\"Ifoundthisfeather，grandmother，andI
couldnotmakeoutwhattribewearfeathersinthatshape。\"
\"Ugh，Iamnotaman;youhadbetteraskyouruncle。Besides，youshouldknowityourselfbythistime。Youarenowoldenoughtothinkabouteaglefeathers。\"
Ifeltmortifiedbythisreminderofmyignor—
ance。ItseemedareflectiononmethatIwasnotambitiousenoughtohavefoundallsuchmattersoutbefore。
\"Uncle，youwilltellme，won’tyou？\"Isaid，inanappealingtone。
\"Iamsurprised，myboy，thatyoushouldfailtorecognizethisfeather。ItisaCreemedicinefeather，andnotawarrior’s。\"
\"Then，\"Isaid，withmuchembarrassment，youhadbettertellmeagain，uncle，thelan—
guageofthefeathers。Ihavereallyforgottenitall。\"
Thedaywasnowgone;themoonhadrisen;
butthecoldhadnotlessened，forthetrunksofthetreeswerestillsnappingallaroundourtee—
pee，whichwaslightedandwarmedbytheim—
menselogswhichUncheedah’sindustryhadpro—
vided。Myuncle，WhiteFoot—print，nowunder—
tooktoexplaintomethesignificanceoftheeagle’sfeather。
\"Theeagleisthemostwar—likebird，\"hebe—
gan，\"andthemostkinglyofallbirds;besides，hisfeathersareunlikeanyothers，andthesearethereasonswhytheyareusedbyourpeopletosignifydeedsofbravery。
\"Itisnottruethatwhenamanwearsafeatherbonnet，eachoneofthefeathersrepresentsthekill—
ingofafoeorevenacoup。Whenamanwearsaneaglefeatheruprightuponhishead，heissup—
posedtohavecountedoneoffourcoupsuponhisenemy。\"
\"Well，then，acoupdoesnotmeanthekillingofanenemy？\"
\"No，itistheafter—strokeortouchingofthebodyafterhefalls。Itissoordered，becauseoften—
timesthetouchingofanenemyismuchmoredif—
ficulttoaccomplishthantheshootingofonefromadistance。Itrequiresastronghearttofacethewholebodyoftheenemy，inordertocountthecouponthefallenone，wholiesundercoverofhiskinsmen’sfire。Manyabravemanhasbeenlostintheattempt。
\"Whenawarriorapproacheshisfoe，deadoralive，hecallsupontheotherwarriorstowit—
nessbysaying：’I，FearlessBear，yourbrave，againperformthebravedeedofcountingthefirst（orsecondorthirdorfourth）coupuponthebodyofthebravestofyourenemies。’Naturally，thosewhoarepresentwillseetheactandbeabletotestifytoit。Whentheyreturn，theheralds，asyouknow，announcepubliclyallsuchdeedsofvalor，whichthenbecomeapartoftheman’swarrecord。Anybravewhowouldweartheeagle’sfeathermustgiveproofofhisrighttodoso。
\"Whenabraveiswoundedinthesamebattlewherehecountedhiscoup，hewearsthefeatherhangingdownward。Whenheiswounded，butmakesnocount，hetrimshisfeatherandinthatcase，itneednotbeaneaglefeather。Allotherfeathersaremerelyornaments。Whenawarriorwearsafeatherwitharoundmark，itmeansthatheslewhisenemy。Whenthemarkiscutintothefeatherandpaintedred，itmeansthathetookthescalp。
\"Abravewhohasbeensuccessfulintenbat—
tlesisentitledtoawar—bonnet;andifheisarec—
ognizedleader，heispermittedtowearonewithlong，trailingplumes。Alsothosewhohavecountedmanycoupsmaytiptheendsofthefeath—
erswithbitsofwhiteorcoloreddown。Some—
timestheeaglefeatheristippedwithastripofweaselskin;thatmeansthewearerhadthehonorofkilling，scalpingandcountingthefirstcoupupontheenemyallatthesametime。
\"ThisfeatheryouhavefoundwaswornbyaCree——itisindiscriminatelypainted。AllotherfeatherswornbythecommonIndiansmeannoth—
ing，\"headded。
\"Tellme，uncle，whetheritwouldbeproperformetowearanyfeathersatallifIhavenevergoneuponthewar—path。\"
\"Youcouldwearanyotherkindoffeathers，butnotaneagle’s，\"repliedmyuncle，\"althoughsometimesoneiswornongreatoccasionsbythechildofanotedman，toindicatethefather’sdig—
nityandposition。\"
Thefirehadgonedownsomewhat，soIpushedtheemberstogetherandwrappedmyrobemorecloselyaboutme。Nowandthentheiceonthelakewouldburstwithaloudreportlikethunder。
Uncheedahwasbusyre—stringingoneofuncle’soldsnow—shoes。Thereweretwodifferentkindsthathewore;onewithastraighttoeandlong;
theothershorterandwithanupturnedtoe。Shehadoneoftheshoesfastenedtoedown，betweensticksdrivenintotheground，whilesheputinsomenewstringsandtightenedtheothers。AuntFourStarswasbeadinganewpairofmoccasins。
Wabeda，thedog，thecompanionofmyboy—
hooddays，wasintroublebecauseheinsisteduponbringinghisextraboneintotheteepee，whileUncheedahwasdeterminedthatheshouldnot。
Isympathizedwithhim，becauseIsawthematterashedid。Ifheshouldburyitinthesnowout—
side，IknewShunktokecha（thecoyote）wouldsurelystealit。IknewjusthowanxiousWabedawasabouthisbone。Itwasafatbone——Imeanaboneofafatdeer;andallIndiansknowhowmuchbettertheyarethantheotherkind。
Wabedaalwayshatedtoseeagoodthinggotowaste。Hiseyesspokewordstome，forheandI
hadbeenfriendsforalongtime。WhenIwasafraidofanythinginthewoods，hewouldgetinfrontofmeatonceandgentlywaghistail。Healwaysmadeitapointtolookdirectlyinmyface。
Hiskind，largeeyesgavemeathousandassur—
ances。WhenIwasperplexed，hewouldhangaboutmeuntilheunderstoodthesituation。
ManytimesIbelievedhesavedmylifebyutter—
ingthedogwordintime。
