The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-31
THUS THE INDIANS LIVED.
MoDHNTS or a TRADERS TIsTT TO
a OlAfP ON THE PLAINs.

lol1m ny lnuiRno-In0 BUFFALO hunt-A
Brush with n Party OF Sioux and the
Scalp Bong-The Chief and His Wives.
KpP. Mon. July 26.-Itv was midsummer. and
the days passed slowly and with unvhried mo-
notouy ct our trading post on. the upper Mis-
Souri. The Indians wero far out onthe prairie.
camping with the buffalo and securing the
thin, light summer skins with which to make
new lodges. moccasins. and various other
things. II wns hot In the river valley; not a
breath OF wind stirred the foliage Of the cotton
woods. and we wandered from one place 20 an
other trying 10 ind the coolest nook. There
was nothing TO do TO pass the time except aleep
and eat and count tho days that must pass ere
the cold weather would driye tho Indians back
TO the river and trade would begin again. /
was not a little pleased. then, whom one day
a runner from tho Blood Indian camp brought
word that the chief desired q waeonload OF
trade goods sent out TO them. and the head
trader ordered me to 60. selecting 90 my
assistant a French half-breed employee named
Archie. q trusty man and q cheerful oompan-
ion. Long before noon we loaded n heavy
wagon with sugar. coffee. tobacco and car
tridges, hitched on four good horses and began
20 pull UP the long. steep hill which wound up
through the pines to the prairies, several miles
from tho river. At last we reached the level OF
The rolling table land. and how pleasant It WIS
70 feel the cool prairie breeze In our faces and
TO gaze upon the endless expanse Of plains and
mountains about usl Southwark the snowy
mountains doomed up as distinct and clear cut
as II they were but q mile or two away. yet they
were nearly fifty. on to the east and southeast
numberless flat-topped and pine-olad buttes
rose from tho plain as far as 70 could see. and
everywhere was the bright sunlit ~prairies. the
clear blue sky. and the cooling wind.
Our horses were fresh and we made good time
under Arohie's skilful driving. reaching big
Crooked Greek, twenty miles or moro from the
river. long before dark. While Archie cared for
the horses I won't up the creek q little way with
my rife and secured o fat antelope from q
bunch which was coming In to the water. We
soon built q fire Of buffalo chips and had q
hearty meal Of liver. hard bread and tea,
The country we were In was infested by war
parties Of hostile Indians. especially the Sioux.
and we knew we were running q good chance Of
losing our scalps by camping there. 80 as soon
as supper was over we put out the fire, and
carrying our bedding some distance away. lay
down for the night, not emitting to coil a hair
rope around the robes TO ward of any stray
rattleSnakes which might come along. Some
time In the night a small herd Of buffalo came
along and got Quits close to us before they had
our wind: then they ran of. snorting and
pounding the prairie like thunder with their
heavy hoofsi but our horses were used to them
and did not stampede. as we feared they might.
About 10 o'clock the next day we came in
sight Of the Blood camp. which was strung up
and down a little stream whose head Is In the
Snowy Mountains. Almost every family had a
new lodge. and very white and neat t%heylooked
in the clear sunlight. Game OF all kinds was
evidently very plenty In the vicinity. for about
every lodge hung long lines OF drying meat,
and the ground UNA Opvarn5 With fba ID ipa ~
buffalo. elk. antelope and deer. peRged out to
dry. We drove at once to the chiefs lodge,
and he greeted us very kindly, ordered
his wiyes-he had fve-to unload our
wagon and stow the goods inside the
lodge. and made us sit with him and smoke and
eat and exchange the news. But we were not
TO rest very long the camp was short Of car
tridges and tobacco. md soon we had the lodge
surrounded with men anxious to trade. Ante
lope and deer skins were quoted at forty cents
O pound that season. or about a dollar each. and
elk hides were worth as much again. For tho
former we paid eight cartridges, and for the
latter twelve. at a cost OF sixteen or twenty-four
cents and tobacco. tea, sugar and other things
We disposed of at a like ratio. But the Indians
were we'll satisfied. and returned to their lodges
with their little purchases rejoicing.
Our host. Chief Pe-nuk-wi-im. was one Of the
jolliest old Indians / ever knew. He was very
portly. and had long since given up the chase,
but he could well afford to do so. for he had
several hundred head OF horses. which he had
no difficulty in lending to poor young men for
half the spoils OF the chase, and one or two
young orphan boys lived with him and cared
for them for their board and clothes. His five
wives toiled increasingly to tan and dry the
robes and hides which were constantly being
brought in. Yet they had a comparatively
ana1y tsn,A 10, 49,, IA - 1T "
hours. they rested when they pleased, and they
were contented, for they knew that the lot of
women was to toll and to serve their lord and
master. While there was no open jealousy
among them. they We'd with one another in
their attentions to thu chief. and he In turn
seemed to regard them all with equal favor.
The head. or oldest. wife was In o measure the
oyerseer OF the others and directed their work,
and her place in the lodge was always by the
side OF her husband at his right hand: Yet
this apparently gave her no advantage over
them In any respect. '
Az the sun went dow all work ceased. The
hunters returned from the chase, feasts were
called out here and there. and the camp was
filled with song and laughter. Among the
younger people dances and games Of chance
were In order. while the older ones smoked and
told stories OF war. the chase, or recounted the
wonderful doings of the gods. Every evening
the head men Of the tribe. the noted warriors.
medicine mon and saRes gathered In Pe-nuk-
Wins lodge. and I was always Interested In
listening to their tales. and so was Archie, so
long as the story was OF the chase or war. But
when they talked of religion. OF the power and
greatness Of their gods. Archie would become
impatient. for. like all the halfbreeds of French.
descent, he was a strict Catholic. and had no
faith In their heather ways. It was amusing
TO hear him argue with them as to the
relative strength OF their gods and his,
and 1 cannot say that he ever got the better
OF the argument. One evening Archie. with
great pains and detail. told them the story of
the loaves and fishes. The Indiana listened to
him patiently. and when he had finished an
old medicine man said; q
Huh that's nothing. my son nothing at all.
! can tell you something yet mora wonderful.
IL happened to one of our ancestors a very long
time ago. He was wandering by tho river one
day. and looking down in the clear. deep water
he saw q lodge resting on the bottom. It was
very large. very white. and painted with figures