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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/15189-h.zip b/15189-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..cb80cc8 --- /dev/null +++ b/15189-h.zip diff --git a/15189-h/15189-h.htm b/15189-h/15189-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c7648ce --- /dev/null +++ b/15189-h/15189-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5101 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" + content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of + _when Buffalo Ran_, + by __AUTHOR__ +</title> +<style type="text/css"> + <!-- + body { margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; } + p { text-indent: 1em; + margin-top: .75em; + font-size: 100%; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { text-align: center; } + hr { width: 50%; } + hr.full { width: 100%; } + .foot { margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 85%; } + .poem { margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left; } + .poem .stanza { margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em; } + .poem p { margin: 0; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em; } + .poem p.i2 { margin-left: 1em; } + .poem p.i4 { margin-left: 2em; } + .poem p.i6 { margin-left: 3em; } + .poem p.i8 { margin-left: 4em; } + .poem p.i10 { margin-left: 5em; } + .toc { margin-left: 15%; font-size: 80%; margin-bottom: 0em;} + center { padding: 0.8em;} + // --> +</style> +</head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of When Buffalo Ran, by George Bird Grinnell + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: When Buffalo Ran + +Author: George Bird Grinnell + +Release Date: February 27, 2005 [EBook #15189] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WHEN BUFFALO RAN *** + + + + +Produced by David Newman and the PG Online Distributed Proofreading +Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div style="height: 8em;"><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br></div> + +<a name="image-0001"><!--IMG--></a> +<center> +<img src="images/img001.jpg" width="384" height="596" +alt="People Looking from the Lodges"> +</center> +<!--IMAGE END--> +<h1> + <i>WHEN BUFFALO RAN</i> + +</h1> +<center> + <i>BY GEORGE BIRD GRINNELL</i> + +</center> + + + + +<a name="2H_4_0001"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<center> + <i>Copyright, 1920, by</i> + +</center><center> + <i>Yale University Press.</i> + +</center><center> + <i>First published, 1920.</i> + +</center> +<a name="2H_4_0002"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + <i>Table of Contents.</i> + +</h2> +<a name="2H_INTR"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0005"> +<i>Introduction: The Plains Country.</i> + +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0006"> +<i>The Attack on the Camp.</i> + +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0007"> +<i>Standing Alone.</i> + +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0008"> +<i>The Way to Live.</i> + +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0009"> +<i>Lessons of the Prairie.</i> + +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0010"> +<i>On a Buffalo Horse.</i> + +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0011"> +<i>In the Medicine Circle.</i> + +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0012"> +<i>Among Enemy Lodges.</i> + +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0013"> +<i>A Grown Man.</i> + +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0014"> +<i>A Sacrifice.</i> + +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0015"> +<i>A Warrior Ready to Die.</i> + +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0016"> +<i>A Lie That Came True.</i> + +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#2H_4_0017"> +<i>My Marriage.</i> + +</a></p> +<a name="2H_4_0004"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + <i>List of Illustrations.</i> + +</h2> +<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0001"> +People Looking from the Lodges + +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0002"> +Hunting in the Brush Along The River + +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0003"> +My Grandmother Lived in Our Lodge + +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0004"> +My Grandfather ... Long Before Had Given up the Warpath + +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0005"> +I Killed Many Buffalo and My Mother Dressed the Hides + +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0006"> +Holding the Pipe to The Sky and To The Earth + +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0007"> +"Do Not Go; Wait A Little Longer" + +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0008"> +Watch the Men and Older Boys Playing at Sticks + +</a></p> +<a name="2H_4_0005"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + <i>The Plains Country.</i> + +</h2> +<p> + Seventy years ago, when some of the events here recounted took place, + + Indians were Indians, and the plains were the plains indeed. + +</p> +<p> + Those plains stretched out in limitless rolling swells of prairie until + + they met the blue sky that on every hand bent down to touch them. In spring + + brightly green, and spangled with wild flowers, by midsummer this prairie + + had grown sere and yellow. Clumps of dark green cottonwoods marked the + + courses of the infrequent streams—for most of the year the only note of + + color in the landscape, except the brilliant sky. On the wide, level river + + bottoms, sheltered by the enclosing hills, the Indians pitched their + + conical skin lodges and lived their simple lives. If the camp were large + + the lodges stood in a wide circle, but if only a few families were + + together, they were scattered along the stream. + +</p> +<p> + In the spring and early summer the rivers, swollen by the melting snows, + + were often deep and rapid, but a little later they shrank to a few narrow + + trickles running over a bed of sand, and sometimes the water sank wholly + + out of sight. + +</p> +<p> + The animals of the prairie and the roots and berries that grew in the + + bottoms and on the uplands gave the people their chief sustenance. + +</p> +<p> + In such surroundings the boy Wikis was born and grew up. The people that he + + knew well were those of his own camp. Once a year perhaps, for a few weeks, + + he saw the larger population of a great camp, but for the most part half a + + dozen families of the tribe, with the buffalo, the deer, the wolves, and + + the smaller animals and birds, were the companions with whom he lived and + + from whom he learned life's lessons. + +</p> +<p> + The incidents of this simple story are true. + +</p> +<p> + The life of those days and the teachings received by the boy or the girl + + who was to take part in it have passed away and will not return. + +</p> +<a name="2H_4_0006"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + <i>The Attack on the Camp.</i> + +</h2> +<p> + It is the first thing that I can recollect, and comes back to me now + + dimly—only as a dream. My mother used to tell me of it, and often to laugh + + at me. She said I was then about five or six years old. + +</p> +<p> + I must have been playing with other little boys near the lodge, and the + + first thing that I remember is seeing people running to and fro, men + + jumping on their horses, and women gathering up their children. I remember + + how the men called to each other, and that some were shouting the war cry; + + and then that they all rode away in the same direction. My mother rushed + + out and caught me by the hand, and began to pull me toward the lodge, and + + then she stopped and in a shrill, sweet voice began to sing; and other + + women that were running about stopped too, and began to sing songs to + + encourage their husbands and brothers and sons to fight bravely; for + + enemies were attacking the camp. + +</p> +<p> + I did not understand it at all, but I was excited and glad to hear the + + noise, and to see people rushing about. Soon I could hear shooting at a + + distance. Then presently I saw the men come riding back toward the camp; + + and saw the enemy following them down toward the lodges, and that there + + were many of these strangers, while our people were only a few. But still + + my people kept stopping and turning and fighting. Now the noise was louder. + + The women sang their strong heart songs more shrilly, and I could hear more + + plainly the whoops of men, and the blowing of war whistles, and the