or many weeks.

[Illustration: The Buffalo Dance.]

When I first saw the buffalo dance, I viewed it with much interest, but
when continued for days and weeks, it becomes excessively wearisome from
the perpetual howling din and clamor kept up, keeping the village in a
continual uproar, and usually causing me to offer up most fervent
prayers that the buffalo would "come," if it was only to be relieved
from the noise and confusion which are occasioned by this curious
ceremony.

Unlike the northern Indians, the Camanches resort to the buffalo dance
only on rare occasions, but when they do undertake it, their persistence
is admirable; and for this reason, the other tribes have a saying, or
sort of proverb, that when the Camanches dance for "buffalo" it is a
good moon to hunt, but a bad moon on the war-path. Their meaning
probably is, that the buffalo are sure to "come," when the Camanches
dance for them, but that the Camanches are equally sure to "go for" any
other tribe who encroach upon their hunting grounds at such times.

Such is the buffalo dance; one of the most curious of the many strange
customs of the prairie Indians.

CHAPTER XVIII.

A STRANGE HISTORY.

One of the most noted warriors of Tonsaroyoo's band was a pure blooded
Mexican. A man of medium size, but athletic and well-proportioned, and
not more than thirty years of age; he was distinguished even among these
savages for his cruelty, nay, even ferocity of disposition, and lust for
bloodshed.

His position in the tribe was that of a sub-chief, and he had attached
to himself a chosen body of about sixty warriors, all men of bad
standing and little character in the tribe, but all noted as desperate
fighters.

With this party "Hisso-de-cha" (the Spanish Serpent), might be said to
be on a perpetual war-path, for he was never contented to remain idly in
the village for any length of time, but was continually instituting
private forays in all directions. In these operations he was in no wise
particular as to the objects of his attacks. Plunder and slaughter being
apparently his only motive, he would attack any party he met with that
was not too numerous, and in this way had several times embroiled the
Camanches in war with friendly tribes, despite the stern reproofs he
received from Tonsaroyoo for his lawless conduct; his uniform good
fortune in these enterprises, however, had thus far prevented him from
falling into entire disrepute with the lead