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Thelndians marriage, often at the age of ten and eleven. These 
hardy children of nature suffer little from sickness, 
though contagious diseases, like the small-pox, at 
times destroy great numbers of them. Their medi- 
cines consist simply in herbs. They also have great 
confidence in steam baths, which they take in so-called 
sweat lodges, in which water is poured on hot stones. 
The wealth of an Indian consists chiefly in horses. 
Their horses come from Mexico, and are of as hardy 
stock as the Indians themselves. Whoever owns no 
horses tries to steal some. Ill stealing is permis- 
sible among the Indians, but horse-stealing is honor- 
able. Such bands of horse thieves will often follow 
another tribe or a caravan of whites for weeks and 
months, till they find an opportunity to drive off the 
whole herd. In addition to horses every Indian us- 
ually owns a great number of dogs, useful partly to 
carry loads, partly, in absence of other meat, for food. 
In their form and character they are closely related 
to the wolf, from whom they are probably derived. 
The clothing of the Indians usually consists of 
leathern leggings and a blanket or buffalo robe, to 
which is added in the case of the women, a garment, 
also of leather, reaching from the breast to the knee. 
Their light leather shoes, the so-called moccasins, the 
squaws make with great skill, using no other tool than 
the awl and the thread obtained from the sinews of 
the buffalo. Both sexes have the head uncovered. 
Vanity and love of finery is more deep-seated with 
these children of nature—if indeed such a thing is 
