The Doctor could not speak to this fair lady except with his eyes, with the softest expressions of which he lost no time or opportunity; and (for several combined reasons, no doubt) he seemed quite unambitious to leave his seat to "_saw the air_," and strike for a repetition of the applause he had gained the night before.
Unfortunately in some respects, and as fortunately no doubt in others, the splendid "_Roman Nose_" held his position at the farther end of the platform during the greater part of the evening; and the Doctor, for the several reasons already imagined, remained in the close vicinity of the fair dame, whose over-timidity, he feared, held her in an unnecessary and painful suspense.
In this position of things and of parties, the amusements allotted for the evening had commenced, and were progressing, amidst the roars of applause that were ready at the close of each dance. They commenced by giving the _"Welcome Dance" and song_[10] peculiar to their tribe. The sentiment of this being explained by me, gave great pleasure to the audience, and prepared them for the dances and amusements which were to follow.
[10] This peculiar dance is given to a stranger, or strangers, whom they are decided to welcome in their village; and out of respect to the person or persons to whom they are expressing this welcome, the musicians and all the spectators rise upon their feet while it is being danced.
The song is at first a lament for some friend, or friends, who are dead or gone away, and ends in a gay and lively and cheerful step, whilst they are announcing that the friend to whom they are addressing it is received into the place which has been left.
They next announced the "_Bear Dance_" and amused the audience very much in its execution. This curious dance is given when a party are preparing to hunt the _black bear_, for its delicious food; or to contend with the more ferocious and dangerous "_grizly bear_," when a similar appeal is made to the _bear-spirit_, and with similar results, (_i.e._) all hands having strictly attended to the important and necessary form of conciliating in this way the good will and protection of the peculiar _spirit_ presiding over the destinies of those animals, they start off upon their hunt with a confidence and prospect of success which they could not otherwise have ventured to count upon. In this grotesque and amusing mode, each dancer imitates with his hands, alternately, the habits of the bear when running, and when sitting up, upon its feet, its paws suspended from its breast.
