Dick witnessed this little incident; but he observed that the Indian
chief cared not a straw about it, and as his dog returned quietly
and sat down in its old place he took no notice of it either, but
continued to listen to the explanations which Joe gave to the chief,
of the desire of the Pale-faces to be friends with the Red-men.

Joe's eloquence would have done little for him on this occasion had
his hands been empty, but he followed it up by opening one of his
packs and displaying the glittering contents before the equally
glittering eyes of the chief and his squaws.

"These," said Joe, "are the gifts that the great chief of the
Pale-faces sends to the great chief of the Pawnees. And he bids me say
that there are many more things in his stores which will be traded for
skins with the Red-men, when they visit him; and he also says that if
the Pawnees will not steal horses any more from the Pale-faces, they
shall receive gifts of knives, and guns, and powder, and blankets
every year."

"Wah!" grunted the chief; "it is good. The great chief is wise. We
will smoke the pipe of peace."

The things that afforded so much satisfaction to San-it-sa-rish were
the veriest trifles. Penny looking-glasses in yellow gilt tin frames,
beads of various colours, needles, cheap scissors and knives,
vermilion paint, and coarse scarlet cloth, etc. They were of priceless
value, however, in the estimation of the savages, who delighted to
adorn themselves with leggings made from the cloth, beautifully worked
with beads by their own ingenious women. They were thankful, too, for
knives even of the commonest description, having none but bone ones of