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Show FORTY YEARS AMONG THE INDIANS. 329 I asked to see this " doctor." This was declined. I insisted, telling the chief that I would neither befriend him nor his people, nor talk to them about anything more until this " doctor" was shown me. This the old fellow did not like; for I had done them much good already, and was continually watching and protecting their interests. They all knew this and apprciated the same. Numbers of the old men gathered around, chatting together. I continued to repeat my request to see the " doctor." Finally, he was brought out. I managed, after talking a long time, to really convince these Indians that it was wrong to believe in witches or, at least, to kill them. They agreed to quit the practice and I had rea-son to believe that they were partially converted, at least, for the poor fellow, who had been almost killed, came to my ranch a few weeks after this. He was terribly banged up ; but, as soon as he could possibly travel, he came to let me know that I had saved him ; that his peo-ple had agreed not to kill him, and that he would always call himself my boy, as I had saved his life. Many persons were jealous of my influence with the natives and wondered how I managed to obtain so much power over them. I simply acted as a friend, and the Indians knew this. One circumstance I will relate that will explain a little of this power. There was one of our white set-tlers who had lost his only cow. She was running on the river bottom, near the Indian camp. At the time this occurred the commander at McDowell was Captain Norval, a rather impetuous officer. A letter was sent to this officer, stating that the Indians had stolen and killed the - only cow that a poor man had and calling on him to come and redress the |