INDIAN MODE OF COURTSHIP. 87 



Bull Tail. Chintzille is a foolish girl. Her father loves her, and there- 

 fore she cries. 



Trader. The contrary should prove a greater cause for grief! 



Bull Tail. The Yellow-hair speaks well, and truth only falls from his 

 lips. 



Ti'ader. How, then, can she sorrow ? Bid her speak and tell me, that 

 I may whisper in her ear words of comfort. 



Bull Tail. Nay, pale-face ; hut I will tell thee. Bull Tail loves his 

 daughter much — very much ; he loves the Yellow-hair much ! — he loves 

 them both, very much. The Great Spirit has put the thought into his mind 

 that both might be alike his children; then would his heart leap for joy at 

 the twice-spoken name of father ! 



Trader. What do I hear ? I know not the meaning of thy words. 



Bull Tail. ISure, pale-face, thou art slow to understand ! Bull Tail 

 would give his daughter to the Yellow-hair, — for who like him is so worthy 

 to take her to his lodge ? Bull Tail has for a long time called the pale- 

 face his brother, and now he would claim the Yellow-hair as his son. 

 Loves he not Cbintzille ? 



Trader. Were I to deny my joy at the words of Bull Tail, my tongue 

 would lie ! The Yellow-hair has no wife, and who, like the lovely Chintz- 

 ille, is so worthy that he should take her to his bosom ? How could he 

 ever show his g-ratitude to her noble father ! 



Bull Tail. The gift is free, and Bull Tail will be honored in its accept- 

 ance, — his friends will all be glad with him. But, that they may bless the 

 Yellow-hair, let him till up the hollow-wood * with fire-water, and Bull 

 Tail will take it to his lodge ; — then the maiden shall be thine. 



Trader. But, Chintzille grieves, — she loves not the Yellow-hair! 



Bull Tail. Chintzille is foolish. Let the Yellow-hair measure the 

 fire-water and she shall be thine ! 



Trader. Nay, but the Yellow-hair may not do this. Chintzille should 

 never be the wife of him she loves not! 



The old man continued to plead for some time, in order to bring to a suc- 

 cessful issue the negotiation by which he hoped to "wet his whistle" and 

 gain a son-in-law, — but all to no j)urpose. Our trader could not be persua- 

 ded to form an alliance so entangling upon any such terms, and the chief- 

 tain left with all the lineaments of disappointment and chagrin depicted upon 

 his countenance. 



The mode of marriage prevalent among the mountain and prairie tribes 

 would seem rather strange and somewhat unfair to the better informed of 

 civilized communities. 



The lady has little to say or do in the business. When an Indian takes 

 it into his head to get married and meets with the squaw suiting his fancy, 

 he wastes no time in useless courtship, but hastens to her father and de- 

 mands of him to know how much he loves his daughter and what gift of 

 horses will make his heart rejoice in a son-in-law ? 



The father, after consulting with his daughter and her mother, states the 



*Keg. 



8* 



