92 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST. 



fortune of the chase had given them. Here young men 

 were occupied securing the horses to some of the fallen 

 trees, and supplying them with fodder ; there lay others, 

 overcome by the firewater, singing their national songs 

 with a mournful and heavy tongue. I stood for a long 

 time watching the animated scene. 



A tall powerful Indian, decked out with glass beads 

 and silver ornaments, came staggering towards me, with 

 an empty bottle in his left hand and a handsome rifle in 

 his right, and, holding them both towards me, gave me 

 to understand that he would give me the rifle if I 

 would fill his bottle. The dealers in spirituous liquors 

 are subject to a heavy fine if they sell any to soldiers, 

 Indians, or negroes. The poor Indians have fallen so 

 low, and become so degraded by the base speculations 

 of the pale faces, that they will give all they most 

 value, to procure the body and soul-destroying spirits. 

 Though I had but little money left, only twelve cents, 

 I declined the exchange ; he turned sorrowfully away, 

 probably to offer the advantageous bargain to some one 

 else, in which case I thought it best to indulge the 

 poor savage, and save him his handsome rifle ; I took 

 the bottle out of his hand, filled it, and gave it back to 

 him. On my refusing to accept his rifle, he laid hold 

 of me, and dragged me almost forcibly to his fire, 

 obliged me to drink with him, to smoke out of his pipe, 

 and eat a large slice of venison, while his wife and 

 three children sat in the tent staring with surprise at 

 the stranger. He then stood up, and in his harmonious 

 language related a long history to me and to some 

 sons of the forest who had assembled round us, and of 

 which I did not understand a word. At last as the 



