THE PLUME PIRATES 327 



Birds for decoration. But they were used only as 

 a sign of rank, for the nobles. In the middle ages, 

 feathers were used by the knights, but only such 

 as had performed great feats were allowed to 

 wear them. 



''Among our North American Indians the same 

 thing was true. The Indians of the Eastern 

 States, as you know, used to wear collars and head- 

 dresses of Wild Turkey feathers, but only certain 

 chiefs and medicine men might wear them, and no 

 one could be chief or medicine man until he had 

 shown himself worthy of the honor. Among the 

 Indians of the plains and of the Rockies, Eagle 

 feathers were used. But the rules and regulations 

 governing the wearing of those feathers formed a 

 code severe. 



' ' To begin with, no man could wear such feath- 

 ers unless he, himself, had shot the Eagle, 

 with a weapon that he had made himself — there 

 was no buying a gun at a store ! The birds were 

 killed with stone-tipped arrows shot from a hand- 

 made bow. Then, after the young brave had se- 

 cured his Eagle feathers, he was compelled to come 

 into the council of chiefs, and recite each deed for 

 which he felt himself .iustified in claiming the right 

 to wear a feather. He had to produce witnesses 



