LETTER XIV. 155 



' can get all the whisky they want, and do get 

 it.' Even in a single village of Indians you will 

 see individuals in every stage of civilization, the 

 old people preferring to adhere to the customs of 

 their childhood, though nothing pleases them 

 better than to see the younger members of their 

 tribe aping the whites in house and habits and 

 manner of living. In one encampment, by a 

 broad stream among the cotton-woods, you will 

 see half the people living in the old-fashioned 

 ' tuper ' (a circular frame of poles, hung over 

 with rush-mats of native make), while the men 

 of this generation have fine white tents of canvas, 

 bought from the stores of Hope, or Yale, or 

 Westminster. In front of the tupers you will 

 find the old people lying on deer-mats in the sun, 

 with extremely little on, smoking pipes of their 

 own make, of a dark green stone ; old men and 

 women, not only smoking themselves, but in- 

 dulging their little boys and girls in a whiff 

 whenever they appear deserving of special favour. 

 Under a pine-tree just outside the camp is a 

 group of gamblers, three boys and an older man, 

 in nothing but a pair of deer-skin pants. This 

 group has been sitting by the fire since the 

 night before, gambling for the boys' wages, which 

 before long will be carried away in the pockets of 

 the deer-skin pants to buy whisky. 



