k their seats together in one of the open houses. Two
men sat in front of them, holding gourds filled with pebbles. The gourds
were shaken so as to keep time, and the women began a long chant, with
which, at regular intervals, was given a sharp, short whoop from male
voices. The women's song was said to be intended for the wail of
mothers, wives, and daughters at the departure of the warriors for the
fight; the response conveyed the resolution of the warriors not to be
withheld, but to fight and conquer. And now were seen two
hideous-looking old warriors, with tomahawks and scalping-knives,
painted most ferociously. Each went half round the circle, exchanged
exclamations, kept up a sort of growl all the while, and at length
stopped with a war-whoop.

At this juncture, we were told to hurry to the outer square. The females
and their male leaders left their places inside, and went to the mound
in the centre of the outer square. The mound became entirely covered
with their forms, and the effect was very imposing. Here they resumed
their chant. The spectators mounted on the embankment. I got on a pile
of wood,--holy wood, I believe, and heaped there to keep up the sacred
fires. There were numbers of Indian women in the crowd. Four stuffed
figures were placed, one in each of the four corners of the square.

We now heard firing and whooping on all sides. At length in the high
corn on one side we saw crouching savages, some with guns of every sort,
some, especially the boys, with corn-stalks to represent guns. A naked
chief with a long sabre, the blade painted blood color, came before
them, flourishing his weapon and haranguing vehemently. In another
corn-field appeared another party. The two savages already mentioned as
having given the war dance in the sacred square, now hove in sight on a
third side, cowering. One of them I understood was the person who had
shot the chief I mentioned in the first part of this letter--the chief
who made an objectionable treaty, and whose house was burned. Both these
warriors crept slyly towards the outer square. One darted upon one of
the puppets, caught him from behind, and stole him off; another grasped
another puppet by the waist, flung him in the air, tumbled on him as he
fell, ripped him with his knife, tore off the scalp, and broke away in
triumph. A third puppet was tomahawked, and a fourth shot. These were
the emblems of the various forms of warfare.

After the first shot, the two