Mostanimals，eventhedangerousgrizzly，donotcaretobeseenwhenthetwo—leggedkindandhisdogareabout。WhenIfearedasurprisebyabearoragreywolf，IwouldsaytoWabeda：\"Now，mydog，giveyourwar—whoop：\"andimmediatelyhewouldsituponhishaunchesandbark\"tobeattheband\"asyouwhiteboyssay。Whenabearorwolfheardthenoise，hewouldbeapttoretreat。
SometimesIhelpedWabedaandgaveawar—
whoopofmyown。Thisdrovethedeerawayaswell，butitrelievedmymind。
Whenheappealedtomeonthisoccasion，there—
fore，Isaid：\"Come，mydog，letusburyyourbonesothatnoShunktokechawilltakeit。\"
Heappearedsatisfiedwithmysuggestion，sowewentouttogether。
Weduginthesnowandburiedourbonewrappedupinapieceofoldblanket，partlyburned;thenwecovereditupagainwithsnow。
Weknewthatthecoyotewouldnottouchany—
thingburnt。IdidnotputitupatreebecauseWabedaalwaysobjectedtothat，andImadeitapointtoconsulthiswisheswheneverIcould。
IcameinandWabedafollowedmewithtwoshortribbonesinhismouth。Apparentlyhedidnotcaretoriskthosedelicacies。
\"There，\"exclaimedUncheedah，\"youstillin—
sistuponbringinginsomesortofbone！\"butI
beggedhertolethimgnawtheminsidebecauseitwassocold。Havingbeengrantedthisprivilege，hesettledhimselfatmybackandIbecameab—
sorbedinsomespeciallynicearrowsthatunclewasmaking。
\"O，uncle，youmustputonthreefeatherstoallofthemsothattheycanflystraight，\"Isug—
gested。
\"Yes，butifthereareonlytwofeathers，theywillflyfaster，\"heanswered。
\"Woow！\"Wabedautteredhissuspicions。
\"Woow！\"hesaidagain，andrushedfortheentranceoftheteepee。Hekickedmeoverashewentandscatteredtheburningembers。
\"Ennahena！\"Uncheedahexclaimed，buthewasalreadyoutside。
\"Wow，wow，wow！Wow，Wow，wow！\"
Adeepgutturalvoiceansweredhim。
OutIrushedwithmybowandarrowsinmyhand。
\"Come，uncle，come！Abigcinnamonbear！\"I
shoutedasIemergedfromtheteepee。
Unclesprangoutandinamomenthehadsentaswiftarrowthroughthebear’sheart。Theani—
malfelldead。HehadjustbeguntodigupWabeda’sbone，whenthedog’squickearhadheardthesound。
\"Ah，uncle，WabedaandIoughttohaveatleastalittleeaglet’sfeatherforthis。Itoosentmysmallarrowintothebearbeforehefell，\"Iex—
claimed。\"ButIthoughtallbearsoughttobeintheirlodgesinthewintertime。Whatwasthisonedoingatthistimeoftheyearandnight？\"
\"Well，\"saidmyuncle，\"Iwilltellyou。Amongthetribes，somearenaturallylazy。Thecinnamonbearisthelazyoneofhistribe。Healonesleepsoutofdoorsinthewinterandbecausehehasnotawarmbed，heissoonhungry。Sometimeshelivesinthehollowtrunkofatree，wherehehasmadeabedofdrygrass;butwhenthenightisverycold，liketo—night，hehastomoveabouttokeephimselffromfreezingandasheprowlsaround，hegetshungry。\"
Wedraggedthehugecarcasswithinourlodge。
\"O，whatniceclawshehas，uncle！\"Iexclaimedeagerly。\"CanIhavethemformynecklace？\"
\"Itisonlytheoldmedicinemenwhowearthemregularly。Thesonofagreatwarriorwhohaskilledagrizzlymaywearthemuponapub—
licoccasion，\"heexplained。
\"Andyouarejustlikemyfatherandarecon—
sideredthebesthunteramongtheSanteesandSis—
setons。Youhavekilledmanygrizzliessothatnoonecanobjecttomybear’s—clawsnecklace，\"I
saidappealingly。
WhiteFoot—printsmiled。\"Myboy，youshallhavethem，\"hesaid，\"butitisalwaysbet—
tertoearnthemyourself。\"Hecuttheclawsoffcarefullyformyuse。
\"Tellme，uncle，whetheryoucouldweartheseclawsallthetime？\"Iasked。
\"Yes，Iamentitledtowearthem，buttheyaresoheavyanduncomfortable，\"hereplied，withasuperiorair。
Atlastthebearhadbeenskinnedanddressedandweallresumedourusualplaces。Uncheedahwasparticularlypleasedtohavesomemorefatforhercooking。
\"Now，grandmother，tellmethestoryofthebear’sfat。Ishallbesohappyifyouwill，\"I
begged。
\"Itisagoodstoryanditistrue。Youshouldknowitbyheartandgainalessonfromit，\"shereplied。\"ItwasintheforestsofMinnesota，inthecountrythatnowbelongstotheOjibways。
FromtheBedawakantonSiouxvillageayoungmarriedcouplewentintothewoodstogetfreshvenison。Thesnowwasdeep;theicewasthick。
Farawayinthewoodstheypitchedtheirlonelyteepee。Theyoungmanwasawell—knownhunterandhiswifeagoodmaidenofthevillage。
\"Hehuntedentirelyonsnow—shoes，becausethesnowwasverydeep。Hiswifehadtowearsnow—shoestoo，togettothespotwheretheypitchedtheirtent。Itwasthawingthedaytheywentout，sotheirpathwasdistinctafterthefreezecameagain。
\"Theyoungmankilledmanydeerandbears。
Hiswifewasverybusycuringthemeatandtry—
ingoutthefatwhilehewasawayhuntingeachday。Intheeveningsshekeptontryingthefat。
Hesatononesideoftheteepeeandsheontheother。
\"Oneevening，shehadjustloweredakettleoffattocool，andasshelookedintothehotfatshesawthefaceofanOjibwayscoutlookingdownatthemthroughthesmoke—hole。Shesaidnothing，nordidshebetrayherselfinanyway。
\"Afteralittleshesaidtoherhusbandinanat—
uralvoice：’Marpeetopah，someoneislookingatusthroughthesmokehole，andIthinkitisanenemy’sscout。’
\"ThenMarpeetopah（Four—skies）tookuphisbowandarrowsandbegantostraightenanddrythemforthenextday’shunt，talkingandlaugh—
