166 BUFFALO LAND. 



who tried that contortion on and asked for " tobac," 

 that he retreated in disorder from the council-cham- 

 ber. 



AVhite Wolf and the more important members of 

 his band took the chairs proffered them, and sat in a 

 circle, the Professor, Sachem, and two leading citizens 

 of Hays being sandwiched in at proper intervals. 

 The object of the gathering was gravely announced 

 to be that the Indians might smoke the pipe of peace 

 with the towns-people. As war was a chronic pas- 

 sion with these wild horsemen of the plains, none of 

 them had ever been near the place in friendly mood 

 before, and the novelty of the occasion, therefore, 

 brought the entire population around the building. 

 The postmaster of Hays, Mr. Hall, had once traded 

 among the Choyennes and, understanding their sign- 

 language, acted as interpreter. This curious race has 

 two distinct ways of conversing — one by mouth, in a 

 singularly unmusical dialect, and the other by mo- 

 tions or signs with the hands. The latter is that 

 most generally understood and employed by scouts 

 and traders. 



One of the Indians now took from a sack a red-clay 

 pipe, with a ridiculously long bowl and longer shank, 

 and inserted into it a three-foot stem, profusely orna- 

 mented with brass tacks and a tassel of painted 

 horse hair. This was handed to White Wolf, together 

 with a small bag of tobacco, in which the Killikinnick 

 leaves had been previously crumbled and mixed. 

 These were a bright red, evidently used for their 

 fragrance, as they only weakened the tobacco without 

 adding any particular flavor. We were struck with 



