beaver
skins she tanned by the dozen, and piled nicely in one corner of the
hut.

When the Indians have walked a great distance and are very tired, they
have great faith in painting their feet, claiming that paint eases the
pain and rests their feet.

After their return from a long day's journey, when they would be lying
down resting, the sister would get her paint and mix it with the deer
tallow and rub the paint on her brother's feet, painting them up to
their ankles. The gentle touch of her hands, and the soothing qualities
of the tallow and paint soon put them into a deep, dreamless steep.

Many such kind actions on her part won the hearts of the brothers, and
never was a full blood sister loved more than was this poor orphan girl,
who had been taken as their adopted sister. In the morning when they
arose, the sister always combed their long black silken scalp locks and
painted the circle around the scalp lock a bright vermillion.

When the hunters would return with a goodly supply of beef, the sister
would hurry and relieve them of their packs, hanging each one high
enough from the ground so the prowling dogs and coyotes could not reach
them. The hunters each had a post on which to hang his bow and flint
head arrows. (Good hunters never laid their arrows on the ground, as it
was considered unlucky to the hunter who let his arrows touch the earth
after they had been out of the quiver). They were all perfectly happy,
until one day the older brother surprised them all by saying: "We have a
plentiful supply of meat on hand at present to last us for a week or so.
I am going for a visit to the village west of us, so you boys all stay
at home and help sister. Also gather as much wood as you can and I will
be back again in four days. On my return we will resume our hunting and
commence getting our year's supply of meat."

He left the next morning, and the last they saw of him was while he
stood at the top of the long range of hills west of their home. Four
days had come and gone and no sign of the oldest brother.

"I am afraid that our brother has met with some accident," said the
sister. "I am afraid so, too," said the next oldest. "I must go and
search for him; he may be in some trouble where a little help would
get him out." The second brother followed the direction his brother had
taken, and when he came to the top of the long range of hills he sat
down and gazed long and steadily down into the long valley with