Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-06-03

or national medicine dance. They, follow
and obey their lords and masters apparently
in silence. Humility and obedience are,
with health and industry, the only recon-
mendutions of a wife. Still, these very wo-
men, as among us, manage to govern in
every thing they wish. They do it by appear
ing not to do it. The Indian always appears
the master, and satisfied with the appear
ance, suffers himself to be mastered Here
might call the attention of some of our fe-
males, whose ambition to become ''the bet
ter horse" leads them sometimes to over
shoot the mark; but as advice unasked, is
generally suspected, leave them to make
their own comments.
Indians arc the most desperate gamblers
in the world, considering their means. One
would be astonished to witness their stakes.
have seen them sit successive hours, and
sometimes days, at their games, alternately
winning and losing, until one of them rose
stripped of all his wealth, horse, gun, and
every thing but the rag, as we might say, OF
modesty This would be called ruin by the
civilized world, but it causes no despair or
suicide with them, and all that an observer
would perceive, is perhaps a little mortified
pride at his defeat. The young squaws, hav-
ing more leisure, are more constant gam
blers than the men. | have seen u young
squaw pull ornament after ornament from
her arm, bead after bead from her neck
and breach after breach from her bosom,
until she had lost the whole, and then pro
baby pawn her clothes for another game.
The greatest game that have ever heard
OF, however, was between a Crow and Cha
yennc. IL was told me as well known fact
by man residing among the Crows, and
confirmed by the Grows themselves through
an interpreter. About four years since, the
Crows and Chaycnnes were, Us they have al
most always been, at war. In fact | do not
know that they ever met peacefully except
in the single instance am about to relate.
In state ofhostility, of course war parties
were continually roaming in search of favo-
rable opportunities TO strike with success,
and with as little risk as possible; it happen.
cd that two hostile parties were encamped,
without the knowledge Of either near each
other. They had both been out lorg time,
and had seen no ''siSns" of an enemy, and
of course became considerably discouraged.
After little reflection, and within day or
two of the same time, both parties resolved
to return to their respective tribes. 1t hap
pened also, that one of each party refused
pledged by an oath, or afraid of the rdicule
of some favorlte squaw) to return. This is
very common among them, and it cxcites no
surprise, even after success, that one or two
separate from the main party and go forth
alone, sometimes for definite object, and
sometimes not. These two men wero left
by their respective comrades in the noun
tains, near Powder river, and for the two fol-
lowing days they remained near where they
we're left. On the third, and near night fall,
they had selected their lodging places near
az oh ell &c al
The Cheyenne was going down, s. the Crow
up, q ravine that gradually descended, at
that place, towards the river. The former
laid himself down among the rocks in the
bottom of the raylne, but the latter, think
ing from the appearance of the sky that it
would rain, and knowing how the water
rushed in torrents down these ravines, crawl
ed up its side, and there, under the shelter
of a friendly rock, arranged himself for re-
pose. AS the Crow expected, one Of those
sudden and tremendous showers common to
the country came on; he, however, lay I'M
melested by it.
Not so with the Cheyenne; hearing the
roar of the coming torrent, he hastened to
secure himself fiom being washed away or
dashed sNvdeath against the rocks, by crop
ing out aSpassage to the side, hardly know
ing, in the dark, whether he was going to
safety or destruction. And feeling around,
and managing TO get about one hundred
yards from where the water had driven him,
ne came accidentally to the rock which shell
tered the Crow. In endeavoring to ascer-
tain its position with the ground, he placed
his hand upon the bare shoulder of his enc
my. AS it may be expected they both start
ed, the one back and other up, with their
usual exclamation of surprise-"W ahl'' said
they, as they stood gazing, and light up their
gaze with the fire of their own eyebalIs.--
What is very unusual among Indians on a
VIII party, they were both taken by surprise,
both unprepared, and both, too, searching
for enemies. The night was very dark, the
ground PERCEPTIONS and uneven, and both
were hesitating what to do, not knowing but
each had friends close at hand. At length
the Cheyenne mude signs that he would lie
down for the night, and that in the morning
they would try their proves. 1t was ar