From these he selected whatever suited his sovereign pleasure; blankets, tobacco, whiskey, powder, ball, beads, and red paint; and laid the articles on one side, without deigning to give any compensation.

Then calling to him his herald or crier, he would order him to mount on top of the lodge and summon all the tribe to bring in their peltries, and trade with the white man.

The lodge would soon be crowded with Indians bringing bear, beaver, otter, and other skins.

No one was allowed to dispute the prices fixed by the white trader upon his articles; who took care to indemnify himself five times over for the goods set apart by the chief.

In this way the Blackbird enriched himself, and enriched the white men, and became exceedingly popular among the traders of the Missouri.