To me Mary seemed like some bright being from another world. Her voice
was soft and sweet. She always came to our home with her father, the
chief. Then she would take me in her arms, calling me her little white
"papoose." She would put me in my cradle, rocking and singing me to
sleep with her quiet, soft voice. Many were the strings of beads and
deer skin moccasins she gave me. She made me some dolls and put pretty
dresses on them. She was always doing something nice for us children and
was very fond of us. One day she asked little brother if he would give
her little sister, meaning me, for one of her pretty pet fawns. He
said, "Yes." When she started with me in her arms toward the door he
screamed and cried so hard before she could make him know she was only
in fun. He said, "Don't take my little sister. Go over the river to the
big house and take that 'papoose' because it cries so much." When the
older brothers came they said, "Why didn't you trade little sister for
the fawn and two cub bears?" Mary told her father. When he came again he
brought the fawn and two cubs to see if the boys would trade me away for
them. As soon as the boys saw the fawn and the cubs they began to cry
and beg mother not to let me go. They did not want to trade little
sister off for any thing. All the time the chief remained they watched
me, fearing he might take me. He was greatly amused at the joke. I was
delighted to play with the fawn and the cubs were like kittens to play.
The fawn was inseparable from Mary, it loved her so.
The days were longer now and the snow all gone. Grass was beginning to
show in many places. The sun shone warm and bright. Mother said, "Spring
is here, now don't you hear the birds sing?" Grandpa took us for little
walks, but not far, as the wolves were always near almost every morning.
Sometimes two or three deer would come tearing past our door, jumping
into the river to save themselves from the packs of wolves chasing them,
and the bears would swim across the mouth of the river. Indian hunters
were always coming home from the hunt loaded with game. Their deer meat
was dried and smoked for future use. The wolves would come close to our
house and little brother and I would often try to call them to come and
get some bread and butter, we thinking them dogs. Grandpa and Bob were
always near us or we would have been eaten alive by the wolves.