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。