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Show 280 TATSIKI-STOMIK AND OTHER CHIEFS. Kiaiu immediately appeared, and declared " that he already felt an inclination to fire at those people ; and that there would certainly be blood shed, if they were not kept at a distance ; especially if the minds of the parties were excited by the trade." In consequence of this declaration, Mr. Mitchell sent Berger, the interpreter, over the river, to represent to the Blood Indians the state of affairs, and to signify to them that it would be better to defer their trade till that with the Piekanns was over ; with this declaration they were satisfied, and withdrew. The chiefs who were now in the fort were the leaders of the Piekanns, Tatsiki-Stomik, Penukah-Zenin, Sachkomapoh (the little boy), Kitsipooch-Kiaiu (the spotted bear), Kiaiu-Stoman (the bear knife), Ninoch-Kiaiu (the bear chief), who, however, did not enter with the others, and was meanly dressed on account of his mourning: as also Haisikat, Mikutseh-Stomik (the red buffalo), Achsapacke (the handsome woman), Ihkas-Kinne (the bent cowhorn), and one or two others, whose names I have forgotten.* Among them there were fine, tall, robust men, and all wore extremely handsome and costly dresses, many of them ornamented with strips of ermine. Tatsiki-Stomik, in particular, wore a shirt of very white bighorn leather, embroidered on the sleeves with blue flowers, ornamented on the right arm with long slips of white ermine, rolled up, with red feathers, and on the left with tufts of long black hair. Across his shoulder he wore a palatine of otter skins, at each end of which there was a tassel of slips of ermine. The faces of the chiefs were painted with vermilion and the blue earth of the Rocky Mountains ; they were unfortunately wet through, especially their beautiful shoes, by the rain falling so inopportunely. The old Middle-Bull had a venerable look ; he was not tall; the expression of his countenance was goodnatured and thoughtful. He promised to sit for his portrait, which he did in the sequel, unhappily not in his handsome dress, but in his everyday clothes. The portrait (Plate XLV., the left-hand figure) is extremely like, and perfectly gives the honest expression of the old man's countenance. When the chiefs had taken their places in Mr. Mitchell's room, old Middle-Bull spoke nearly to the following effect:-" He hoped that the Whites would renounce their bad opinion of them, and not believe that they took their skins and furs to the English : for it was evidently their (the Piekanns') own interest to be on good terms with the fort situated in their neighbourhood, the English settlements being at much too great a distance ; that, if some of their people talked of carrying their beaver skins to the trading posts of the Hudson's Bay Company, it was merely to try to obtain goods on lower terms." After this speech the chiefs, having received presents, gradually withdrew, and the trade began. It was not long before a dispute arose at the gate, in which an Indian drew his knife against the doorkeeper ; but he was turned out by the chief, Penukah-Zenin, who was still there, and in this manner tranquillity was restored. Meantime, some troops of * Onistahna (the chief of the white buffalo cow) was considered the principal chief of all the Blackfeet. |