI：LifeintheWoodsTHEmonthofSeptemberrecallstoeveryIndian’smindtheseasonofthefallhunt。Irememberonesuchexpeditionwhichistypicalofmany。OurpartyappearedonthenorthwesternsideofTurtlemountain;forwehadbeenhuntingbuffaloesallsummer，intheregionoftheMouseriver，betweenthatmountainandtheupperMissouri。
Asourcone—shapedteepeesroseinclustersalongtheoutskirtsoftheheavyforestthatclothestheslopingsideofthemountain，thescenebelowwasgratifyingtoasavageeye。Therollingyellowplainswerecheckeredwithherdsofbuffaloes。
Alongthebanksofthestreamsthatrandownfromthemountainswerealsomanyelk，whichusuallyappearatmorningandevening，anddisappearintotheforestduringthewarmerpartoftheday。
Deer，too，wereplenty，andthebrookswerealivewithtrout。Hereandtherethestreamsweredammedbytheindustriousbeaver。
Intheinterioroftheforesttherewerelakeswithmanyislands，wheremoose，elk，deerandbearswereabundant。Thewater—fowlwerewonttogatherhereingreatnumbers，amongthemthecrane，theswan，theloon，andmanyofthesmallerkinds。Theforestalsowasfilledwithagreatva—
rietyofbirds。Herethepartridgedrummedhisloudest，whilethewhippoorwillsangwithspirit，andthehootingowlreignedinthenight。
Tome，asaboy，thiswildernesswasaparadise。Itwasalandofplenty。Tobesure，wedidnothaveanyoftheluxuriesofcivilization，butwehadeveryconvenienceandopportunityandluxuryofNature。Wehadalsothegiftofenjoyingourgoodfortune，whateverdangersmightlurkaboutus;andthetruthisthatwelivedinblessedignoranceofanylifethatwasbetterthanourown。
Assoonashuntinginthewoodsbegan，thecustomsregulatingitwereestablished。Thecoun—
cilteepeenolongerexisted。Ahuntingbonfirewaskindledeverymorningatday—break，atwhicheachbravemustappearandreport。Themanwhofailedtodothisbeforethepartysetoutontheday’shuntwasharassedbyridicule。Asarule，thehuntersstartedbeforesunrise，andthebravewhowasannouncedthroughoutthecampasthefirstonetoreturnwithadeeronhisback，wasamantobeenvied。
Thelegend—teller，oldSmokyDay，waschosenheraldofthecamp，anditwashewhomadetheannouncements。Aftersupperwasended，weheardhispowerfulvoiceresoundamongtheteepeesintheforest。Hewouldthennameamantokindlethebonfirethenextmorning。Hissuitoffringedbuckskinsetoffhissplendidphysiquetoadvan—
tage。
Scarcelyhadthemendisappearedinthewoodseachmorningthanalltheboyssalliedforth，ap—
parentlyengrossedintheirgamesandsports，butinrealitycompetingactivelywithoneanotherinquicknessofobservation。Asthedayadvanced，theyallkeptthesharpestpossiblelookout。Sud—
denlytherewouldcometheshrill\"Woo—coo—
hoo！\"atthetopofaboy’svoice，announcingthebringinginofadeer。Immediatelyalltheotherboystookupthecry，eachonebentongettingaheadoftherest。NowweallsawthebraveWa—
cootafairlybentoverbyhisburden，alargedeerwhichhecarriedonhisshoulders。Hisfringedbuckskinshirtwasbesprinkledwithblood。Hethrewdownthedeeratthedoorofhiswife’smother’shome，accordingtocustom，andthenwalkedproudlytohisown。Atthedoorofhisfather’steepeehestoodforamomentstraightasapine—tree，andthenentered。
Whenabearwasbroughtin，ahundredormoreoftheseurchinswerewonttomakethewoodsresoundwiththeirvoices：\"Wah！wah！wah！
Wah！wah！wah！ThebraveWhiteRabbitbringsabear！Wah！wah！wah！\"
