"Manyyearsago，"hebegan，ashepassedthepipetouncle，"wetraveledfromtheOtter—tailtoMinnewakan（Devil’sLake）。AtthattimethemoundwasverydistinctwhereChotankaliesburied。Thepeopleofhisimmediatebandhadtakencaretopreserveit。
　　"Thismoundunderwhichliesthegreatmedi—
　　cinemanisuponthesummitofMinnewakanChantay，thehighesthillinallthatregion。Itisshapedlikeananimal’sheartplacedonitsbase，withtheapexupward。
　　"ThereasonwhythishilliscalledMinnewa—
　　kanChantay，ortheHeartoftheMysteriousLand，Iwillnowtellyou。Ithasbeenhandeddownfromgenerationtogeneration，farbeyondthememoryofourgreat—grandparents。ItwasinChotanka’slineofdescentthattheselegendswereoriginallykept，butwhenhediedthestoriesbecameeverybody’s，andthennoonebelievedinthem。Itwastoldinthisway。"
　　Isatfacinghim，whollywrappedinthewordsofthestory—teller，andnowItookadeepbreathandsettledmyselfsothatImightnotdisturbhimbytheslightestmovementwhilehewasrecitinghistale。Weweretaughtthiscourtesytoourelders，butIwasimpulsiveandsometimesforgot。
　　"Alongtimeago，"resumedWeyuha，"theredpeopleweremanyinnumber，andtheyinhabi—
　　tedallthelandfromthecoldestplacetothere—
　　gionofperpetualsummertime。Itseemedthattheywereallofonetongue，andallwerefriends。
　　"Alltheanimalswereconsideredpeopleinthosedays。Thebuffalo，theelk，theantelope，weretribesofconsiderableimportance。Thebearswereasmallerband，buttheyobeyedthemandatesoftheGreatMysteryandwerehisfavorites，andforthisreasontheyhavealwaysknownmoreaboutthesecretsofmedicine。Sotheywereheldinmuchhonor。Thewolves，too，werehighlyre—
　　gardedatonetime。Butthebuffalo，elk，moose，deerandantelopeweretherulingpeople。
　　"Thesesoonbecameconceitedandconsideredthemselvesveryimportant，andthoughtnoonecouldwithstandthem。Thebuffalomadewarup—
　　onthesmallertribes，anddestroyedmany。SoonedaytheGreatMysterythoughtitbesttochangethepeopleinformandinlanguage。
　　"Hemadeagreattentandkeptitdarkfortendays。Intothistentheinvitedthedifferentbands，andwhentheycameouttheyweregreatlychanged，andsomecouldnottalkatallafterthat。How—
　　ever，thereisasignlanguagegiventoalltheani—
　　malsthatnomanknowsexceptsomemedicinemen，andtheyareunderaheavypenaltyiftheyshouldtellit。
　　"Thebuffalocameoutofthedarkenedtenttheclumsiestofalltheanimals。Theelkandmoosewereburdenedwiththeirheavyandmany—
　　branchedhorns，whiletheantelopeanddeerweremadethemostdefenselessofanimals，onlythattheyarefleetoffoot。Thebearandthewolfweremadetopreyuponalltheothers。
　　"Manwasalonethen。Whenthechangecame，theGreatMysteryallowedhimtokeephisownshapeandlanguage。Hewaskingoveralltheanimals，buttheydidnotobeyhim。Fromthatday，man’sspiritmaylivewiththebeastsbe—
　　foreheisbornaman。Hewillthenknowtheanimallanguagebuthecannottellitinhumanspeech。Healwaysretainshissympathywiththem，andcanconversewiththemindreams。
　　"ImustnotforgettotellyouthattheGreatMysterypitchedhistentinthisveryregion。
　　SomelegendssaythattheMinnewakanChantaywasthetentitself，whichafterwardbecameearthandstones。Manyoftheanimalswerewashedandchangedinthislake，theMinnewakan，orMysteriousWater。Itistheonlyinlandwaterweknowthatissalt。Noanimalhaseverswuminthislakeandlived。"
　　"Tellme，"Ieagerlyasked，"isitdangeroustomanalso？"
　　"Yes，"hereplied，"wethinkso;andnoIn—
　　dianhaseverventuredinthatlaketomyknow—
　　ledge。ThatiswhythelakeiscalledMysterious，"
　　herepeated。
　　"IshallnowtellyouofChotanka。Hewasthegreatestofmedicinemen。Hedeclaredthathewasagrizzlybearbeforehewasborninhumanform。"Weyuhaseemedtobecomeveryearnestwhenhereachedthispointinhisstory。"ListentoChotanka’slifeasagrizzlybear。"
　　"’Asabear，’heusedtosay，’myhomewasinsightoftheMinnewakanChantay。Ilivedwithmymotheronlyonewinter，andIonlysawmyfatherwhenIwasababy。ThenwelivedalittlewayfromtheChantaytothenorth，amongscatteredoakuponahillsideoverlookingtheMinnewakan。
　　"’WhenIfirstrememberanything，IwasplayingoutsideofourhomewithabuffaloskullthatIhadfoundnearby。Isawsomethingthatlookedstrange。Itwalkedupontwolegs，anditcarriedacrookedstick，andsomeredwillowswithfeatherstiedtothem。Itthrewoneofthewil—
　　lowsatme，andIshowedmyteethandretreatedwithinourden。
　　"’Justthenmyfatherandmothercamehomewithabuffalocalf。Theythrewdownthedeadcalf，andranafterthequeerthing。Hehadlonghairuponaroundhead。Hisfacewasround，too。
　　Heranandclimbedupintoasmalloaktree。
　　"’Myfatherandmothershookhimdown，butnotbeforehehadshotsomeofhisredwillowsintotheirsides。Motherwasverysick，butshedugsomerootsandatethemandshewaswellagain。’ItwasthusthatChotankawasfirsttaughttheuseofcertainrootsforcuringwoundsandsickness，"Weyuhaadded。
　　"’Oneday’"——heresumedthegrizzly’sstory——"’whenIwasouthuntingwithmymother——
　　myfatherhadgoneawayandnevercameback——wefoundabuffalocowwithhercalfinaravine。Sheadvisedmetofollowherclosely，andwecrawledalongonourknees。Allatoncemothercroucheddownunderthegrass，andIdidthesame。Wesawsomeofthosequeerbeingsthatwecalled"twolegs，"ridinguponbig—taildeer（ponies）。Theyyelledastheyrodetowardus。
　　Mothergrowledterriblyandrusheduponthem。
　　Shecaughtone，butmanymorecamewiththeirdogsanddroveusintoathicket。Theysenttheredwillowssingingafterus，andtwoofthemstuckinmother’sside。Whenwegotawayatlastshetriedtopullthemout，buttheyhurtherterribly。
　　Shepulledthembothoutatlast，butsoonaftershelaydownanddied。
　　"’IstayedinthewoodsalonefortwodaysthenIwentaroundtheMinnewakanChantayonthesouthsideandtheremademylonelyden。
　　ThereIfoundplentyofhazelnuts，acornsandwildplums。Upontheplainstheteepsinnawereabundant，andIsawnothingofmyenemies。
　　"’OnedayIfoundafootprintnotunlikemyown。Ifollowedittoseewhothestrangermightbe。UponthebluffsamongtheoakgrovesIdis—