ingmeanwhile。Suddenlyheturnedandsentanarrowupward，killingtheOjibway，whofelldeadattheirdoor。
\"’Quick，Wadutah！’heexclaimed;’youmusthurryhomeuponourtrail。Iwillstayhere。Whenthisscoutdoesnotreturn，thewar—
partymaycomeinabodyorsendanotherscout。
Ifonlyonecomes，IcansoondispatchhimandthenIwillfollowyou。IfIdonotdothat，theywillovertakeusinourflight。’
\"Wadutah（Scarlet）protestedandbeggedtobeallowedtostaywithherhusband，butatlastshecameawaytogetreinforcements。
\"ThenMarpeetopah（Four—skies）putmoresticksonthefiresothattheteepeemightbebright—
lylitandshowhimtheway。Hethentookthescalpoftheenemyandproceededonhistrack，untilhecametotheupturnedrootofagreattree。
Therehespreadouthisarrowsandlaidouthistomahawk。
\"SoontwomorescoutsweresentbytheOjib—
waywar—partytoseewhatwasthetroubleandwhythefirstonefailedtocomeback。Heheardthemastheyapproached。Theywereonsnow—
shoes。Whentheycameclosetohim，heshotanarrowintotheforemost。Asfortheother，inhisefforttoturnquicklyhissnow—shoesstuckinthedeepsnowanddetainedhim，soMarpeetopahkilledthemboth。
\"QuicklyhetookthescalpsandfollowedWa—
dutah。Heranhard。ButtheOjibwayssus—
pectedsomethingwrongandcametothelonelyteepee，tofindalltheirscoutshadbeenkilled。
TheyfollowedthepathofMarpeetopahandWa—
dutahtothemainvillage，andthereagreatbattlewasfoughtontheice。Manywerekilledonbothsides。ItwasafterthisthattheSiouxmovedtotheMississippiriver。\"
IwassleepybythistimeandIrolledmyselfupinmybuffalorobeandfellasleep。
II：AdventuresofMyUncleITwasabeautifulfallday——’agopher’slastlookback，’asweusedtosayofthelastwarmdaysofthelateautumn。Wewereencampedbesideawildricelake，wheretwomonthsbeforewehadharvestedourwateryfieldsofgrain，andwherewehadnowreturnedfortheduck—hunting。
Allwaswellwithus。Duckswerekilledincount—
lessnumbers，andintheeveningsthemenhunteddeerincanoesbytorchlightalongtheshoresofthelake。Butalas！lifeismadeupofgoodtimesandbadtimes，anditiswhenweareperfectlyhappythatweshouldexpectsomeoverwhelmingmisfortune。
\"Soitwasthatuponthispeacefulandstillmorn—
ing，allofasuddenaharshandterriblewar—crywasheard！Yourfatherwasthenquiteayoungman，andaveryambitiouswarrior，sothatIwasalwaysfrightenedonhisaccountwhenevertherewasachanceoffighting。ButIdidnotthinkofyouruncle，MysteriousMedicine，forhewasnotoverfifteenatthetime;besides，hehadnevershownanytasteforthefield。
\"Ourcampwasthrownintogreatexcitement;
andasthewarriorsadvancedtomeettheenemy，Iwasalmostovercomebythesightofyouruncleamongthem！Itwasofnouseformetocallhimback——IthinkIprayedinthatmomenttotheGreatMysterytobringmyboysafelyhome。
\"Ishallneverforget，aslongasIlive，theeventsofthatday。Manybravemenwerekilled;
amongthemtwoofyouruncle’sintimatefriends。
Butwhenthebattlewasover，myboycameback;
onlyhisfacewasblackenedinmourningforhisfriends，andheboreseveralwoundsinhisbody。
Iknewthathehadprovedhimselfatruewarrior。
\"Thiswasthebeginningofyouruncle’scareer，Hehassurpassedyourfatherandyourgrand—
father;yes，allhisancestorsexceptJinglingThun—
der，indaringandskill。\"
Suchwasmygrandmother’saccountofthemaidenbattleofherthirdson，MysteriousMed—
icine。Heachievedmanyothernames;amongthemBigHunter，LongRifleandWhiteFoot—
print。HehadafavoriteKentuckyriflewhichhecarriedformanyyears。Thestockwasseveraltimesbroken，buthealwaysmadeanother。Withthisgunheexcelledmostofhiscontemporariesinaccuracyofaim。HeusedtocalltheweaponIshtahbopopa——aliteraltranslationwouldbe\"Pops—the—eye。\"
Myuncle，whowasafathertomefortenyearsofmylife，wasalmostagiantinhispropor—
tions，verysymmetricaland\"straightasanarrow。\"
Hisfacewasnotatallhandsome。Hehadveryquietandreservedmannersandwasamanofactionratherthanofunnecessarywords。BehindtheveilofIndianreticencehehadaninexhausti—
blefundofwitandhumor;butthispartofhischaracteronlyappearedbeforehisfamilyandveryintimatefriends。Fewmenknownaturemorethoroughlythanhe。Nothingirritatedhimmorethantohearsomenaturalfactmisrepresented。I
haveoftenthoughtthatwitheducationhemighthavemadeaDarwinoranAgassiz。
Hewasalwaysmodestandunconsciousofselfinrelatinghisadventures。\"Ihaveoftenbeenforcedtorealizemydanger，\"heusedtosay，\"butnotinsuchawayastooverwhelmme。OnlytwiceinmylifehaveIbeenreallyfrightened，andforaninstantlostmypresenceofmind。
\"OnceIwasinfullpursuitofalargebuckdeerthatIhadwounded。Itwaswinter，andtherewasaveryheavyfalloffreshsnowupontheground。AllatonceIcameuponthebodyofthedeerlyingdeadonthesnow。Ibegantomakeahastyexamination，butbeforeIhadmadeanydiscoveries，Ispiedthetipsoftwoearspeep—
ingjustabovethesurfaceofthesnowabouttwentyfeetfromme。Imadeafeintofnotsee—
inganythingatall，butmovedquicklyinthedirectionofmygun，whichwasleaningagainstatree。Feeling，somehow，thatIwasabouttobetakenadvantageof，Isnatchedatthesamemo—
mentmyknifefrommybelt。
\"Thepanther（forsuchitwas）madeasuddenanddesperatespring。Itriedtododge，buthewastooquickforme。Hecaughtmebytheshoulderwithhisgreatpaw，andthrewmedown。
