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55

Departure from the strict adhesiveness to the marriage law or rather custom as there is neither sin or ? among the indians ? in the case of a woman subject her to the punishment of death if her lord and master sees fit or he not infrequently cut off the end of her nose and turns her out a common woman upon the camp. In Egypt B.C. 2000 by the law prescribed; (according to James McCabe) adultery was punished "a man by mutilation a woman by the loss of her nose" The indian brave is as a rule unpunished except in cases where the unfaithful wife can be traced to his teepee. When if he pay the value of the squaw; determined by a council, to the husband he may keep her but it may occur that he refuses or is unable to pay others the irate husband may satisfy his vengeance by mutilating the squaw. an old chief having discarded his eloped squaw ordered her to cross her feet putting one upon the other. he then shot a rifle bullet through both feet "declaring" that she could now probably not run away again. Courtship is ordinarily in the Dakota camp a simple matter. The lover repairs to the teepee of his sweetheart and wrapped in his robe pours forth his soul in the music of the flute. and when she is ready that is when she pleases the maiden properly "roped" emerges and allows herself to be carried off by the waiting lover. should she cry out or resist his embrace she is released. If she yields passively and permits him to enfold her in his robe and they sit together and flirt in obscurity they are considered as engaged from that date. It then becomes the duty of Mother of the ? to visit he lodge of the mistress and compound with the old people especially the old man for his daughter's hand and this may and usually does create a long and animated discussion on both sides. The father generally asking a high price, and the mother in law of course sincerely objecting. At length the matter is settled by the lovers gathering together at his parents, where blankets and other articles he or his mother have determined as the right price for the wife. and in the afternoon he takes these things to the lodge of his sweetheart and ties up the poney or ponies and puts the other articles about and leaves them. If in the morning they are gone He is accepted and the squaw is his