NARRATIVE OF THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS. Part 7

We traveled

about ten miles that evening before we reached the place they resided.

They were then living at a sugar camp, where they had made sugar that

spring, on the west bank of the Wabash, about ten miles below the old

Kickapoos' trading town, opposite to the Weawes town. We arrived at

their sugar camp about two hours in the night. They then gave me to an

old Kickapoo chief, who was the father of the Indian that carried the

gun, and the squaw, and the father-in-law of the funny Indian. The old

chief soon began to inquire of me where I lived, and where the Indians

caught me. I told him. He then asked me if they did not kill an Indian

when they took me prisoner. I told him no, there was no body with me but

one man and he had no gun. He then asked me again, if the Indians did

not kill one of their own men when they took me. I told him I did not

know; the captain told me they did, but I did not see them kill him. The

old chief then told me that it was true, they did kill him, and said he

was a bad Indian, he wanted to kill me. By this time the young squaw,

the daughter of the old chief, whom I traveled in company with that

evening, had prepared a good supper for me; it was hominy beat in a

mortar, as white and as handsome as I ever saw, and well cooked; she

fried some dried meat, pounded very fine in a mortar, in oil, then

sprinkled sugar very plentifully over it. I ate very hearty; indeed, it

was all very good and well cooked. When I was done eating, the old

chief told me to eat more. I told him I had eat enough. He said no, if I

did not eat more I could not live. Then the young squaw handed me a

tincupful of water, sweetened with sugar. It relished very well. Then

the old chief began to make further inquiries. He asked me if I had a

wife and family. I told him I had a wife and three children. The old

chief then appeared to be very sorry for my misfortune, and told me that

I was among good Indians, I need not fear, they would not hurt me, and

after awhile I should go home to my family; that I should go down the

Wabash to Opost, from there down to the Ohio, then down the Ohio, and

then up the Mississippi to Kaskaskia. We sat up until almost midnight;

the old chief appeared very friendly indeed. The young squaw had

prepared a very good bed for me, with bearskins and blankets. I laid

down and slept very comfortably that night. It appeared as though I had

got into another world, after being confined and tied down with so many

ropes and the loss of sleep nine nights. I remained in bed pretty late

next morning. I felt quite easy in mind, but my wrists and legs pained

me very much and felt very sore. The young squaw had her breakfast

prepared and I eat very hearty. When breakfast was over this funny

Indian came over and took me to his cabin, about forty yards from the

old chief's. There were none living at that place then but the old

chief, his wife and daughter. They lived by themselves in one cabin and

the old chief's son and son-in-law and their wives in another cabin, and

a widow squaw, the old chief's daughter, lived by herself in a cabin

adjoining her brother and brother-in-law. None of them had any children

but the old chief. A few minutes after I went into this funny Indian's

cabin he asked me if I wanted to shave. I told him yes, my beard was

very long. He then got a razor and gave it to me. It was a very good

one. I told him it wanted strapping. He went and brought his shot-pouch

strap. He held one end and I the other end. I gave the razor a few

passes on the strap, and found the razor to be a very good one. By this

time the old chief's young squaw had come over; she immediately prepared

some hot water for me to shave, and brought it in a tincup and gave it

to me, and a piece of very good shaving soap. By the time I was done

shaving the young squaw had prepared some clean water in a pewter basin

for me to wash, and a cloth to wipe my hands and face. She then told me

to sit down on a bench; I did so. She got two very good combs, a coarse

and a fine one. It was then the fashion to wear long hair; my hair was

very long and very thick and very much matted and tangled; I traveled

without my hat or anything else on my head; that was the tenth day it

had not been combed. She combed out my hair very tenderly, and then took

the fine one and combed and looked over my head nearly one hour. She

then went to a trunk and got a ribbon and queued my hair very nicely.

The old chief's son then gave me a very good regimental blue cloth coat,

faced with yellow buff-colored cloth. The son-in-law gave me a very good

beaver macaroni hat. These they had taken from some officers they had

killed. Then the widow squaw took me into her cabin and gave me a new

ruffled shirt and a very good blanket. They told me to put them on; I

did so. When I had got my fine dress on, the funny Indian told me to

walk across the floor. I knew they wanted to have a little fun. I put my

arms akimbo with my hands on my hips, and walked with a very proud air

three or four times backwards and forwards across the floor. The funny

Indian said in Indian that I was a very handsome man and a big captain.

I then sat down, and they viewed me very much, and said I had a very

handsome leg and thigh, and began to tell how fast I ran when the

Indians caught me, and showed how I ran--like a bird flying. They

appeared to be very well pleased with me, and I felt as comfortable as

the nature of the case would admit of.