reports + + of guns. + +</p> +<p> + Presently one of our men fell off his horse. The enemy charged forward in a + + body to touch him, and our few men rushed to meet them, to keep them from + + striking the fallen one, and from taking the head. And now the women began + + to be frightened, and some of them ran away. My mother rushed to the lodge, + + caught up my little sister, and threw her on her back, and holding me by + + the hand, ran toward the river. By this time I was afraid, and I ran as + + hard as I could; but my legs were short and I could not keep up, even + + though my mother had a load on her back. Nevertheless, she pulled me along. + + Every little while I stumbled and lost my feet; but she dragged me on, and + + as she lifted me up, I caught my feet again, and ran on. + +</p> +<p> + Before long I began to tire, and I remember that I wanted to stop. In after + + years mother used to laugh at me about this, and say that I had asked her + + to throw away my sister, and to put me on her back and carry me instead. + + She used to say, too, that if she had been obliged to throw away either + + child I should have been the one left behind, for as I was a boy, and would + + grow up to be a warrior, and to fight the enemies of our tribe, I might + + very likely be killed anyway, and it might as well be earlier as later. + +</p> +<p> + When we reached the river, my mother threw herself into it. Usually it was + + not more than knee-deep, but at this time the water was high from the + + spring floods, and my mother had to swim, holding my sister on her back, + + and at the same time supporting me, for though I could swim a little, I was + + not strong enough to breast the current, and without help would have been + + carried away. + +</p> +<p> + After we had crossed the river and come out on the other side, we looked + + back toward the village, and could see that the enemy were retreating. They + + might easily have killed or driven off the few warriors of our small camp, + + but not far from us there was a larger camp of our people, and when they + + heard the shooting and the shouting, they came rushing to help us; and when + + the enemy saw them coming, they began to yield and then to run away. Our + + warriors followed and killed some of them; but the most of them got away + + after having killed four warriors of our camp, whose hard fighting and + + death had perhaps saved the little village. + +</p> +<p> + After the enemy had retreated, my mother crossed the river again, being + + helped over by a man who was on the side opposite the camp, and who let us + + ride his horse, while he held its tail and swam behind it. + +</p> +<p> + In the village that night there was mourning for those who had lost their + + lives to save their friends. Their relations cried very pitifully over the + + dead; and early the next day their bodies were carried to the top of a hill + + near the village, and buried there. + +</p> +<p> + After the mourning for the dead was ended, the people had dances over the + + scalps that had been taken from the enemy, rejoicing over the victory. Men + + and women blackened their faces, and danced in a circle about the scalps, + + held on poles; and old men and old women shouted the names of those men who + + had been the bravest in the fight. We little boys looked on and sang and + + danced by ourselves away from the circle. + +</p> +<p> + It was soon after this that my uncle made me a bow and some blunt-headed + + arrows, with which he told me I should hunt little birds, and should learn + + to kill food, to help support my mother and sisters, as a man ought to do. + + With these arrows I used to practice shooting, trying to see how far I + + could shoot, how near I could send the arrow to the mark I shot at; and + + afterwards, as I grew a little older, hunting in the brush along the river, + + or on the prairie not far from the camp with the other little boys. We + + hunted the blackbirds, or the larks, or the buffalo birds that fed among + + the horses' feet, or the other small birds that lived among the bushes and + + trees in the bottom. If I killed a little bird, as sometimes I did, my + + mother cooked it and we ate it. + +</p> +<a name="image-0002"><!--IMG--></a> +<center> +<img src="images/img016.jpg" width="384" height="472" +alt="Hunting in the Brush Along The River"> +</center> +<!--IMAGE END--> +<p> + This was a happy time for me. We little boys played together all the time. + + Sometimes the older boys allowed us to go with them, when they went far + + from the village, to hunt rabbits, and when they did this, sometimes they + + told us to carry back the rabbits that they had killed; and I remember that + + once I came back with the heads of three rabbits tucked under my belt, + + killed by my cousin, who was older than I. Then we used to go out and watch + + the men and older boys playing at sticks; and we had little sticks of our + + own, and our older brothers and cousins made us wheels; and we, too, played + + the stick game among ourselves, rolling the wheel and chasing it as hard as + + we could; but, for the most part, we threw our sticks at marks, trying to + + learn how to throw them well, and how to slide them far over the ground. + +</p> +<a name="image-0008"><!--IMG--></a> +<center> +<img src="images/img104.jpg" width="521" height="384" +alt="Watch the Men and Older Boys Playing at Sticks"> +</center> +<!--IMAGE END--> +<p> + I remember another thing—a sad thing—that happened when I was a very + + little boy. + +</p> +<p> + It was winter; the snow lay deep on the ground; a few lodges of people were + + camped in some timber among the foothills; buffalo were close, and game was + + plenty; the camp was living well. With the others I played about the camp, + + spinning tops on the ice, sliding down hill on a bit of parfleche, or on a + + sled made of buffalo ribs, and sometimes hunting little birds in the brush. + + All this I know about from having heard my mother tell of it; it is not in + + my memory. This is what I remember: One day, with one of my friends, I had + + gone a little way from the camp, and down the stream. A few days before + + there had been a heavy fall of snow, and after that some warm days, so that + + the top of the snow had melted. Then had come a hard cold, which had frozen + + it, so that on the snow there was a crust over which we could easily run. + +</p> +<p> + As we were playing we went around the point of a hill, and suddenly, close + + to us, saw a big bull. He seemed to have come from the other side of the + + river, and was plowing his way through the deep snow, which came halfway up + + to the top of his hump. When we saw the bull we were a little frightened; + + but as we watched him we saw that he could hardly move, and that after he + + had made a jump or two he stood still for a long time, puffing and blowing, + + before he tried to go further. As we watched him he came to a low place in + + the prairie, and here he sank still deeper in the snow, so that part of his + + head was hidden, and only his hump showed above it. My friend said to me, + + "Let us go up to this bull, and shoot him with our arrows." We began to go + + toward him slowly, and he did not see us until we had come quite close to + + him, when he turned and tried to run; but the snow was so deep that he + + could not go at all; on each side it rose up, and rolled over, away from + + him, as the water is pushed away and swells out on either side before a + + duck that is swimming. My friend was very brave, and he said to me, "I am + + going to shoot that bull, and count a coup on him"; and he ran up close to + + the bull, and shot his blunt-headed arrow against him, and then turned off. + + The bull tried hard to go faster, but the snow was too deep; and when I saw + + that he could not move, I, too, ran up close to him, and shot my arrow at + + him, and the arrow bounded off and fell on the snow. Again my friend did + + this, and then I did it; and each time the bull was frightened and + + struggled to get away: but the last time my friend did it the bull had + + reached higher ground, where the snow was not so deep, and he had more + + freedom. My friend shot his arrow into him, and I was following not far + + behind, expecting to shoot mine; but when the bull felt the blow of the + + last arrow, he turned toward my friend and made a quick rush; the snow was + + less deep; he went faster; my little friend slipped, and the bull caught + + him with his horns and threw him far. My friend fell close to me, and where + + he fell the snow was red with his blood, for the great horn had caught him + + just above the waist, and had ripped his body open nearly to the throat. + +</p> +<p> + I went up to him in a moment, and, catching him, pulled him over the smooth + + crust, far from the bull; but when I stopped and looked at him, he was + + still, his eyes were dull, and he did not breathe; he was dead. + +</p> +<p> + I did not know what to do. I had lost my friend, and I cried hard. Also, I + + wished to be revenged on the bull for what he had done; but I did not wish + + to be killed. I covered my friend with my robe, and started running fast to + + the camp, where I told my mother what had happened. Soon all the men in the + + camp, and some of the women, had started with me, back to where the bull + + was. My friend's relations were wailing and mourning, as they came along, + + and soon we reached his body, and his relations carried him back to the + + camp. Two of the men went to where the bull stood in the snow and killed + + him; and after he was dead I struck him with my bow. + +</p> +<a name="2H_4_0007"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + <i>Standing Alone.