178 BUFFALO LAND. 



politely declined, by the advice of the interpreter, 

 who explained to us that a return gift of the don- 

 key's weight in sugar and coffee would be expected. 

 Notwithstanding the stringency of the law forbid- 

 ding the sale of whisky and ammunitions to the 

 Indians, the savages found little difficulty in filling 

 themselves with fire-water, and also got a little powder. 

 White Wolf went off with his pocket full of car- 

 tridges in exchange for some Indian commodities, 

 but the cunning pale face rendered them of little 

 value by selecting ammunition a size too small for 

 the gun. 



The eating powers of these nomads are marvelous. 

 We saw the chief, inside of two hours, devour three 

 hearty dinners, one of which was gotten up from our 

 own larder and was both good and plentiful. As he 

 did full justice to every invitation to eat and drink, 

 we concluded that he would continue to accept during 

 the whole afternoon, if the opportunity were only 

 offered him. What a capital minister to England 

 was here wasting his gastric juices on the desert 

 air ! If Great Britain should continue her hesitation 

 to digest our Alabama claims, the wolf at their door 

 would digest enough roast beef to bring them to 

 terms or starvation. Sugar, coffee, spices, pickles, 

 sardines, ham, and many another luxury of civiliza- 

 tion, were alike welcome at the capacious portal of 

 the untutored savage. Dobeen discovered him eat- 

 ing a can of our condensed milk under the impres- 

 sion that it was a sweet porridge. 



Their entertainment at the town being concluded, 

 the Indians were conducted over to the fort and 