　　coveredabeautifulyoungfemalegatheringacorns。
　　Shewasofadifferentbandfrommine，forsheworeajetblackdress。
　　"’Atfirstshewasdisposedtoresentmyintru—
　　sion;butwhenItoldherofmylonelylifesheagreedtoshareitwithme。Wecamebacktomyhomeonthesouthsideofthehill。Therewelivedhappyforawholeyear。WhentheautumncameagainWoshepee，forthiswashername，saidthatshemustmakeawarmnestforthewinter，andIwasleftaloneagain。’
　　"Now，"saidWeyuha，"Ihavecometoapartofmystorythatfewpeopleunderstand。AllthelongwinterChotankasleptinhisden，andwiththeearlyspringtherecameagreatthunderstorm。
　　Hewasarousedbyafrightfulcrashthatseemedtoshakethehills;andlo！ahandsomeyoungmanstoodathisdoor。Helooked，butwasnotafraid，forhesawthatthestrangercarriednoneofthoseredwillowswithfeatheredtips。Hewasunarmedandsmiling。
　　"’Icome，’saidhe，’withachallengetorunarace。Whoeverwinswillbetheheroofhiskind，andthedefeatedmustdoasthewinnersaysthere—
　　after。ThisisararehonorthatIhavebroughtyou。Thewholeworldwillseetherace。Theanimalworldwillshoutforyou，andthespiritswillcheermeon。Youarenotacoward，andthereforeyouwillnotrefusemychallenge。’
　　"’No，’repliedChotanka，afterashorthesita—
　　tion。Theyoungmanwasfine—looking，butlightlybuilt。
　　"’WeshallstartfromtheChantay，andthatwillbeourgoal。Come，letusgo，fortheuniverseiswaiting！’impatientlyexclaimedthestranger。
　　"Hepassedoninadvance，andjustthenanold，oldwrinkledmancametoChotanka’sdoor。
　　Heleanedforwarduponhisstaff。
　　"’Myson，’hesaidtohim，’Idon’twanttomakeyouacoward，butthisyoungmanisthegreatestgambleroftheuniverse。Hehaspow—
　　erfulmedicine。Hegamblesforlife;becareful！
　　MybrothersandIaretheonlyoneswhohaveeverbeatenhim。Butheissafe，forifheiskilledhecanresurrecthimself——Itellyouheisgreatmedicine。
　　"’However，IthinkthatIcansaveyou——lis—
　　ten！Hewillrunbehindyouallthewayuntilyouarewithinashortdistanceofthegoal。Thenhewillpassyoubyinaflash，forhisnameisZig—
　　ZagFire！（lightning）。Hereismymedicine。’Sospeaking，hegavemearabbitskinandthegumofacertainplant。’Whenyoucomenearthegoal，rubyourselfwiththegum，andthrowtherabbitskinbetweenyou。Hecannotpassyou。’
　　"’Andwhoareyou，grandfather？’Chotankainquired。
　　"’Iamthemedicineturtle，’theoldmanre—
　　plied。’Thegamblerisaspiritfromheaven，andthosewhomheoutrunsmustshortlydie。Youhaveheard，nodoubt，thatallanimalsknowbe—
　　forehandwhentheyaretobekilled;andanymanwhounderstandsthesemysteriesmayalsoknowwhenheistodie。’
　　Theracewasannouncedtotheworld。Thebuffalo，elk，wolvesandalltheanimalscametolookon。Allthespiritsoftheaircamealsotocheerfortheircomrade。Intheskythetrumpetwassounded——thegreatmedicinedrumwasstruck。
　　Itwasthesignalforastart。ThecoursewasaroundtheMinnewakan。（Thatmeansaroundtheearthortheocean。）Everywherethemulti—
　　tudecheeredasthetwospedby。
　　"TheyoungmankeptbehindChotankaallthetimeuntiltheycameoncemoreinsightoftheChantay。Thenhefeltaslightshockandhethrewhisrabbitskinback。Thestrangertrippedandfell。
　　Chotankarubbedhimselfwiththegum，andranonuntilhereachedthegoal。Therewasagreatshoutthatechoedovertheearth，butintheheavenstherewasmutteringandgrumbling。Therefereede—
　　claredthatthewinnerwouldlivetoagoodoldage，andZig—ZagFirepromisedtocomeathiscall。Hewasindeedgreatmedicine，"Weyuhaconcluded。
　　"ButyouhavenottoldmehowChotankabe—
　　cameaman，"Isaid。
　　"Onenightabeautifulwomancametohiminhissleep。Sheenticedhimintoherwhiteteepeetoseewhatshehadthere。ThensheshutthedooroftheteepeeandChotankacouldnotgetout。Butthewomanwaskindandpettedhimsothathelovedtostayinthewhiteteepee。Thenitwasthathebecameahumanborn。Thisisalongstory，butIthink，Ohiyesa，thatyouwillre—
　　memberit，"saidWeyuha，andsoIdid。
　　II：Manitoshaw’sHuntingITwasinthewinter，intheMoonofDifficulty（January）。Wehadeatenourvenisonroastforsup—
　　per，andtheemberswereburn—
　　ingbrightly。Ourteepeewases—
　　peciallycheerful。Uncheedahsatneartheentrance，myuncleandhiswifeupontheoppositeside，whileIwithmypetsoccupiedtheremainingspace。
　　Wabeda，thedog，laynearthefireinahalfdoze，watchingoutofthecornersofhiseyesthetameraccoon，whichsnuggledbackagainstthewallsoftheteepee，hisshrewdbrain，doubtless，concoctingsomemischiefforthehoursofdarkness。Ihadalreadyrecitedalegendofourpeople。AllagreedthatIhaddonewell。Havingbeengenerouslypraised，Iwaseagertoearnsomemorecompli—
　　mentsbylearninganewone，soIbeggedmyuncletotellmeastory。Musinglyhereplied：
　　"IcangiveyouaSioux—Creetradition，"andimmediatelybegan：
　　"Manywintersago，thereweresixteepeesstand—
　　ingonthesouthernslopeofMoosemountainintheMoonofWildCherries（September）。Thementowhomtheseteepeesbelongedhadbeenat—
　　tackedbytheSiouxwhilehuntingbuffalo，andnearlyallkilled。Twoorthreewhomanagedtogethometotelltheirsadstoryweremortallywounded，anddiedsoonafterward。Therewasonlyoneoldmanandseveralsmallboyslefttohuntandprovideforthisunfortunatelittlebandofwomenandchildren。
　　"Theyliveduponteepsinna（wildturnips）andberriesformanydays。Theywerealmostfamishedformeat。Theoldmanwastoofeebletohuntsuccessfully。OnedayinthisdesolatecampayoungCreemaiden——forsuchtheywere——declaredthatshecouldnolongersitstillandseeherpeo—
　　plesuffer。Shetookdownherdeadfather’ssecondbowandquiverfullofarrows，andbeggedheroldgrandmothertoaccompanyhertoLakeWana—
　　giska，wheresheknewthatmoosehadoftentimesbeenfound。IforgottotellyouthathernamewasManitoshaw。
　　ThisManitoshawandheroldgrandmother，Nawakewee，tookeachaponyandwentfarupintothewoodsonthesideofthemountain。Theypitchedtheirwigwamjustoutofsightofthelake，andhobbledtheirponies。ThentheoldwomansaidtoManitoshaw：
