_Hunter._ Not always. Scalps are war trophies, and are generally regarded as proofs of the death of an enemy; but an Indian, inflamed with hatred and rage, and excited by victory, will not always wait till his foe has expired before he scalps him. The hair, as well as the scalp, of a fallen foe is carried off by the victorious Indian, and with it his clothes are afterwards ornamented. It is said, that, during the old French war, an Indian slew a Frenchman who wore a wig. The warrior stooped down, and seized the hair for the purpose of securing the scalp. To his great astonishment, the wig came off, leaving the head bare. The Indian held it up, and examining it with great wonder, exclaimed, in broken English, "Dat one big lie." _Brian._ How the Indian would stare! _Basil._ He had never seen a wig before, I dare say. _Hunter._ The arms of Indians, offensive and defensive, are, for the most part, those which I have mentioned--the club, the tomahawk, the bow and arrow, the spear, the shield and the scalping-knife. But the use of fire-arms is gradually extending among them. Some of their clubs are merely massy pieces of hard, heavy wood, nicely fitted to the hand, with, perhaps, a piece of hard bone stuck in the head part; others are curiously carved into fanciful and uncouth shapes; while, occasionally, may be seen a frightful war-club, knobbed all over with brass nails, with a steel blade at the end of it, a span long. _Austin._ What a terrible weapon, when wielded by a savage! [Illustration: _a_, scalping-knife. _b_, ditto, in sheath. _c_, _d_, war-clubs. _e_, _e_, tomahawks. _g_, whip.] _Brian._ I would not go among the Indians, with their clubs and tomahawks, for a thousand dollars. _Basil._ Nor would I: they would be sure to kill me. _Hunter._ The tomahawk is often carved in a strange manner; and some of the bows and arrows are admirable. The bow formed of bone and strong sinews is a deadly weapon; and some Indians have boasted of having sent an arrow from its strings right through the body of a buffalo. _Austin._ What a strong arm that Indian must have had! Through a buffalo's body! _Hunter._ The quiver is made of the skin of the panther, or the otter; and some of the arrows it contains are usually poisoned. _Brian._ Why, then, an arrow is sure to kill a person, if it hits him. _Hunter._ It is not likely that an enemy, badly wounded with a poisoned arrow, will survive; for the head is set on loosely, in order that, when the arrow is withdrawn, the poisoned barb may remain in the wound. How opposed are these cruel stratagems of war to the precepts of the gospel of peace, which are "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you!" _Basil._ What will you do, Austin, if you go among the Indians, and they shoot you with a poisoned arrow? _Austin._ Oh, I shall carry a shield. You heard that the Indians carry shields.