"
"I am aware of all that, Pigeonswing, and wish it had not been so. I
found the body of Elksfoot sitting up against a tree soon after you
left me, and knew by whose hands he had fallen."
"Didn't find scalp, eh?"
"No, the scalp had been taken; though I accounted that but for
little, since the man's life was gone. There is little gained by
carrying on war in this manner, making the woods, and the openings,
and the prairies, alike unsafe. You see, to what distress this
family is reduced by your Injin manner of making war."
"How you make him, den--want, to hear. Go kiss, and give venison to
inimy, or go get his scalp, eh? Which bess fashion to make him
afeard, and own you master?"
"All that may be done without killing single travellers, or
murdering women and children. The peace will be made none the sooner
between England and America, because you have got the scalp of
Elksfoot."
"No haben't got him any longer; wish had--Pottawattamie take him
away, and say he bury him. Well, let him hide him in a hole deep as
white man's well, can't hide Pigeonswing honor dere, too. Dat is
safe as notch cut on stick can make him!"
This notch on a stick was the Indian mode of gazetting a warrior;
and a certain number of these notches was pretty certain to procure
for him a sort of savage brevet, which answered his purpose quite as
well as the modern mode of brevetting at Washington answers our
purpose.
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