Somehow，hedidnotretainhishold，butmadean—
otherleapandagainconcealedhimselfinthesnow。
Evidentlyhewaspreparingtomakeafreshattack。
\"Iwaspartiallystunnedandgreatlyconfusedbytheblow;thereforeIshouldhavebeenaneasypreyforhimatthemoment。Butwhenheleftme，Icametomysenses;andIhadbeenthrownnearmygun！Iaroseandaimedbetweenthetipsofhisears——allthatwasvisibleofhim——andfired。Isawthefreshsnowflyfromthespot。Thepantherleapedaboutsixfeetstraightupintotheair，andfellmotionless。Igavetwogoodwar—
whoops，becauseIhadconqueredaveryformid—
ableenemy。Isatdownonthedeadbodytorest，andmyheartbeatasifitwouldknockoutallmyribs。Ihadnotbeenexpectinganydanger，andthatwaswhyIwassotakenbysurprise。
\"Theothertimewasontheplains，insummer。
Iwasaccustomedtohuntinginthewoods，andneverbeforehadhuntedbuffaloonhorseback。Be—
ingayoungman，ofcourseIwaseagertodowhat—
everothermendid。ThereforeIsaddledmyponyforthehunt。Ihadaswiftponyandagoodgun，butonthisoccasionIpreferredabowandarrows。
\"Itwasthetimeofyearwhenthebuffalogoinlargeherdsandthebullsarevicious。Butthisdidnottroublemeatall;indeed，Ithoughtofnothingbuttheexcitementandhonorofthechase。
\"AvastplainneartheSourisriverwasliterallycoveredwithanimmenseherd。Thedaywasfair，andwecameupwiththemveryeasily。Ihadaquiverfullofarrows，withasinew—backedbow。
\"Myponycarriedmeinfaraheadofalltheoth—
ers。Ifoundmyselfinthemidstofthebullsfirst，fortheyareslow。Theythrewtowardmeviciousglances，soIhastenedmyponyontothecows。
SoonIwasenvelopedinathickcloudofdust，andcompletelysurroundedbytheherd，whowerebythistimeintheactoffleeing，theirhoofsmakinganoiselikethunder。
\"Icouldnotthinkofanythingbutmyownsit—
uation，whichconfusedmeforthemoment。Itseemedtometobeadesperateone。Ifmypony，whichwasgoingatfullspeed，shouldstepintoabadgerhole，Ishouldbethrowntothegroundandtrampledunderfootinaninstant。IfIweretostop，theywouldknockmeover，ponyandall。
Again，itseemedasifmyhorsemustfallfromsheerexhaustion;andthenwhatwouldbecomeofme？
\"AtlastIawoketoacalmrealizationofmyownpower。Iutteredayellandbegantoshootrightandleft。Verysoontherewereonlyafewoldbullswhoremainednearme。Theherdhadscattered，andIwasmilesawayfrommycompanions。
\"Itiswhenwethinkofourpersonaldangerthatweareapttobeatalosstodothebestthingun—
derthecircumstances。Oneshouldbeunconsciousofselfinordertodohisduty。Weareveryapttothinkourselvesbrave，whenwearemosttimid。
Ihavediscoveredthathalfouryoungmengivethewar—whoopwhentheyarefrightened，becausetheyfearlesttheirsilencemaybetraytheirstateofmind。Ithinkwearereallybravestwhenmostcalmandslowtoaction。\"
Iurgedmyuncletotellmemoreofhisadven—
tures。
\"Once，\"saidhe，\"Ihadasomewhatpeculiarexperience，whichIthinkIneverrelatedtoyoubefore。Itwasatthetimeofthefallhunt。OneafternoonwhenIwasaloneIdiscoveredthatIwastoofarawaytoreachthecampbeforedark，soI
lookedaboutforagoodplacetospendthenight。
ThiswasontheUpperMissouri，beforetherewereanywhitepeoplethere，andwhenwewereincon—
stantdangerfromwildbeastsaswellasfromhos—
tileIndians。Itwasnecessarytouseeverypre—
cautionandtheutmostvigilance。
\"Iselectedaspotwhichappearedtobewelladaptedtodefense。Ihadkilledtwodeer，andIhunguppiecesofthemeatatcertaindistancesinvariousdirections。Iknewthatanywolfwouldstopforthemeat，Agrizzlybearwouldsome—
timesstop，butnotamountainlionorapanther。
ThereforeImadeafire。Suchananimalwouldbeapttoattackasolitaryfire。Therewasafullmoonthatnight，whichwasmuchinmyfavor。
\"Havingcookedandeatensomeofthevenison，Irolledmyselfinmyblanketandlaydownbythefire，takingmyIshtahbopopaforabedfellow。I
huggeditveryclosely，forIfeltthatIshouldneeditduringthenight。IhadscarcelysettledmyselfwhenIheardwhatseemedtobetenortwelvecoyotessetupsuchahowlingthatIwasquitesureofavisitfromthem。Immediatelyafter—。
wardIheardanothersound，whichwaslikethescreamingofasmallchild。Thiswasaporcupine，whichhaddoubtlesssmelledthemeat。
\"Iwatcheduntilacoyoteappeareduponaflatrockfiftyyardsaway。Hesniffedtheairineverydirection;then，sittingpartlyuponhishaunches，swungroundinacirclewithhishindlegssawingtheair，andhowledandbarkedinmanydifferentkeys。Itwasagreatfeat！Icouldnothelpwon—
deringwhetherIshouldbeabletoimitatehim。
Whathadseemedtobethevoicesofmanycoy—
oteswasinrealityonlyoneanimal。Hismatesoonappearedandthentheybothseemedsatisfied，andshowednosignsofawishtoinviteanothertojointhem。Presentlytheybothsuddenlyandquietlydisappeared。
\"Atthismomentaslightnoiseattractedmyat—
tention，andIsawthattheporcupinehadarrived。
Hehadclimbeduptothepieceofmeatnearestme，andwashelpinghimselfwithoutanycere—
mony。Ithoughtitwasfortunatethathecame，forhewouldmakeagoodwatchdogforme。
Verysoon，infact，heinterruptedhismeal，andcausedallhisquillstostandoutindefiance。I
glancedaboutmeandsawthetwocoyotesslylyapproachingmyopencampfromtwodifferentdi—
