SOCIAL LIFE. 315 



strong. Widows not unfrequently sell their female 

 children, even though not pressed by necessity, and I 

 have known several instances of an Indian woman offer- 

 ing to exchange her baby for a white one. 



Some years ago. an officer of the army, with a young 

 wife and lovely boy-baby, was crossing the plains. The 

 Indians were peaceful and he had but a small escort. 

 One afternoon an Indian woman came into camp ;.nd, 

 struck with the beauty of the white infant, proposed a 

 'swap.' The young wife, taking the proposal for fun, 

 laughingly consented, but was soon greatly terrified when 

 the woman laid down her own baby and attempted to 

 take the other. A violent scene ensued, and the woman 

 and her baby were finally put out of camp by the troops, 

 she in a towering passion and vowing revenge. Before 

 sunrise next morning, a large force of warriors appeared 

 with the woman, demanding the white baby, and 

 threatening to take it by force if not surrendered. A 

 long parley ensued, and the Indians were finally bought 

 off by the payment of blankets and sugar. 



The widows and orphans of a tribe are cared for, after 

 a fashion, by the ' dog-soldiers,' who, in the general division 

 of meat and skins, set aside sufficient for their main- 

 tenance. Among the plains tribes a woman on the death 

 of her husband becomes not only herself free, but the 

 possessor of her female children as property. The sons 

 are independent ; but are obliged to support the mother 

 and sisters, if old enough, or if they have themselves no 

 families. The widows are like their white sisters in their 

 aversion to the sweets of freedom and single blessedness, 

 and if at all young and good looking are very soon 

 married again, I have been told that the old and ugly 

 who have no sons to support them, not unfrequently 

 purchase for themselves a husband, by giving over to him 

 the ownership of her daughters, not as wives, but as so 

 much saleable property. The life of a woman who has 



