famous instrument, in order to render it lighter. On the exterior of this tchant-cheega-kabo, he painted the figures of a grizzly bear, of a tortoise, of a buffalo bull - three superior genii in the catalogue of the Indian manitous. Between these figures were painted human heads, without scalps, filling every space, about eighty in number. On the skin of the drum, a chief of the Blackfeet tribe was represented, without a scalp, in black, and daubed with vermilion.
He had finished his work, and made all his preparations. At midnight the voice of Tchatka was heard, with the muffled sound of his tchant-cheega, which resounded through the camp. As though just coming forth from an ecstasy, he offered aloud his thankgivings and his invocations to the Great Spirit, and to all his favorite manitous, to thank them for the new favors with which they had just crowned him, the effects of which were to reflect upon the whole tribe. Without delay, every one listened to his call and repaired to his lodge. Observing the usual customs, the counselors, the principal among the braves and soldiers, entered first, and soon filled his abode; while hundreds of the curious, old and young, collected and besieged it without. Curiosity is at its highest pitch; they are on fire to learn the explanation of the mysterious news; they wait with anxious impatience.
As a preliminary, Tchatka intoned a beautiful war-song, without paying the slightest attention to the multitude which pressed around him. In his quality of medicine man, his head-dress was made of swan's-down; his face and his breast were painted in figures of different colors; his lips, dyed with vermilion, indicated that he thirsted for blood and breathed the spirit of war. When he perceived that the whole band was around him, he arose, and with the voice of a stentor, addressed the assembly.
" I dreamed," said he, " friends and warriors, I dreamed! During five days and five nights, I was admitted into the land of spirits; living, I walked among the dead. My eyes have witnessed ffightful scenes; my ears have heard fright-