o know, and who came from the prairie. This odd man called for
some edge-tool at every wigwam in the village; and all these tools, at
the end of the ceremonies, were cast into the river from a high bank;
as an offering, I suppose, to the Water spirit. After opening the
mystery lodge, and appointing a medicine man to preside, he once more
disappeared on the prairie.

_Brian._ What an odd thing!

_Hunter._ Twenty or thirty young men were in the lodge, candidates for
reputation among the tribe, who had presented themselves to undergo
the prescribed tortures. As they reclined in the lodge, every one had
hung up over his head, his shield, his bow and quiver, and his
medicine bag. The young men were painted different colours. The old
mystery man appointed to superintend the ceremonies sat by a fire in
the middle of the lodge, smoking leisurely with his medicine pipe, in
honour of the Great Spirit; and there he sat for four days, and as
many nights, during which the young men neither tasted food nor drink,
nor were they allowed to close their eyes.

_Basil._ It was enough to kill them all.

_Hunter._ On the floor of the lodge were buffalo and human skulls, and
sacks filled with water, shaped like tortoises, with sticks by them.
During each of the four days, the buffalo dance was performed over and
over again, by Indians, painted, and wearing over them whole buffalo
skins, with tails and hoofs and horns; while in their hands they
carried rattles, and long, thin, white wands, and bore on their backs
bundles of green boughs of the willow. Some of the dancers were
painted red, to represent the day; and others black, with stars, to
resemble the night. During these dances, which took place round the
Great Canoe, the tops of the wigwams were crowded with people.

_Austin._ I want to hear about the young Indians in the lodge, and
that old fellow, the mystery man.

_Hunter._ The superstitious and cruel practices of the mystery lodge
are too fearful to dwell upon. I shall only just glance at them, that
you may know, in some degree, the kind of trials the young Indians
have to endure. While the dances were going on, mystery men, inside
the lodge, were beating on the water sacks with sticks, and animating
the young men to act courageously, telling them that the Great Spirit
was sure to support them. Splints, or wooden skewers, were then run
through the flesh on the back and breasts of the young warriors, and
they were hoisted up, w