Page:Rocky Mountain life.djvu/115



Bull Tail. Chintzille is a foolish girl. Her father loves her, and therefore she cries.

Trader. The contrary should prove a greater cause for grief!

Bull Tail. The Yellow-hair speaks well, and truth only falls from his lips.

Trader. How, then, can she sorrow? Bid her speak and tell me, that I may whisper in her ear words of comfort.

Bull Tail. Nay, pale-face; but I will tell thee. Bull Tail loves his daughter much —very much; he loves the Yellow-hair much! —he loves them both, very much. The Great Spirit has put the thought into his mind that both might be alike his children; then would his heart leap for joy at the twice-spoken name of father!

Trader. What do I hear? I know not the meaning of thy words.

Bull Tail. Sure, pale-face, thou art slow to understand! Bull Tail would give his daughter to the Yellow-hair, —for who like him is so worthy to take her to his lodge? Bull Tail has for a long time called the pale face his brother, and now he would claim the Yellow-hair as his son. Loves he not Chintzille?

Trader. Were I to deny my joy at the words of Bull Tail, my tongue would lie! The Yellow-hair has no wife, and who, like the lovely Chintzille, is so worthy that he should take her to his bosom? How could he ever show his gratitude to her noble father!

Bull Tail. The gift is free, and Bull Tail will be honored in its acceptance, —his friends will all be glad with him. But, that they may bless the Yellow-hair, let him

fill up the hollow-wood19 with fire-water, and Bull Tail will take it to his lodge; —then the maiden shall be thine.

Trader. But, Chintzille grieves, —she loves not the Yellow-hair!

Bull Tail. Chintzille is foolish. Let the Yellow-hair measure the fire-water and she shall be thine!

Trader. Nay, but the Yellow-hair may not do this. Chintzille should never be the wife of him she loves not!

The old man continued to plead for some time, in order to bring to a successful issue the negotiation by which he hoped to "wet his whistle" and gain a son-in-law, —but all to no purpose. Our trader could not be persuaded to form an alliance so entangling upon any such terms, and the chieftain left with all the lineaments of disappointment and chagrin depicted upon his countenance.

The mode of marriage prevalent among the mountain and prairie tribes would seem rather strange and somewhat unfair to the better informed of civilized communities.

The lady has little to say or do in the business. When an Indian takes it into his head to get married and meets with the squaw suiting his fancy, he wastes no time in useless courtship, but hastens to her father and demands of him to know how much he loves his daughter and what gift of horses will make his heart rejoice in a son-in-law?

The father, after consulting with his daughter and her mother, states the