Page:Don Coronado through Kansas.djvu/248

INDIAli'S OF H3EOIC MOULD. 233 ivmcn we are informed was invariably insisted upon by the entertaining tribes; so the Kansans being the host caused a circular camp to be laid out where every visiting tribe must erect their tepees while sojourn- ing in the friendly territory, and on the present occa- sion the visitors were so arrabged that a large mush- room town had sprung up in the suburbs of Manhat- tan. Of course, the Osa^es speak the same tongue as the Kansans, an^ being their kin and nearest neigh- bors were the strongest numerically; then came the I^wnees, next the Omahas and last a few Missouris, all of whom were at that time on friendly terms (for a wonder). V The Indian lias always borne a reputation from earliest times as being of thefaeroic mold; that is, they love to do some act which would bring them to the favorable notice of thdr fellows, therefore hun- dreds of men on this July day 367 years ago were pre- pared and willing to go through any physical travail in their hope of doing some heroic deed that would bring upon them the eclat of the tribes, so there v/as no lack of contestants for the numerous sports. The day's program began earlier than the day previous, so at eight o'clock the band began to play; calf -skins stretched over a section of a hollow tree, and a good many of them, were the principal instru- ments, the thumping of which being accompanied with the words something like Yar, Yar, Yar, Goo, Goo, .Goo, Woo, Woo, Woo; others had tambourine drums, which they kept striking with a stick with some hide on the end to keep from injuring the thick porohment; then there were the fifes made by punch-