eat quantities,
and many quarrels took place between the men. As they had taken the
precaution of putting away their weapons before the drinking began, no
one was killed in the quarrels.

At length our time was up, the Indians got over their debauch, and
every thing was made ready for the return trip. We were soon on our
way, and marching with our faces to the North.

The journey to our northern headquarters had no particular incident to
interest me, my mind being now full of the idea that I had white
relatives and friends, and that the savage life I had led for so many
years was not the one for which I was born. I longed to reach our
village once more, that I might question the old chief as to my
history. At last we reached the main body of our tribe. I was rejoiced
to meet my Tefronia and the children once more, but at the same time a
new feeling had entered my breast. I waited impatiently two or three
days until the rejoicings caused by our return should have passed
away, and then I sought out the venerable chief, O-wash-kah-ke-naw,
now over eighty years old, and begged him to tell me truly the secret
of my birth.

For some time the chief bade me go back to my lodge and be content
with what I already knew, but, finding that I was resolute in
discovering the facts, he told me to await a few days in patience, and
then he would give his decision. I returned to my lodge in much
agitation, for it was evident that the chief knew something that had
hitherto been concealed from me. I had been so long accustomed to
savage life that I remembered no other.

A council of the leading chiefs only, called on the following day,
which I rightly considered was to consult on the course to be pursued
in respect to my demand. At last I was summoned before the great chief
and a few leading warriors, and was instructed as to the course
allotted for me.

I was then informed that when a child I had been stolen from the
whites by a band of Canadian Indians who had by this course revenged
themselves on the whites for some real or fancied wrongs; that I had
passed through the hands of several tribes and had at last, as I
already knew, been sold by the Siouxs to the Snakes, and remained with
them until their union with the Copper Heads. The decision of the head
men of the tribe was that I should join the train about to set out for
the settlements, and should then proceed in company with a few picked
warriors, to visit the remnants of the