Alldaythesesing—songcheerswerekeptup，asthegamewasbroughtin。Atlast，towardthecloseoftheafternoon，allthehuntershadreturned，andhappinessandcontentmentreignedabsolute，inafashionwhichIhaveneverobservedamongthewhitepeople，eveninthebestofcircumstances。
Themenwereloungingandsmoking;thewomenactivelyengagedinthepreparationoftheeveningmeal，andthecareofthemeat。ThechoicestofthegamewascookedandofferedtotheGreatMystery，withalltheaccompanyingceremonies。
Thiswecalledthe\"medicinefeast。\"Eventhewomen，astheyloweredtheboilingpot，orthefragrantroastofvenisonreadytoserve，wouldfirstwhisper：\"GreatMystery，dothoupartakeofthisvenison，andstillbegracious！\"Thiswasthecommonlysaid\"grace。\"
Everythingwentsmoothlywithus，onthisoc—
casion，whenwefirstenteredthewoods。Noth—
ingwaswantingtoouroldwayofliving。Thekillingofdeerandelkandmoosehadtobestoppedforatime，sincemeatwassoabundantthatwehadnouseforthemanylonger。Onlythehuntingforpelts，suchasthoseofthebear，beaver，marten，andotterwascontinued。Butwheneverwelivedinblessedabundance，ourbraveswerewonttoturntheirthoughtstootheroccupations——especiallythehot—bloodedyouthswhoseambitionitwastodosomethingnote—
worthy。
Atjustsuchmomentsasthistherearealwaysanumberofpriestsinreadiness，whosevocationitistoseeintothefuture，andeachofwhomcon—
sultshisparticularinterpreteroftheGreatMys—
tery。（Thisceremonyiscalledbythewhitepeople\"makingmedicine。\"）Totheprieststheyouth—
fulbraveshinttheirimpatienceforthewar—path。
Sooncomesthedesireddreamorprophecyorvisiontofavortheirdeparture。
Ouryoungmenpresentlyreceivedtheirsign，andforafewdaysallwashurryandexcitement。
Ontheappointedmorningweheardthesongsofthewarriorsandthewailingofthewomen，bywhichtheybadeadieutoeachother，andtheeligiblebraves，headedbyanexperiencedman——oldHo—
tankaorLoud—VoicedRaven——setoutfortheGrosVentrecountry。
Ourolderheads，tobesure，hadexpressedsomedisapprovaloftheundertaking，forthecountryinwhichwewereroamingwasnotourown，andwewerelikelyatanytimetobetakentotaskbyitsrightfulowners。Theplaintruthofthematterwasthatwewereintruders。Hencethemorethoughtfulamonguspreferredtobeathome，andtoachievewhatrenowntheycouldgetbydefend—
ingtheirhomesandfamilies。Theyoungmen，however，weresoeagerforactionandexcitementthattheymustneedsgooffinsearchofit。
Fromtheearlymorningwhenthesebravesleftus，ledbytheoldwar—priest，Loud—VoicedRaven，theanxiousmothers，sistersandsweetheartscountedthedays。OldSmokyDaywouldocca—
sionallygetupearlyinthemorning，andsinga\"strong—heart\"songforhisabsentgrandson。I
stillseemtohearthehoarse，crackedvoiceoftheancientsingerasitresoundedamongthewoods。
Foralongtimeourrovingcommunityenjoyedunbrokenpeace，andweweresparedanytroubleordisturbance。Ourhuntersoftenbroughtinadeerorelkorbearforfreshmeat。Thebeautifullakesfurnisheduswithfishandwild—fowlforvariety。Theirplacidwaters，astheautumnad—
vanced，reflectedthevariegatedcolorsofthechangingfoliage。
Itismyrecollectionthatwewereatthistimeencampedinthevicinityofthe\"TurtleMoun—
tain’sHeart。\"Itistothehighestcone—shapedpeakthattheIndiansaptlygivethisappellation。
