第2章

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。