lly covered up my head, for I had perfect faith in my
grandmother's admonitions, and she had given me a dreadful idea of this
bird. It was one of her legends that a little boy was once standing
just outside of the teepee (tent), crying vigorously for his mother,
when Hinakaga swooped down in the darkness and carried the poor little
fellow up into the trees. It was well known that the hoot of the owl
was commonly imitated by Indian scouts when on the war-path. There had
been dreadful massacres immediately following this call. Therefore it
was deemed wise to impress the sound early upon the mind of the child.

Indian children were trained so that they hardly ever cried much in the
night. This was very expedient and necessary in their exposed life. In
my infancy it was my grandmother's custom to put me to sleep, as she
said, with the birds, and to waken me with them, until it became a
habit. She did this with an object in view. An Indian must always rise
early. In the first place, as a hunter, he finds his game best at
daybreak. Secondly, other tribes, when on the war-path, usually make
their attack very early in the morning. Even when our people are moving
about leisurely, we like to rise before daybreak, in order to travel
when the air is cool, and unobserved, perchance, by our enemies.

As a little child, it was instilled into me to be silent and reticent.
This was one of the most important traits to form in the character of
the Indian. As a hunter and warrior it was considered absolutely
necessary to him, and was thought to lay the foundations of patience
and self-control.

II

EARLY HARDSHIPS

One of the earliest recollections of my adventurous childhood is the
ride I had on a pony's side. I was passive in the whole matter. A
little girl cousin of mine was put in a bag and suspended from the horn
of an Indian saddle; but her weight must be balanced or the saddle
would not remain on the animal's back. Accordingly, I was put into
another sack and made to keep the saddle and the girl in position! I
did not object, for I had a very pleasant game of peek-a-boo with the
little girl, until we came to a big snow-drift, where the poor beast
was stuck fast and began to lie down. Then it was not so nice!

This was the convenient and primitive way in which some mothers packed
their children for winter journeys. However cold the weather might be,
the inmate of the fur-lined sack was usually very comfortable--at least