rections。
\"Itookthepartoftheporcupine！Iroseinasittingposture，andsentaswiftarrowtoeachofmyunwelcomevisitors。Theybothranawaywithhowlsofsurpriseandpain。
\"Theporcupinesawthewholefromhisperch，buthismealwasnotatalldisturbed，forhebeganeatingagainwithapparentrelish。Indeed，Iwassoonfurnishedwithanotheroftheseunconsciousprotectors。Thisonecamefromtheoppositedi—
rectiontoapointwhereIhadhungasplendidhamofvenison。Hecaredtogonofurther，butseatedhimselfatonceonaconvenientbranchandbeganhissupper。
\"Thecanonabovemewasfullofrocksandtrees。
Fromthisdirectioncameastartlingnoise，whichcausedmemoreconcernthananythingIhadthusfarheard。Itsoundedmuchlikeahugeanimalstretchinghimself，andgivingagreatyawnwhichendedinascream。Iknewthisforthevoiceofamountainlion，anditdecidedmetoperchuponalimbfortherestofthenight。
\"Igotupandclimbedintothenearestlargetree，takingmyweaponswithme;butfirstIrolledashortlogofwoodinmyblanketandlaiditinmyplacebythefire。
\"AsIgotup，thetwoporcupinesbegantode—
scend，butIpaidnoattentiontothem，andtheysoonreturnedtotheirformerpositions。VerysoonIheardahissingsoundfromoneofthem，andknewthatanintruderwasnear。Twogreywolvesappeared。
\"Ihadhungthehamsbythehamstrings，andtheywerefullyeightfeetfromtheground。Atfirstthewolvescameboldlyforward，butthewarn—
ingoftheporcupinescausedthemtostop，andhesitatetojumpforthemeat。However，theywerehungry，andbegantoleapsavagelyforthehams，althoughevidentlytheyprovedgoodtargetsforthequillsofthepricklyones，foroccasionallyoneofthemwouldsquealandrubhisnosedes—
peratelyagainstthetree。
\"Atlastoneofthewolvesburiedhisteethtoodeeplyinatoughportionoftheflesh，andhavingjumpedtoreachit，hisownweightmadeitim—
possibleforhimtoloosenhisupperjaw。Therethegreywolfdangled，kickingandyelping，untilthetendonofthehamgaveway，andbothfellheavilytotheground。Frommyhiding—placeI
senttwoarrowsintohisbody，whichendedhislife。Theotheroneranawaytoalittledistanceandremainedtherealongtime，asifwaitingforhermate。
\"Iwasnowveryweary，butIhadseenmanygrizzlybears’tracksinthevicinity，andbesides，I
hadnotforgottenthedreadfulscreamofthemountainlion。Ideterminedtocontinuemywatch。
\"AsIhadhalfexpected，therecamepresentlyasuddenheavyfall，andatthesametimetheburn—
ingemberswerescatteredaboutandthefirealmostextinguished。Myblanketwiththeloginitwasrolledoverseveraltimes，amidsnarlsandgrowls。
Thentheassailantofmycamp——apanther——leapedbackintothethickunderbrush，butnotbeforemyarrowhadpenetratedhisside。Hesnarledandtriedtobiteofftheshaft，butafteratimebe—
cameexhaustedandlaystill。
\"Icouldnowdistinguishthegreydawnintheeast。Iwasexceedinglydrowsy，soIfastenedmyselfbyaropeofraw—hidetothetrunkofthetreeagainstwhichIleaned。Iwasseatedonalargelimb，andsoonfellasleep。
\"Iwasrudelyawakenedbythereportofagundirectlyunderme。Atthesametime，Ithoughtsomeonewastryingtoshakemeoffthetree，InstantlyIreachedformygun。Alas！itwasgone！Atthefirstshakeofthetreebymyvisi—
tor，agrizzlybear，thegunhadfallen，andasitwascocked，itwentoff。
\"Thebearpickeduptheweaponandthrewitviolentlyaway;thenheagainshookthetreewithallhisstrength。Ishouted：
\"’Ihavestillabowandaquiverfullofarrows;
youhadbetterletmealone。’
\"Herepliedtothiswitharoughgrowl。Isentanarrowintohisside，andhegroanedlikeamanashetriedhardtopullitout。Ihadtogivehimseveralmorebeforehewentashortdistanceaway，anddied。Itwasnowdaylight，soIcamedownfrommyperch。Iwasstiff，andscarcelyabletowalk。Ifoundthatthebearhadkilledbothofmylittlefriends，theporcupines，andeatenmostofthemeat。
\"Perhapsyouwonder，Ohiyesa，whyIdidnotusemyguninthebeginning;butIhadlearnedthatifIoncemissedmyaimwithit，Ihadnosecondchance。Ihavetoldofthisparticularad—
venture，becauseitwasanunusualexperiencetoseesomanydifferentanimalsinonenight。I
haveoftenbeeninsimilarplaces，andkilledoneortwo。Onceacommonblackbearstoleawholedeerfrommewithoutwakingme。Butallthislifeisfastdisappearing，andtheworldisbecomingdifferent。\"
VII
TheEndoftheBearDanceITwasoneofthesuperstitionsoftheSanteeSiouxtotreatdiseasefromthestandpointofsomeani—
malorinanimatething。Thatpersonwho，accordingtotheirbelief，hadbeencommissionedtobecomeamedicinemanorawarchief，mustnotdisobeythebearorothercreatureorthingwhichgavehimhiscommission。Ifheeverventuredtodoso，theoffendermustpayforhisinsubor—
dinationwithhislife，orthatofhisownchildordearestfriend。Itwassupposedtobenecessarythatthesupernaturalordersbecarriedintoeffectataparticularageandacertainseasonoftheyear。Occasionallyaveryyoungman，whoex—
cusedhimselfonthegroundofyouthandmod—
esty，mightbeforgiven。
Oneofmyintimatefriendshadbeenasuffererfromwhat，Isuppose，musthavebeenconsump—
tion。He，likemyself，hadagrandmotherinwhomhehadunlimitedfaith。Butshewasaveryambitiousandpretentiouswoman。Amonghermanyclaimswasthatofbeingagreat\"medicinewoman，\"andmanyweredeceivedbyit;butreallyshewasafraud，forshedidnotgiveanymedicine，but\"conjured\"thesickexclusively。
