he war path, or
engaged in the pursuit of game, his time is about equally divided
between eating, smoking, gambling, and sleeping. All the burdens of life
fall upon the women, and they must endure them as best they may. Their
duty it is to plant and cultivate the maize, and the few fruits and
berries which the Indians deem necessary for food. They gather and
prepare the pinon nuts, and _cure_ the tasajo, and prepare the food for
their brutal masters. In the dressing of skins, and the manufacture of
leggings, moccasins, and the few other articles of apparel which are
required for comfort or ornament, they are especially skilled; and
despite their multifarious duties they manage to accomplish a great deal
of this work.

In the matter of diet the Camanches are not by any means particular.
Buffalo meat is their staple, and they prefer this to any other food;
but when this fails them, there are always horses in plenty; and I found
"horse-beef" to be very good eating, although at first the very idea of
tasting it was repulsive to me. Before I had returned to civilization,
however, I had partaken of so many queer dishes, and strange articles of
food, that, if hungry, I do not think I would hesitate at anything
short of cannibalism. A sort of stew, of which the flesh of young
puppies forms the principal ingredient, is another Camanche luxury, and
I learned in time to consider it very palatable; but I fancy most people
would rather take it for granted than put it to the test. However, if
any of my readers feel disposed to try the experiment, I can assure them
that they may do so without fear of unpleasant consequences.

The Camanches, in common with all the other "horse-Indians," are much
addicted to horse racing; and almost every afternoon some sport of this
kind would take place on the plain before the village. These trials of
speed were for some wager, and the younger warriors would frequently
lose all their worldly possessions in backing some unlucky steed, whose
powers of speed or endurance they had overrated. At such times the
taunts and exultation of the victors would sometimes give rise to a
quarrel; knives would be drawn and brandished, and a bloody fight seem
imminent, but the "Yau-pa-sai-na," or Indian policemen, would usually
succeed in quelling the disturbance before much harm could be done. If
his efforts seemed unavailing, the appearance of Tonsaroyoo, battle axe
in hand, would be the signal for an immediate disp