them in to their dinner. They didn't say "In a minute," as little
white children very often do, but went right away.

[Illustration: TOOK THEIR BABY BROTHERS ON THEIR BACKS.]

[Illustration]

THE WAR DANCE.

I fancy that little white children don't know that their red brothers
like to dress up in grown-up people's things just as much as they do.

One day several little SIOUX Indian boys decided to have a war dance.
They braided each other's hair, and one little boy was so vain that,
while his companion was braiding his hair, he kept admiring himself in a
little piece of looking-glass that he held in his hand. After all had
their hair finished, they put on the dance costumes just as they had
seen their fathers do. Each wore the roach on his head, beads around his
neck, and the belt; then each took his little bow and they started to
have the dance.

When the girls heard their little brothers playing outside, they went to
the doors of their lodges to watch them. Then the boys had to do their
best, of course, to show the girls what brave warriors they were going
to be.

[Illustration: KEPT ADMIRING HIMSELF IN A LITTLE PIECE OF
LOOKING-GLASS.]

An old grandfather was sitting out-of-doors sunning himself; so the boys
brought a tom-tom, and asked him to make music for them. Then they
danced the war dance in earnest--a true imitation of their fathers. They
danced for several hours, until they were so tired they could dance no
longer; then they retired to a tepee, which they made believe was their
council house, and in council they decided that the little girls would
surely have much more respect for them in the future.

[Illustration: THE LITTLE GIRLS WOULD HAVE MORE RESPECT FOR THEM.]

[Illustration]

TAKING CARE OF THE PONIES.

Out in the real wild West, where the PONCA Indians live when they are at
home, there are bears, mountain lions, wolves, foxes, and many other
wild animals, always roaming about in quest of food.

Every evening, when it begins to get dark, the little boys have to go
out and gather together all the horses, drive them to the village, and
picket them for the night where the men can watch and keep them safe,
not only from wild animals, but from Indians belonging to hostile
tribes, out on horse-stealing expeditions.

[Illustration: THE WOLF.]

After the horses are safely picketed around camp, the small boys can
play and have a good time; but they have to go to bed early be