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Show • 27U AUTOBlOGRAl'HY 0.1!' and raise the skin in the same manner, to make the scars show to advantage after the wound was healed. Some of their mutilations were ghastly, and my heart sickened to look at them ; but they would not appear to receive any pain from them. It was frequently asked of me why I did not mourn. I told them that my medicine forbade me to mourn in their manner, but that I mourned in my heart, and in painting my face. I would frequently represent to them _the folly of maiming themselves, and appearing before the eyes of the Great Spirit so greatly disfigured; but I lost my labor. By torturing themselves their pagan minds supposed they were renderinO' acceptable sacrifices to the Great Spirit, and perfo1~ing penance for offenses against his will. It was religion· d . ' an to Interfere with their received opinions would have subjected me to the imputation of infidel, and perhaps have entailed upon me expulsion from my high office. . The mourning over, I selected seventy young warnors.' and star:ed out in search of feats of arms (accordmg to theu custom), to prove my fortune in my new office. I crossed the Missouri into the As-ne-boine country, where we fell in with fifteen Indians and four old women. We killed them all, and returned home with their scalps. There was but slight rejoicing on my return, on account of our recent affiiction. I shoul~ have mentioned that at the assembly of our t.w o v. illa. ges a grand council was held , where n· l ~erta1n pnnc1ples of action were deliberated and ad- J~lsted. C?n the death of a chief all his' plans die with h1m, and 1t devolves upon his successor to come t an understanding with his confederate head h. £ Io 1 . d 1 . c 1e . n t liS e Iberation it is determined upon what rules the • JAMES P. HECKWOUR'l'H. 27l villages shall move, which direction each shall take, and what shall be the relations existing between them. There is generally a harmony preserved between the chiefs, and much method is shown in the preliminary adj"':lstment of details. Long Hair and myself were the best of friends, and my allied brother was the elect to the office of Sixth Counselor, so that there was a promising indication of unanimity in our administra-tion. The villages then separated, with an understanding that they should again assemble at the fort in one moon. The attention of the nation was turned to trapping and killing buffalo, and the stock of accumulated peltry that fall was prodigious. vVhen I started on my excursion to the As-neboines, Pine Leaf begged to accompany me. I-Ier arm was far from sound, and I refused to take her. flowever, soon. after I had left, one of my leaders invaded the Cheyenne country, and, regardless of my wishes, she accompanied the expedition. She was brought home, as all supposed, mortally wounded. A ball had penetrated her left breast, just escaping the heart; it had passed through her body, coming out at the shoulder- blade, and tearing away a portion of it in its exit. On seeing her in this pitiable condition, I resigned all hope of her recovery. "So much," said I, "for disregarding my counsel. I would not allow you to go with me, . in consideration of your wound ; but you took advantage of my absence, and now you are done for." "Well," she replied, "I am sorry that I did not list-en to my chief; but I gained two coos." The party accompanying . her lost four warriors, wounded in rescuing her, and saving her scalp. She • |