　　"’Go，mygranddaughter，totheoutletoftheWanagiska，andseeifthereareanymoosetracksthere。WhenIwasayoungwoman，Icameherewithyourfather’sfather，andwepitchedourtentnearthisspot。Inthenighttherecamethreedif—
　　ferentmoose。Bringmeleavesofthebirchandcedartwigs;Iwillmakemedicineformoose，’sheadded。
　　Manitoshawobedientlydisappearedinthewoods。Itwasagroveofbirchandwillow，withtwogoodsprings。Downbelowwasamarshyplace。
　　Nawakeweehadbiddenthemaidenlookfornib—
　　bledbirchandwillowtwigs，forthemooselovestoeatthem，andtohaveherarrowreadyuponthebow—string。Ihaveseenthisveryplacemanyatime，"addedmyuncle，andthissimpleremarkgavetothestoryanairofreal—
　　ity。
　　"TheCreemaidenwentfirsttothespring，andtherefoundfreshtracksoftheanimalshesought。
　　Shegatheredsomecedarberriesandchewedthem，andrubbedsomeofthemonhergarmentssothatthemoosemightnotscenther。Thesunwasal—
　　readyset，andshefeltshemustreturntoNa—
　　wakewee。
　　"JustthenHinhankaga，thehootingowl，gavehisdolefulnightcall。Thegirlstoppedandlis—
　　tenedattentively。
　　"’Ithoughtitwasalover’scall，’shewhisperedtoherself。Asingularchallengepealedacrossthelake。Sherecognizedthealarmcalloftheloon，andfanciedthatthebirdmighthavecaughtaglimpseofhergame。
　　"Soonshewaswithinafewpacesofthetem—
　　porarylodgeofpineboughsandfernswhichthegrandmotherhadconstructed。Theoldwomanmetheronthetrail。
　　"’Ah，mychild，youhavereturnednonetoosoon。Ifearedyouhadventuredtoofaraway;
　　fortheSiouxoftencometothisplacetohunt。
　　Youmustnotexposeyourselfcarelesslyontheshore。’
　　"Asthetwowomenlaydowntosleeptheycouldheartheponiesmunchtherichgrassinanopenspotnearby。Throughthesmokeholeofthepine—boughwigwamManitoshawgazedupintothestarrysky，anddreamedofwhatshewoulddoonthemorrowwhensheshouldsurprisethewilymoose。Hergrandmotherwasalreadysleep—
　　ingsonoisilythatitwasenoughtoscareawaythegame。Atlastthemaiden，too，lostherselfinsleep。
　　"OldNawakeweeawokeearly。Firstofallshemadeafireandburnedcedarandbirchsothatthemoosemightnotdetectthehumansmell。Thenshequicklypreparedamealofwildturnipsandberries，andawokethemaiden，whowassurprisedtoseethatthesunwasalreadyup。
　　Sherandowntothespringandhastilysplashedhandsfulofthecoldwaterinherface;thenshelookedforamomentinitsmirror—likesurface。
　　TherewasthereflectionoftwomoosebytheopenshoreandbeyondthemManitoshawseemedtoseeayoungmanstanding。Inanothermomentallthreehaddisappeared。
　　"’Whatisthematterwithmyeyes？Iamnotfullyawakeyet，andIimaginethings。Ugh，itisallinmyeyes，’themaidenrepeatedtoher—
　　self。ShehastenedbacktoNawakewee。Thevisionwassounexpectedandsostartlingthatshecouldnotbelieveinitstruth，andshesaidnoth—
　　ingtotheoldwoman。
　　"Breakfasteaten，Manitoshawthrewoffherrobeandappearedinherscantilycutgownofbuckskinwithlongfringes，andmoccasinsandleggingstrimmedwithquillsoftheporcupine。
　　Herfather’sbowandquiverwerethrownoveroneshoulder，andtheknifedangledfromherbeltinitshandsomesheath。Sheranbreathlesslyalongtheshoretowardtheoutlet。
　　"WayoffneartheislandMedozatheloonswamwithhismate，occasionallyutteringacryofjoy。
　　HereandtheretheplayfulHogan，thetrout，spranggracefullyoutofthewater，inashoweroffallingdew。AsthemaidenhastenedalongshescaredupWadawasee，thekingfisher，whoscreamedloudly。
　　"’Stop，Wadawasee，stop——youwillfrightenmygame！’
　　"Atlastshehadreachedtheoutlet。Shesawatoncethatthemoosehadbeenthereduringthenight。Theyhadtornupthegroundandbrokenbirchandwillowtwigsinamostdisorderlyway。"
　　"Ah！"Iexclaimed，"IwishIhadbeenwithManitoshawthen！"
　　"Hush，myboy;neverinterruptastory—
　　teller。"
　　Itookastickandbegantolevelofftheashesinfrontofme，andtodrawamapofthelake，theoutlet，themooseandManitoshaw。Awayofftoonesidewasthesolitarywigwam，Nawakeweeandtheponies。
　　"Manitoshaw’sheartwasbeatingsoloudthatshecouldnothearanything，"resumedmyuncle。
　　"Shetooksomeleavesofthewintergreenandchewedthemtocalmherself。ShedidnotforgettothrowinpassingapinchofpulverizedtobaccoandpaintintothespringforManitou，thespirit。
　　"Amongthetwinklingleavesofthebirchhereyewascaughtbyamovingform，andthenan—
　　other。Shestoodmotionless，graspingherheavybow。Themoose，notsuspectinganydanger，walkedleisurelytowardthespring。Onewasalargefemalemoose;theotherayearling。
　　AstheypassedManitoshaw，movingsonat—
　　urallyandlookingsoharmless，shealmostforgottoletflyanarrow。Themothermooseseemedtolookinherdirection，butdidnotseeher。Theyhadfairlypassedherhiding—placewhenshesteppedforthandsentaswiftarrowintothesideofthelargermoose。Bothdashedintothethickwoods，butitwastoolate。TheCreemaidenhadalreadyloosenedhersecondarrow。Bothfelldeadbeforereachingtheshore。"
　　"Uncle，shemusthavehadasplendidaim，forinthewoodsthemanylittletwigsmakeanarrowboundofftooneside，"Iinterruptedingreatex—
　　citement。
　　"Yes，butyoumustremembershewasverynearthemoose。"
　　"Itseemstome，then，uncle，thattheymusthavescentedher，foryouhavetoldmethattheypossessthekeenestnoseofanyanimal，"Iper—
　　sisted。
　　"Doubtlessthewindwasblowingtheotherway。But，nephew，youmustletmefinishmystory。
　　"Ovedoyedbyhersuccess，themaidenhas—
　　tenedbacktoNawakawee，butshewasgone！
　　Theponiesweregone，too，andthewigwamofbrancheshadbeendemolished。WhileManito—
　　shawstoodthere，frightenedandundecidedwhattodo，asoftvoicecamefrombehindaneighbor—
　　ingthicket：
　　"’Manitoshaw！Manitoshaw！Iamhere！’
　　Sheatoncerecognized，thevoiceandfoundittobeNawakeewee，whotoldastrangestory。
　　ThatmorningacanoehadcrossedtheWanagiskacarryingtwomen。TheywereSioux。Theoldgrandmotherhadseenthemcoming，andtode—
　　ceivethemsheatoncepulleddownhertemporarywigwam，anddrovetheponiesofftowardhome。
