THE PERSONNEL OF OUR VISITORS. 165 



with her sharp practice and cheap bead-work. Their 

 faces were as smooth as a woman's, without the least 

 trace of either mustache or whiskers ; so that, alto- 

 gether, when we essayed to pick out some females, we 

 got completely " mixed up," and were at length forced 

 to the conclusion that the majestic White Woh'^ 

 was traveling over the plains with a copper-colored 

 harem. 



Cooper having told us that the Indian term of re- 

 proach is to be or to look like a w^oman, we avoided 

 oifense and the " arrows of outrageous fortune " 

 which an Indian is so dexterous in using, and gained 

 the information desired by addressing a direct inquiry 

 to White Wolf, through the interpreter, whether he 

 had any squaws along. He replied by holding up 

 two fingers and pointing out the couple thus designa- 

 ted. We tried to find, first in their features and then 

 in their clothing, some distinguishing characteristic 

 but found it impossible ; so that when they changed 

 positions an instant afterward, I was entirely at a 

 loss to recognize them again. 



All had extremely uninviting countenances, any 

 one of which Avould have sufficed to hang three ordi- 

 nary men, and a common villainy made them as 

 much alike as forty-six nutmegs. White Wolf alone 

 differed in appearance. He was stoutly built, as well 

 as tall and straight, with broad features, the bronze 

 of his complexion merging almost into white, and he 

 smiled pleasantly and readily. The others were no 

 more able to smile than Satan himself, the expression 

 which their faces assumed when attempting it being 

 simply diabolical. Dobeen was so startled by one 