</i> + +</h2> +<p> + Always as winter drew near, the camps came closer together, and the people + + began to make ready to start off on the hunt for buffalo. By this time food + + was scarce, and the people needed new robes; and now that the cold weather + + was at hand, the hair of the buffalo was long and shaggy, so that the robes + + would be soft and warm, to keep out the winter cold. + +</p> +<p> + I remember that before the tribe started there used to be a great ceremony, + + but I was too young to understand what it all meant, though with the others + + I watched what the old men did, and wondered at it, for it seemed very + + solemn. There was a big circle about which the people stood or sat, and in + + the middle of the circle there were buffalo heads on the ground, and before + + them stood old men, who prayed and offered sacrifices, and passed their + + weapons and their sacred implements over the skulls, and then people + + danced; and not long after this the women loaded their lodges and their + + baggage on the horses, and put their little children into the cages on the + + travois, or piled them on the loaded pack horses; and then presently, in a + + long line, the village started off over the prairie, to look for buffalo. + +</p> +<p> + Most of the way I walked or ran, playing with the other little boys, or + + looking through the ravines to try and find small birds, or a rabbit, or a + + prairie chicken. Sometimes I rode a colt, too young yet to carry a load, or + + to be ridden by an older person, yet gentle enough to carry me. In this way + + I learned to ride. + +</p> +<p> + When buffalo were found, the young men killed them, and then the whole + + camp, women and children, went out to where the buffalo lay, and meat and + + hides were brought in to the camp, where the women made robes, and dried + + meat. Food was plenty, and everybody was glad. + +</p> +<p> + My grandmother lived in our lodge. She was an old woman with gray hair, and + + was always working hard. Whenever there were skins in the lodge she worked + + at them until they were tanned and ready for use. Often she used to talk to + + me, telling me about the old times; how our tribe used to fight with its + + enemies, and conquer them, and kill them; and how brave the men always + + were. She used to tell me that of all things that a man could do, the best + + thing was to be brave. She would say to me: "Your father was a brave man, + + killed by his enemies when he was fighting. Your grandfather, too, was + + brave, and counted many coups; he was a chief, and is looked up to by + + everyone. Your other grandfather was killed in a battle when he was a young + + man. The people that you have for relations have never been afraid, and you + + must not be afraid either. You must always do your best, because you have + + many relations who have been braves, and chiefs. You have no father to tell + + you how you ought to live, so now your other relations must try to help you + + as much as they can, and advise you what to do." + +</p> +<a name="image-0003"><!--IMG--></a> +<center> +<img src="images/img020.jpg" width="567" height="384" +alt="My Grandmother Lived in Our Lodge"> +</center> +<!--IMAGE END--> +<p> + She used to tell me of the ancient times, and of things that happened then, + + of persons who had strong spiritual power, and did wonderful things, and of + + certain bad persons and animals, who harmed people, and of the old times + + before the people had bows, when they did not kill animals for food, but + + lived on roots and berries. She told me that I must remember all these + + things, and keep them in my mind. + +</p> +<p> + Sometimes my grandmother had hard pains in her legs, and it hurt her to + + walk, and when she had these pains she could not go about much, and could + + not work. When this happened, sometimes she used to ask me to go down to + + the stream and fetch her a skin of water; and I would whine, and say to + + her, "Grandmother, I do not want to carry water; men do not carry water." + + Then she would tell us some story about the bad things that had happened to + + boys who refused to carry water for their grandmothers; and when I was + + little these stories frightened me, and I would go for the water. So + + perhaps I helped her a little in some things after she was old. Yet she + + lived until I was a grown man; and so long as she lived she worked hard; + + except when she had these pains. + +</p> +<p> + Sometimes my mother and some of her relations would go off and camp + + together for a long time; and then perhaps they would join a larger camp, + + and stay with them for a while. In these larger camps we children had much + + fun, playing our different games. We had many of these. Some, like those I + + have spoken of, we played in winter, and some we played in summer. Often + + the little girls caught some of the dogs, and harnessed them to little + + travois, and took their baby brothers and sisters, and others of the + + younger children, and moved off a little way from the camp, and there + + pitched their little lodges. The boys went too, and we all played at living + + in camp. In these camps we did the things that older people do. A boy and + + girl pretended to be husband and wife, and lived in the lodge; the girl + + cooked and the boy went out hunting. Sometimes some of the boys pretended + + that they were buffalo, and showed themselves on the prairie a little way + + off, and other boys were hunters, and went out to chase the buffalo. We + + were too little to have horses, but the boys rode sticks, which they held + + between their legs, and lashed with their quirts to make them go faster. + + Among those who played in this way was a girl smaller than I, the daughter + + of Two Bulls—a brave man, a friend to my uncle. The little girl's name was + + Standing Alone; she was pretty and nice, and always pleasant; but she was + + always busy about something—always working hard, and when she and I played + + at being husband and wife, she was always going for wood, or pretending to + + dress hides. I liked her, and she liked me, and in these play camps we + + always had our little lodge together; but if I sat in the lodge, and + + pretended to be resting longer than she thought right, she used to scold + + me, and tell me to go out and hunt for food, saying that no lazy man could + + be her husband. When she said this I did not answer and seemed to pay no + + attention to her words, but sat for a little while, thinking, and then I + + went out of the lodge, and did as she said. When I came in again, whether I + + brought anything or not, she was always pleasant. + +</p> +<p> + Once, when we were running buffalo, one of the boys, who was a buffalo, + + charged me when I got near him, and struck me with the thorn which he + + carried on the end of his stick, and which we used to call the buffalo's + + horn. The thorn pierced me in the body, and, according to the law of our + + play, I was so badly wounded that I was obliged to die. I went a little way + + toward the village, and then pretended to be very weak. Then my companions + + carried me into the camp, and to the lodge, and Standing Alone mourned over + + her husband who had been killed while hunting buffalo. Then one of the + + boys, who pretended that he was a medicine man, built a sweat lodge, and + + doctored me, and I recovered. + +</p> +<a name="2H_4_0008"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + <i>The Way to Live.