(1) _Pledge to follow a chief._--p. 153.
All those who enlist themselves on a war expedition give the chief a
bit of bark with their mark upon it, and he who after that draws back
is scarcely safe while he lives; at least he would be dishonoured for
ever.
Once enlisted, to turn back is, in their opinion, a disgrace of so
deep die that they encounter death rather than submit to it. They
carry this chivalrous principle to an extent which finds no parallel
in modern, and scarcely in ancient, history. Lewis and Clarke, in
their Expedition up the Missouri, (vol. 1. p. 60, Philadelphia, 1814),
speak of an association among the Yanktons, "of the most brave and
active young men, who are bound to each other by attachment, secured
by a vow _never to retreat before any danger, or give way to their
enemies_. When the Yanktons were crossing the Missouri on the ice, a
hole lay immediately in their course, which might easily have been
avoided by going round. This, the foremost of the band disdained to
do, but went straight forward, and was lost. The others would have
followed his example, but were forcibly prevented by the rest of the
tribe. There were twenty-two of these warriors at one time, but in a
battle with the Kite Indians of the Black Mountains eighteen of them
were killed; the remaining four were dragged from the field of battle
by their companions."
(2) _Spot which the Great Spirit had forgotten to level._--p. 153.
The Indians believe that the earth was at first very loosely thrown
together, and not intended as a place of permanent occupation for any
one. Their opinions respecting the roughness of the surface are
various and amusing. I asked a Cherokee what occasioned the surface of
the earth to be so very uneven. After a momentary hesitation he
replied, "It was done in a wrestling and boxing-match between the
Great Spirit and the Evil Spirit. While they were scuffling, the
latter, finding himself moved about easily, occasionally worked his
feet into the earth to enable him to stand longer. The valleys were
the holes his feet occupied, and the hills and mountains the sand
thrown out."