which is a long tuft of hair, into which the Indian inserts his
medicine, which consists generally of a few quills of eagle's feathers.
This "_medicine_" is simply a "_charm_," as we call it, gotten by
purchase of the medicine-man of the tribe. The medicine-man is the most
influential man in each tribe. He professes to be able to conjure, by
his arts and influence with the Great Spirit, certain articles, which
he sells to the Indians of his tribe. This "medicine" the superstitious
believe will cure diseases, and help him against his enemy in battle.
Hence, in scalping a fallen foe, the victor deprives him of his charm,
and shows it in triumph, as a token of his skill in battle. If you
visit an Indian in his tent, and ask him to show you his "medicine," he
will do so, if you pay him in such things as he needs to make therewith
a feast, both for himself and an offering to his medicine idol; but as
the idol can't eat, it goes of course into the stomach of the live
Indian![3]

[3] The Indian keeps his "medicine" hung up in his tent, and
prays to it,--dreams about it,--and if his dream is of good luck,
he acts accordingly. This applies to hunting, going on war
expeditions, etc.; in short, it is his sort of saint, to which he
pays idolatrous worship.

Another idea: the Indian believes that the spirit of the enemy he slays
enters into himself, and he is thereby made the stronger; hence _he
slays all that he can_. I have seen young warriors in the streets of
Cheyenne, with their hair reaching down almost to their heels; and all
along it you'd see strung round pieces of silver, from the size of a
silver dollar to a tea-saucer; each one of which was a tell-tale of the
number of the scalps the young fellow had taken. It was what the ladies
would call a "waterfall!"

Speaking of this, as revealing the pride of Indians in showing their
prowess, I learned of a _young buck_, coming into a post and walking
round, dressed in the top of Indian fashion,--_i.e._ with paint on his
face, feathers in his hair, and brass ornaments on his leggins. These
young fellows put on all the gewgaws they can to make a show of
importance. Well, he finally walked into the post-trader's store, and
asked Mr. Bullock if he didn't think it made the officers _faint_ when
they saw him? "Yes," said he, "I think you'd better take off some of
your things (pointing to his trappings), they will scare somebody."

INDIAN BOY'S