604 THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 



on his warriors to the attack, he took great pains to display the glistening trinket which 

 he had accepted with such heartfelt satisfaction. 



This dance finished, they all sat down npon the platform and passed the pipe aronnd, 

 whilst I was further explaining upon their appearance and modes and the dance which 

 they had just given. I asked them what amusement they proposed next, and they an- 

 nounced to me that as the Doctor was taking all the honors and all the glory to him- 

 self on that night (and of whom they all seemed extremely jealous), they had decided 

 that he should finish the amusements of the evening by singing the Wolf song. He was 

 so conscious of having engrossed the principal attention of the house that he at once 

 complied with their request, though at other times it required a great effort to get him to 

 sing it. I had not myself heard this song, which seemed, from their preparations, to 

 promise some amusement, and which Jeffrey told me belonged exclusively to the Doctor, 

 he having composed it. The Doctor was ready to commence, and wrapping his robe 

 around him, having his right arm out, he shook a rattle (she-she-quoin) in his right 

 hand, as he tilted about the platform, singing alone; at the end of a sentence he com- 

 menced to bark and howl like a wolf, when another jumped upon his feet and ran to him, 

 and another, and another, and joined in the chorus, with their heads turned up like 

 wolves when they are howling. He then sang another strain as he moved about the 

 platform again, all following him, singing, and ready to join in the deafening chorus. 

 This strange and comic song drew roars of laughter, and many rounds of applause for the 

 Doctor, and left him, sure enough, the lion of the evening.* 



After he had finished his song he traversed the platform a few times, lavishing his 

 self-complacent smiles upon the ladies around the room, and then desired me to say to 

 the audience that on the next evening they were going to give the Pipe of Peace dance 

 and the Scalp dance, which he wished all the ladies to see, and that now the chiefs and 

 himself were ready to shake hands with all the people in the room. 



* •* * * * * * 



track, discovering the enemy, and preparing for the attack, &c, and the song for this dance rune> 

 thus: 



O-ta-pa ! 



I am creeping on your track, 



Keep on your guard, O-ta-pa ! 



Or I will hop on your back. 



I will hop on you, I will hop on you. 



Stand back, my friends, I see them ; 



The enemies are here, I see them ! 



They are in a good place, 



Don't move, I see them ! 

 &c. &c. <fcc. 



• * Wolf Song.— This amusing song, which I have since learned more of, and which I believe to 

 be peculiar to the Ioways, seems to come strictly under the province of the medicine (or mystery) 

 man. I will venture to say that this ingenious adaptation will excite a smile, if not some degree of 

 real amusement, as well as applause, whenever it is fairly heard and understood by an English 

 audience. The occasion that calls for this song in the Ioway country is when a party of young men 

 who are preparing to start on a war excursion against their enemy (after having fatigued the whole 

 village for several days with the war dance, making their boasts how they are going to slay their 

 enemies, &c.) have retired to rest, at a late hour in the night, to start the next morning, at break of 

 day, on their intended expedition. In the dead of that night, and after the vaunting war-party have 

 got into a sound sleep, the serenading party, to sing this song, made up of a number of young fellows 

 who care at that time much less about taking scalps than they do for a little good fun, appear back 

 of the wigwams of these men of war and commence serenading them with this curious song, which 

 they have ingeniously taken from the howling of a gang of wolves, and so admirably adapted it to 

 music as to form it into a most amusing duet, quartet, or whatever it may be better termed ; and 

 with this song, with its barking and howling chorus, they are sure to annoy the party until they 

 get up, light the fire, get out their tobacco and other little luxuries they may have prepared for 

 their excursion, which they will smoke and partake with them until daylight, if they last so long, 

 when they will take leave of their morning friends who are for the "death," thanking them for 

 their liberality and kindness in starting, wishing them a good night's sleep (when night comes 

 again) and a successful campaign against their enemies. 