Atthistimemylittlefriendwasfastlosingground，inspiteofhisgrandmother’sgreatpreten—
sions。AtlastIhintedtohimthatmygrand—
motherwasaherbalist，andaskilfulone。Buthehintedbacktomethat’mostanyoldwomanwhocoulddigrootscouldbeaherbalist，andthatwith—
outasupernaturalcommissiontherewasnopowerthatcouldcopewithdisease。Idefendedmyidealonthegroundthattherearesupernaturalpowersintheherbsthemselves;hencethosewhounder—
standthemhavethesepowersattheircommand。
\"But，\"insistedmyfriend，\"onemustgethisknowledgefromtheGreatMystery！\"
Thiscompletelysilencedmyargument，butdidnotshakemyfaithinmygrandmother’sability。
Redhornwasagoodboy，andIlovedhim。I
visitedhimoften，andfoundhimgrowingweakerdaybyday。
\"Ohiyesa，\"hesaidtomeoneday，\"mygrand—
motherhasdiscoveredthecauseofmysickness。\"
Ieagerlyinterruptedhimbyshouting：\"Andcanshecureyounow，Redhorn？\"
\"Ofcourse，\"hereplied，\"shecannotuntilI
havefulfilledthecommandment。IhaveconfessedtoherthattwoyearsagoIreceivedmycommis—
sion，andIshouldhavemadeaBearDanceandproclaimedmyselfamedicinemanlastspring，whenIhadseenthirteenwinters。Yousee，Iwasashamedtoproclaimmyselfamedicineman，beingsoyoung;andforthisIampunished。However，mygrandmothersaysitisnotyettoolate。But，Ohiyesa，Iamasweaknowasarheumaticoldman。
Icanscarcelystandup。TheysaythatIcanap—
pointsomeoneelsetoactforme。Hewillbetheactivebear——Ishallhavetoremaininthehole。
Wouldyou，Ohiyesa，bewillingtoactthebearforme？Youknowhehastochasethedancersawayfromhisden。\"
\"Redhorn，\"Irepliedwithmuchembarrass—
ment，\"IshouldbehappytodoanythingthatI
couldforyou，butIcannotbeabear。IfeelthatIamnotfit。Iamnotlargeenough;Iamnotstrongenough;andIdon’tunderstandthehabitsoftheanimalwellenough。Idonotthinkyouwouldbepleasedwithmeasyoursubstitute。\"
Redhornfinallydecidedthathewouldengagealargerboytoperformforhim。Afewdayslater，itwasannouncedbytheheraldthatmyfriendwouldgiveaBearDance，atwhichhewastobepubliclyproclaimedamedicineman。Itwouldbethegreateventofhisshortexistence，forthedis—
easehadalreadyexhaustedhisstrengthandvital—
ity。Ofcourse，weallunderstoodthattherewouldbeanactiveyouthtoexhibittheferociousnatureofthebeastafterwhichthedanceisnamed。
TheBearDancewasanentertainment，arelig—
iousrite，amethodoftreatingdisease——allinone。
Astrangethingaboutitwasthatnowomanwasallowedtoparticipateintheorgies，unlessshewasherselfthebear。
Thedenwasusuallydugabouttwohundredyardsfromthecamp，onsomeconspicuousplain。
Itwasabouttwofeetdeepandsixfeetsquareandoveritwasconstructedanarborofboughswithfouropenings。Whenthebearmansang，allthemenandboyswouldgatheranddanceabouttheden;andwhenhecameoutandpursuedthemtherewasahastyretreat。Itwassupposedthatwhoevertouchedthebearwithoutbeingtouchedbyhimwouldovercomeafoeinthefield。Ifonewastouched，thereversewastobeexpected。Thethingwhichcausedmostanxietyamongthedancerswasthesuperstitionthatifoneofthemshouldaccidentallytripandfallwhilepursuedbythebear，asuddendeathwouldvisithimorhisnearestrelative。
Boysofmyageweredisposedtorunsomeriskinthisdance;theywouldtakeeveryopportunitytostrikeatthebearmanwithashortswitch，whiletheoldermenshothimwithpowder。ItmayaswellbeadmittedthatonereasonformydecliningthehonorofferedmebymyfriendRedhornwasthatIwasafraidofpowder，andImuchpreferredtobeoneofthedancersandtakemychancesoftouchingthebearmanwithoutbeingtouched。
Itwasabeautifulsummer’sday。Theforestbehindourcampwassweetwiththebreathofblossomingflowers。Theteepeesfacedalargelake，whichwecalledBedatanka。Itsgentlewavescooledtheatmosphere。Thewater—fowldisportedthemselvesoveritssurface，andthebirdsofpass—
ageoverheadnoisilyexpressedtheirsurpriseattheexcitementandconfusioninourmidst。
Theherald，withhisbrassyvoice，againwenttherounds，announcingtheday’seventandthetardyfulfillmentoftheboy’scommission。Thencamethebustleofpreparation。Theout—doortoiletofthepeoplewasperformedwithcare。I
cannotdescribejusthowIwasattiredorpainted，butIamundertheimpressionthattherewasbutlittleofmybrownskinthatwasnotuncovered。
Theothersweresimilarlydressedinfeathers，paintandtinklingornaments。
Isoonheardthetom—tom’sdolefulsoundfromthedirectionofthebear’sden，andafewwar—
whoopsfromthethroatsoftheyouthfulwarriors。
AsIjoinedthemotleyassembly，Inoticedthatthebearman’sdrumwasgoinginearnest，andsoonafterhebegantosing。Thiswastheinvitationtothedance。
Anoldwarriorgavethesignalandweallstartedfortheden，verymuchlikeagroupofdogsat—
tackingastranger。Franticallyweyelledandwhooped，runningaroundtheshelteringarborinahop，skipandjumpfashion。Inspiteoftheapparentconfusion，however，everyparticipantwasonthealertfortheslightestmovementofthebearman。
Allofasudden，abravegavethewarning，andwescatteredinaninstantoverthelittleplainbe—
