man beings or
modern weapons. The birds, he tells us, were indifferent as to his
presence. They sang almost within arm's reach, and their rich plumage
completely fascinated him. He continued in his hunter's paradise until
he accidentally stumbled upon an Indian camp. No Indians were present,
but the smouldering camp-fires warned him that they were not far
distant. Later, he saw two Indians, who were evidently Arapahoes,
carrying a deer between them, and he knew that the delightful hunting he
had promised himself would not be forthcoming.

He was shortly afterwards captured in a prairie fire, in which he was in
great danger of being destroyed; nothing but the daring of his horse
saved his life. He had heard from the friendly Indians he had met on his
march that the Great Spirit had endowed the waters of the Springs of
Manitou with miraculous healing powers, and he drank freely from the
pure springs. These springs made Manitou a veritable Mecca for Indians
of the West and Southwest for many generations before the white men
discovered them. Pilgrimages were made across mountains and rivers of
great magnitude, and when an Indian chief showed signs of failing
health, and was not benefited by the machinations of medicine men, he
was generally carried to Manitou, no matter how far the journey might
be, or how great were the obstacles to be overcome.

Among the many stories told concerning journeys of weeks' and even
months' duration, one is exceptionally vivid, and is evidently founded
on fact, although superstition has surrounded the facts with so much
coloring that they are hard to discover. The story runs that in days
long gone by, a great chief, who had conquered every tribe of whose
existence he was aware, fell sick and could not be benefited by the
medicine men, who were summoned from every direction. A number of these
unfortunate physicians were put to death as a penalty for their failure
to restore health to the dying chief. Finally, there were very few
medicine men remaining in the vicinity; those who had not been
decapitated having proved their strong desire for further life by
discreetly retiring to parts unknown.

One day tidings were brought the chief of a young medicine man in a
neighboring tribe who had been overlooked by the searchers, but who had
been phenomenally successful in wooing back health and prolonging life.
The tribe had long since been reduced to a condition of subjection, and
the said chief sent