Ourcamping—groundfortwomonthswaswithinashortdistanceofthepeak，andthemenmadeitapointtooftensendoneoftheirnumbertothetop。Itwasunderstoodbetweenthemandthewarpartythatweweretoremainnearthisspot;
andontheirreturntripthelatterweretogivethe\"smokesign，\"whichwewouldanswerfromthetopofthehill。
Oneday，aswewerecampingontheshoreofalargelakewithseveralislands，signsofmoosewerediscovered，andthemenwentofftothemonrafts，carryingtheirflint—lockgunsinanticipationoffindingtwoorthreeoftheanimals。Welittlefellows，asusual，wereplayingdownbythesandyshore，whenwespiedwhatseemedliketherootofagreattreefloatingtowardus。Butonacloserscrutinywediscoveredourerror。Itwastheheadofahugemoose，swimmingforhislife！Fortun—
atelyforhim，noneofthemenhadremainedathome。
Accordingtoourhabit，welittleurchinsdisap—
pearedinaninstant，likeyoungprairiechickens，inthelonggrass。Iwasnotmorethaneightyearsold，yetItestedthestrengthofmybow—
stringandadjustedmysharpestandbestarrowforimmediateservice。Myheartleapedviolentlyasthehomelybutimposinganimalnearedtheshore。
IwasundecidedforamomentwhetherIwouldnotleavemyhiding—placeandgiveawar—whoopassoonashetouchedthesand。ThenIthoughtIwouldkeepstillandlethimhavemyboyweap—
on;andtheonlyregretthatIhadwasthathewould，inallprobability，takeitwithhim，andI
shouldbeminusonegoodarrow。
\"Still，\"Ithought，\"Ishallclaimtobethesmallestboywhosearrowwasevercarriedawaybyamoose。\"Thatwasenough。Igatheredmyselfintoabunch，allreadytospring。Asthelong—leggedbeastpulledhimselfdrippingoutofthewater，andshookoffthedropsfromhislonghair，Isprangtomyfeet。Ifeltsomeofthewaterinmyface！IgavehimmysharpestarrowwithalltheforceIcouldmaster，rightamongthefloatingribs。ThenIutteredmywar—
whoop。
Themoosedidnotseemtomindtheminiatureweapon，buthewasverymuchfrightenedbyourshrillyelling。Hetooktohislonglegs，andinaminutewasoutofsight。
Theleaveshadnowbeguntofall，andtheheavyfrostsmadethenightsverycold。Wewereforcedtorealizethattheshortsummerofthatregionhadsaidadieu！Stillweweregayandlight—
hearted，forwehadplentyofprovisions，andnomisfortunehadyetovertakenusinourwanderingsoverthecountryfornearlythreemonths。
OnedayoldSmokyDayreturnedfromthedailyhuntwithanalarm。Hehadseenasign——
a\"smokesign。\"Thishadnotappearedinthequarterthattheywereanxiouslywatching——itcamefromtheeast。Afteralongconsultationamongthemen，itwasconcludedfromthenatureanddurationofthesmokethatitproceededfromanaccidentalfire。ItwasfurthersurmisedthatthefirewasnotmadebySioux，sinceitwasoutoftheircountry，butbyawar—partyofOjibways，whowereaccustomedtousematcheswhenlightingtheirpipes，andtothrowthemcarelesslyaway。
Itwasthoughtthatalittletimehadbeenspentinanattempttoputitout。
Thecouncildecreedthatastrictlook—outshouldbeestablishedinbehalfofourparty。Everydayascoutwasappointedtoreconnoitreinthedirec—
tionofthesmoke。Itwasagreedthatnogunshouldbefiredfortwelvedays。Alloursignalswerefreshlyrehearsedamongthemen。Thewomenandoldmenwentsofarastodiglittleconvenientholesaroundtheirlodges，fordefenseincaseofasuddenattack。AndyetanOjibwayscoutwouldnothavesuspected，fromtheordinaryappearanceofthecamp，thattheSiouxhadbe—
