344 INDIANS. 



residence for a gentleman afflicted with acute olfactory 

 nerves, the stench being simply abominable. 



The offal about the butcher's shop of a military post 

 is greedily devoured (generally raw) by any Indian 

 hangers-on of the garrison. Blood, either warm or 

 clotted, is swallowed with avidity ; and I have seen an 

 Indian draw his knife through the udder of a just-killed 

 doe, and, placing his mouth in the gash, suck the warm 

 mixed milk and blood with the greatest pleasure. 



Nothing can be too filthy to come amiss to the all- 

 devouring Indian appetite. 



Some few animals or birds are protected by supersti- 

 tion (though this is not strong enough to amount to 

 absolute prohibition). Our favourite Christmas bird, the 

 turkey, is tabooed to the Indian, who will not eat it 

 except when on the very verge of starvation. He believes 

 it will make him cowardly and run from his enemies, as 

 the turkey does from its pursuers. The plains Indian 

 depends for his regular winter supply of food on the 

 buffalo. The meat is cut into thin flakes and dried in 

 the sun. It is then pounded up and packed into trunk- 

 shaped receptacles (called parfleches), and is the true 

 Indian bread. The children are usually seen munching 

 this dried buffalo meat in the same way as their Anglo- 

 Saxon confreres eat with avidity either biscuits or sticks 

 of candies. 



