ny thing is done without the medicine man. A
chief, in full dress, would as soon think of making his appearance
without his head as without his medicine bag. There is a saying among
the Indians, that "a man lying down, is medicine to the grizzly
bear;" meaning, that in such a position a bear will not hurt him.

_Basil._ Is it true? Will not the grizzly bear hurt a man when he is
lying down?

_Hunter._ So many people say; but I should be very sorry to trust the
grizzly bear. I am afraid that he would be paying his respects to me
in a very rough way.

_Austin._ What was it that you said about the medicine man bringing
rain?

_Hunter._ Some of them are famous for bringing rain in a dry season.

_Austin._ But they cannot really bring rain.

_Hunter._ The matter is managed in this way.--When once they undertake
to bring rain, they keep up their superstitious ceremonies, day after
day, till the rain comes. Oftentimes it is very long before they
succeed. It was in a time of great drought, that I once arrived at the
Mandan village on the Upper Missouri. At the different Indian
villages, peas and beans, wild rice, corn, melons, squashes, pumpkins,
peaches and strawberries were often found in abundance; but, on this
occasion, the Mandans had a very poor prospect of gathering any thing
that required rain to bring it to perfection. The young and the old
were crying out that they should have no green corn.

_Austin._ Why did they not tell the medicine men earlier to make the
rain come?

_Hunter._ They did so: but it was not quite convenient to the medicine
men; for they saw clearly enough that there was not the slightest
appearance of rain. After putting it off, day after day, the sky grew
a little cloudy to the west, when the medicine men assembled together
in great haste to make it rain.

_Brian._ Ay! they were very cunning.

_Hunter._ No sooner was it known that the medicine men were met
together in the mystery lodge, than the village was all in commotion.
They wanted rain, and they were very sure that their medicine men
could bring it when they pleased. The tops of the wigwams were soon
crowded. In the mystery lodge a fire was kindled, round which sat the
rain-makers, burning sweet-smelling herbs, smoking the medicine pipe,
and calling on the Great Spirit to open the door of the skies, and let
out the rain.

_Basil._ That is the way they make it rain, is it?

_Hunter._ At last, one of the rain-makers came out of