Annals of our ancestors; one hundred and fifty years of history in the ...

234
ANNALS OF OUR ANCESTORS
of this noise, out from a tepee came a tall, old Indian who
mounted a stump and began a fierce jargon, which acted as
an immediate quietus and a sudden stillness fell over the camp.
It was all like the enactment of some wonderful drama to
me as I observed their customs from my vantage point; as the
hunters came in they did not stoop to lay down their loads,
but while still standing straight as an arrow, they simply let
go their hold and dropped their burdens at their heels; instantly
Ufting the curtain of the tepee they disappeared within, to take
off their outer garments and stretch themselves at full length
before the fire, while the squaw took the meat, the hide, and
the tallow and began her part of the work. While I was sitting
there in the bobsled great flocks of children of all ages, from
the Httle papoose to boys of twelve, all came around to look
me over and chatter and laugh and box each other, much like
boys and girls do among white people. I saw all their antics,
but thought little of this display.
After a time, when Mrs. Stanley had disposed of the bread,
she came back to the sled in a most happy mood, crying, "All
sold out but the rutabagas!" at the same time hfting up the
buffalo robe which had covered them — yes, had, for they were
all gone excepting two. Great was our surprise and my cha-
grin, for while I had been watching the spectacular stage-play
of those aboriginal youngsters they were helping themselves
to the contents of the sled box covered by the robe. This
seems to have been their manner: they kept their blankets
thrown over their hands, which they placed on the sleigh box,
and from the shadow of their blankets they slipped their hands
under our robe and deftly stole our rutabagas, entirely unobserved
by me who had been left to watch our belongings.
My tub of bread brought a tub of venison hams and
shoulders, so we felt quite rich, and for many a day we had this
good wild meat fried, roasted, and boiled, besides dried and
jerked; this latter was good and sweet to whittle off when we
were hungry. I must record that the lightness of my bread
was not in its favor, for with many dubious head shakes was
its weight compared with the solid meat to be given in exchange
but Mrs. Stanley was a good bargainer, indeed exceedingly