552 TRIBES OF THE UPPER MISSOURI [eth. ANN. 46 



and for two or three months afterwards, during which time he sought 

 occasions to liberate about 50 women and send them home to their 

 people. Most of these prisoners, it appears, are treated well, par- 

 ticularly the children, who are adopted into families who have lost 

 their own. When a child is thus adopted it is painted and dressed 

 very gaily, a horse given to it to ride, and to all appearances treated 

 as affectionately as their own. 



A grown woman, however, is not adopted. They are retained to 

 work, or if young and handsome are kept as one of the wives of 

 their owners, though not abused or made to bear any unusual hard- 

 ships. It is singular that when these women prisoners have re- 

 mained a few years with the Crow Indians they will not return to 

 their own people, even if liberty be given them. Indeed, after the 

 first few months they are not watched and have it in their power 

 to leaA'e at any time, and many do during the first year of their 

 captivity, but after having learned to speak the language, mostly 

 remain, which proves that nation to be much more lenient toward 

 their women than the Blackfeet and others. The children prisoners 

 become identified with them and never desire to leave when grown. 



Every male fit to bear arms is put to death by the tribes. The 

 Assiniboin, Blackfeet, Sioux, Cree, and Arikara also kill women 

 and children and sing and dance as much for their scalps as for 

 those of men. The horrid manner in which they put the small chil- 

 dren to death exceeds description. Some are stuck through with 

 wooden skewers, like a rabbit, while alive, and roasted before the 

 fire. 



There is but little subordination in all large war parties of Indians. 

 There appear to be jealousies on every side between soldiers and 

 chiefs or between the warriors and soldiers. No penalties being 

 attached to disobedience, it has no limit, and they are often in as 

 much danger from each other as from their enemies. Once in a 

 century a chief arises who can lead large parties to war, but it is 

 only when his success and capacity as a warrior is accompanied 

 by his art as a prophet and he has gained entire ascendancy over all 

 his people. Small parties succeed better — say from 80 to 100 men. 

 These an ordinary chief can command tolerably well, because they 

 are for the most part chosen from his own band and composed of 

 his own relations. This kind of party alwaj's proves most successful, 

 as the leader only attacks when success is certain from the numbers 

 on each side. All Indians carry off their wounded if possible, and 

 the dead also if not scalped, interring the latter in some secure place 

 not likely to be discovered by their enemies. 



As stated, no grown male prisoners are retained alive by any of 

 these tribes, and only two preserve the lives of the women and 



