第1章

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。