454 TRIBES OF THE UPPER MISSOURI [bth. ann. 40 



Neither do they depend on one another. They are suspicious in 

 everything, and more particularly so when life is at stake. In these 

 compromises no one is deceived — either he who takes or he who re- 

 ceives — the minds of both are perfectly known to each other, the 

 object of the one party being to gain time, and of the other to lull 

 suspicion and make the offender and his relatives poor by accepting 

 their property. 



We think we have presented their customs in this respect in their 

 true light, viz, that although the compromise be effected and 

 vengeance for the time suspended, yet the feeling is not changed 

 or the right to punish relinquished; but time may make such a 

 change on either part as to render revenge impracticable. There is 

 no recognized principle or means of escape for the murderer unless 

 it be to flee and join another nation with whom they are at peace, 

 iftiarry and remain there. 



It will now be necessary to state that the Crow Indians are better 

 regulated in this respect than any of the prairie tribes. Private 

 murders are nearly unknown among them. Our knowledge of this 

 nation from certain sources extends through a period of 40 years 

 and in all that time but one Indian was killed by his own people. 

 The offender absconded and remained with the Snake Nation for 

 12 years, when he returned, but was obliged again to leave, and since 

 has not been heard of. Stealing women or otherwise seducing 

 others' wives is revenged by the party offended taking every horse 

 and all private property the offender owns, and in this he meets with 

 no contention. It is considered a point of honor to let everything 

 be taken but keep the woman. Now this nation has from 40 to 

 80 and sometimes 100 horses to a lodge, and a large haul is made by 

 the husband of the woman, in company with his relatives. If the 

 transgressor has no property that of his nearest relatives is taken, 

 and is suffered to be taken away unmolested. After the excitement 

 is somewhat over, these horses are bought back by the relatives of 

 the offender, each giving two, three, or more as the case happens, 

 which they hand over to him, who in the course of time gets the most 

 of his property returned. 



All smaller quarrels or misdemeanors are paid in the same way, 

 though not so high, but they never strike or kill each other, yet are 

 addicted to using personal abuse and invective freely. Our gentle- 

 man in charge of that nation states that he has seen the two principal 

 bands of Crow Indians, over 200 lodges, abusing and throwing stones 

 at each other all day, the Yellowstone River being between them. 

 No damage could happen, as the missiles could not be thrown a 

 fourth of the distance, yet not a shot was fired, although balls would 

 reach, and this force was headed by the two principal chiefs of that 



