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Show 196 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF happening to pass, asked the girl if she was not the wife of the Enemy of Horses. She answered that she was. " I thought so," he said, "because you are such a pretty little squaw; but you have no husban.d now; he was shot through the head in the fort, and Instant- · ly killed; and here you are playing with sticks!" The poor thing, together with her mother, screamed out at the intelligence, and, seizing a battle-axe, each cut off a finger. The girl then stabbed her forehead with a knife, and was instantly dripping with blood. The chief came laughing to me, and said, "That little wife of yours loves you better than any of your other . " WIVeS. " How do you know ?" I inquired. " Because I told them all you were dead, and she was the only one that cut off a finger;" and he laugh-ed aloud as he passed on. .. Soon, however, she climbed the wall, and forced her way into the fort, and came directly to me. She presented a sickening spectacle, and was covered entirely with blood. Seeing me, she burst into tears, and . as soon as she could articulate, said, "Why, you are not dead, after all! Owl Bear told me you were krlled, and I came to seek your body." "Who are you mour ing for?" I asked; "is your brother or father scalped?" " No ; I mourned because I thought you were killed; Owl Bear told me you were." "You must not believe all you hear," I said; " some Indians have crooked tongues. But come and spread · your robe, and carry this gun and spoils of my first _._, .. ·victim to the village, and there wash your fac~ and bind up your finger." \ "' .. ! • • i . • • : ~ .1. ... .. .. ... JAMES P. BECKWOUR'l'H. 197 She did as I uected her, and departed . As soon as we had collected all the trophies bequeathed us by our fallen foes, and gathered all our own .dead, we moved back to the new camp. On our way, I exerted myself to the utmost to conso.le the afflicted mourners. I told them that their friends were happy in the spirit land, where there were no enemies to fight, where all was· everlasting contentment, and where they were happy in endless amusement. I ·said that in a few days· I would avenge the fall of our warriors, and depart for that peaceful land myself. I could plainly see that this last promise afforded them more satisfaction than all my other consoling re- , marks; but I disliked to see their horrid fashion of mourning, and my promise of future victory speedily washed their faces of their present grief; for a promise fi·om me was confided in by all the tribe. There was, of course, · no dancing, for we had lost too many warriors ; but in the evening there was great visi~ing throughout the village, to talk over the events of the day, and hear the statements of those who had taken part in the battle. Long Hair came to the lodge of ~y father to congratulate me on my great feat in scaling ··the wall, and to talk of the victory of his people achieved through my valor. All who were present related the deeds they had performed. As each narrated his exploits, all 'listened with profound attention. While this was going on, my little wife, who sat .near by, crawled behind me, and, whispering in my ear, inquired if I had obtained any coos. r.rhese coos she inquired after are the same as counts in a game of billiards : the death of one warrior counts as one ; of two warriors counts as two ; every battle-axe or gun taken counts one to the victor's merit. I said I had • • |