</i> + +</h2> +<p> + I must have been ten years old when my uncle first began to talk to me. + + Long before this, when he had made a bow and some arrows for me, he had + + told me that I must learn to hunt, so that in the time to come I would be + + able to kill food, and to support my mother and sisters. "We must all eat," + + he had said, "and the Creator has given us buffalo to support life. It is + + the part of a man to kill food for the lodge, and after it has been killed, + + the women bring in the meat, and prepare it to be eaten, while they dress + + the hides for robes and lodge skins." + +</p> +<p> + My uncle was a brave man, and was always going off on the warpath, + + searching for the camps of enemies, taking their horses, and sometimes + + fighting bravely. He was still a young man, not married; but was quiet and + + of good sense and all the people respected him. Even the chiefs and older + + men used to listen to him when he spoke; and sometimes he was asked to a + + feast to which many older men were invited. + +</p> +<p> + All my life I have tried to remember what he told me this first time that + + he talked with me, for it was good advice, and came to me from a good man, + + who afterwards became one of the chiefs of the tribe. + +</p> +<p> + One day, soon after he had returned from one of his warpaths, he said to + + me, early in the morning: "My son, get your bow and arrows, and you and I + + will go over into the hills, hunting. We will try to kill some rabbits, and + + perhaps we may find a deer." + +</p> +<p> + I was glad to go with my uncle; no grown man had ever before asked me to go + + with him, and to have him speak to me like this made me feel glad and + + proud. I ran quickly and got my bow, and we set out, walking over the + + prairie. We walked a long way, and I was beginning to get tired, when we + + came to a place where we started first one rabbit and then another, and + + then a third. I shot at one, but missed it; and my uncle killed all three. + + After this we went up to the top of a high hill, to look over the country. + + We saw nothing, but as we sat there my uncle spoke to me, telling me of the + + things that he had done not long before; and after a time he began to tell + + me how I ought to live, and what I ought to do as I grew older. + +</p> +<p> + He said to me: "My son, I am going to tell you some things that will be + + useful to you; and if you listen to what I say, your life will be easier + + for you to live; you will not make mistakes, and you will come to be liked + + and respected by all the people. Before many years now you will be a man, + + and as you grow up you must try more and more to do the things that men do. + + There are a few things that a boy must always remember. + +</p> +<p> + "When older people speak to you, you must stop what you are doing and + + listen to what they say, and must do as they tell you. If anyone says to + + you, 'My son, go out and drive in my horses,' you must go at once; do not + + wait; do not make anyone speak to you a second time; start at once. + +</p> +<p> + "You must get up early in the morning; do not let the sun, when it first + + shines, find you in bed. Get up at the first dawn of day, and go early out + + into the hills and look for your horses. These horses will soon be put in + + your charge, and you must watch over them, and must never lose them; and + + you must always see that they have water." + +</p> +<p> + "You must take good care of your arms. Always keep them in good order. A + + man who has poor arms cannot fight." + +</p> +<p> + "It is important for you to do all these things. But there is one thing + + more important than anything else, and that is to be brave. Soon you will + + be going on a warpath, and then you must strive always to be in the front + + of the fighting, and to try hard to strike many of the enemy. You must be + + saying all the time to yourself, 'I will be brave; I will not fear + + anything.' If you do that, the people will all know of it, and will look on + + you as a man." + +</p> +<p> + "There is another thing: if by chance you should do anything that is great, + + you must not talk of it; you must never go about telling of the great + + things that you have done, or that you intend to do. To do that is not + + manly. When you are at war you may do brave things, and other people will + + see what you have done, and will tell of it. If you should chance to + + perform any brave act, do not speak of it; let your comrades do this; it is + + not for you to tell of the things that you have done." + +</p> +<p> + "If you listen to my words you will become a good man, and will amount to + + something. If you let the wind blow them away, you will become lazy, and + + will never do anything." + +</p> +<p> + So my uncle talked to me for a long time, and just as he had finished his + + talking, we saw, down in the valley below us, a deer come out from behind + + some brush, and feed for a little while, and then it went back into another + + patch of brush, and did not come out again. + +</p> +<p> + "Ah," said my uncle, "I think we can kill that deer." We went around a long + + distance, to come down without being seen to where the deer was, and we had + + crept up close to the edge of the bushes before the deer knew that we were + + there. When we reached the place we walked around it, he on one side and I + + on the other; and presently the deer sprang up out of the bushes, and my + + uncle shot it with his arrow; and after it had run a distance it fell down, + + and when we got to it, was dead. I also shot at it with one of my + + sharp-pointed arrows, but I did not hit it. After we had cut up the meat of + + the deer, and made it into a pack, done up in the hide, we started back to + + the camp. I felt proud to have gone on a hunt with a man and to be carrying + + the rabbits. + +</p> +<p> + As we walked along to the camp that night, my uncle told me other things. + + He said: "Always be careful to do nothing bad in camp. Do not quarrel and + + fight with your fellows. Men do not fight with each other in the camp; to + + do that is not manly." + +</p> +<p> + You see, my uncle thought that I was now old enough to be taught some of + + the things a man ought to do, and he tried to help me; for my father was + + dead, and I had no one else to teach me. The words he spoke were all good + + words, and I have tried always to remember them. + +</p> +<p> + The white people gather up their children and send them all to one place to + + be taught; but that is not the way we Indians do. Nevertheless, we try to + + teach our children in our way; for children must be taught, or they will + + not know anything, and if they do not know anything they will have no + + sense, and if they have no sense they will not know how to act. + +</p> +<p> + When our children are small, the mother tries to keep them from making a + + noise. It is not fitting that young children should disturb older people. I + + am telling you about the way I was taught in the old times, when there were + + but few white people in the country. + +</p> +<p> + Because we have no schools, like the white people, we have to teach our + + children by telling them what to do; it is only in this way that they can + + learn. They have lived but a short time, and cannot know much. We older + + ones, after we have lived many years, and have listened to what our fathers + + and brothers have taught us, know a good many things; but little children + + know nothing. We want them to be wise, so that they may live well with + + their people. But we want them to be wise also, so that when they are the + + chiefs and braves of the tribe they may rule the people well. We remember + + that before very long we ourselves shall no longer be here; and then the + + ones who are caring for the people's welfare will be these children that + + now are playing about the camps. Their relations, therefore, talk to the + + children, for they want their lives to be made easier for them; and they + + want also to have the next generation of people wise enough to help all the + + people to live. The men must hunt and go to war; the women must be good + + women, not foolish ones, and must be ready to work, and glad to take care + + of their husbands and their children. This is one of the reasons why we + + like to have them play at moving the camp, harnessing the old dogs to the + + travois, pitching the lodges, making clothing for the dolls; while the boys + + play at hunting buffalo and at making war journeys against their enemies. + + All are trying to learn how to live the life that our people have always + + lived. + +</p> +<p> + My grandfather was an old man, who long before this had given up the + + warpath. He spent most of his time in the camp, and he used to make + + speeches to the little and big boys, and give them much good advice. Once I + + heard him talk to a group of boys playing near the lodge, and this is what + + he said: "Listen, you boys; it is time you did something. You sit here all + + day in the sun, and throw your arrows, and talk about things of the camp, + + but why do you not do something? When I was a boy it was not like this; + + then we were always trying to steal off and follow a war party. Some of + + those who did so were too little to fight; but we used to follow along, and + + try to help. In this way, even though we did nothing, we learned the ways + + of warriors. I do not want you boys to be lazy. It is not a lazy man who + + does great things, so that he is talked about in the camp, and his name is + + called aloud by all the people, when the war party returns." + +</p> +<a name="image-0004"><!