　　Thenshehidherselfinthebushesnearby，forsheknewthatManitoshawmustreturnthere。
　　"’Come，mygranddaughter，wemusthastenhomebyanotherway，’criedtheoldwoman。
　　"Butthemaidensaid，’No，letusgofirsttomytwomoosethatIkilledthismorningandtakesomemeatwithus。’
　　"’No，no，mychild;theSiouxarecruel。
　　Theyhavekilledmanyofourpeople。Ifwestayheretheywillfindus。Ifear，Ifearthem，Manitoshaw！’
　　"Atlastthebravemaidconvincedhergrand—
　　mother，andthemoreeasilyasshetoowashun—
　　gryformeat。Theywenttowherethebiggamelayamongthebushes，andbegantodressthemoose。"
　　"Ithink，ifIwerethey，Iwouldhideallday。
　　IwouldwaituntiltheSiouxhadgone;thenI
　　wouldgobacktomymoose，"Iinterruptedforthethirdtime。
　　"Iwillfinishthestoryfirst;thenyoumaytelluswhatyouwoulddo，"saidmyunclereprov—
　　ingly。
　　"ThetwoSiouxwerefatherandson。Theytoohadcometothelakeformoose;butasthegameusuallyretreatedtotheisland，ChatansapahadlandedhissonKangiskatohuntthemontheshorewhilehereturnedinhiscanoetointercepttheirflight。Theyoungmanspedalongthesandybeachandsoondiscoveredtheirtracks。Hefollowedthemupandfoundbloodonthetrail。
　　Thisastonishedhim。Cautiouslyhefollowedonuntilhefoundthembothlyingdead。Heexam—
　　inedthemandfoundthatineachmoosetherewasasingleCreearrow。Wishingtosurprisethehunterifpossible，Kangiskalayhiddeninthebushes。
　　"Afteralittlewhilethetwowomenreturnedtothespot。Theypassedhimascloseasthemoosehadpassedthemaideninthemorning。Hesawatoncethatthemaidenhadarrowsinherquiverlikethosethathadslainthebigmoose。Helaystill。
　　"KangiskalookeduponthebeautifulCreemaidenandlovedher。Finallyheforgothimselfandmadeaslightmotion。Manitoshaw’squickeyecaughtthelittlestiramongthebushes，butsheimmediatelylookedtheotherwayandKan—
　　giskabelievedthatshehadnotseenanything，Atlasthereyesmethis，andsomethingtoldboththatallwaswell。Thenthemaidensmiled，andtheyoungmancouldnotremainstillanylonger。
　　Hearosesuddenlyandtheoldwomannearlyfaintedfromfright。ButManitoshawsaid：
　　"’Fearnot，grandmother;wearetwoandheisonlyone。’
　　"Whilethetwowomencontinuedtocutupthemeat，Kangiskamadeafirebyrubbingcedarchipstogether，andtheyallateofthemoosemeat。Thentheoldwomanfinishedherwork，whiletheyoungpeoplesatdownuponalogintheshade，andtoldeachotheralltheirminds。
　　"KangiskadeclaredbysignsthathewouldgohomewithManitoshawtotheCreecamp，forhelovedher。Theywenthome，andtheyoungmanhuntedfortheunfortunateCreebandduringtherestofhislife。
　　"Hisfatherwaitedalongtimeontheislandandafterwardsearchedtheshore，butneversawhimagain。HesupposedthatthosefootprintshesawweremadebyCreeswhohadkilledhisson。"
　　"Isthatstorytrue，uncle？"Iaskedeagerly。
　　"’Yes，thefactsarewellknown。TherearesomeSiouxmixedbloodsamongtheCreestothisdaywhoaredescendantsofKangiska。"
　　X
　　IndianLifeandAdventureI：LifeintheWoodsTHEmonthofSeptemberrecallstoeveryIndian’smindtheseasonofthefallhunt。Irememberonesuchexpeditionwhichistypicalofmany。OurpartyappearedonthenorthwesternsideofTurtlemountain;forwehadbeenhuntingbuffaloesallsummer，intheregionoftheMouseriver，betweenthatmountainandtheupperMissouri。
　　Asourcone—shapedteepeesroseinclustersalongtheoutskirtsoftheheavyforestthatclothestheslopingsideofthemountain，thescenebelowwasgratifyingtoasavageeye。Therollingyellowplainswerecheckeredwithherdsofbuffaloes。
　　Alongthebanksofthestreamsthatrandownfromthemountainswerealsomanyelk，whichusuallyappearatmorningandevening，anddisappearintotheforestduringthewarmerpartoftheday。
　　Deer，too，wereplenty，andthebrookswerealivewithtrout。Hereandtherethestreamsweredammedbytheindustriousbeaver。
　　Intheinterioroftheforesttherewerelakeswithmanyislands，wheremoose，elk，deerandbearswereabundant。Thewater—fowlwerewonttogatherhereingreatnumbers，amongthemthecrane，theswan，theloon，andmanyofthesmallerkinds。Theforestalsowasfilledwithagreatva—
　　rietyofbirds。Herethepartridgedrummedhisloudest，whilethewhippoorwillsangwithspirit，andthehootingowlreignedinthenight。
　　Tome，asaboy，thiswildernesswasaparadise。Itwasalandofplenty。Tobesure，wedidnothaveanyoftheluxuriesofcivilization，butwehadeveryconvenienceandopportunityandluxuryofNature。Wehadalsothegiftofenjoyingourgoodfortune，whateverdangersmightlurkaboutus;andthetruthisthatwelivedinblessedignoranceofanylifethatwasbetterthanourown。
　　Assoonashuntinginthewoodsbegan，thecustomsregulatingitwereestablished。Thecoun—
　　cilteepeenolongerexisted。Ahuntingbonfirewaskindledeverymorningatday—break，atwhicheachbravemustappearandreport。Themanwhofailedtodothisbeforethepartysetoutontheday’shuntwasharassedbyridicule。Asarule，thehuntersstartedbeforesunrise，andthebravewhowasannouncedthroughoutthecampasthefirstonetoreturnwithadeeronhisback，wasamantobeenvied。
　　Thelegend—teller，oldSmokyDay，waschosenheraldofthecamp，anditwashewhomadetheannouncements。Aftersupperwasended，weheardhispowerfulvoiceresoundamongtheteepeesintheforest。Hewouldthennameamantokindlethebonfirethenextmorning。Hissuitoffringedbuckskinsetoffhissplendidphysiquetoadvan—
　　tage。
　　Scarcelyhadthemendisappearedinthewoodseachmorningthanalltheboyssalliedforth，ap—
　　parentlyengrossedintheirgamesandsports，butinrealitycompetingactivelywithoneanotherinquicknessofobservation。Asthedayadvanced，theyallkeptthesharpestpossiblelookout。Sud—
　　denlytherewouldcometheshrill"Woo—coo—
　　hoo！"atthetopofaboy’svoice，announcingthebringinginofadeer。Immediatelyalltheotherboystookupthecry，eachonebentongettingaheadoftherest。NowweallsawthebraveWa—
　　cootafairlybentoverbyhisburden，alargedeerwhichhecarriedonhisshoulders。Hisfringedbuckskinshirtwasbesprinkledwithblood。Hethrewdownthedeeratthedoorofhiswife’smother’shome，accordingtocustom，andthenwalkedproudlytohisown。Atthedoorofhisfather’steepeehestoodforamomentstraightasapine—tree，andthenentered。
