so barbarous a custom. They, however,
managed to bring back one of their people desperately wounded, with two
arrows and a bullet through his body. It seemed surprising that he
could have lived so long. It was, however, evident to us that he was
dying; but his friends thought that he might be recovered by the efforts
of one of their medicine-men, whose vocation we had not before
discovered. The patient was laid on the ground half-stripped, while the
tribe sat round in a circle. Presently, from out of one of the tents,
the most grotesque figure I ever beheld made his appearance. A huge
wolf-skin cloak covered his back; on his head he wore a mask,
representing the head of a wolf double the ordinary size. Dried frogs
and fish and snakes hung down from his neck, his whole body being
concealed by skins. In one hand he carried a spear, ornamented with a
variety of coloured feathers and snakes twisting up it, and in the other
a sort of tambourine, from which also were hung snakes and frog-skins.
He advanced, making a series of jumps and uttering wild yells
accompanied by the rattling of his magic drum until, entering the
circle, he approached his patient. He then began to dance round him,
striking and rattling his drum, shrieking and shouting; sometimes
leaping over the wounded man, then shaking him from side to side.

I watched the poor sufferer, who endured the fearful pain to which he
was put without a groan, gazing at the hideous figure, the last sight he
was destined to behold on earth; for in a short time his jaw fell, his
eyes became fixed, and he was dead. Still the conjurer, utterly
unconscious of this, went on with his performance; until at length his
eye falling on the body and perceiving what had occurred, he turned
round and darted into his tent. The Indians did not appear to be very
much surprised, but I suppose fancied that they had done their best for
their friend, and that their medicine-man had done all that he could do
to save the life of the brave.

As Charley was now sufficiently recovered to move, Armitage proposed
that we should recommence our march, and we prepared accordingly. Our
new friends, however, were not so easily to be shaken off, and when they
discovered our intentions, they made preparations to accompany us.

I have not described their lodges. They were of a conical form, the
frame-work of straight long poles about twenty-five feet long. This was
first erected, when round it