--IMG--></a> +<center> +<img src="images/img028.jpg" width="466" height="384" +alt="My Grandfather ... Long Before Had Given up the Warpath"> +</center> +<!--IMAGE END--> +<a name="2H_4_0009"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + <i>Lessons of the Prairie.</i> + +</h2> +<p> + Once when I was a little older, I was out on the hills one day, watching + + the horses. They were feeding quietly, and I lay on a hill and went to + + sleep. Suddenly I was awakened by a terrible crash close to my head, and I + + knew that a gun had been fired close to me, and I thought that the enemy + + had attacked me and were killing me, and would drive off the horses. I was + + badly frightened. I sprang to my feet, and started to run to my horse, and + + in doing this I ran away from the camp, but before I reached the horse I + + heard someone laughing, and when I looked around my uncle sat there on the + + ground, with the smoke still coming from his gun. He signed to me to come + + to him and sit down, and when I had done so, he said: + +</p> +<p> + "My son, you keep a careless watch. You do not act as a man ought to do. + + Instead of sitting here looking over the prairie in all directions to see + + if enemies are approaching, or if there are any signs of strange people + + being near, you lie here and sleep. I crept up to you and fired my gun, to + + see what you would do. You did not stop to see where the noise came from, + + nor did you look about to see if enemies were here. You thought only of + + saving your body, and started to run away. This is not good. A warrior does + + not act like this; he is always watching all about him, to see what is + + going to happen, and if he is attacked suddenly, he tries to fight, or, if + + he cannot fight, he thinks more of giving warning to the people than he + + does of saving himself." + +</p> +<p> + When my uncle spoke to me like this he made me feel bad, for of all people + + he was the one whom I most wished to please, and with him I wished to stand + + well. I considered a little before I said to him: "I was trying to run to + + my horse, and if I had got him I think I should have tried to reach the + + camp, and perhaps I should have tried to drive in some of the horses; but I + + was badly frightened, for I had been asleep and did not know what had + + happened." + +</p> +<p> + "I think you speak truly," said my uncle, "but you should not have gone to + + sleep when you were sent out here to watch the horses. Boys who go to sleep + + when they ought to be looking over the country, and watching their horses, + + or men who get tired and go to sleep when they are on the warpath, never do + + much. I should like to have you always alert and watchful." + +</p> +<p> + I made up my mind that I would hold fast to the words which my uncle spoke + + to me, and after this would not sleep when I was on herd. + +</p> +<p> + It was not long after this that my uncle again told me to get my arrows, + + and come and hunt with him. He told me also to take my robe with me, and + + that we would go far up the river and be gone one night. I was glad to go, + + and we started. + +</p> +<p> + All through the day we traveled up stream, going in low places, and + + traveling cautiously; for, although we were close to the camp, still my + + uncle told me no one could be sure that enemies might not be about, and + + that we might not be attacked at any time; so we went carefully. If we had + + to cross a hill, we crept up to the top of it, and lifted our heads up + + little by little, and looked over all the country, to see whether people + + were in sight; or game; or to see what the animals might be doing. + +</p> +<p> + Once, when we stopped to rest, my uncle said to me: "Little son, this is + + one of the things you must learn; as you travel over the country, always go + + carefully, for you do not know that behind the next hill there may not be + + some enemy watching, looking over the country to see if someone may not be + + about. Therefore, it is well for you always to keep out of sight as much as + + you can. If you have to go to the top of the hill, because you wish to see + + the country, creep carefully up some ravine, and show yourself as little as + + possible. If you have to cross a wide flat, cover yourself with your robe, + + and stoop over, walking slowly, so that anyone far off may perhaps think it + + is a buffalo that he sees. In this respect the Indians are different from + + the white people; they are foolish, and when they travel they go on the + + ridges between the streams, because the road is level, and the going easy. + + But when they travel in this way everyone can see them from a long way off, + + and can hide in the path, and when they approach can shoot at them and kill + + them. The white people think that because they cannot see Indians, there + + are none about; and this belief has caused many white people to be killed." + +</p> +<p> + As I walked behind my uncle, following him over the prairie, I tried to + + watch him, and to imitate everything that he did. If he stopped, I stopped; + + if he bent down his head, and went stooping for a little way, I also + + stooped, and followed him; when he got down to creep, I, too, crept, so as + + to be out of sight. + +</p> +<p> + That day, as the sun fell toward the west, my uncle went down to the river, + + and looked along the bank and the mud-bars, trying to learn whether any + + animals had been to the water; and when he saw tracks he pointed them out + + to me. "This," he said, "is the track of a deer. You see that it has been + + going slowly. It is feeding, because it does not go straight ahead, but + + goes now in one direction, and then in another, and back a little, not + + seeming to have any purpose in its wandering about, and here," showing me a + + place where a plant had been bitten off, "is where it was eating. If we + + follow along, soon we will see its tracks in the mud by the river." It was + + as he had said, and soon, in a little sand-bar, we saw the place where the + + animal had stopped. "You see," he said, "this was a big deer; here are his + + tracks; here he stopped at the edge of the water to drink; and then he went + + on across the river, for there are no tracks leading back to the bank. You + + will notice that he was walking; he was not frightened; he did not see nor + + smell any enemies." + +</p> +<p> + Further up the river, on a sand-bar, he showed me the tracks of antelope, + + where the old ones had walked along quietly, and other smaller tracks, + + where the sand had been thrown up; and these marks, he said, were made by + + the little kids, which were playing and running. + +</p> +<p> + "Notice carefully," he said, "the tracks that you see, so that you will + + remember them, and will know them again. The tracks made by the different + + animals are not all alike. The antelope's hoof is sharp-pointed in front. + + Notice, too, that when his foot sinks in the mud there is no mark behind + + his footprint; while behind the footprint of a deer there are two marks, in + + soft ground, made by the little hoofs that the deer has on his foot." + +</p> +<p> + We kept on further up the river, and when night came we stopped, and sat + + down in some bushes. All day long we had seen