176 IN THE DAYS OF AUDUBON 



ously besmeared with mud; and as they came on board, 

 and we shook hands with each of them, I felt a clamminess 

 that rendered the ceremony most repulsive. Their legs and 

 naked feet were covered with mud. 



" They looked at me with apparent curiosity, perhaps 

 on account of my beard, which produced the same effect 

 at Fort Pierre. They all looked very poor; and our cap- 

 tain says that they are the ne plus ultra of thieves. It is 

 said that there are nearly three thousand men, women, and 

 children who, during winter, cram themselves into these 

 miserable hovels. Harris and I walked to the fort about 

 nine o'clock. The walking was rascally, passing through 

 mud and water the whole way. 



" The yard of the fort itself was as bad. We entered 

 Mr. Chardon's own room, crawled up a crazy ladder, and 

 in a lone garret I had the great pleasure of seeing alive 

 a swift or kit fox which he had given to me. It ran 

 swiftly from one corner to another, and, when approached, 

 growled somewhat in the manner of a common fox. Mr. 

 Chardon told me that good care would be taken of it until 

 our return, that it would be chained to render it more 

 gentle, and that I would find it an easy matter to take it 

 along. I sincerely hope so. Seeing a remarkably fine skin 

 of a large cross fox, which I wished to buy, it was handed 

 over to me. After this Mr. Chardon asked one of the In- 

 dians to take us into the village, and particularly to show 

 us the ' medicine lodge.' We followed our guide through 



