V
The prisoner of the Dacotahs
The Dacotahs had established their camp on the grassy bank of a tributary of the Plate. They had skilfully taken advantage of all the accidents in the terrain to establish their wigwams; every grove had been made available to shelter a tent or to facilitate the installation of household utensils.
The morning fires began to light, the women were busy preparing food while the brightly painted warriors smoked in silence in a contemplative attitude.
The children, half naked, were rolling on the grass, or jumping into the water like little seals in fits of wild gaiety.
Around the camp, lean, hungry dogs gnawed on abandoned bones and stole what they could, yelping sharply when an unexpected beating came as punishment for their misdeeds.
Within a carefully gua
