58 IN THE OLD WEST 



Spirit, before he himself inhaled the fragrant kin- 

 nik-kinnik. The council, however, was not gen- 

 eral, for only fifteen of the older warriors took 

 part in it, the others sitting outside, and at some 

 little distance from the circle. Behind each were 

 his arms — bow and quiver, and shield — hang- 

 ing from a spear stuck in the ground ; and a few 

 guns in ornamented covers of buckskin were added 

 to some of the equipments. 



Near the fire, and in the center of the inner 

 circle, a spear was fixed upright in the ground, 

 and on this dangled the four scalps of the trap- 

 pers killed the preceding night ; and underneath 

 them, affixed to the same spear, was the mystic 

 medicine-bag, by which Killbuck knew that the 

 band before him was under the command of the 

 chief of the tribe. 



Towards the gi'im trophies on the spear, the 

 warriors, who in turn addressed the council, fre- 

 quently pointed — more than one, as he did so, 

 making the gyratory motion of the right hand 

 and arm which the Indians use in describing that 

 they have gained an advantage by skill or cun- 

 ning. Then pointing westward, the speaker would 

 thrust out his arm, extending his fingers at the 

 same time, and closing and reopening them re- 

 peatedly — meaning, that although four scalps 

 already ornamented the medicine pole, they were 

 as nothing compared to the numerous trophies 

 they would bring from the Salt Valley, where they 



