e. Coonse and myself were
to live in one cabin together. The two brothers that I was given up to,
one of them claimed Coonse and the other claimed me. They both lived in
the same cabin. When the squaw arrived, she came immediately to our
cabin and stood outside at the door; she would not come in. I noticed
the Indians plaguing and laughing at her; she looked very serious. About
sunset, Coonse asked me if I wanted a wife. (He could not speak very
good English, but he could speak pretty good Indian.) I told him no. He
then told me if I wanted one I could have one. I asked him how he knew
that. He said, "There is a squaw that wants to marry you," pointing at
her. I told him I reckoned not. He says, "Yes. Indeed, she tus; she
came after you a purpose to marry you." I told Coonse I had a wife, and
I did not want another one. He says, "O, well, if you want her you can
haf her." She stood by the door for some time after dark. I did not know
when she went away; she said two days and three nights before she
returned home. I never spoke a word to her while she was there. She was
a very handsome girl, about 18 years of age, a beautiful, full figure
and handsomely featured, and very white for a squaw. She was almost as
white as dark complexioned white women generally are. Her father and
mother were very white skinned Indians.

The next day was the 9th day of April, and thirteenth day that I had
been their prisoner. The chief Indians and warriors that day held a
general council, to know in what manner and way to dispose of me. They
collected in the cabin where I lived. While they were in council their
dinner was cooking. There were about ten in number, and they all sat
down on the floor in a circle, and then commenced by their interpreter,
Nicholas Coonse.

The first question they asked me was, "Would I have my hair cut off like
they cut theirs?" I answered "No." The second question they asked me
was, "If I would have holes bored in my ears and nose and have rings and
lead hung in them like they had?" I answered "No." The third question
they asked me was, "If I could make hats?" (I had a large bag of beaver
fur with me when they took me prisoner; from that circumstance I suppose
they thought I was a hatter.) I answered "No." The fourth question they
asked me was, "If I was a carpenter?" and said they wanted a door made
for their cabin. I answered "No." The fifth question they asked me was,
"If I was a blacksmith; could I mend their