e.

At another time, while Black Beaver remained upon the head waters of
the Missouri, he was left in charge of a "_cache_" consisting of a
quantity of goods buried to prevent their being stolen by the Indians.
During the time he was engaged upon this duty he amused himself by
hunting in the vicinity, only visiting his charge once a day. As he was
making one of these periodical visits, and had arrived upon the summit
of a hill overlooking the locality, he suddenly discovered a large
number of hostile Blackfeet occupying it, and he supposed they had
appropriated all the goods. As soon as they espied him, they beckoned
for him to come down and have a friendly chat with them.

Knowing that their purpose was to beguile him into their power, he
replied that he did not feel in a talking humor just at that time, and
started off in another direction, whereupon they hallooed after him,
making use of the most insulting language and gestures, and asking him
if he considered himself a man thus to run away from his friends, and
intimating that, in their opinion, he was an old woman, who had better
go home and take care of the children.

Beaver says this roused his indignation to such a pitch that he
stopped, turned around, and replied, "Maybe so; s'pose three or four of
you Injuns come up here alone, I'll show you if I'ze old womans." They
did not, however, accept the challenge, and Beaver rode off.

Although the Delawares generally seem quite happy in their social
relations, yet they are not altogether exempt from some of those minor
discords which occasionally creep in and mar the domestic harmony of
their more civilized pale-faced brethren.

I remember, upon one occasion, I had bivouacked for the night with
Black Beaver, and he had been endeavoring to while away the long hours
of the evening by relating to me some of the most thrilling incidents
of his highly-adventurous and erratic life, when at length a hiatus in
the conversation gave me an opportunity of asking him if he was a
married man. He hesitated for some time; then looking up and giving his
forefinger a twirl, to imitate the throwing of a lasso, replied, "One
time me catch 'um wife. I pay that woman, _his modder_, one hoss--one
saddle--one bridle--two plug tobacco, and plenty goods. I take him home
to my house--got plenty meat--plenty corn--plenty every thing. One time
me go take walk, maybe so three, maybe so two hours. When I come home,
that woman he say, 'Black