Volume 1

390 VALUABLE CONSIDERATIONS.
who continued to sing and shake the rattle ;
the bull's head
was placed opposite the cloth and son. The Big Bellies
brought in some ammunition, and laid it upon the strouds ;
the son was directed to lay the stem over these articles,
which he did accordingly. Our old general was again
posted opposite the entrance of the shelter, where he was
fully employed in his usual vocation of haranguing, inviting
everyone to bring something to put under the stem. But
all his eloquence was in vain ; not a Schian came forward
until some of their old men had gone the rounds making long
speeches, when a few of the Schians appeared with some
garnished robes and dressed leather, which were spread on
the ground near the bull's head, which was then laid upon
the heap. The Big Bellies next brought two guns, which
they placed under the stem. The Schians put another
robe or two under the bull's head. Our party were each
time more ready to come forward with their property than
the others were with theirs. The latter next brought some
old, scabby, sore-backed horses for the bull's head. This
compliment was returned by our party with corn, beans,
ammunition, and a gun. General Chokecherry grew impatient,
and reproached the Schians in a very severe and harsh
manner for their mean and avaricious manner of dealing,
in bringing forward their trash and rotten horses, saying
that the Big Bellies were ready to give good guns and
ammunition, but expected to receive good horses in return.
In answer to this they were given to understand by the
Schians that they must first put all their guns and
ammunition under the stem, immediately after which the
Schians, in their turn, would bring in good horses. As it
was never customary in an affair of this kind for either
party to particularize the articles to be brought to the stem
or bull's head, but for everyone to contribute what he
pleased of the best he had, this proposal induced our party
to suspect the Schians had planned to get our firearms and
ammunition into their own possession, that they might be
a match for us, and commence hostilities. To prevent this.