　　Whenabearwasbroughtin，ahundredormoreoftheseurchinswerewonttomakethewoodsresoundwiththeirvoices："Wah！wah！wah！
　　Wah！wah！wah！ThebraveWhiteRabbitbringsabear！Wah！wah！wah！"
　　Alldaythesesing—songcheerswerekeptup，asthegamewasbroughtin。Atlast，towardthecloseoftheafternoon，allthehuntershadreturned，andhappinessandcontentmentreignedabsolute，inafashionwhichIhaveneverobservedamongthewhitepeople，eveninthebestofcircumstances。
　　Themenwereloungingandsmoking;thewomenactivelyengagedinthepreparationoftheeveningmeal，andthecareofthemeat。ThechoicestofthegamewascookedandofferedtotheGreatMystery，withalltheaccompanyingceremonies。
　　Thiswecalledthe"medicinefeast。"Eventhewomen，astheyloweredtheboilingpot，orthefragrantroastofvenisonreadytoserve，wouldfirstwhisper："GreatMystery，dothoupartakeofthisvenison，andstillbegracious！"Thiswasthecommonlysaid"grace。"
　　Everythingwentsmoothlywithus，onthisoc—
　　casion，whenwefirstenteredthewoods。Noth—
　　ingwaswantingtoouroldwayofliving。Thekillingofdeerandelkandmoosehadtobestoppedforatime，sincemeatwassoabundantthatwehadnouseforthemanylonger。Onlythehuntingforpelts，suchasthoseofthebear，beaver，marten，andotterwascontinued。Butwheneverwelivedinblessedabundance，ourbraveswerewonttoturntheirthoughtstootheroccupations——especiallythehot—bloodedyouthswhoseambitionitwastodosomethingnote—
　　worthy。
　　Atjustsuchmomentsasthistherearealwaysanumberofpriestsinreadiness，whosevocationitistoseeintothefuture，andeachofwhomcon—
　　sultshisparticularinterpreteroftheGreatMys—
　　tery。（Thisceremonyiscalledbythewhitepeople"makingmedicine。"）Totheprieststheyouth—
　　fulbraveshinttheirimpatienceforthewar—path。
　　Sooncomesthedesireddreamorprophecyorvisiontofavortheirdeparture。
　　Ouryoungmenpresentlyreceivedtheirsign，andforafewdaysallwashurryandexcitement。
　　Ontheappointedmorningweheardthesongsofthewarriorsandthewailingofthewomen，bywhichtheybadeadieutoeachother，andtheeligiblebraves，headedbyanexperiencedman——oldHo—
　　tankaorLoud—VoicedRaven——setoutfortheGrosVentrecountry。
　　Ourolderheads，tobesure，hadexpressedsomedisapprovaloftheundertaking，forthecountryinwhichwewereroamingwasnotourown，andwewerelikelyatanytimetobetakentotaskbyitsrightfulowners。Theplaintruthofthematterwasthatwewereintruders。Hencethemorethoughtfulamonguspreferredtobeathome，andtoachievewhatrenowntheycouldgetbydefend—
　　ingtheirhomesandfamilies。Theyoungmen，however，weresoeagerforactionandexcitementthattheymustneedsgooffinsearchofit。
　　Fromtheearlymorningwhenthesebravesleftus，ledbytheoldwar—priest，Loud—VoicedRaven，theanxiousmothers，sistersandsweetheartscountedthedays。OldSmokyDaywouldocca—
　　sionallygetupearlyinthemorning，andsinga"strong—heart"songforhisabsentgrandson。I
　　stillseemtohearthehoarse，crackedvoiceoftheancientsingerasitresoundedamongthewoods。
　　Foralongtimeourrovingcommunityenjoyedunbrokenpeace，andweweresparedanytroubleordisturbance。Ourhuntersoftenbroughtinadeerorelkorbearforfreshmeat。Thebeautifullakesfurnisheduswithfishandwild—fowlforvariety。Theirplacidwaters，astheautumnad—
　　vanced，reflectedthevariegatedcolorsofthechangingfoliage。
　　Itismyrecollectionthatwewereatthistimeencampedinthevicinityofthe"TurtleMoun—
　　tain’sHeart。"Itistothehighestcone—shapedpeakthattheIndiansaptlygivethisappellation。
　　Ourcamping—groundfortwomonthswaswithinashortdistanceofthepeak，andthemenmadeitapointtooftensendoneoftheirnumbertothetop。Itwasunderstoodbetweenthemandthewarpartythatweweretoremainnearthisspot;
　　andontheirreturntripthelatterweretogivethe"smokesign，"whichwewouldanswerfromthetopofthehill。
　　Oneday，aswewerecampingontheshoreofalargelakewithseveralislands，signsofmoosewerediscovered，andthemenwentofftothemonrafts，carryingtheirflint—lockgunsinanticipationoffindingtwoorthreeoftheanimals。Welittlefellows，asusual，wereplayingdownbythesandyshore，whenwespiedwhatseemedliketherootofagreattreefloatingtowardus。Butonacloserscrutinywediscoveredourerror。Itwastheheadofahugemoose，swimmingforhislife！Fortun—
　　atelyforhim，noneofthemenhadremainedathome。
　　Accordingtoourhabit，welittleurchinsdisap—
　　pearedinaninstant，likeyoungprairiechickens，inthelonggrass。Iwasnotmorethaneightyearsold，yetItestedthestrengthofmybow—
　　stringandadjustedmysharpestandbestarrowforimmediateservice。Myheartleapedviolentlyasthehomelybutimposinganimalnearedtheshore。
　　IwasundecidedforamomentwhetherIwouldnotleavemyhiding—placeandgiveawar—whoopassoonashetouchedthesand。ThenIthoughtIwouldkeepstillandlethimhavemyboyweap—
　　on;andtheonlyregretthatIhadwasthathewould，inallprobability，takeitwithhim，andI
　　shouldbeminusonegoodarrow。
　　"Still，"Ithought，"Ishallclaimtobethesmallestboywhosearrowwasevercarriedawaybyamoose。"Thatwasenough。Igatheredmyselfintoabunch，allreadytospring。Asthelong—leggedbeastpulledhimselfdrippingoutofthewater，andshookoffthedropsfromhislonghair，Isprangtomyfeet。Ifeltsomeofthewaterinmyface！IgavehimmysharpestarrowwithalltheforceIcouldmaster，rightamongthefloatingribs。ThenIutteredmywar—
　　whoop。
　　Themoosedidnotseemtomindtheminiatureweapon，buthewasverymuchfrightenedbyourshrillyelling。Hetooktohislonglegs，andinaminutewasoutofsight。
　　Theleaveshadnowbeguntofall，andtheheavyfrostsmadethenightsverycold。Wewereforcedtorealizethattheshortsummerofthatregionhadsaidadieu！Stillweweregayandlight—
　　hearted，forwehadplentyofprovisions，andnomisfortunehadyetovertakenusinourwanderingsoverthecountryfornearlythreemonths。