comeawareoftheirneighborhood！Scoutswerestationedjustoutsideofthevillageatnight。Theyhadbeensotrainedastorivalanowloracatintheirabilitytoseeinthedark。
Thetwelvedayspassedby，however，withoutbringinganyevidenceofthenearnessofthesup—
posedOjibwaywar—party，andthe\"lookout\"
establishedforpurposesofprotectionwasaband—
oned。Soonafterthis，onemorningatdawn，wewerearousedbythesoundoftheunwelcomewar—
whoop。Althoughonlyachild，Isprangupandwasabouttorushout，asIhadbeentaughttodo;butmygoodgrandmotherpulledmedown，andgavemeasigntolayflatontheground。I
sharpenedmyearsandlaystill。
Allwasquietincamp，butatsomelittledistancefromustherewasalivelyencounter。Icoulddistinctlyheartheoldherald，shoutingandyell—
inginexasperation。\"Whoo！whoo！\"wasthesignalofdistress，andIcouldalmosthearthepulseofmyownblood—vessels。
Closerandcloserthestrugglecame，andstillthewomenappearedtogrowmoreandmorecalm。
AtlastatremendouschargebytheSiouxputtheenemytoflight;therewasaburstofyelling;
alas！myfriendandteacher，oldSmokyDay，wassilent。HehadbeenpiercedtotheheartbyanarrowfromtheOjibways。
Althoughsuccessful，wehadlosttwoofourmen，SmokyDayandWhiteCrane，andthisinci—
dent，althoughhardlyunexpected，darkenedourpeacefulsky。Thecampwasfilledwithsongsofvictory，mingledwiththewailingoftherelativesoftheslain。Themothersoftheyouthswhowereabsentonthewar—pathcouldnolongercon—
cealtheiranxiety。
Onefrostymorning——foritwasthenneartheendofOctober——theweirdsongofasolitarybravewasheard。Inaninstantthecampwasthrownintoindescribableconfusion。Themeaningofthiswasclearasdaytoeverybody——allofourwar—partywerekilled，savetheonewhosemourn—
fulsongannouncedthefateofhiscompanions。
ThelonelywarriorwasBaldEagle。
Thevillagewasconvulsedwithgrief;forinsorrow，asinjoy，everyIndianshareswithalltheothers。Theoldwomenstoodstill，wherevertheymightbe，andwaileddismally，atintervalschantingthepraisesofthedepartedwarriors。Thewiveswentalittlewayfromtheirteepeesandthereaudiblymourned;buttheyoungmaidenswanderedfurtherawayfromthecamp，wherenoonecouldwitnesstheirgrief。Theoldmenjoinedinthecryingandsinging。Toallap—
pearancesthemostunmovedofallwerethewar—
riors，whosetearsmustbepouredforthinthecountryoftheenemytoembittertheirvenge—
ance。Thesesatsilentlywithintheirlodges，andstrovetoconcealtheirfeelingsbehindastoicalcountenance;buttheywouldprobablyhavefailedhadnotthesoothingweedcometotheirrelief。
Thefirstsadshockover，thencamethechangeofhabiliments。Insavageusage，theoutwardexpressionofmourningsurpassesthatofciviliza—
tion。TheIndianmournergivesupallhisgoodclothing，andcontentshimselfwithscantyandmiserablegarments。Blanketsarecutintwo，andthehairiscroppedshort。Oftenadevotedmotherwouldscarifyherarmsorlegs;asisterorayoungwifewouldcutoffallherbeautifulhairanddisfigureherselfbyundergoinghardships。
Fathersandbrothersblackenedtheirfaces，andworeonlytheshabbiestgarments。Suchwasthespectaclethatourpeoplepresentedwhenthebrightautumnwasgoneandthecoldshadowofwinterandmisfortunehadfallenuponus。\"Wemustsuffer，\"saidthey——\"theGreatMysteryisoffended。\"
