286 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. VL, No. 139. 



panniers. Between the poles, which trail be- 

 hind, a skin or blanket is fastened ; and here 

 the young children and the pupp}^ have a com- 

 fortable time together as they journey. There 

 are enough ponies for all the men and women 

 to ride, and colts running along beside. 



If wagons are to be used in travelling, the 

 tent-poles are tied on each side of the wagon- 

 box. The harness is dragged along by a wo- 

 man, who slings the mass of straps and buckles 

 on the pony's back, he giving a slight start as 

 the load drops on him. The buckling is quickly 

 done by the women, and the stores packed in the 

 bottom of the wagon. Finally the kettle and 

 coffee-pot are picked up ; and nothing is left 

 of the camp but circles of trampled grass, each 

 one with a pile of ashes in its centre. 



The delight of being ' off' affects every one, 

 the older people enjoj^ing it sedatel}' : the 3'oung 

 men dash about up on the hills, where they 

 stand silhouetted against the cloudless sky. 

 Now and then they drop from their ponies, and 

 lie flat on the ground, while the animal nibbles 

 unconcernedl3^ The women ride with the 

 stores in the bottom of the wagon, and the men 

 on the seat, driving. It is hard, teeth-chatter- 

 ing work to travel in the bottom of a springless 

 wagon, and no fun to ford a rapid river full of 

 quicksands ; for down will go one wheel, and 

 the water come swirling in, wetting every thing 

 and ever}' bod3\ At such times the bags of pro- 

 visions are held high aloft in the hands : all else 

 must take its chance. Those on the ponies 

 fare better ; for, with the feet on the horse's 

 neck, all goes well, unless the little fellow gets 

 into a very bad hole, and topples over into the 

 water. Sometimes the men take off leggings 

 and moccasins, roll them in a bundle, tie them 

 on the head or back of the neck, and wade 

 over, leaving the pon}' to follow. Such persons 

 generally have time enough to lie down on the 

 bank to dry off, and from their vantage-point 

 watch the struggles of the loaded wagon as the 

 men spring from their seat into the stream, and 

 tug at the wheels to save the vehicle from 

 sinking. 



All day we ride over the prairie-trails, start- 

 ing up the birds, seeing the flash of the ante- 

 lope, or catching sight of the retreating wolf. 

 If location serves, about three o'clock we 

 camp, alwaj's near a stream and timber. It is 

 the work of a few moments to set up the tents, 

 while the men and boys scatter with the ponies. 

 The young girls go laughing to the creek for 

 water, the older women cut and gather the 

 dry wood, and in less than an hour the thin 

 blue smoke is curling through the tent-flaps, and 

 the kettle hanging on its crotch- stick over the 



fire. Each bundle of bedding is thrown down 

 in the place its owner is to occupy, and it will 

 be untied and spread when needed. 



There is a fascination in lying on the grass 

 after a hard day's ride, and watching the set- 

 tling of a camp. The old men gather in groups, 

 and smoke the pipe. The young men lie at 

 full length, resting on their elbows, their orna- 

 ments glistening in the sunlight as these gal- 

 lants keep watch through the swaying grass of 

 tents where coy maidens are on household 

 cares intent. It is not unlikel}^ that more than 

 one 3'outh is planning how he can best gain 

 access to his sweetheart, and speak a few words 

 to her when she goes for water to the creek 

 in the early morning ; and it is equally possible 

 that similar thoughts are flitting through the 

 girl's head. The creek or the spring is the 

 try sting- place for lovers, but the chances for 

 a word are hard to gain. 



It is against etiquette for a young woman to 

 speak to an}- man in public who is not a near 

 relation ; and such a one, by the law of the 

 gentes, can never be a lover. But young hearts 

 are stronger than society restrictions ; and so 

 when the girl, accompanied by her mother or 

 aunt, goes for water in the early morning, she 

 will sometimes drop behind her chaperone, and 

 the 3'oungman, who has lain hid in the grass, 

 darts forward, swiftly and silentlj^, and secures 

 the favored moment. Should the mother turn, 

 he as instantl}' drops in the grass ; while the 

 girl demurely walks on, keeping her secret. 



The small boj^s have already fallen into 

 games, and are shooting arrows of barbed grass. 

 From within the cone-shaped tents comes the 

 sound of the chatter of the women, broken now 

 and then by loud laughter. This might arise 

 from the practical joking of the mother's 

 brother. Such a relative is privileged in the 

 home, and the source of many sports. While 

 the women are cutting up the meat for the 

 evening meal, and preparing the corn-cake, the 

 young man, lounging in the shadows of the tent, 

 has improvised a drum, captured his small 

 nephew, and breaking into song, bids the little 

 fellow dance for his supper. He obej^s with a 

 zest, his scalp-lock, and the flaps of his breech- 

 cloth, snapping to the tune. The little sister, 

 having secured a premature bite from the 

 mother, stands dihgently eating, as she watches 

 her brother's antics, stimulated by the mis- 

 chief-loving uncle. 



There are shiftless folk among Indians, per- 

 sons who are always borrowing from their more 

 forehanded relatives ; but not all borrowers are 

 of this class. A custom prevails concerning bor- 

 rowing a kettle susceptible of eas}^ misconstrue- 