　　OnedayoldSmokyDayreturnedfromthedailyhuntwithanalarm。Hehadseenasign——
　　a"smokesign。"Thishadnotappearedinthequarterthattheywereanxiouslywatching——itcamefromtheeast。Afteralongconsultationamongthemen，itwasconcludedfromthenatureanddurationofthesmokethatitproceededfromanaccidentalfire。ItwasfurthersurmisedthatthefirewasnotmadebySioux，sinceitwasoutoftheircountry，butbyawar—partyofOjibways，whowereaccustomedtousematcheswhenlightingtheirpipes，andtothrowthemcarelesslyaway。
　　Itwasthoughtthatalittletimehadbeenspentinanattempttoputitout。
　　Thecouncildecreedthatastrictlook—outshouldbeestablishedinbehalfofourparty。Everydayascoutwasappointedtoreconnoitreinthedirec—
　　tionofthesmoke。Itwasagreedthatnogunshouldbefiredfortwelvedays。Alloursignalswerefreshlyrehearsedamongthemen。Thewomenandoldmenwentsofarastodiglittleconvenientholesaroundtheirlodges，fordefenseincaseofasuddenattack。AndyetanOjibwayscoutwouldnothavesuspected，fromtheordinaryappearanceofthecamp，thattheSiouxhadbe—
　　comeawareoftheirneighborhood！Scoutswerestationedjustoutsideofthevillageatnight。Theyhadbeensotrainedastorivalanowloracatintheirabilitytoseeinthedark。
　　Thetwelvedayspassedby，however，withoutbringinganyevidenceofthenearnessofthesup—
　　posedOjibwaywar—party，andthe"lookout"
　　establishedforpurposesofprotectionwasaband—
　　oned。Soonafterthis，onemorningatdawn，wewerearousedbythesoundoftheunwelcomewar—
　　whoop。Althoughonlyachild，Isprangupandwasabouttorushout，asIhadbeentaughttodo;butmygoodgrandmotherpulledmedown，andgavemeasigntolayflatontheground。I
　　sharpenedmyearsandlaystill。
　　Allwasquietincamp，butatsomelittledistancefromustherewasalivelyencounter。Icoulddistinctlyheartheoldherald，shoutingandyell—
　　inginexasperation。"Whoo！whoo！"wasthesignalofdistress，andIcouldalmosthearthepulseofmyownblood—vessels。
　　Closerandcloserthestrugglecame，andstillthewomenappearedtogrowmoreandmorecalm。
　　AtlastatremendouschargebytheSiouxputtheenemytoflight;therewasaburstofyelling;
　　alas！myfriendandteacher，oldSmokyDay，wassilent。HehadbeenpiercedtotheheartbyanarrowfromtheOjibways。
　　Althoughsuccessful，wehadlosttwoofourmen，SmokyDayandWhiteCrane，andthisinci—
　　dent，althoughhardlyunexpected，darkenedourpeacefulsky。Thecampwasfilledwithsongsofvictory，mingledwiththewailingoftherelativesoftheslain。Themothersoftheyouthswhowereabsentonthewar—pathcouldnolongercon—
　　cealtheiranxiety。
　　Onefrostymorning——foritwasthenneartheendofOctober——theweirdsongofasolitarybravewasheard。Inaninstantthecampwasthrownintoindescribableconfusion。Themeaningofthiswasclearasdaytoeverybody——allofourwar—partywerekilled，savetheonewhosemourn—
　　fulsongannouncedthefateofhiscompanions。
　　ThelonelywarriorwasBaldEagle。
　　Thevillagewasconvulsedwithgrief;forinsorrow，asinjoy，everyIndianshareswithalltheothers。Theoldwomenstoodstill，wherevertheymightbe，andwaileddismally，atintervalschantingthepraisesofthedepartedwarriors。Thewiveswentalittlewayfromtheirteepeesandthereaudiblymourned;buttheyoungmaidenswanderedfurtherawayfromthecamp，wherenoonecouldwitnesstheirgrief。Theoldmenjoinedinthecryingandsinging。Toallap—
　　pearancesthemostunmovedofallwerethewar—
　　riors，whosetearsmustbepouredforthinthecountryoftheenemytoembittertheirvenge—
　　ance。Thesesatsilentlywithintheirlodges，andstrovetoconcealtheirfeelingsbehindastoicalcountenance;buttheywouldprobablyhavefailedhadnotthesoothingweedcometotheirrelief。
　　Thefirstsadshockover，thencamethechangeofhabiliments。Insavageusage，theoutwardexpressionofmourningsurpassesthatofciviliza—
　　tion。TheIndianmournergivesupallhisgoodclothing，andcontentshimselfwithscantyandmiserablegarments。Blanketsarecutintwo，andthehairiscroppedshort。Oftenadevotedmotherwouldscarifyherarmsorlegs;asisterorayoungwifewouldcutoffallherbeautifulhairanddisfigureherselfbyundergoinghardships。
　　Fathersandbrothersblackenedtheirfaces，andworeonlytheshabbiestgarments。Suchwasthespectaclethatourpeoplepresentedwhenthebrightautumnwasgoneandthecoldshadowofwinterandmisfortunehadfallenuponus。"Wemustsuffer，"saidthey——"theGreatMysteryisoffended。"
　　II：AWinterCampWHENIwasabouttwelveyearsoldwewinteredupontheMouseriver，westofTurtlemountain。
　　Itwasoneofthecoldestwin—
　　tersIeverknew，andwassore—
　　gardedbytheoldmenofthetribe。
　　ThesummerbeforetherehadbeenplentyofbuffalouponthatsideoftheMissouri，andourpeoplehadmademanypacksofdriedbuffalomeatandcachedthemindifferentplaces，sothattheycouldgetthemincaseofneed。Thereweremanyblack—taileddeerandelkalongtheriver，andgrizzliesweretobefoundintheopencoun—
　　try。Apparentlytherewasnodangerofstarva—
　　tion，soourpeoplethoughttowinterthere;butitprovedtobeahardwinter。
　　Therewasagreatsnow—fall，andthecoldwasintense。Thesnowwastoodeepforhunting，andthemainbodyofthebuffalohadcrossedtheMissouri，whereitwastoofartogoafterthem。
　　Butthereweresomesmallerherdsoftheanimalsscatteredaboutinourvicinity，thereforetherewasstillfreshmeattobehad，butitwasnotsecuredwithoutagreatdealofdifficulty。
　　Noponiescouldbeused。Themenhuntedonsnow—shoesuntilaftertheMoonofSoreEyes（March），whenafteraheavythawacrustwasformedonthesnowwhichwouldscarcelyholdaman。Itwasthenthatourpeoplehuntedbuffalowithdogs——anunusualexpedient。
　　Sledsweremadeofbuffaloribsandhickorysaplings，therunnersboundwithrawhidewiththehairsidedown。Theseslippedsmoothlyovertheicycrust。Onlysmallmenrodeonthesleds。
　　Whenbuffalowerereportedbythehunting—
　　scouts，everybodyhadhisdogteamready。Allwentunderordersfromthepolice，andapproachedtheherdundercoveruntiltheycamewithinchargingdistance。
