Page:Cathlamet On the Columbia.djvu/96

 lodges to live or die as best they could alone in the woods. The other Indians would be frightened at their sickness and in their fear knew no pity. Occasionally an old woman or a grandmother, whose life was considered of little value either to herself or her people, would go out with the stricken one and care for her.

Such girls would patiently live apart in some little hut or wickie-up and without a word of complaint would care for themselves as they best could. The pioneer white women were in the habit of taking out food and such simple remedies as they could think of to these poor creatures, and not knowing the nature of their illness or daring to come close to them, would place it upon a convenient stump to which the sick girl would come when her friend had withdrawn a little, and then the two would cheer-