A Soldier Offered To Hold His Horse, But He
Would Not Dismount, And Sat His Horse With Grave Dignity Until Faye
Went Out And In Person Invited Him To Come In And Have A Smoke.
He is
an Indian of striking personality - is rather tall, with square, broad
shoulders, and the poise of his head tells one at once that he is not
an ordinary savage.
We must have found favor with him, for as he was going away he
announced that he would come again the next day and bring his squaw
with him. Then Faye, in his hospitable way, invited them to a midday
dinner! I was almost speechless from horror at the very thought of
sitting at a table with an Indian, no matter how great a chief he
might be. But I could say nothing, of course, and he rode away with
the understanding that he was to return the following day. Faye
assured me that it would be amusing to watch them, and be a break in
the monotony here.
They appeared promptly, and I became interested in Wauk at once, for
she was a remarkable squaw. Tall and slender, with rather a thin,
girlish face, very unlike the short, fat squaws one usually sees, and
she had the appearance of being rather tidy, too. I could not tell if
she was dressed specially for the occasion, as I had never seen her
before, but everything she had on was beautifully embroidered with
beads - mostly white - and small teeth of animals. She wore a sort of
short skirt, high leggings, and of course moccasins, and around her
shoulders and falling far below her waist was a queer-shaped
garment - neither cape nor shawl - dotted closely all over with tiny
teeth, which were fastened on at one end and left to dangle.
High up around her neck was a dog collar of fine teeth that was really
beautiful, and there were several necklaces of different lengths
hanging below it, one of which was of polished elk teeth and very
rare. The skins of all her clothing had been tanned until they were as
soft as kid. Any number of bracelets were on her arms, many of them
made of tin, I think. Her hair was parted and hung in loose ropes down
each shoulder in front. Her feet and hands were very small, even for
an Indian, and showed that life had been kind to her. I am confident
that she must have been a princess by birth, she was so different from
all squaws I have seen. She could not speak one word of English, but
her lord, whom she seemed to adore, could make himself understood very
well by signs and a word now and then.
Powder-Face wore a blanket, but underneath it was a shirt of fine
skins, the front of which was almost covered with teeth, beads, and
wampum. His hair was roped on each side and hung in front, and the
scalp lock on top was made conspicuous by the usual long feather stuck
through it.
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