en silence during the whole course of the
meeting.

He observed also that there was a considerable change in the tone
of the meeting when he informed them that he was bound on a similar
errand of peace to several of the other tribes, especially to one or
two tribes which were the Pawnees' bitter enemies at that time. These
grasping savages having quite made up their minds that they were
to obtain the entire contents of the two bales of goods, were much
mortified on hearing that part was to go to other Indian tribes. Some
of them even hinted that this would not be allowed, and Joe feared at
one time that things were going to take an unfavourable turn. The hair
of his scalp, as he afterwards said, "began to lift a little and feel
oneasy." But San-it-sa-rish stood honestly to his word, said that it
would be well that the Pale-faces and the Pawnees should be brothers,
and hoped that they would not forget the promise of annual presents
from the hand of the great chief who lived in the big village near the
rising sun.

Having settled this matter amicably, Joe distributed among the Indians
the proportion of his goods designed for them; and then they all
adjourned to another tent, where a great feast was prepared for them.

"Are ye hungry?" inquired Joe of Dick as they walked along.

"Ay, that am I. I feel as if I could eat a buffalo alive. Why, it's my
'pinion we've tasted nothin' since daybreak-this mornin'."

"Well, I've often told ye that them Redskins think it a disgrace to
give in eatin' till all that's set before them at a feast is bolted.
We'll ha' to stretch oursel's, we will."

"I'se got a plenty room," remarked Henri.

"Ye have, but ye'll wish ye had more in a little."

"Bien, I not care!"

In quarter of an hour all the guests invited to this great "medicine
feast" were assembled. No women were admitted. They never are at
Indian feasts.

We may remark in passing that the word "medicine," as used among the
North American Indians, has a very much wider signification than it
has with us. It is an almost inexplicable word. When asked, they
cannot give a full or satisfactory explanation of it themselves. In
the general, we may say that whatever is mysterious is "medicine."
Jugglery and conjuring, of a noisy, mysterious, and, we must add,
rather silly nature, is "medicine," and the juggler is a "medicine
man." These medicine men undertake cures; but they are regular
charlatans, and know nothing whatever of the