Page:Rocky Mountain life.djvu/12

 vii CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VI.

Ash creek. Pawnee and Sioux battle-ground. Bread-root. The Eagle's Nest. Mad wolf. Number and variety of prairie wolves,—their sagacity. Mad bull. Making and curing meat. Big Jim still unfortunate. Johnson's creek. McFarlan's Castle. Deceptiveness of distances. Express from the Fort. Brave Bear. Bull Tail. Talk with the Indians. Speech of Marto-cog- ershne. Reply. Tahtungah-sana's address. 75

CHAPTER VII.

The Chimney. A bet. Spur of the Rocky Mountains. Scott's Bluff. Roman- tic scenery. Mimic city. A pyramid. A monument. An elevated garden. Mountain sheep. An Eden. Death in camp. The wanderer's grave. Horse creek and gold. Goche's hole. Arrival at Fort Platte. Remarks by the way. Prairie travel. Locality and description of the Fort. Indian lodges. Migratory habits of mountain and prairie tribes. Scenes at Fort. Drunken Indians. Tragical event. Indian funeral. Speech of Etespa- huska on the death of his father. 90

CHAPTER VII.

Coast clear, and Trade opened. More visitors. Smoking out the natives. Inci- dent illustrative of Indian character. Expeditions for trade. Black Hills. Rawhide. An Indian and a buffalo chase. Deep snow, extreme cold, and painful journey. L'eau-qui-court. Remarks. Lost. White river ; its val- ley, fruits, and game. Building site. The Devil's Tea-pot. Troubles with Indians. Theft and its punishment. Indian soldiers. Christmas extras. Outrageous conduct. Rascality of traders. "That Old Serpent." Indian superstition, religious tenets and practices. Notions upon general morality. 103

CHAPTER IX.

Dangers connected with the liquor trade. Difficulty with Bull Eagle. Scenes of bloodshed and horror. Cheating in the fur trade. How the red man becomes tutored in vice. A chief's daughter offered in exchange for liquor. Indian mode of courtship and marriage. Squaws an article of traffic. Di- vorce. Plurality of wives. 116

CHAPTER X.

Tahtunga-egoniska. High gaming. Weur-sena Warkpollo, a strange story. The Death Song, a tale of love. Medicine-men. Extraordinary perform- ance of Tahtunga-mobellu. Wonderful feats of jugglery. 125

CHAPTER XI.

Food for horses. Squaws and their performances. Dogs and dog-meat. Re- turn to Fort Starvation. Travel by guess. Death from drinking. Medi- cine-making. A Burial. Little Lodge and the French trader. A speech