　　Themenhadtheirbowsandarrows，andafewhadguns。Thehugeanimalscouldnotrunfastinthedeepsnow。Theyallfollowedaleader，tramplingoutanarrowpath。Thedogswiththeirdriverssooncaughtupwiththemoneachside，andthehuntersbroughtmanyofthemdown。
　　Irememberwhenthepartyreturned，lateinthenight。Themencameinsinglefile，wellloaded，andeachdogfollowinghismasterwithanequallyheavyload。Bothmenandanimalswerewhitewithfrost。
　　Weboyshadwaitedimpatientlyfortheirarri—
　　val。Assoonaswespiedthemcomingabuffalohuntingwhistlewasstarted，andeveryurchininthevillageaddedhisvoicetotheweirdsound，whilethedogswhohadbeenleftathomejoinedwithusinthechorus。Themen，wearingtheirbuffalomoccasinswiththehairinsideandrobesofthesame，camehomehungryandexhausted。
　　ItisoftensupposedthatthedogintheIndiancampisauselessmemberofsociety，butitisnotsointhewildlife。Wefoundhimoneofthemostusefulofdomesticanimals，especiallyinanemergency。
　　Whileatthiscampaludicrousincidentoccurredthatisstilltoldaboutthecamp—firesoftheSioux。
　　Onedaythemenwerehuntingonsnow—shoes，andcontrivedtogetwithinashortdistanceofthebuffalobeforetheymadetheattack。Itwasim—
　　possibletorunfast，butthehugeanimalswereequallyunabletogetaway。Manywerekilled。
　　Justastheherdreachedanopenplainoneofthebuffaloesstoppedandfinallylaydown。Threeofthemenwhowerepursuinghimshortlycameup。
　　Theanimalwasseverelywounded，butnotdead。
　　"Ishallcrawluptohimfrombehindandstabhim，"saidWamedee;"wecannotwaithereforhimtodie。"Theothersagreed。Wamedeewasnotconsideredespeciallybrave;buthetookouthisknifeandhelditbetweenhisteeth。Hethenapproachedthebuffalofrombehindandsuddenlyjumpedastridehisback。
　　Theanimalwasdreadfullyfrightenedandstrug—
　　gledtohisfeet。Wamedee’sknifefelltotheground，butheheldonbythelongshaggyhair。
　　Hehadabadseat，forhewasuponthebuffalo’shump。Therewasnochancetojumpoff;hehadtostayonaswellashecould。
　　"Hurry！hurry！shoot！shoot！"hescreamed，asthecreatureplungedandkickedmadlyinthedeepsnow。Wamedee’sfacelookeddeathly，theysaid;buthistwofriendscouldnothelplaughing。
　　Hewasstillcallinguponthemtoshoot，butwhentheotherstookaimhewouldcry："Don’tshoot！
　　don’tshoot！youwillkillme！"Atlasttheani—
　　malfelldownwithhim;butWamedee’stwofriendsalsofelldownexhaustedwithlaughter。Hewasridiculedasacowardthereafter。
　　ItwasonthisveryhuntthatthechiefMatowaskilledbyabuffalo。Ithappenedinthisway。
　　Hehadwoundedtheanimal，butnotfatally;soheshottwomorearrowsathimfromadistance。
　　Thenthebuffalobecamedesperateandchargeduponhim。InhisflightMatowastrippedbystickingoneofhissnow—shoesintoasnowdrift，fromwhichhecouldnotextricatehimselfintime。
　　Thebullgoredhimtodeath。ThecreekuponwhichthishappenedisnowcalledMatocreek。
　　AlittlewayfromourcamptherewasalogvillageofFrenchCanadianhalf—breeds，butthetwovil—
　　lagesdidnotintermingle。AbouttheMoonofDifficulty（January）wewereinitiatedintosomeofthepeculiarcustomsofourneighbors。Inthemiddleofthenighttherewasafiringofgunsthroughouttheirvillage。Someofthepeoplethoughttheyhadbeenattacked，andwentovertoassistthem，buttotheirsurprisetheyweretoldthatthiswasthecelebrationofthebirthofthenewyear！
　　Ourmenweretreatedtominnewakanor"spiritwater，"andtheycamehomecrazyandfoolish。Theytalkedloudandsangalltherestofthenight。Finallyourheadchieforderedhisyoungmentotiethesemenupandputtheminalodgebythemselves。Hegaveorderstountiethem"whentheevilspirithadgoneaway。"
　　Duringthenextdayallourpeoplewereinvitedtoattendthehalf—breeds’dance。Ineverknewbeforethatanewyearbeginsinmid—winter。Wehadalwayscountedthattheyearendswhenthewinterends，andanewyearbeginswiththenewlifeinthespringtime。
　　Iwasnowtakenforthefirsttimetoawhiteman’sdanceinaloghouse。IthoughtitwasthedizziestthingIeversaw。Onemansatinacor—
　　ner，sawingawayatastringedboard，andallthewhilehewasstampingthefloorwithhisfootandgivinganoccasionalshout。Whenhecalledout，thedancersseemedtomovefaster。
　　Themendancedwithwomen——somethingthatweIndiansneverdo——andwhenthemaninthecornershoutedtheywouldswingthewomenaround。Itlookedveryrudetome，asIstoodoutsidewiththeotherboysandpeepedthroughthechinksinthelogs。Atonetimeayoungmanandwomanfacingeachotherdancedinthemid—
　　dleofthefloor。Ithoughttheywouldsurelyweartheirmoccasinsoutagainsttheroughboards;
　　butafterafewminutestheywererelievedbyan—
　　othercouple。
　　Thenanoldmanwithlongcurlyhairandafox—skincapdancedaloneinthemiddleoftheroom，slappingthefloorwithhismoccasinedfootinalightningfashionthatIhaveneverseenequalled。Heseemedtobealeaderamongthem。
　　Whenhehadfinished，theoldmaninvitedourprincipalchiefintothemiddleofthefloor，andaftertheIndianhadgivenagreatwhoop，thetwodrankincompany。Afterthis，therewassomuchdrinkingandloudtalkingamongthemen，thatitwasthoughtbesttosenduschildrenbacktothecamp。
　　Itwasatthisplacethatwefoundmanysandboulderslikeabig"whiteman’shouse。"Therewereholesinthemlikerooms，andweplayedinthesecave—likeholes。Oneday，inthemidstofourgame，wefoundtheskeletonofagreatbear。
　　Evidentlyhehadbeenwoundedandcametheretodie，fortherewereseveralarrowsonthefloorofthecave。
　　ThemostexcitingeventofthisyearwastheattackthattheGrosVentresmadeuponusjustaswemovedourcampuponthetablelandbackoftheriverinthespring。Wehadplentyofmeatthenandeverybodywashappy。Thegrasswasbeginningtoappearandtheponiestogrowfat。
　　Onenighttherewasawardance。AfewofouryoungmenhadplannedtoinvadetheGrosVentrescountry，butitseemedthattheytoohadbeenthinkingofus。Everybodywasinterestedintheproposedwarparty。
　　"Uncle，areyougoingtoo？"Ieagerlyaskedhim。