nothing that we could kill; + + but from a fold in his robe my uncle drew some dried meat, and we built a + + little fire of dried willow brush, that would make no smoke, and over this + + we roasted our meat, and ate; and my uncle talked to me again, saying: "My + + son, I like to have you come out with me, and travel about over the + + country. You have no father to teach you, and I am glad to take you with + + me, and to tell you the things that I know. It is a good thing to be a + + member of our tribe, and it is a good thing to belong to a good family in + + that tribe. You must always remember that you come of good people. Your + + father was a brave man, killed fighting bravely against the enemy. I want + + you to grow up to be a brave man and a good man. You must love your + + relations, and must do everything that you can for them. If the enemy + + should attack the village, do not run away; think always first of defending + + your own people. You have a mother, and sisters, who will depend on you for + + their living, and for their credit. They love you, and you must always try + + to do everything that you can for them. Try to learn about hunting, and to + + become a good hunter, so that you may support them. But, above all things, + + try to live bravely and well, so that people will speak well of you and + + your relations will be proud. + +</p> +<p> + "You are only a boy now, but the time will come when you will be a man, and + + must act a man's part. Now your relations all respect you. They do not ask + + you to do woman's work; they treat you well. You have a good bed, and + + whenever you are hungry, food is given you. Do you know why it is that you + + are treated in this way? I will tell you. Your relations know that you are + + a man, and that you will grow up to go to war, and fight; perhaps often to + + be in great danger. They know that perhaps they may not have you long with + + them; that soon you may be killed. Perhaps even to-night or to-morrow, + + before we get back to the camp, we may be attacked, and may have to fight, + + and perhaps to die. It is for this cause that you are treated better than + + your sisters; because at any moment you may be taken away. This you should + + understand." + +</p> +<p> + After we had eaten it began to grow dark, and pretty soon my uncle stood up + + and tied up his waist again, and we set out once more, going up the river. + + I wanted to ask my uncle where we were going, but I knew that he had some + + reason for moving away from the camp, and before I had spoken to him about + + it we had gone a mile or two, and it was quite dark, and we stopped again + + in another clump of bushes. Here we sat down, and my uncle said to me: "My + + son, here we will sleep. Where we stopped and ate, just before the sun set, + + was a good place to camp, but it may be that an enemy was watching from the + + top of some hill, and may have seen us go into those bushes. If he did, + + perhaps he will creep down there to-night, hoping to kill us; and if there + + were several persons they may go down there and surround those bushes. I + + did not want to stop there where we might have been seen, and so when it + + grew dark we came on here. We will sleep here, but will build no fire." + +</p> +<p> + The next morning, before day broke, my uncle roused me, and we went to the + + top of a high hill not far off. We reached it before the sun rose, and lay + + on top of it, looking off over the prairie. From here we could see a long + + way. Many animals were in view, buffalo and antelope, and down in the river + + bottom a herd of elk. For a long time we lay there watching, but everywhere + + it was quiet. The animals were not moving; no smokes were seen in the air; + + birds were not flying to and fro, as if waiting for the hunter to kill a + + buffalo, or for people to fight and kill each other, when they might feed + + on the flesh. + +</p> +<p> + After we had watched a long time, my uncle said: "I see no signs of people. + + Let us creep down this ravine, and get among the bushes, and perhaps we can + + kill one of these elk." We did as he had said; and before very long had + + come near to the elk. Then he told me to wait there. I stopped and for a + + few moments I could see him creeping up nearer and nearer to the elk. + + Presently they started and ran; and one cow turned off to cross the river, + + and as she was crossing it she fell in the water. + +</p> +<p> + My uncle stood up and motioned to me to go down to where the elk lay. We + + met there and cut up the elk, and my uncle took a big load of meat on his + + back, and I a smaller load, and we started back toward the village. + +</p> +<p> + As we were returning, he spoke to me again, saying: "I want you to remember + + that of all the advice I give you the chief thing is to be brave. If you + + start out with a war party, to attack enemies, do not be afraid. If your + + friends are about to make a charge on the enemy, still do not be afraid. + + Watch your friends, and see how they act, and try to do as the others do. + + Try always to have a good horse, and to be in the front of the fighting. To + + be brave is what makes a man. If you are lucky, and count a coup, or kill + + an enemy, people will look on you as a man. Do not fear anything. To be + + killed in battle is no disgrace. When you fight, try to kill. Ride up close + + to your enemy. Do not think that he is going to kill you; think that you + + are going to kill him. As you charge, you must be saying to yourself all + + the time, 'I will be brave; I will not fear anything.' + +</p> +<p> + "In your life in the camp remember this too; you must always be truthful + + and honest with all your people. Never say anything that is not true; never + + tell a lie, even for a joke—to make people laugh. When you are in the + + company of older people, listen to what they say, and try to remember; thus + + you will learn. Do not say very much; it is just as well to let other + + people talk while you listen. If you have a friend, cling close to him; and + + if need be, give your life for him. Think always of your friend before you + + think of yourself." + +</p> +<p> + That night we reached the camp again. My uncle left the meat that he had + + killed at my mother's lodge. + +</p> +<a name="2H_4_0010"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + <i>On a Buffalo Horse.</i> + +</h2> +<p> + I had lived twelve winters when I did something which made my mother and + + all my relations glad; for which they all praised me, and which first + + caused my name to be called aloud through the camp. + +</p> +<p> + It was the fall of the year, and the leaves were dropping from the trees. + + Long ago the grass had grown yellow; and now sometimes when we awoke in the + + morning it was white with frost; little places in the river bottom, where + + water had stood in the springtime, and which were still wet, were frozen in + + the morning; and all the quiet waters had over them a thin skin of clear + + ice. Great flocks of water birds were passing overhead, flying to the + + south; and many of them stopped in the streams, resting and feeding. There + + were ducks of many sorts, and the larger geese, and the great white birds + + with black tips to their wings, and long yellow bills; and the cranes that + + fly over, far up in the sky, looking like spots, but whose loud callings + + are heard plainly as they pass along. Often we saw flocks of these walking + + on the prairie, feeding on the grasshoppers; and sometimes they all stopped + + feeding and stuck up their heads, and then began to dance together, almost + + as people dance. + +</p> +<p> + We boys used to travel far up and down the bottom, trying to creep up to + + the edge of the bank, or to the puddles of water, where the different birds + + sat, to get close enough to kill them with our arrows. It was not easy to + + do this, for generally the birds saw us before we could get near enough; + + and then, often, even if we had the chance to shoot, we missed, and the + + birds flew away, and we had to wade out and get back our arrows. + +</p> +<p> + One day I had gone with my friend a long way up the river, and we had tried + + several times to kill ducks, but had always missed them. We had come to a + + place where the point of a hill ran down close to the river, on our side, + + and as we rounded the point of this hill, suddenly we saw close before us + + three cranes, standing on the hillside; two of them were gray and further + + off, but one quite near