this the
Indian went immediately a _pauwawing_, as they call it; and in about
half an hour there came up a black cloud into the sky, that showered
down rain enough upon this gentleman's corn and tobacco, but none at
all upon any of the neighbours, except a few drops of the skirts of
the shower."

With a belief that these tales of Indian _diablerie_ will not be
uninteresting to the reader, I will relate one more. It is copied from
Long's Expedition to the Source of St. Peter's River. "About twenty
years ago, a large party of Indians, collected near Lake Travers, were
quite destitute of tobacco; not knowing how to procure any, they
applied to Tatankanaje (Standing Buffalo), a prophet of some
distinction, and the uncle of the present chief of the Kahras. This
man usually carried about him a little stone idol, carved into a human
shape; this he called his little man, and to it he always applied when
consulted in the way of his profession. Tatankanaje, being requested
to advise the best means of obtaining tobacco, made answer to them,
that if they would go to a certain place which he pointed out to them,
they would find his idol, and, by examining it, they would observe in
its hand a piece of tobacco. They did as he bade them, and found in
the little fellow's hand a piece about four inches long; this was
brought to the camp, and was thought to redound much to the credit
both of the prophet and the idol; but Tatankanaje then observed that
he would consult the little man, and ascertain where he had found the
tobacco, and how he came by it. This he did by putting interrogatories
to him, to which he pretended that audible answers were returned,
though of the many present not one heard them beside himself. The
purport of these answers, however, as he subsequently informed them,
was, that at a spot on the St. Peter, near to Redwood River, there was
a boat loaded with goods; that her commander, a French trader, having
been murdered by the Sioux, the crew had been alarmed, and had run
away, leaving the boat unguarded, together with her cargo, consisting
principally of tobacco; that the little man had seen her, and finding
a piece of tobacco on a keg, had brought it up. The prophet having
invited them to seek for it, they repaired to the spot, found the
boat, took the tobacco, and returned the rest of the goods to the
first French traders that passed up the river. This event happened, as
we were informed, in the presence of Renville