300 INDIANS. 



CHAPTEE XXXIII. 



TEADE. 



THE trade or commercial industry of the plains Indians is 

 limited to a small barter among themselves, and the 

 annual exchange with white traders, licensed by the 

 Indian Bureau, of their surplus buffalo robes for sugar, 

 coffee, tea, clothing, trinkets and gewgaws. With good 

 management there is a great deal of money to be made by 

 the whites in these trades, and a licence is eagerly 

 sought. 



Long before the time of the ' big trade,' each trader 

 sends out runners or drummers to the camps of the 

 different bands to find out how many robes are likely to 

 come in from each, and to solicit trade, with promises of 

 presents to the chiefs and prominent men. 



The trading is done under the auspices of the Indian 

 Bureau, and the agent, having control, does pretty much 

 as he pleases. He may permit the traders to go with 

 their goods to the winter camps of the Indians ; or he may 

 refuse such permission, thus forcing the Indians to come 

 to the traders. When there are several traders it is 

 almost impossible for the agent to act in any way without 

 his action being for or against the. interests of one or 

 other of the traders. However fair and impartial his 

 action may be, somebody is sure to believe himself injured, 

 and equally sure to accuse the agent of interested motives 

 and collusion with his rivals. 



When permission is given to go to the winter camps, 

 all the traders are notified at or near the same time, and 



