Every girl was beautifully dressed, for at that
time the white doeskin gowns, with a profusion
of fringes and colored embroidery, were the
gala attire of the Sioux maidens. Red paint was
added, and ornaments of furs and wampum.
Many youths eagerly surveyed the maiden gath-
ering, at which the daughter of Tamakoche out-
shone all the rest.
"Several eligible warriors now pressed their
suits at the chieftain's lodge, and among them
were one or two whom he would have gladly
called son-in-law; but no! Makatah would not
listen to words of courtship. She had vowed,
she said, to the spirits of her three brothers--
each of whom fell in the country of the Crows
--that she would see that country before she
became a wife.
"Red Horn, who was something of a leader
among the young men, was a persistent and de-
termined suitor. He had urged every influential
friend of his and hers to persuade her to listen
to him. His presents were more valuable than
those of any one else. He even made use of
his father's position as a leading chief of the
Cut-Head band to force a decision in his favor;
and while the maiden remained indifferent her
father seemed inclined to countenance this
young man's pretensions.
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