THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 683 



fore thoy wore to go underground to the catacombs, unless it was to warn him of the 

 catastrophe that might befall them if they were to make their visit there, as they had 

 " designed. They had smoked several pipes upon this information early in the morn- 

 ing, and the chiefs had closely questioned him, and also consulted him as their oracle 

 in all such cases, and had unanimously come to the conclusion that these were fore- 

 boding prognostications sufficient to decide it to be at least prudent to abandon their 

 project, and thereby be sure to run no hazard.* 



Mr. Melody and myself both agreed that their resolve placed them on the safe side 

 at all events, and that we thought them wise in making it if they saw the least cause 

 for apprehension. ''They could easily run to the river however in their drive, and 

 see the other place, the morgue ;" but that could not, on any account, be undertaken, 

 as the two objects had been planned out for the same visit; and, from the Doctor's 

 dream it did not appear in the least certain in which of the places they were liable 

 to incur the risk, and therefore they thought it best not to go to either. There was 

 a great deal yet to see above ground, and quite as much as they should be able to see 

 in tho little time they had yet to remain there, and which would be much pleasanter 

 to look at than white men's bones under-ground. 



As their visit to the catacombs and the morgue was abandoned, we resolved to drive 

 through the Champs Elysees and visit the woods of Boulogne, the favorite drive of 

 the Parisians, and probably the most beautiful in the world. 



VISIT TO THE HIPPODROME. 



We had been solicited by M. Franconi, of the hippodrome, to enter into an arrange- 

 ment with him to have the Indians unite in his entertainments three days in the week, 

 where their skill in riding and archery could be seen to great advantage, and for which 

 ho would be willing to offer liberal terms. He had invited us to bring the Indians 

 down, at all events, to see the place ; and we agreed to make the visit to M. Franconi 

 on our way to the woods of Boulogne. The view was a private one, known only to 

 a few of his friends who were present and his own operatic troupe. We were very 

 civilly and politely received ; and, all walking to the middle of his grand area, he 

 proposed to make us the offer on condition that the Indians were good riders, which 

 I had already assured him was the case, and which seemed rather difficult for him to 

 believe, as they had so little of civilization about them. As the best proof, how- 

 ever, he proposed to bring out a horse and let one of them try and show what he could 

 do. This we agreed to at once ; and, having told the Indians before we started that 

 we should make no arrangement for them there unless they were pleased with it and 

 preferred it, they had decided, on entering the grounds, that the exercises would be 

 too desperate and fatiguing to them and destructive to their clothes, and therefore not 

 to eugage with him. 



JIM RIDES ERANCONl'S HORSE. 



However, the horse was led into the area and placed upon the track for their chariot- 

 races, which is nearly a quarter of a mile in circumference; and the question being 

 put, " Who will ride?" it was soon agreed that Jim should try it first. "Wal, me 

 try 'em," said Jim; "me no ride good, but me trjt 'em little." He was already pre- 

 pared, with his shield and quiver upon his back and his long and shining lance in 

 his hand. The horse was held, though with all its training it was some time, with 

 its two or three grooms about it, before they could get the frightened creature to 

 stand steady enough for Jim to mount. In the first effort which they thought he was 

 making to get on they were surprised to find that he was ungirting the saddle, 

 which he flung upon the ground, and throwing his buffalo rob« across the animal's 



* The place they had escaped in the great village of the whites they had been told was a hell. It 

 had been explained to them, however, that there were several of those places in London and that 

 they were only imitations of hell, hut they seemed to believe that these catacombs (as there were so 

 many millions of the bones of Frenchmen gone into them) might be the real hell of the pale-faces, and 

 it was best to run no risk. 



