aters. I was afterwards
told the cause. Her husband is continually marrying Indian
wives,--probably to entitle himself to their lands. He, being a
_sneezer_, and keeping a tavern, is a great man among them. I saw a very
comely young squaw promenading, who believed herself to be one of the
_sneezer-chubco-mico's_ last wives. The man's white and original wife
and daughters made an excuse to walk by, to have a look at the
aboriginal interloper. The latter had just received from my landlord a
present of a pair of gaudy bracelets, for which he had paid eighteen
dollars at another _sneezer's_,--bracelets worth about four. I was told
how the man came by this red mate of his. He had taken a young chiefs
wife in her husband's absence. The chief, returning while my landlord
was absent, got his young wife back. The landlord, on reappearing, is
said to have threatened the chief with General Jackson and big guns. The
chief said he was partial to his wife; but he had a sister much
prettier, and, for the sake of peace, if nothing were said about the
matter, Mr. Landlord should have her for a wife. The bargain was struck.
The handsome little squaw I have spoken of is that same young chief's
sister. This stealing of wives is beginning to excite some commotion. I
heard that there had been a council of chiefs in the neighborhood of
Talassee. It was a very animated one, and the wrong of wife-stealing was
violently discussed. It was thought by some almost as bad as
land-stealing. Others felt rather relieved by it. One of the drunken
Indians whom I saw reeling and whooping about, as I stood at the door of
the log hut where we dined, seemed of the latter party. I asked a
_linkister_ the meaning of a song the Indian was singing with such glee.
The black _linkister_ laughed, and was reluctant to explain; but when I
pressed him, the following proved to be the meaning of the burthen:--

A man may have a wife,
And that wife an untrue one;
And yet the man won't die,
But go and get a new one.

No doubt the poor fellow had been robbed in the same way, and, between
music and whiskey, was providing himself with consolation.

I was invited to 'camp out,' as they call it, near the sacred square. A
Mr. Du Bois, a man with an Indian wife and family, had arrangements for
the purpose in a neighboring field; so I went to the evening dance, and
left my party to the enjoyment of a sheltering roof at the frontier Blue
Beard's in Talassee; having