II：AWinterCampWHENIwasabouttwelveyearsoldwewinteredupontheMouseriver，westofTurtlemountain。
Itwasoneofthecoldestwin—
tersIeverknew，andwassore—
gardedbytheoldmenofthetribe。
ThesummerbeforetherehadbeenplentyofbuffalouponthatsideoftheMissouri，andourpeoplehadmademanypacksofdriedbuffalomeatandcachedthemindifferentplaces，sothattheycouldgetthemincaseofneed。Thereweremanyblack—taileddeerandelkalongtheriver，andgrizzliesweretobefoundintheopencoun—
try。Apparentlytherewasnodangerofstarva—
tion，soourpeoplethoughttowinterthere;butitprovedtobeahardwinter。
Therewasagreatsnow—fall，andthecoldwasintense。Thesnowwastoodeepforhunting，andthemainbodyofthebuffalohadcrossedtheMissouri，whereitwastoofartogoafterthem。
Butthereweresomesmallerherdsoftheanimalsscatteredaboutinourvicinity，thereforetherewasstillfreshmeattobehad，butitwasnotsecuredwithoutagreatdealofdifficulty。
Noponiescouldbeused。Themenhuntedonsnow—shoesuntilaftertheMoonofSoreEyes（March），whenafteraheavythawacrustwasformedonthesnowwhichwouldscarcelyholdaman。Itwasthenthatourpeoplehuntedbuffalowithdogs——anunusualexpedient。
Sledsweremadeofbuffaloribsandhickorysaplings，therunnersboundwithrawhidewiththehairsidedown。Theseslippedsmoothlyovertheicycrust。Onlysmallmenrodeonthesleds。
Whenbuffalowerereportedbythehunting—
scouts，everybodyhadhisdogteamready。Allwentunderordersfromthepolice，andapproachedtheherdundercoveruntiltheycamewithinchargingdistance。
Themenhadtheirbowsandarrows，andafewhadguns。Thehugeanimalscouldnotrunfastinthedeepsnow。Theyallfollowedaleader，tramplingoutanarrowpath。Thedogswiththeirdriverssooncaughtupwiththemoneachside，andthehuntersbroughtmanyofthemdown。
Irememberwhenthepartyreturned，lateinthenight。Themencameinsinglefile，wellloaded，andeachdogfollowinghismasterwithanequallyheavyload。Bothmenandanimalswerewhitewithfrost。
Weboyshadwaitedimpatientlyfortheirarri—
val。Assoonaswespiedthemcomingabuffalohuntingwhistlewasstarted，andeveryurchininthevillageaddedhisvoicetotheweirdsound，whilethedogswhohadbeenleftathomejoinedwithusinthechorus。Themen，wearingtheirbuffalomoccasinswiththehairinsideandrobesofthesame，camehomehungryandexhausted。
ItisoftensupposedthatthedogintheIndiancampisauselessmemberofsociety，butitisnotsointhewildlife。Wefoundhimoneofthemostusefulofdomesticanimals，especiallyinanemergency。
Whileatthiscampaludicrousincidentoccurredthatisstilltoldaboutthecamp—firesoftheSioux。
Onedaythemenwerehuntingonsnow—shoes，andcontrivedtogetwithinashortdistanceofthebuffalobeforetheymadetheattack。Itwasim—
possibletorunfast，butthehugeanimalswereequallyunabletogetaway。Manywerekilled。
Justastheherdreachedanopenplainoneofthebuffaloesstoppedandfinallylaydown。Threeofthemenwhowerepursuinghimshortlycameup。
Theanimalwasseverelywounded，butnotdead。
\"Ishallcrawluptohimfrombehindandstabhim，\"saidWamedee;\"wecannotwaithereforhimtodie。\"Theothersagreed。Wamedeewasnotconsideredespeciallybrave;buthetookouthisknifeandhelditbetweenhisteeth。Hethenapproachedthebuffalofrombehindandsuddenlyjumpedastridehisback。
Theanimalwasdreadfullyfrightenedandstrug—