　　"No，"hereplied，withalongsigh。"Itistheworsttimeofyeartogoonthewar—path。Weshallhaveplentyoffightingthissummer，aswearegoingtotrenchupontheirterritoryinourhunts，"headded。
　　Thenightwasclearandpleasant。ThewardrumwasansweredbythehowlsofcoyotesontheoppositesideoftheMouseriver。Iwasinthethrong，watchingthebraveswhowereabouttogooutinsearchofglory。"IwishIwereoldenough;Iwouldsurelygowiththisparty，"I
　　thought。MyfriendTatankawastogo。HewasseveralyearsolderthanI，andaheroinmyeyes。Iwatchedhimashedancedwiththerestuntilnearlymidnight。ThenIcamebacktoourteepeeandrolledmyselfinmybuffalorobeandwassoonlostinsleep。
　　SuddenlyIwasarousedbyloudwarcries。
　　"’Woo！woo！hay—ay！hay—ay！Uwedo！Uwedo！’"Ijumpeduponmyfeet，snatchedmybowandarrowsandrushedoutoftheteepee，franti—
　　callyyellingasIwent。
　　"Stop！stop！"screamedUncheedah，andcaughtmebymylonghair。
　　BythistimetheGrosVentreshadencircledourcamp，sendingvolleysofarrowsandbulletsintoourmidst。Thewomenwerediggingditchesinwhichtoputtheirchildren。
　　Myunclewasforemostinthebattle。TheSiouxbravelywithstoodtheassault，althoughseveralofourmenhadalreadyfallen。Manyoftheenemywerekilledinthefieldaroundourteepees。TheSiouxatlastgottheirponiesandmadeacountercharge，ledbyOyemakasan（myuncle）。TheycuttheGrosVentrepartyintwo，anddrovethemoff。
　　MyfriendTatankawaskilled。Itookoneofhiseaglefeathers，thinkingIwouldwearitthefirsttimethatIeverwentuponthewar—path。I
　　thoughtIwouldgiveanythingfortheoppor—
　　tunitytogoagainsttheGrosVentres，becausetheykilledmyfriend。Thewarsongs，thewail—
　　ingforthedead，thehowlingofthedogswasintolerabletome。Soonafterthiswebrokeupourcampanddepartedfornewscenes。
　　III：WildHarvestsWHENourpeoplelivedinMin—
　　nesota，agoodpartoftheirnatur—
　　alsubsistencewasfurnishedbythewildrice，whichgrewabun—
　　dantlyinallofthatregion。
　　Aroundtheshoresandalloversomeoftheinnumerablelakesofthe"LandofSky—blueWater"wasthiswildcerealfound。In—
　　deed，someofthewateryfieldsinthosedaysmightbecomparedinextentandfruitfulnesswiththefieldsofwheatonMinnesota’smagnificentfarmsto—day。
　　Thewildriceharvesterscameingroupsoffif—
　　teentotwentyfamiliestoalake，dependinguponthesizeoftheharvest。SomeoftheIndianshuntedbuffaloupontheprairieatthisseason，butthereweremorewhopreferredtogotothelakestogatherwildrice，fish，gatherberriesandhuntthedeer。Therewasanabundanceofwater—fowlsamongthegrain;andreallynoseasonoftheyearwashappierthanthis。
　　Thecamping—groundwasusuallyanattractivespot，withshadeandcoolbreezesoffthewater。
　　Thepeople，whiletheypitchedtheirteepeesupontheheights，ifpossible，forthesakeofagoodout—
　　look，actuallylivedintheircanoesupontheplacidwaters。Thehappiestofall，perhaps，weretheyoungmaidens，whowerealldaylongintheircanoes，intwosorthrees，andwhentiredofgather—
　　ingthewildcereal，wouldsitintheboatsdoingtheirneedle—work。
　　Thesemaidenslearnedtoimitatethecallsofthedifferentwater—fowlsasasortofsignaltothemembersofagroup。Eventheoldwomenandtheboysadoptedsignals，sothatwhilethepopu—
　　lationofthevillagewaslosttosightinathickfieldofwildrice，ameetingcouldbearrangedwithoutcallinganyonebyhisorherownname。
　　Itwasagreatconvenienceforthoseyoungmenwhosoughtopportunitytomeetcertainmaidens，forthereweremanycanoepathsthroughtherice。
　　Augustistheharvestmonth。Thereweremanypreliminaryfeastsoffish，ducksandveni—
　　son，andofferingsinhonorofthe"WaterChief，"
　　sothattheremightnotbeanydrowningaccidentduringtheharvest。Thepreparationconsistedofaseriesoffeastsandofferingsformanydays，whilewomenandmenweremakingbirchcanoes，fornearlyeverymemberofthefamilymustbeprovidedwithoneforthisoccasion。Theblue—
　　berryandhuckleberry—pickingalsoprecededtherice—gathering。
　　Thereweresocialeventswhichenlivenedthecampoftheharvesters;suchasmaidens’feasts，dancesandacanoeregattaortwo，inwhichnotonlythemenwereparticipants，butwomenandyounggirlsaswell。
　　Ontheappointeddayallthecanoeswerecarriedtotheshoreandplaceduponthewaterwithprayerandpropitiatoryofferings。Eachfamilytookpossessionoftheallottedfield，andtiedallthegraininbundlesofconvenientsize，al—
　　lowingittostandforafewdays。Thentheyagainenteredthelake，assigningtwopersonstoeachcanoe。Onemanipulatedthepaddle，whiletheforemostonegentlydrewtheheadsofeachbundletowardhimandgaveitafewstrokeswithalightrod。Thiscausedthericetofallintothebottomofthecraft。Thefieldwastraversedinthismannerbackandforthuntilfinished。
　　Thiswasthepleasantestandeasiestpartoftheharvesttoil。Therealworkwaswhentheypre—
　　paredthericeforuse。Firstofall，itmustbemadeperfectlydry。Theywouldspreadituponbuffalorobesandmats，andsometimesuponlay—
　　ersofcoarseswampgrass，anddryitinthesun。
　　Ifthetimewasshort，theywouldmakeascaffoldandspreaduponitacertainthicknessofthegreengrassandafterwardtherice。Underthisafirewasmade，takingcarethatthegrassdidnotcatchfire。
　　Whenallthericeisgatheredanddried，thehullingbegins。Aroundholeisdugabouttwofeetdeepandthesameindiameter。Thenthericeisheatedoverafire—place，andemptiedintotheholewhileitishot。Ayoungman，havingwashedhisfeetandputonanewpairofmocca—
　　sins，treadsuponituntilallishulled。Thewomenthenpourituponarobeandbegintoshakeitsothatthechaffwillbeseparatedbythewind。Someofthericeisbrownedbeforebeinghulled。
　　Duringthehullingtimetherewereprizesof—
　　feredtotheyoungmenwhocanhullquickestandbest。Thereweresometimesfromtwentytofiftyyouthsdancingwiththeirfeetintheseholes。
　　Prettymoccasinswerebroughtbyshymaidenstotheyouthsoftheirchoice，askingthemtohullrice。Thereweredailyentertainmentswhichde—
　　servedsomesuchnameas"hullingbee"——atanyrate，weallenjoyedthemhugely。Thegirlsbroughtwiththemplentyofgoodthingstoeat。