ALONG THE PLATTE TO FORT LARAMIE. 53 



ponies after them ; while the old men, children and dogs were 

 scattered along the line of march, some of the latter drawing 

 loads as well as their equine companions. The Indian mode 

 of transporting baggage from one place to another is to attach 

 the ends of two or three lodge poles to each side of the pon}^ 

 by leathern thongs, leaving the other ends to drag upon the 

 ground. Their provisions, tents, skins, etc., are strapped to 

 these poles, above which we may often see projecting the black 

 heads of the papooses, who appear to enjoy their ride. The 

 dogs with their loads trot along after the ponies, their tongues 

 out, and seemingly in the best possible humor. These have 

 the greatest aversion to the whites, and will fly on them in an 

 instant unless restrained by their owners. As soon as the 

 squaws arrived with the baggage, they commenced unpacking 

 it, after which they pitched their tents, their lazy, dignified 

 lords looking quietly on with pipe in mouth. The squaws are 

 subject to the most abject servitude, and are obliged to perform 

 all the labor. 



While we were encamped together at Grant's Camp I em- 

 ployed my leisure time in visiting our neighbors. The lodges, 

 which are some twelve feet in height and ten in diameter, are 

 formed by a number of poles meeting together at the top in 

 the shape of a pyramid, over which is put a covering of buffalo 

 hide ; an aperture being left in the top for the purpose of the 

 smoke escaping. In warm weather the cover of the tent is 

 raised to some distance from the ground, so that the air circu- 

 lating through them makes them pleasant summer habitations. 

 On entering the lodges, which I did sans ccremonie, I found 

 them filled with a heterogeneous mixture of squaws, children, 

 papooses and dogs, seated or lying around, the former busily 

 engaged in making moccasons, or in the tanning of skins. 

 The mixed population hardly noticed me, except the dogs, 

 which, from their hiding places into which they had retreated 

 on my entrance, showed their ivory in a menacing manner. 



