240 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER 



who were beggars for horses were on the spot, and 

 seated themselves on the ground in a circle, where 

 they went to smoking. The villagers nocked around 

 them in a dense crowd, and soon after there appeared 

 on the prairie at half-a-mile distance, an equal number 

 of young men of the " Sac " tribe, who had agreed 

 to give each a horse, and who were then galloping 

 around them at full speed, and gradually, as they 

 went around in a circuit, coming nearer to the centre 

 until they were at last close to the ring of young 

 fellows seated on the ground. Whilst dashing about 

 thus, each one with a heavy whip in his hand, as 

 he came within reach of the group on the ground, 

 selected the one to whom he intended to present his 

 horse ; and as he passed gave him the most tre- 

 mendous cut with his lash over the naked shoulders ; 

 and as he darted around again, he plied the whip as 

 before, and again and again, with a violent crack, 

 until the blood could be seen trickling over his naked 

 shoulders ; upon which he instantly dismounted, and 

 placed the bridle and whip in his hand, saying : 

 " Here, you are a beggar; I present you a horse, but 

 you will carry my mark on your back." In this 

 manner they were all in a little time " whipped up," 

 and each had a good horse to ride home and take 

 into battle. His necessity was such that he could 

 afford to take the stripes and the scars as the 

 price of the horse, and the giver could afford to 

 make the present for the satisfaction of putting 