tweenthedenandourvillage。Everybodyseemedtoberunningfordearlife，andIsoonfoundmy—
selfsomeyardsbehindtherest。Ihadgoneinboldly，partlybecauseofconversationswithcer—
tainboyswhoproposedtoparticipate，andwhomIusuallyoutdistancedinfootraces。ButitseemedthattheyhadnotcarriedouttheirintentionsandIwasleftalone。Ilookedbackonceortwice，al—
thoughIwasprettybusywithmylegs，andIim—
aginedthatmypursuer，thebearman，lookedtwiceasfearfulasarealbear。Hewasdressedandpaintedupwithaviewtoterrifythecrowd。
IdidnotwanttheotherstoguessthatIwasatalldismayed，soItriedtogivethewar—whoop;
butmythroatwassodryatthemomentthatI
amsureImusthavegivenitverypoorly。
JustasitseemedthatIwasabouttobeover—
taken，thedancerswhohaddesertedmesuddenlyslackenedtheirspeed，andenteredupontheamusementoftormentingthebearmanwithgun—
powderandswitches，withwhichtheytouchedhimfarfromgentlyuponhisnakedbody。Theynowchasedhiminturn，andheagainretreatedtohisden。
Weresteduntilweheardthetom—tomandthesongoncemore，andthenwerushedforthwithfresheagernesstothemimicattack。ThistimeI
observedallnecessaryprecautionsformyownsafety。Istartedinmyflightevenbeforethewarningwasgiven，forIsawthebearmangather—
inghimselfuptospringuponthedancers。ThusIhadplentyofleewaytoobservewhatoccurred。
Thebearmanagainpursuedtheyellingandre—
treatingmob，andwasdealtwithunmercifullybytheswift—footed。Hebecamemuchexcitedashedesperatelychasedamiddle—agedman，whooccasionallyturnedandfiredoffhisgun，butwassuddenlytrippedbyanant—hillandfelltotheground，withtheotherontopofhim。Theex—
citementwasintense。Thebearmanreturnedtohiscompanion，andthedancersgatheredinlittleknotstoexchangewhispers。
\"Isitnotamisfortune？\"\"Themostsure—
footedofusall！\"\"Willhedie？\"\"Musthisbeautifuldaughterbesacrificed？\"
Themanwhowasthesubjectofallthiscom—
mentdidnotspeakaword。Hisheadhungdown。Finallyheraiseditandsaidinaresolutevoice：
\"Weallhaveourtimetogo，andwhentheGreatMysterycallsuswemustanswerascheer—
fullyasatthecallofoneofourownwar—chiefshereonearth。Iamnotsadformyself，butmyheartisnotwillingthatmyWinona（first—borndaughter）shouldbecalled。\"
Noonereplied。Presentlythelasttom—tomwasheardandthedancersralliedoncemore。
Themanwhohadfallendidnotjointhem，butturnedtothecouncillodge，wherethewiseoldmenwereleisurelyenjoyingthecalumet。Theybeheldhimenterwithsomesurprise;buthethrewhimselfuponabuffalorobe，andrestinghisheaduponhisrighthand，relatedwhathadhap—
penedtohim。Thereupontheagedmenex—
claimedaswithonevoice：\"Itneverfails！\"
Afterthis，hespokenomore。
Meanwhile，wewerehilariouslyengagedinourlastdance，andwhenthebearmanfinallyre—
tired，wegatheredaboutthearbortocongratulatethesickbearman。But，tooursurprise，hiscom—
paniondidnotre—entertheden。\"Heisdead！
Redhorn，thebearman，isdead！\"Weallrushedtothespot。Mypoorfriend，Redhorn，laydeadintheden。
Atthisinstanttherewasanothercommotioninthecamp。Everybodywasrunningtowardthecouncillodge。Awell—knownmedicinemanwasloudlysummonedthither。But，alas！themanwhofellinthedancehadsuddenlydroppeddead。
Tothepeople，anotherIndiansuperstitionhadbeenverified。
VIII
TheMaidens’FeastTHEREweremanypeculiarcus—
tomsamongtheIndiansofanearlierperiod，someofwhichtendedtostrengthenthecharac—
terofthepeopleandpreservetheirpurity。Perhapsthemostuniqueofthesewastheannual\"feastofmaidens。\"
Thecasualobserverwouldscarcelyunderstandthefullforceandmeaningofthisceremony。
ThelastonethatIeverwitnessedwasgivenatFortEllis，Manitoba，abouttheyear1871。UponthetablelandjustbackoftheoldtradingpostandfullyathousandfeetabovetheAssiniboineriver，surroundedbygroves，therewasanaturalamphitheatre。Atoneendstoodtheoldfortwheresince1830thenortherntribeshadcometoreplenishtheirpowderhornsandleadsacksandtodisposeoftheirpelts。
Inthisspottherewasareunionofalltherene—
gadeSiouxontheonehandandoftheAssini—
boinesandCrees，theCanadiantribes，ontheother。Theywerefriendly。Thematterwasnotformallyarranged，butitwasusualforallthetribestomeethereinthemonthofJuly。
TheHudsonBayCompanyalwayshadagoodsupplyofred，blue，greenandwhiteblankets，alsoclothofbrilliantdye，sothatwhentheirsummerfestivaloccurredtheIndiansdidnotlackgaylycoloredgarments。Paintswereboughtbythematpleasure。Shortsleeveswerethefashionintheirbuckskindresses，andbeadsandporcupinequillsweretheprincipaldecorations。
Whencircumstancesarefavorable，theIndiansarethehappiestpeopleintheworld。Therewereentertainmentseverysingleday，whicheverybodyhadthefullestopportunitytoseeandenjoy。Ifanything，thepoorestprofitedthemostbytheseoccasions，becauseafeatureineachcasewasthegivingawayofsavagewealthtotheneedyinhonoroftheevent。Atanypublicaffair，involv—
ingtheprideandhonorofaprominentfamily，theremustalwaysbeadistributionofvaluablepresents。
Onebrightsummermorning，whilewewerestillatourmealofjerkedbuffalomeat，weheardtheheraldoftheWahpetonbanduponhiscalicoponyasherodearoundourcircle。
