Rocky Mountains. 155 



ward. letan now stepped forward and lashed a post with 

 his whip, declaring that he would thus punish those who 

 did not dance ; this threat from one whom they had vested 

 with authority for this occasion had a manifest effect upon 

 his auditors, who were presently highly wrought up by the 

 sight of two or three little mounds of tobacco twist which 

 were now laid before them, and appeared to infuse new life. 

 After lashing the post and making his threat, letan went 

 on to narrate his martial exploits. He had stolen horses 

 seven or eight times from the Konzas ; he had first struck 

 the bodies of three of that nation slain in battle. He had 

 stolen horses from the letan nation, and had struck one of 

 their dead. He had stolen horses from the Pawnees, and 

 struck the body of one Pawnee Loup. He had stolen horses 

 several times from the Omawhaws, and once from the Pun- 

 cas. He had struck the bodies of two Sioux. On a war par- 

 ty, in company with the Pawnees, he had attacked the Spa- 

 niards, and penetrated into one of their camps ; the Spaniards, 

 excepting a man and boy, fled, himself being at a distance 

 before his party, he was shot at and missed by the man, 

 whom he immediately shot down and struck. " This, my 

 father, said he, is the only martial act of my life that I am 

 ashamed of." After several rounds of dancing, and of strik- 

 ing at the post by the warriors, Mi-a-ke-ta, or the Little 

 Soldier, a war-worn veteran, took his turn to strike the post. 

 He leaped actively about, and strained his voice to its ut- 

 most pitch whilst he portrayed some of the scenes of blood 

 in which he had acted. He had struck dead bodies of indi- 

 viduals of all the red nations around, Osages, Konzas, Paw- 

 nee Loups, Pawnee Republicans, Grand Pawnees, Puncas, 

 Omawhaws, and Sioux, Padoucas, La Plais or Bald Heads, 

 Ietans, Sauks, Foxes and Ioways ; he had struck eight of 

 one nation, seven of another, &c. He was proceeding with 

 his account when letan ran up to him, put his hand upon his 

 mouth and respectfully led him to his seat. This act was 



