36 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [ BULL. 7 
of Indians belonging to the two tribes, who were chasing a herd of 
buffalo. Of the exciting scene presented by these many mounted 
Indians and the rushing buffalo, he left a vivid account: ‘“ We were 
too far to hear the report of the guns, or any sound; and at every 
instant, through the clouds of dust, which the sun made luminous, 
we could see for a moment two or three buffalo dashing along, and 
close behind them an Indian with his long spear, or other weapon, 
and instantly again they disappeared. The apparent -silence, and 
the dimly seen figures flitting by with such rapidity, gave it a kind 
of dreamy effect, and seemed more like a picture than a scene of real 
life. It had been a large herd when the cerne commenced, probably 
three or four hundred in number; but, though I watched them 
closely, I did not see one emerge from the fatal cloud where the work 
of destruction was going on. After remaining here about an hour, 
we resumed our journey in the direction of the village. 
“Gradually, as we rode on, Indian after Indian came dropping 
along, laden with meat; and by the time we had neared the lodges, 
the backward road was covered with the returning horsemen.. It 
was a pleasant contrast with the desert road we had been traveling. 
Several had joined company with us, and one of the chiefs invited 
us to his lodge. The village consisted of about one hundred and 
twenty-five lodges, of which twenty were Cheyennes; the latter 
pitched a little apart from the Arapahoes. They were disposed in a 
scattering manner on both sides of a broad, irregular street, about 
one hundred and fifty feet wide, and running along the river. As 
we rode along, I remarked near some of the lodges a kind of tripod 
frame, formed of three slender poles of birch, scraped very clean, 
to which were affixed the shield and spear, with some other weapons 
of a chief. All were scrupulously clean, the spear-head was bur- 
nished bright, and the shield white and stainless. It reminded me of 
the days of feudal chivalry; and when, as I rode by, I yielded to the 
passing impulse, and touched one of the spotless shields with the 
muzzle of my gun, I almost expected a grim warrior to start from the 
lodge and resent my challenge. The master of the lodge spread out 
a robe for me to sit upon, and the squaws set before us a large 
wooden dish of buffalo meat. He had lit his pipe in the mean while, 
and when it had been passed around, we commenced our dinner while 
he continued to smoke. Gradually, five or six other chiefs came in, 
and took their seats in silence. When' we had finished, our host 
asked a number of questions ... A storm had been gathering for 
the past hour, and some pattering drops on the lodge warned us that 
we had some miles to our camp... We found our companions 
under some densely foliaged old trees, about three miles up the 
river... Nearly opposite was the mouth of one of the most consid- 
