LOVE, COURTSHIP, AND MARRIAGE. 295 



immediately to quit her. If she does neither, he carries 

 .her to a little distance, just out of hearing of the lodge. 

 There they seat themselves side by side on the ground, 

 and, throwing a blanket over the heads and forms of both, 

 make love to their hearts' content. 



Couples so engaged are never disturbed. It is one of 

 the social fictions of Indian life, that the lover is supposed 

 to be entirely unknown to any but his mistress (love in a 

 man being regarded as a weakness). It not unfrequently 

 happens that two or more lovers are paying addresses to 

 the same girl at the same time. All are lying flat on the 

 ground, as well concealed as possible, but within a short 

 distance of the lodge door. The girl appears. A rush is 

 made. A lover seizes her. If the right one, she yields 

 passively and is borne off, the others disappearing at 

 once. If a wrong one, a slight resistance or exclamation 

 and she is at once released, to repeat the process until 

 satisfied with her captor. 



Slight as is the opportunity, no little coquetry can be 

 and is displayed by the Indian maiden in these momentary 

 love passages. The girl is finally won. And now a 

 curious scene ensues between the lover and the cruel 

 parent of his beloved. ' I think of taking your daughter 

 for my wife,' says the lover. ' She is an ugly thing, lazy 

 as a bear, does not know how to cook or to work, and is 

 of no sort of account ; but as I am sure you must want to 

 get rid of her, I came to tell you that, as a favour to you, 

 I will take her off your hands.' 



' Oh,' answers the father, ' you want my darling girl, 

 the best and most loving daughter man ever had ; the best 

 cook and dresser of buffalo skins, the finest bead maker, 

 the hardest and most willing worker in the whole tribe. 

 I cannot spare my darling. I will not part with her to 

 any one, much less to you, who are young, who have taken 

 only one scalp, who have stolen not over two ponies. 

 You, indeed ! No ; you cannot have my daughter, unless 

 you give me twenty ponies for her.' 



