. I could observe in
their countenances and gestures, the greatest expressions of joy when
they exceeded me, and when the reverse happened, of envy. The Shawanese
king took great notice of me, and treated me with profound respect and
entire friendship, often trusting me to hunt at my liberty. I frequently
returned with the spoils of the woods, and as often presented some of
what I had taken to him, expressive of my duty to my sovereign. My food
and lodging were in common with them. Not so good, indeed, as I could
desire, but necessity makes everything acceptable."

The spirit manifested by Boone under these circumstances, when he was
apparently a hopeless prisoner in the hands of the Indians, was not
influenced by artifice alone. He had real sympathy for the savages,
being fully conscious of the wrongs which were often inflicted upon
them, and which goaded their untamed natures to fearful barbarities. He
had always treated them not only kindly, but with fraternal respect. The
generous treatment he had received in return won his regards. His
peculiarly placid nature was not easily disturbed by any reverses. Let
what would happen, he never allowed himself to complain or to worry.
Thus making the best of circumstances, he always looked upon the
brightest side of things, and was reasonably happy, even in this direful
captivity. Still he could not forget his home, and was continually on
the alert to avail himself of whatever opportunity might be presented to
escape and return to his friends.

The ceremony of adoption was pretty severe and painful. All the hair of
the head was plucked out by a tedious operation, leaving simply a tuft
three or four inches in diameter on the crown. This was called the
scalp-lock. The hair was here allowed to grow long, and was dressed with
ribbons and feathers. It was to an individual warrior what the banner is
to an army. The victor tore it from the skull as his trophy. Having thus
denuded the head and dressed the scalp-lock, the candidate was taken to
the river and very thoroughly scrubbed, that all the white blood might
be washed out of him. His face was painted in the most approved style of
Indian taste, when he was led to the council lodge and addressed by the
chief in a long and formal speech, in which he expatiates upon the honor
conferred upon the adopted son, and upon the corresponding duties
expected of him.

Colonel Boone having passed through this transformation, with his Indian