190 LIFEINTHEFARWEST. 



another as a council-room, where the Indians assemble for their 

 " talks," while the third is the common dining-hall, where the 

 traders, trappers, and hunters, and all employes, feast upon the 

 best provender the game-covered country affords. Over the culin- 

 ary department presided of late years a fair lady of color, Charlotte 

 by name, who was, as she loved to say, " de onlee lady in de dam 

 Injun country," and who moreover was celebrated from Long's 

 Peak to the Cumbres Espanolas for slap-jacks and pumpkin pies. 



Here congregate at certain seasons the merchants of the plains 

 and mountains, with their stocks of peltry. Chiefs of the Shian, 

 the Kioway, and Arapaho, sit in solemn conclave with the head 

 traders, and smoke the " calumet" over their real and imaginary 

 grievances. Now O-cun-no-whurst, the Yellow Wolf, grand chief 

 of the Shian, complains of certain grave offenses against the dignity 

 of his nation I A trader from the " big lodge" (the fort) has been 

 in his village, and before the trade was opened, in laying the 

 customary chief's gift "on the prairie"* has not "opened his 

 hand," but "squeezed out his present between his fingers," grudg- 

 ingly, and with too sparing measure. This was hard to bear, but 

 the Yellow Wolf would say no more ! 



Tah-kai-buhl, or, " he who jumps," is deputed from the Kioway 

 to warn the white traders not to proceed to the Canadian to trade 

 with the Camanche. That nation is mad — a " heap mad" with 

 the whites, and has " dug up the hatchet" to " rub out" all who 

 enter its country. The Kioway loves the pale-face, and gives him 

 warning (and "he who jumps" looks as if he deserves something 

 " on the prairie" for his information). 



Shawh-noh-qua-mish, "the peeled lodge-pole," is there to excuse 

 his Arapah6 braves, who lately made free with a band of horses 

 belonging to the fort. He promises the like shall never happen 

 again, and he, Shawh-noh-qua-mish, speaks with a "single tongue." 



* Indian expression fgr a free gift. 



