Bill's fam'ly makes quite a herd, bucks an' squaws buttin' in on the discussion permiscus an' indiscrim'nate.

Shore! the squaws has as much to say as the bucks among Injuns.

They owns their own ponies an' backs their own play an' is as big a Injun as anybody, allowin' for that nacheral difference between squaw dooties an' buck dooties--one keeps camp while the other hunts, or doorin' war times when one protects the herds an' plunder while the other faces the foe.

You hears that squaws is slaves?
However is anybody goin' to be a slave where thar's as near nothin' to do in the way of work as is possible an' let a hooman live?
Son, thar ain't as much hard labour done in a Injun camp in a week--ain't as much to do as gets transacted at one of them rooral oyster suppers to raise money for the preacher! "Bill's fam'ly comes trailin' in to this powwow about pickin' out a squaw for Bill.

Besides Crooked Claw, thar's Bill's widow aunt, the Wild Cat--she's plumb cunnin', the Wild Cat is, an' jest then bein' cel'brated among the Osages for smokin' ponies with Black B'ar, a old buck, an' smokin' Black B'ar out of his two best cayouses.