Page:Cathlamet On the Columbia.djvu/134

 Horse racing as a gambling game was an institution amongst them, and every little community of the horse Indians had its racing pony, which was at once its pride and hope. Other gambling games were played at these meetings but the horse race was the greatest of them all. Curiously enough the Indian in his native state never raced canoes. This is a modern invention of the white man.

To these race meets appointed by the Indians of Lower Puget Sound many of the Coweliskies with their wives and chattels would go, and generally they came back afoot without their chattels and sometimes without their wives.

Upon the speed of their favorite pony the Indians would stake everything: robes, goods and horses, and, the fever of gambling upon them, would not hesitate to stake and lose the