gledtohisfeet。Wamedee’sknifefelltotheground，butheheldonbythelongshaggyhair。
Hehadabadseat，forhewasuponthebuffalo’shump。Therewasnochancetojumpoff;hehadtostayonaswellashecould。
\"Hurry！hurry！shoot！shoot！\"hescreamed，asthecreatureplungedandkickedmadlyinthedeepsnow。Wamedee’sfacelookeddeathly，theysaid;buthistwofriendscouldnothelplaughing。
Hewasstillcallinguponthemtoshoot，butwhentheotherstookaimhewouldcry：\"Don’tshoot！
don’tshoot！youwillkillme！\"Atlasttheani—
malfelldownwithhim;butWamedee’stwofriendsalsofelldownexhaustedwithlaughter。Hewasridiculedasacowardthereafter。
ItwasonthisveryhuntthatthechiefMatowaskilledbyabuffalo。Ithappenedinthisway。
Hehadwoundedtheanimal，butnotfatally;soheshottwomorearrowsathimfromadistance。
Thenthebuffalobecamedesperateandchargeduponhim。InhisflightMatowastrippedbystickingoneofhissnow—shoesintoasnowdrift，fromwhichhecouldnotextricatehimselfintime。
Thebullgoredhimtodeath。ThecreekuponwhichthishappenedisnowcalledMatocreek。
AlittlewayfromourcamptherewasalogvillageofFrenchCanadianhalf—breeds，butthetwovil—
lagesdidnotintermingle。AbouttheMoonofDifficulty（January）wewereinitiatedintosomeofthepeculiarcustomsofourneighbors。Inthemiddleofthenighttherewasafiringofgunsthroughouttheirvillage。Someofthepeoplethoughttheyhadbeenattacked，andwentovertoassistthem，buttotheirsurprisetheyweretoldthatthiswasthecelebrationofthebirthofthenewyear！
Ourmenweretreatedtominnewakanor\"spiritwater，\"andtheycamehomecrazyandfoolish。Theytalkedloudandsangalltherestofthenight。Finallyourheadchieforderedhisyoungmentotiethesemenupandputtheminalodgebythemselves。Hegaveorderstountiethem\"whentheevilspirithadgoneaway。\"
Duringthenextdayallourpeoplewereinvitedtoattendthehalf—breeds’dance。Ineverknewbeforethatanewyearbeginsinmid—winter。Wehadalwayscountedthattheyearendswhenthewinterends，andanewyearbeginswiththenewlifeinthespringtime。
Iwasnowtakenforthefirsttimetoawhiteman’sdanceinaloghouse。IthoughtitwasthedizziestthingIeversaw。Onemansatinacor—
ner，sawingawayatastringedboard，andallthewhilehewasstampingthefloorwithhisfootandgivinganoccasionalshout。Whenhecalledout，thedancersseemedtomovefaster。
Themendancedwithwomen——somethingthatweIndiansneverdo——andwhenthemaninthecornershoutedtheywouldswingthewomenaround。Itlookedveryrudetome，asIstoodoutsidewiththeotherboysandpeepedthroughthechinksinthelogs。Atonetimeayoungmanandwomanfacingeachotherdancedinthemid—
dleofthefloor。Ithoughttheywouldsurelyweartheirmoccasinsoutagainsttheroughboards;
butafterafewminutestheywererelievedbyan—
othercouple。
Thenanoldmanwithlongcurlyhairandafox—skincapdancedaloneinthemiddleoftheroom，slappingthefloorwithhismoccasinedfootinalightningfashionthatIhaveneverseenequalled。Heseemedtobealeaderamongthem。
Whenhehadfinished，theoldmaninvitedourprincipalchiefintothemiddleofthefloor，andaftertheIndianhadgivenagreatwhoop，thetwodrankincompany。Afterthis，therewassomuchdrinkingandloudtalkingamongthemen，thatitwasthoughtbesttosenduschildrenbacktothecamp。
