CLOTHING. 347 



Eailroads. Turkey Leg, a chief of some prominence, 

 came into the council lodge, buffalo robe tightly folded 

 around him. Over his head and face he wore a common 

 green veil. Over that, perched on the very top of his 

 head, and at least two sizes too small for him, was a very 

 tall, straight-bodied, stove-pipe hat. When he rose to 

 speak he retained his hat and veil, but dropped his buffalo 

 robe, disclosing his other apparel, which consisted solely 

 and entirely of a very scant calico shirt. The other 

 Indians seemed to think it all right, but I doubt if any 

 white man present carried off any very vivid idea of 

 Turkey Leg's speech. 



The Government has for several summers employed a 

 number of Pawnee Indians as scouts. When clothing 

 was first issued to them they seemed to get along pretty 

 well with everything but the pantaloons. In a few days 

 almost every Indian had cut out the whole of the seat 

 and front of his pants, leaving the legs attached to the 

 waistband by the piece of cloth passing up the outer part 

 of the thigh and hip. 



There is no such thing as fashion, no idea of incon- 

 gruity or unfitness. Whatever the white man wears the 

 Indian will wear if he can get it (except boots). He sees 

 the letters on the cap of a soldier. He has no idea that 

 they mean anything, and must therefore be ' pretty ' to 

 the white man. If he can get a hat, however dilapidated, 

 he covers it over with all the broken cross-sabres, bent 

 bugles, and pieces of letters that he can pick up. A gaudy 

 tie may adorn the neck of a man who has no shirt. 

 Another will have a vest buttoned to the chin, and nothing 

 else. No more ridiculous, motley, overdressed, half- 

 dressed, and undressed crowd can be found in the world 

 than a band of plains Indians when 'fixed up' for 

 company. A shirt will last several years, being worn 

 only on special occasions. As it is never washed, its 

 condition during the last few years of its usefulness can 

 be imagined. 