to us was still red, by which we knew that it was a + + young one. I was ahead of my friend, and as soon as I saw the cranes I drew + + my arrow to its head, and shot at the young one, which spread its wings and + + flew a few yards, and then came down, lying on the hillside, with its wings + + stretched wide, for the arrow had passed through its body. I rushed upon it + + and seized it, while the old cranes flew away. Then I was glad, for this + + was the largest bird that I had ever killed; and you know that the crane is + + a wise bird, and people do not often kill one. + +</p> +<p> + After my friend and I had talked about it, I picked up the bird and put it + + on my back, holding the neck in one hand, and letting the legs drag on the + + ground behind me; and so we returned to camp. When we reached the village + + some of the children saw us coming, and knew me, and ran ahead to my + + mother's lodge, and told her that her boy was coming, carrying a great + + bird; and she and my sisters came out of the lodge and looked at me. I must + + have looked strange, for the crane's wings were partly spread, and hung + + down on either side of me; and when I had nearly come to the lodge, my + + mother called out: "What is the great bird that is coming to our lodge? I + + am afraid of it," and then she and the children ran in the door. Then they + + came out again, and when I reached the lodge, all looked at the bird, and + + said how big it was, and how fine, and that it must be shown to my uncle + + before it was cooked. They sent word to him, asking him to come to the + + lodge, and soon he did so, and when he saw what I had killed, he was glad, + + and told me that I had done well, and that I was lucky to have killed a + + crane. "There are many grown men," said he, "who have never killed a crane; + + and you have done well. I wish to have this known." + +</p> +<p> + He called out in a loud voice, and asked Bellowing Cow, a poor old woman, + + to come to the lodge and see what his son had done; and he sent one of the + + boys back to his lodge, telling him to bring a certain horse. Soon the boy + + returned, leading a pony; and when Bellowing Cow had come, my uncle handed + + her the rope that was about the pony's neck, and told her to look at this + + bird that his son had killed. + +</p> +<p> + "We have had good luck," he said; "my son has killed this wise bird; he is + + going to be a good hunter, and will kill much meat. In the time to come, + + after he has grown to be a man, his lodge will never lack food. His women + + will always have plenty of robes to dress." + +</p> +<p> + Then Bellowing Cow mounted her horse and rode around the village, singing a + + song, in which she told how lucky I had been; that I had killed a crane, a + + bird that many grown men had not killed; and that I was going to be a good + + hunter, and always fortunate in killing food. My uncle did not give the + + bird to Bellowing Cow; he kept it, and told my mother to cook it; and he + + said to her: "Save for me the wing bones of this bird, and give them to me, + + in order that I may make from them two war whistles, which my son may carry + + when he has grown old enough to go to war against his enemies." + +</p> +<p> + I was proud of what had happened, and it made me feel big to listen to this + + poor old woman as she rode through the village singing her song. + +</p> +<p> + What he did at this time showed some things about my uncle. It showed that + + he liked me; it showed that he was proud of what I had done; and it showed, + + too, that he was a person of good heart, since he called to see what I had + + done a poor old woman who had nothing, and gave her a horse. It would have + + been as easy for him to have called some chief or rich man who had plenty + + of horses, and then sometime this chief or rich man would have given him a + + horse for some favor done him. + +</p> +<p> + I had killed the crane with a pointed arrow, of which I had three, though + + in my hunting for little birds I still used blunt arrows. My uncle had made + + me another bow, which was almost as large as a man's bow; and I was + + practicing with it always, trying to make my right arm strong, to bend it, + + so that it might send the arrow with full force. + +</p> +<p> + The next summer, when the tribe had started off to look for buffalo, I + + spoke one night to my uncle, as he was sitting alone in his lodge, and said + + to him: "Father, is it not now time for me to try to kill buffalo? I am + + getting now to be a big boy, and I think big enough to hunt. I should like + + to have your opinion about this." For a time he sat smoking and + + considering, and then he said: "Son, I think it is time you should begin to + + hunt; you are now old enough to do some of the things that men do. I have + + watched you, and I have seen that you know how to use the bow. The next + + time that we run buffalo, you shall come with me, and we will see what we + + can do. You shall ride one of my buffalo horses, and you shall overtake the + + buffalo, and then we shall see whether you are strong enough to drive the + + arrow far into the animal." + +</p> +<p> + It was not long after this that buffalo were found, and when the tribe went + + out to make the surround, my uncle told me to ride one of his horses, and + + to keep close to him. As we were going toward the place where the surround + + was to be made, he said to me: "Now, to-day we will try to catch calves, + + and you shall see whether you can kill one. You may remember this, that if + + you shoot an arrow into the calf, and blood begins to come from its mouth, + + it will soon die, you need not shoot at it again, but may go on to overtake + + another, and kill it. Then, perhaps, after a little while you can chase big + + buffalo. One thing you must remember. If you are running buffalo, do not be + + afraid of them. Ride your horse close up to the buffalo, as close as you + + can, and then let fly the arrow with all your force. If the buffalo turns + + to fight, your horse will take you away from it; but, above all things, do + + not be afraid; you will not kill buffalo if you are afraid to get close to + + them." + +</p> +<p> + We rode on, and before the surround was made we could see the yellow calves + + bunched up at one side of the herd. My uncle pointed them out to me, and + + said, "Now, when the herd starts, try to get among those calves, and + + remember all that I have told you." + +</p> +<p> + At length the soldiers gave the word for the charge, and we all rushed + + toward the buffalo. They turned to run, and a great dust rose in the air. + + That day there were many men on fast horses, but my uncle's horse was + + faster than all; and because I was little and light, he ran through the big + + buffalo, and was soon close to the calves. When he was running through the + + buffalo I was frightened, for they seemed so big, and they crowded so on + + each other, and their horns rattled as they knocked together, as the herd + + parted and pushed away on either side, letting me pass through it. + +</p> +<p> + In only a short time I was running close to a yellow calf. It ran very + + fast, and for a little while I could not overtake it; but then it seemed to + + go slower, and my horse drew up close to it. I shot an arrow and missed it, + + and then another, and did not miss; the arrow went deep into it, just + + before the short ribs, and a moment afterward I could see blood coming from + + the calf's mouth; and I ran on to get another. I did kill another, and then + + stopped and got down. The herd had passed, and I began to butcher the last + + calf; and before I had finished my uncle rode up to me and said, "Well, + + son, did you kill anything?" I told him that I had killed two calves; and + + we went back and looked for the other. He helped me to butcher, and we put + + the meat and skins of both calves on my horse and then returned to the + + camp. + +</p> +<p> + When we reached there, my uncle stood in front of the lodge, and called out + + with a loud voice, saying: "This day my son has chased buffalo, and has + + killed two calves. I have given one of my best horses to Red Fox." This he + + called out several times, and at the same time he sent a young man to his + + lodge, telling him to bring a certain good horse, which he named. Before + + very long the young man came with the horse, and about the same time the + + old man Red Fox, who was poor and lame, and without relations, was seen + + limping toward the lodge, coughing as he