THE WESTERN COUNTRY 277 



derstand that they could leave the Fort if they desired, 

 peace now being declared and their presence in several 

 ways being burdensome ; but they seemed not at all 

 inclined to go, apprehending perhaps not the most 

 friendly reception among their people. A young, well- 

 formed, copper-brown, squaw was beating maize in a 

 wooden trough before one of the huts : her entire 

 costume consisted of a tight petticoat of blue cloth 

 hardly reaching to the knees, and without any ruffles ; 

 her straight black hair hung loose over the shoulders, 

 her cheeks and forehead nicely dawbed in red. She 

 seemed very well content with the society of her co- 

 adjutor, a brisk young fellow who except for two rags 

 appropriately disposed was quite as naked as the in- 

 genuous beauty. Other women were occupied in 

 pleating baskets, shelling corn, or in some such way, 

 for as is well known, the men give themselves no con- 

 cern about domestic affairs. The surplus of their 

 crops, their baskets, and straw-pleated works they ex- 

 changed for whiskey. There were several by no means 

 ugly faces among them, and their color is not of a uni- 

 form brownish-yellow. Mistress Grenadier, an Indian 

 woman lives in a house of her own, built after the 

 European manner, in the orchard of the Fort. She is 

 no longer young, but still shows the traces of a faded 

 beauty which formerly elevated her to the companion- 

 ship of an English, and later of an American General. 

 Her daughter, with all the advantages of youth, is not 

 so attractive as her mother. By trade with the Indians 

 she has become rich, and still prepares for sale mocca- 

 sons (shoes of buffalo-leather) and sundry beautiful 

 articles made of colored straw. 



The Indians are generally hated here quite as much 



