Character of the Doctor (_mystery_ or _medicine man_)--An omnibus drive--The Doctor's admiration of the "jolly fat dame"--Jealousy--War-dress and war-paint of the _Roman-nose_--His appearance--He leads the War-dance--The Welcome-dance, and Bear-dance--Description of--Pipe-of-peace (or Calumet) dance, and Scalp-dance--_Chip-pe-ho-la (the Author)_--Speech of the War-chief--The "jolly fat dame"--She presents a gold bracelet to _Roman-nose_--Jealousy and distress of the Doctor--She converses with Daniel--Two reverend gentlemen converse with the Indians about religion--Reply of White-cloud and War-chief--Questions by the reverend gentlemen--Answers by the War-chief--Indians invited to breakfast with Mr. Disraeli, M.P., Park Lane--Indians' toilette and dress--The Doctor and Jim (Wash-ka-mon-ya) fasting for the occasion.
On paying a visit to the lodgings of the Indians, after they had returned from the exhibition, I found them in a merry mood, cracking their jokes upon the Doctor, who had put himself forward in so conspicuous a manner, to the great amusement of the ladies. During the exhibition, it would have appeared, from his looks and his actions, that he was to be perfectly happy for a twelvemonth at least; but he now appeared sad and dejected as he listened to their jokes, and turned his splendid bracelet around with his fingers. Several of the women had received brooches and other trinkets of value, and all had been highly pleased.
It seemed that the War-chief was looked upon by the rest of the party as their orator; and, on an occasion like that which had just passed by, it was usual, and was expected, that he would have arisen and made a speech; and it was as little expected that the Doctor, who, they said, was a very diffident and backward man on such occasions, should have had so much, or anything to say. But the Doctor was a man of talent and wit, and with an exorbitant share of vanity and self-conceit, which were excited to that degree by the irresistible smiles of the ladies, that he was nerved with courage and ambition to act the part that he did through the evening. Under the momentary excitement of his feelings, he had, to be sure, but innocently, stepped a little out of his sphere, and in the way of the chiefs, which had somewhat annoyed them at the time, but of which they were now rather making merry than otherwise. The Doctor was a good-natured and harmless man, and entirely the creature of impulse. He was always polite, though not always in good humour. The two leading traits in his character, one or the other of which was always conspicuous, were extreme buoyancy of spirits and good humour, when he smiled upon everybody and everything around him, or silent dejection, which bade defiance to every social effort. In either of these moods he had the peculiarities of being entirely harmless, and of remaining in them but a very short time; and _between_ these moods, he was like a _spirit level_, exceedingly difficult to hold at a balance.