Itwasatthisplacethatwefoundmanysandboulderslikeabig\"whiteman’shouse。\"Therewereholesinthemlikerooms，andweplayedinthesecave—likeholes。Oneday，inthemidstofourgame，wefoundtheskeletonofagreatbear。
Evidentlyhehadbeenwoundedandcametheretodie，fortherewereseveralarrowsonthefloorofthecave。
ThemostexcitingeventofthisyearwastheattackthattheGrosVentresmadeuponusjustaswemovedourcampuponthetablelandbackoftheriverinthespring。Wehadplentyofmeatthenandeverybodywashappy。Thegrasswasbeginningtoappearandtheponiestogrowfat。
Onenighttherewasawardance。AfewofouryoungmenhadplannedtoinvadetheGrosVentrescountry，butitseemedthattheytoohadbeenthinkingofus。Everybodywasinterestedintheproposedwarparty。
\"Uncle，areyougoingtoo？\"Ieagerlyaskedhim。
\"No，\"hereplied，withalongsigh。\"Itistheworsttimeofyeartogoonthewar—path。Weshallhaveplentyoffightingthissummer，aswearegoingtotrenchupontheirterritoryinourhunts，\"headded。
Thenightwasclearandpleasant。ThewardrumwasansweredbythehowlsofcoyotesontheoppositesideoftheMouseriver。Iwasinthethrong，watchingthebraveswhowereabouttogooutinsearchofglory。\"IwishIwereoldenough;Iwouldsurelygowiththisparty，\"I
thought。MyfriendTatankawastogo。HewasseveralyearsolderthanI，andaheroinmyeyes。Iwatchedhimashedancedwiththerestuntilnearlymidnight。ThenIcamebacktoourteepeeandrolledmyselfinmybuffalorobeandwassoonlostinsleep。
SuddenlyIwasarousedbyloudwarcries。
\"’Woo！woo！hay—ay！hay—ay！Uwedo！Uwedo！’\"Ijumpeduponmyfeet，snatchedmybowandarrowsandrushedoutoftheteepee，franti—
callyyellingasIwent。
\"Stop！stop！\"screamedUncheedah，andcaughtmebymylonghair。
BythistimetheGrosVentreshadencircledourcamp，sendingvolleysofarrowsandbulletsintoourmidst。Thewomenwerediggingditchesinwhichtoputtheirchildren。
Myunclewasforemostinthebattle。TheSiouxbravelywithstoodtheassault，althoughseveralofourmenhadalreadyfallen。Manyoftheenemywerekilledinthefieldaroundourteepees。TheSiouxatlastgottheirponiesandmadeacountercharge，ledbyOyemakasan（myuncle）。TheycuttheGrosVentrepartyintwo，anddrovethemoff。
MyfriendTatankawaskilled。Itookoneofhiseaglefeathers，thinkingIwouldwearitthefirsttimethatIeverwentuponthewar—path。I
thoughtIwouldgiveanythingfortheoppor—
tunitytogoagainsttheGrosVentres，becausetheykilledmyfriend。Thewarsongs，thewail—
ingforthedead，thehowlingofthedogswasintolerabletome。Soonafterthiswebrokeupourcampanddepartedfornewscenes。
III：WildHarvestsWHENourpeoplelivedinMin—
nesota，agoodpartoftheirnatur—
alsubsistencewasfurnishedbythewildrice，whichgrewabun—
dantlyinallofthatregion。
Aroundtheshoresandalloversomeoftheinnumerablelakesofthe\"LandofSky—blueWater\"wasthiswildcerealfound。In—
deed，someofthewateryfieldsinthosedaysmightbecomparedinextentandfruitfulnesswiththefieldsofwheatonMinnesota’smagnificentfarmsto—day。
Thewildriceharvesterscameingroupsoffif—
teentotwentyfamiliestoalake，dependinguponthesizeoftheharvest。SomeoftheIndianshuntedbuffaloupontheprairieatthisseason，butthereweremorewhopreferredtogotothelakestogatherwildrice，fish，gatherberriesandhuntthedeer。Therewasanabundanceofwater—fowlsamongthegrain;andreallynoseasonoftheyearwashappierthanthis。
Thecamping—groundwasusuallyanattractivespot，withshadeandcoolbreezesoffthewater。
