404 THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 



Mah-to-toh-pa knew full well that his appearance would cause no other reply than 

 this, from the dignitary of the nation; for, from an invariable custom amongst these 

 Northern Indians, any one who is hungry is allowed to walk into any man's lodge 

 and eat. Whilst smoking his last gentle and tremulous whiffs on the pipe, Mah-to- 

 toh-pa (leaning hack, and turning gradually on his side, to get a better view of the 

 position of his enemy, and to see a little more distinctly the shapes of things) stirred 

 the embers with his toes (readers, I had every word of this from his own lips, and 

 every attitude and gesture acted out with his own limbs), until he saw his way was 

 clear; at which moment, with his lance in his hands, he rose and drove it through 

 the body of his enemy, and snatching the scalp from his head, he darted from the 

 lodge — and quick as lightning, with the lance in one hand, and the scalp in the other, 

 made his way to the prairie ! The village was in an uproar, but he was off, and no 

 one knew the enemy who had struck the blow. Mah-to-toh-pa ran all night, and 

 lay close during the days ; thanking the Great Spirit for strengthening his heart and 

 his arm to this noble revenge, and prayed fervently for a continuance of his aid and 

 protection till he should get back to his own village. His prayers were heard ; and 

 on the sixth morning, at sunrise, Mah-to-toh-pa descended the bluffs, and entered the 

 village amidst deafening shouts of applause, while he brandished and sbowed to his 

 people the blade of his lance, with the blood of his victim dried upon it, over that of 

 his brother, and the scalp ofWon-ga-tap suspended from its handle. 



Such was the feat represented by Mah-to-toh-pa On his robe, and the lance of 

 which I have just spoken, is seen in the hand of his portrait, which will stand in 

 my gallery, and of which I have thus formerly spoken : " The lance or spear of Mah- 

 to-toh-pa, when he stood for his portrait, was held in his left hand ; its blade was 

 two-edged, and of polished steel, and the blood of several human victims was seen 

 dried upon its surface, one over the other ; its shaft was of the toughest ash, and orna- 

 mented at intervals with tufts of war-eagle's quills. 



In the portrait, of which I am speaking, there will be seen an eagle's quill, balanced 

 on the hilt of the lance, severed from its original position, and loose from the weapon. 

 When I painted his portrait, he brought that quill to my wigwam in his left hand, 

 and carefully balancing it on the lance, as seen in the painting ; he desired me to be 

 very exact with it, to have it appear as separate from, and unconnected with, the 

 lance; and to represent a spot of blood which was visible upon it. I indulged him 

 in his request, and then got from him the following explanation : '* That quill (said he) 

 is great medicine! it belongs to the Great Spirit, and not to me ; when I was running 

 out of the lodge of Won-ga-tap, I looked back and saw that quill hanging to the 

 wound in his side ; I ran back, and pulling it out, brought it home in my left hand, 

 and I have kept it for the Great Spirit to this day !" 



" Why do you then not tie it on to the lance again, where it came off?" 



"Hush-sh (said he), if the Great Spirit had wished it to be tied on in that place, it 

 never would have come off; he has been kind to me, and I will not offend him." 



7. Riccaree killed by Mah-to-toh-pa in revenge of the death of a white man killed 

 by a Riccaree in the fur-traders' fort, a short time previous. 



8. Mah-to-toh-pa, or four bears, kills a Shienne chief, who challenged him to single 

 combat, in presence of the two war-parties; they fought on horseback with guns, until 

 Mah-to-toh-pa's powder-horn was shot away; they then fought with bows and arrows, 

 until their quivers were emptied, when they dismounted and fought single-handed. 

 The Shienne drew his knife, and Mah-to-toh-pa had left his; they struggled for the 

 knife, which Mah-to-toh-pa wrested from the Shienne, and killed him with it; in the 

 struggle, the blade of the knife was several times drawn through the hand of Mah-to- 

 toh-pa, and the blood is seen running from the wound. 



This extraordinary occurrence also was one which admits of, and deserves a more 

 elaborate description, which I will here give as it was translated from his own lips, 

 while he sat upon the robe, pointing to his painting of it ; and at the same time 

 brandishing the identical knife which he drew from his belt, as he was showing how 