\"WhiteEagle’sdaughter，themaidenRedStar，invitesallthemaidensofallthetribestocomeandpartakeofherfeast。ItwillbeintheWahpetoncamp，beforethesunreachesthemiddleofthesky。Allpuremaidensareinvited。RedStaralsoinvitestheyoungmentobepresent，toseethatnounworthymaidenshouldjoininthefeast。\"
Theheraldsooncompletedtheroundsofthedifferentcamps，anditwasnotlongbeforethegirlsbegantogatheringreatnumbers。Thefortwasfullyalivetotheinterestofthesesavageen—
tertainments。Thisparticularfeastwaslookeduponasasemi—sacredaffair。Itwouldbedese—
crationforanytoattendwhowasnotperfectlyvirtuous。Henceitwasregardedasanopportunetimefortheyoungmentosatisfythemselvesastowhowerethevirtuousmaidsofthetribe。
Therewereapttobesurprisesbeforetheendoftheday。Anyyoungmanwaspermittedtochallengeanymaidenwhomheknewtobeun—
worthy。Butwoetohimwhocouldnotprovehiscase。Itmeantlittleshortofdeathtothemanwhoendeavoredtodisgraceawomanwithoutcause。
Theyouthshadasimilarfeastoftheirown，inwhichtheeligibleswerethosewhohadneverspokentoagirlinthewayofcourtship。Itwasconsideredridiculoussotodobeforeattainingsomehonorasawarrior，andthenovicespridedthemselvesgreatlyupontheirselfcontrol。
Fromthevariouscampsthegirlscamesinglyoringroups，dressedinbright—coloredcalicoesorinheavilyfringedandbeadedbuckskin。Theirsmoothcheeksandthecentralpartoftheirglossyhairwastouchedwithvermilion。Allbroughtwiththemwoodenbasinstoeatfrom。Somewhocamefromaconsiderabledistanceweremounteduponponies;afew，forcompanyornovelty’ssake，rodedouble。
Themaidens’circlewasformedaboutacone—
shapedrockwhichstooduponitsbase。Thiswaspaintedred。Besideittwonewarrowswerelightlystuckintotheground。Thisisasortofaltar，towhicheachmaidencomesbeforetakingheras—
signedplaceinthecircle，andlightlytouchesfirstthestoneandthenthearrows。Bythisoathshedeclaresherpurity。Wheneveragirlapproachesthealtarthereisastiramongthespectators，andsometimesarudeyouthwouldcallout：
\"Takecare！Youwilloverturntherock，orpulloutthearrows！\"
Sucharemarkmakesthegirlsnervous，andes—
peciallyonewhoisnotsureofhercomposure。
Immediatelybehindthemaidens’circleistheoldwomen’sorchaperons’circle。Thissecondcircleisalmostasinterestingtolookatasthein—
nerone。Theoldwomenwatchedeverymove—
mentoftheirrespectivechargeswiththeutmostconcern，havingpreviouslyinstructedthemhowtheyshouldconductthemselvesinanyevent。
Therewasneveramoregorgeousassemblyofthekindthanthisone。Thedaywasperfect。TheCrees，displayingtheircharacteristichorseman—
ship，cameingroups;theAssiniboines，withtheircuriouspompadourwellcoveredwithredpaint。
ThevariousbandsofSiouxallcarefullyobservedthetraditionalpeculiaritiesofdressandbehavior。
Theattachesofthefortwerefullyrepresentedattheentertainment，anditwasnotunusualtoseeapale—facemaidentakepartinthefeast。
Thewholepopulationoftheregionhadassem—
bled，andthemaidenscameshylyintothecircle。
Thesimpleceremoniesobservedpriortotheserv—
ingofthefoodwereinprogress，whenamongagroupofWahpetonSiouxyoungmentherewasastirofexcitement。Allthemaidensglancedner—
vouslytowardthesceneofthedisturbance。Soonatallyouthemergedfromthethrongofspectatorsandadvancedtowardthecircle。Everyoneofthechaperonsglaredathimasiftodeterhimfromhispurpose。Butwithasteadystephepassedthembyandapproachedthemaidens’circle。
AtlasthestoppedbehindaprettyAssiniboinemaidenofgoodfamilyandsaid：
\"Iamsorry，but，accordingtocustom，youshouldnotbehere。\"
Thegirlaroseinconfusion，butshesoonrecov—
eredherself—control。
\"Whatdoyoumean？\"shedemanded，indig—
nantly。\"Threetimesyouhavecometocourtme，buteachtimeIhaverefusedtolistentoyou。
Iturnedmybackuponyou。TwiceIwaswithMashtinna。Shecantellthepeoplethatthisistrue。ThethirdtimeIhadgoneforwaterwhenyouinterceptedmeandbeggedmetostopandlisten。IrefusedbecauseIdidnotknowyou。
Mychaperon，Makatopawee，knowsthatIwasgonebutafewminutes。Ineversawyouany—
whereelse。\"
Theyoungmanwasunabletoanswerthisun—
mistakablestatementoffacts，anditbecameap—
parentthathehadsoughttorevengehimselfforherrepulse。
\"Woo！woo！Carryhimout！\"wastheorderofthechiefoftheIndianpolice，andtheaudaciousyouthwashurriedawayintothenearestravinetobechastised。
Theyoungwomanwhohadthusestablishedhergoodnamereturnedtothecircle，andthefeastwasserved。The\"maidens’song\"wassung，andfourtimestheydancedinaringaroundthealtar。
Eachmaidasshedepartedoncemoretookheroathtoremainpureuntilsheshouldmeetherhusband。
IX
MoreLegendsI：ALegendofDevil’sLakeAFTERthedeathofSmokyDay，oldWeyuhawasregardedasthegreateststory—telleramongtheWahpetonSioux。
\"Tellme，goodWeyuha，ale—
gendofyourfather’scountry，\"I
saidtohimoneevening，forIknewthecountrywhichisnowknownasNorthDakotaandSouth—
ernManitobawastheirancienthunting—ground。
IwaspromptedbyUncheedahtomakethisre—
quest，aftertheoldmanhadeateninourlodge。