As  may  readily  be  inferred  from  what  I  have
already  said  about  Indians,  these  conversations  are
not  characterized  by  the  most  perfect  propriety,  or
even  decency,  but  nothing  that  creates  fun  can  be
amiss  to  the  Indian,  and  all  must  be  taken  with  the
most  perfect  good  humor.  It  would  be  a  monstrous
breach  of  good  manners  to  get  angry  at  anything
said  or  done  in  this  figure.
Another  figure  creates  great  merriment.  It  is
called  the  "kissing  dance."  The  leading  woman
selects  a  partner  as  before.  After  dancing  around
together,  they  separate,  and  each  selects  another  of
opposite  sex,  and  so  on  until  the  floor  is  filled.  At  a
signal  all  go  to  their  proper  partners,  that  is,  the
leading  woman  goes  back  to  the  man  she  first  selected,
the  two  selected  by  him  and  her  go  together,  those
chosen  by  these  go  together,  and  so  to  the  end.  Then
all  seat  themselves  on  the  ground,  couples  facing
each  other,  when  the  man  deliberately  kisses  the
woman,  the  more  modest  couples  drawing  a  shawl
over  their  heads  during  this  act.
The  fun  of  this  dance  is,  that  while  the  leader  can
select  the  man  she  wishes  to  kiss,  she  and  he  can
select  those  least  likely  to  wish  to  kiss  each  other;
she,  taking  up  a  young  love-sick  boy,  and  he  a
woman  old  enough  to  be  his  grandmother,  or  vice
versa.
No  end  of  fun  is  created  by  the  complications  that
a  few  bright  and  mischievous  couples  can  make.
24


376  EATING   DANCE.
