The Plymouth Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1878-1901, 1901-08-01
CHAPTER :.
THE BUFFALO HUNT.
Continuation

IL Nttt a. IL " va III III
gus to recover from his burns and
bruises, during which time he remain
ed i'm or near his wigwam and became
acquainted VITA but few of the villag-
ers, and one afternoon early in Septem-
Der the chief Tullihas called him TO a
group of the tribesmen and all gave
him close and silent inspection. at
the close OF which he was directed to
take Off his clothes and put on a
breech-clOut. This done three Young
women were summoned and they led
the boy by the hand down the bank
into the river until the water was well
up toward their arms. The young
women then laid hold of him and
plunged him beneath the surface three
times, the tribe watching solemnly
from the bank. and scrubbed him Wig
orOuSly from head to foot with their
hands, dealing quite roughly with
him. He was led from the water up
to the council house, wondering what
ceremony was this. and there his hair
was dressed i'm Indian style, his long
scalp-loek being plated and bound
with narrow beaded band support
ing long red feather, his face and
body We're striped with various colors
and he was clothed like an Indian,
with deer-skin shirt, leggings. mecca
sins and p beaded belt, the young
squaws doing the work very soberly
and silently. The costuming COM
pleted to the satisfaction of the ladies
the youth was seated on bearskin
and presented with pipe and TOBACCO,
the Indians were notified that all was
in readiness and they filed in, grandly
dressed and painted and each one
smoking As they came in they
squatted on the ground and sat
smoking in profound silence for con-
siderable time, the lad regarding them
curiously and with much wonder as to
the outcome.
At length Tullihas arose with much
dignity and said: MY son, you are
now flesh of our flesh. Every drop of
white blood has been washed out of
your veins and you are now received
and adopted as member of a power
full and warlike tribe. Ny son, you
are one of cur people and have moth
ing to fear, for we will love and pro-
tect you and make you great war
rior and perhaps chief among us. ;"
He said much more, also, for the Ind
ians were fond of oratory, and when
he had finished one of the squaws
crouching by the door came in and led
the boy abou. the room to shake hands
with his new kin, then conducted
him to the lodge of the widowed squaw
who had saved his life and whose son
he was henceforth. In the evening
a great feast was made in celebration
of the adoption and there was a large
kettle filled with venison and green
corn boiling together, the first corn of
the season, to which savory compound
all addressed themselves with keen
appetiteS. Each man had his own
bowl and two young men stood at the
kettle to serve the portions out ac-
cording to the number in each feast
er's family, for squaws, children and
slaves were permitted to have only
what was left after the head of the
family had eaten his fill out OF his
bowl. The Indians remained about
the fire after the food had been con-
sumed and passed the evening in re-
lating their exploits of war or of hunt
ing, one occasionally telling some
thing comical and the old men usu-
ally giving grave counsel or telling
snatches of the tribal history and
legends.
One old and infirm man, who had
long been absent from the war-path
and the hunting-ground, narrated
legend of an Indian girl who was
extraordinarily beautiful and possess
ed that precious jewel, finished
Indian education. She was so beauti-
fed by nature and polished ~ art
that her parents could find for her no
suitable husband The family Tesid-
ed near river that flowed at the foot
of a great mountain which no man
had ever assembled. one day the
damsel was missing and no tidings
could be heard of her. At length,
after much time had been spent in
searching for her and many tears had
been showered at her loss, she was
seen bathing and disperting in the
river with youth as beautiful as her.
self, but when they were approached
they quickly vanished. This hand
some man, whom the girls parents
imagined to be one Of the good spirits
inhabising the inaccessible mountain,
was accepted by them as their son-in-