ad a good supply of red, blue, green and
white blankets, also cloth of brilliant dye, so that when their summer
festival occurred the Indians did not lack gayly colored garments.
Paints were bought by them at pleasure. Short sleeves were the fashion
in their buckskin dresses, and beads and porcupine quills were the
principal decorations.

When circumstances are favorable, the Indians are the happiest people in
the world. There were entertainments every single day, which everybody
had the fullest opportunity to see and enjoy. If anything, the poorest
profited the most by these occasions, because a feature in each case was
the giving away of savage wealth to the needy in honor of the event. At
any public affair, involving the pride and honor of a prominent family,
there must always be a distribution of valuable presents.

One bright summer morning, while we were still at our meal of jerked
buffalo meat, we heard the herald of the Wahpeton band upon his calico
pony as he rode around our circle.

"White Eagle's daughter, the maiden Red Star, invites all the maidens
of all the tribes to come and partake of her feast. It will be in the
Wahpeton camp, before the sun reaches the middle of the sky. All pure
maidens are invited. Red Star also invites the young men to be present,
to see that no unworthy maiden should join in the feast."

The herald soon completed the rounds of the different camps, and it was
not long before the girls began to gather in great numbers. The fort
was fully alive to the interest of these savage entertainments. This
particular feast was looked upon as a semi-sacred affair. It would be
desecration for any to attend who was not perfectly virtuous. Hence
it was regarded as an opportune time for the young men to satisfy
themselves as to who were the virtuous maids of the tribe.

There were apt to be surprises before the end of the day. Any young man
was permitted to challenge any maiden whom he knew to be unworthy. But
woe to him who could not prove his case. It meant little short of death
to the man who endeavored to disgrace a woman without cause.

The youths had a similar feast of their own, in which the eligibles were
those who had never spoken to a girl in the way of courtship. It was
considered ridiculous so to do before attaining some honor as a warrior,
and the novices prided themselves greatly upon their self control.

From the various camps the girls came singly or in groups, dressed in
b