Page:Familiar letters of Henry David Thoreau.djvu/478

 452 FRIENDS AND FOLLOWERS. [1861,

Kedwood is a mere locality, scarcely an In dian village, where there is a store, and some houses have been built for them. We were now fairly on the great plains, and looking south ; and, after walking that way three miles, could see no tree in that horizon. The buffalo was said to be feeding within twenty-five or thirty miles.

A regular council was held with the Indians, who had come in on their ponies, and speeches were made on both sides through an interpreter, quite in the described mode, the Indians, as usual, having the advantage in point of truth and earnestness, and therefore of eloquence. The most prominent chief was named Little Crow. They were quite dissatisfied with the white man s treatment of them, and probably have reason to be so. This council was to be continued for two or three days, the payment to be made the second day ; and another pay ment to other bands a little higher up, on the Yellow Medicine (a tributary of the Minnesota), a few days thereafter.

In the afternoon, the half -naked Indians per formed a dance, at the request of the Governor, for our amusement and their own benefit ; and then we took leave of them, and of the officials who had come to treat with them.

Excuse these pencil marks, but my inkstand