THE LAST MAN !-STRANGE BELIEFS.



a great disgrace. The Dakotas especially deem it so,
since it was a part of the punishment of a murderer,
and was also the reward of treachery.  A Dakota
woman, however, and sometimes a young brave, will
vow to cut off her or his hair in case an earnestly
wished-for event transpires happily; but even under
such circumstances they do not cut it off short, but
merely clip a few hairs. An Indian's face painted
black, indicates his desire to kill somebody. (See ar-
ticle, "A Run for Life.")
  Praying or invoking and vowing are quite common
among the Sioux. A brave starts upon a war-party and
is suddenly surrounded by the enemy with but little
hope of escape. Making a vow to Ta-kux-kanx-kan, or
some other divinity that he will make a certain number
of beasts in his honor, or that he will go upon so many
war-parties during the ensuing year, if the God will
only assist him, or some other vow, he plunges into the
fight. If he escapes he is sure to keep his vow, for it is
a thing sacred, in his mind, and not to be trifled with.
An Indian hunting in the woods loses his way, becomes
frightened and thinks he is in great danger.  He im-
mediately makes a vow, that if he is saved, he will as-
sume this or that character for such a length of time;
and on reaching home in safety he at once does so. In
fact the Mohammedan pilgrims or the Hindoo faquirs
are not more earnest in their vows nor more scrupulous
in performing them than are the Dakotas. They are
superstitious in the extreme, and look upon a broken
vow as irreparable and certain to call down the anger of
the spirits upon them. It was this superstitious feeling
which found vent when they heard for the first time,
the report of a rifle, upon which they cried out; "Wa-



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