Thepeople，whiletheypitchedtheirteepeesupontheheights，ifpossible，forthesakeofagoodout—
look，actuallylivedintheircanoesupontheplacidwaters。Thehappiestofall，perhaps，weretheyoungmaidens，whowerealldaylongintheircanoes，intwosorthrees，andwhentiredofgather—
ingthewildcereal，wouldsitintheboatsdoingtheirneedle—work。
Thesemaidenslearnedtoimitatethecallsofthedifferentwater—fowlsasasortofsignaltothemembersofagroup。Eventheoldwomenandtheboysadoptedsignals，sothatwhilethepopu—
lationofthevillagewaslosttosightinathickfieldofwildrice，ameetingcouldbearrangedwithoutcallinganyonebyhisorherownname。
Itwasagreatconvenienceforthoseyoungmenwhosoughtopportunitytomeetcertainmaidens，forthereweremanycanoepathsthroughtherice。
Augustistheharvestmonth。Thereweremanypreliminaryfeastsoffish，ducksandveni—
son，andofferingsinhonorofthe\"WaterChief，\"
sothattheremightnotbeanydrowningaccidentduringtheharvest。Thepreparationconsistedofaseriesoffeastsandofferingsformanydays，whilewomenandmenweremakingbirchcanoes，fornearlyeverymemberofthefamilymustbeprovidedwithoneforthisoccasion。Theblue—
berryandhuckleberry—pickingalsoprecededtherice—gathering。
Thereweresocialeventswhichenlivenedthecampoftheharvesters;suchasmaidens’feasts，dancesandacanoeregattaortwo，inwhichnotonlythemenwereparticipants，butwomenandyounggirlsaswell。
Ontheappointeddayallthecanoeswerecarriedtotheshoreandplaceduponthewaterwithprayerandpropitiatoryofferings。Eachfamilytookpossessionoftheallottedfield，andtiedallthegraininbundlesofconvenientsize，al—
lowingittostandforafewdays。Thentheyagainenteredthelake，assigningtwopersonstoeachcanoe。Onemanipulatedthepaddle，whiletheforemostonegentlydrewtheheadsofeachbundletowardhimandgaveitafewstrokeswithalightrod。Thiscausedthericetofallintothebottomofthecraft。Thefieldwastraversedinthismannerbackandforthuntilfinished。
Thiswasthepleasantestandeasiestpartoftheharvesttoil。Therealworkwaswhentheypre—
paredthericeforuse。Firstofall，itmustbemadeperfectlydry。Theywouldspreadituponbuffalorobesandmats，andsometimesuponlay—
ersofcoarseswampgrass，anddryitinthesun。
Ifthetimewasshort，theywouldmakeascaffoldandspreaduponitacertainthicknessofthegreengrassandafterwardtherice。Underthisafirewasmade，takingcarethatthegrassdidnotcatchfire。
Whenallthericeisgatheredanddried，thehullingbegins。Aroundholeisdugabouttwofeetdeepandthesameindiameter。Thenthericeisheatedoverafire—place，andemptiedintotheholewhileitishot。Ayoungman，havingwashedhisfeetandputonanewpairofmocca—
sins，treadsuponituntilallishulled。Thewomenthenpourituponarobeandbegintoshakeitsothatthechaffwillbeseparatedbythewind。Someofthericeisbrownedbeforebeinghulled。
Duringthehullingtimetherewereprizesof—
feredtotheyoungmenwhocanhullquickestandbest。Thereweresometimesfromtwentytofiftyyouthsdancingwiththeirfeetintheseholes。
Prettymoccasinswerebroughtbyshymaidenstotheyouthsoftheirchoice，askingthemtohullrice。Thereweredailyentertainmentswhichde—
servedsomesuchnameas\"hullingbee\"——atanyrate，weallenjoyedthemhugely。Thegirlsbroughtwiththemplentyofgoodthingstoeat。