Show CATCHING NG SIOUX isman INDIAN ginis polygamy is practiced in the tribe but not extensively A man may have as many wives as he be can keep but he must boythem buy them the universal price of a wife Is a pony or for a white man an american horse A squaw once bought becomes the immediate property of the purchaser but he must catch her men have bought wives and never been able to catch them chem most of them however are quite willing to be caught an indian several years ago took a fancy to an officers horse and aud tried in every way to purchase him but the officer would not part with the animal finally the indian offered his sister a beautiful girl in exchange for the horse fearing he would steal or maim the animal and not wishing to offend him the officer gave the indian the horse but declined to receive the girl in return the u lady however was informed tahe iho that a she was sold nna ana and so the matter stood after waiting fer fen for fon a long time for her husland to come aad and claim her she one day as he rode by camp put herself in the way when teeing seeing he took no notice of her she naively asked why dont you catch me the officer who had never seen her before inquired what she meant when she roundly told him she was his wife and not at all pleased that he had not come to her he never claimed her but she was regarded by her tribe as the white mans s squaw baw and at last accounts she was still single and waiting for her husband some of the sioux are quite rich in horses cattle and f furs and edu educate ite their children I 1 am to told spotted eail ball tail tall has two of his daughters now at school in the north and that the misses spotted tail tall are very good looking and intelligent girls generally the women are homely being compelled to labor hard while the men do ittle little but hunt fish and make war now and then how low however a handsome sioux girl is seen but almost invariably she has lice in her heads cracking lice is one of the occupations of the sioux women if a womans comans husband leaves her she does not lose caste but can marry again A man who leaves one ohe wife generally finds it difficult to get another Ifa if a girl is unfortunate her lover must pay one two or three horses or her friends will kill him in all cases of rape the penalty is death new york tribune |