A NIGHT IN AN INDIAN LODGE. 25 



feasting on something softer than they usually got. On my 

 telling the Indians what the matter was they laughed, and said 

 I should soon get used to it ; but not believing this I got up 

 and put on some of my half-dried garments, and lay down 

 again thinking that now my troubles were over, instead of 

 which they were only beginning. 



There are some few peculiarities about an Indian camp 

 which very much interfere with the repose of anyone who is 

 not used to them. The first thing which woke me once more 

 was the pressure of the feet of some animals passing over me ; 

 then came a number of others of the same kind, and these 

 seemed to go round and round the tent. It struck me 

 almost immediately that they were dogs hunting for scraps, so 

 I pulled my robe closer round me and dosed off again. Pre- 

 sently, however, I heard a yell followed by a rush, and the dogs 

 passed over me again, followed by a furious squaw, whose big 

 flat feet were not at all particular where they trod ; and this 

 happened several times till I felt as if I was lying in the sawdust 

 of a circus, with the whole performance going on on the top of 

 me. I moved at once, getting as close to the side of the lodge 

 as I could, or I should have been flattened out, squaws as a rule 

 being very clumsy and heavy. What made the chase last so 

 long was the difficulty of finding the door, which was small, 

 and as it was dark outside, did not show at all. 



On the departure of the dogs, I thought I should have peace, 

 but I was mistaken ; the noise had woke up an Indian, who 

 fancied that he could, with an effort, eat a little more, so he 

 proceeded to get up and cook some meat on the fire in the 

 centre of the lodge, and thinking he had a fine voice which 

 should be cultivated, he sang all the time. This roused a 



