Page:The City of the Saints.djvu/144

126 Steal!—Seize an imaginary object with the right hand from under the left fist. To express horse-stealing they saw with the right hand down upon the extended fingers of the left, thereby denoting rope-cutting.

Trade or exchange!—Cross the forefingers of both hands before the breast—"diamond cut diamond."

This sign also denotes the Americans, and, indeed, any white men, who are generically called by the Indians west of the Rocky Mountains "Shwop," from our swap or swop, an English Romany word for barter or exchange.

The pronouns are expressed by pointing to the person designated. For "I," touch the nose-tip, or otherwise indicate self with the index. The second and third persons are similarly made known.

Every animal has its precise sign, and the choice of gesture is sometimes very ingenious. If the symbol be not known, the form may be drawn on the ground, and the strong perceptive faculties of the savage enable him easily to recognize even rough draughts. A cow or a sheep denotes white men, as if they were their totems. The Indian's high development of locality also enables him to map the features of a country readily and correctly upon the sand. Moreover, almost every grand feature has a highly significant name, Flintwater, for instance, and nothing is easier than to combine the signs.

The bear is expressed by passing the hand before the face to mean ugliness, at the same time grinning and extending the fingers like claws.

The buffalo is known by raising the forefingers crooked inward, in the semblance of horns on both sides of the head.

The elk is signified by simultaneously raising both hands with the fingers extended on both sides of the head to imitate palmated horns.

For the deer, extend the thumbs and the two forefingers of each hand on each side of the head.

For the antelope, extend the thumbs and forefingers along the sides of the head, to simulate ears and horns.

Mountain sheep are denoted by placing the hands on a level with the ears, the palms facing backward and the fingers slightly reversed, to imitate the ammonite-shaped horns.

For the beaver, describe a parenthesis, e.g., with the thumb and index of both hands, and then with the dexter index imitate the wagging of the tail.

The dog is shown by drawing the two forefingers slightly opened horizontally across the breast from right to left. This is a highly appropriate and traditional gesture: before the introduction of horses, the dog was taught to carry the tent poles, and the motion expressed the lodge trail.

To denote the mule or ass, the long ears are imitated by the indices on both sides and above the head.