came. + +</p> +<p> + In his young days Red Fox had been a brave and had done many good things, + + but he had been shot in the thigh, in battle, and his leg had never healed, + + so that he could not go to war. After that, his wife and then his children + + one by one had died, or been killed in battle, and now he had nothing of + + his own, but lived in the lodge with friends—people who were kind to him. + + After Red Fox had mounted his horse, and had ridden off about the circle of + + the lodges, singing a song, in which he told what I had done, and how my + + uncle was proud of my success, and of how good his heart was toward poor + + people, so that when he made gifts he gave them to persons who had nothing, + + and not to people who were rich and happy, my uncle turned about and went + + into the lodge. He told the young man who had brought the horse to go out + + and call a number of his friends, and older people, to come that night to + + his lodge, to feast with him. + +</p> +<p> + After they had come, and all had eaten, and while the pipe was being + + smoked, my uncle said: "Friends, I have called you to eat with me, because + + this day my son has killed two calves. He has done well, and I can see that + + he will be a good man. His lodge will not be poor for meat nor will his + + wife lack skins to tan, or hides for lodge skins. We have had good luck, + + and to-day my heart is glad; and it is for this reason that I have asked + + you to come and hear what my son has done, in order that you may be + + pleased, as I am pleased." + +</p> +<p> + When he had finished speaking, Double Runner, an old man, whose hair was + + white, stood up on his feet and spoke, and said that I had done well. He + + spoke good words of my uncle because he had a kind heart and was generous, + + and liked to make people happy. He spoke also of my father, and said that + + it was bad for the tribe when the enemy killed him; but, nevertheless, he + + had died fighting, as a brave man would wish to die. + +</p> +<p> + From that time on, so long as the buffalo were seen, I went out with the + + men of the camp. Sometimes I went alone, or with companions of my own age, + + and we tried to kill calves, but more than once I went with my uncle. The + + second time I rode with him he said to me that I had killed calves, and now + + I must try to kill big buffalo. I remembered what he had said about riding + + close to the buffalo, but I was afraid to do this, and yet I was ashamed to + + tell him that I was afraid. When the surround was made, my uncle and I were + + soon among the buffalo. I was riding my uncle's fast buffalo horse. My + + uncle rode on my right hand, and when we charged down and got among the + + buffalo we soon passed through the bulls and then drew up slowly on the + + cows, and those younger animals whose horns were yet straight. I thought we + + were going to pass on through these, and kill calves, but suddenly my uncle + + crowded his horse up close to me, and, pointing to a young bull, signed to + + me to shoot it. I did not want to, but my uncle kept crowding his horse + + more and more on me, and pushing me close to the bull. I was afraid of it; + + I thought that perhaps it would turn its head toward me and frighten my + + horse, and my horse could not get away because of my uncle's horse, and + + then my horse, and perhaps I, myself, would be killed; but there was not + + much time to think about it. I felt that I was not strong enough to kill a + + buffalo; I did not want to try; but all the time my uncle was signing to + + me, "Shoot, shoot." There was no way for me to escape, and I drew the arrow + + and shot into the buffalo. The point hit the animal between the ribs, and + + went in deep, yet not to the feathers. When I shot, my uncle sheered off, + + and I followed him; and in a moment, looking back, I saw that the blood was + + coming from the bull's nose and mouth; and then I knew that I had killed + + it. In a few moments it fell, and I went back to it. Then truly I thought + + that I had done something great, and I felt glad that I had killed a big + + buffalo. I forgot that a little while before I had been frightened, and had + + wanted to get away without shooting. I forgot that, except for my uncle, I + + should not have made this lucky shot. I felt as if I had done something, + + and something that was very smart and great. You see, I was only a boy. + +</p> +<p> + This feeling did not last very long; after a little I remembered that + + except for my uncle I should have still been afraid of big buffalo, and + + should not have dared to go near enough to kill one, but should have been + + content to kill calves. My mind was still big for what I had done, and I + + felt thankful to my uncle for making me do it. I wanted to pass my hands + + over him—to express my gratitude to him—for all his kindness to me. No + + father could have done more for me than he had done, and always did. + +</p> +<p> + That night when we came back to the camp my horse was carrying a great pile + + of meat; and when I stopped in front of the lodge, I called out to my + + mother to come and take my horse, and take the meat from it; for so my + + uncle had told me to do. "Now," he said, "you have become a man; you are + + able to hunt, and to kill food, and you must act as a man acts." + +</p> +<p> + When my mother came out of the lodge she was astonished; she could hardly + + believe that it was I who had killed this buffalo. Nevertheless, she took + + the rope from me, and began to take the meat from the horse; and I went + + into the lodge and lay down on the bed by the fire to rest, for this too + + was what my uncle had told me to do. + +</p> +<p> + The next time the camp made a surround, I rode alone, and this time I did + + not do so well. It is true that I killed a cow, but also I shot another + + animal, which carried away three of my arrows. It was afterward killed by a + + man a long way off, and the next day he gave me back my arrows, which he + + had taken from the cow. I felt ashamed of this, but, nevertheless, I kept + + on, and before the hunt was over I killed many buffalo, and my mother + + dressed the hides. + +</p> +<a name="image-0005"><!--IMG--></a> +<center> +<img src="images/img048.jpg" width="464" height="384" +alt="I Killed Many Buffalo and My Mother Dressed the Hides"> +</center> +<!--IMAGE END--> +<a name="2H_4_0011"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + <i>In the Medicine Circle.</i> + +</h2> +<p> + Soon after I had killed my big buffalo, my uncle had sent for me and when I + + had gone to his lodge, he said, "Come with me"; and we walked out on the + + prairie where his horses were feeding. He carried a rope in his hand, and, + + throwing it over the fast buffalo horse, that he had told me to ride when I + + first hunted buffalo, he put the rope in my hand, and said: "Son, I give + + you this horse; he is fast, and he is long-winded. You have seen that he + + can overtake buffalo. I tell you now that he is a good horse for war. If + + you ride him when you go on the warpath, you can get up close to your + + enemy, and strike him; he will not be able to run away from you." + +</p> +<p> + This was the first horse I had, and I was proud to own it. Also, later, my + + uncle said to me, "My son, if you need horses for riding, catch some of + + those out of my band, and use them." This I did, sometimes. My uncle had + + plenty of horses, and was always going to war and getting more. + +</p> +<p> + I was now a big boy, and began to think more and more about going to war. + + Ever since I had been little I had talked with my companions, and they with + + me, about the time when we should be big enough to do the things that our + + fathers and uncles did; and the thing that we most wished to do was to go + + to war against the enemy, and to do something brave, so that we should be + + looked up to by the people. As we grew older the wish to do this increased. + + That summer, when the old men used to come out of their lodges, and sit in + + the sun, smoking, or to gather in little groups, and gossip with one + + another, I used to listen to their talk of the things that had happened in + + past years, when they were young. They told of many strange things that had + + happened; of war; journeys that they had made against their enemies, of + + fights that they had had, and horses that they had taken. They spoke, too, + + of treaties that they had made with other tribes; and told how they had + + visited the camps of people who lived far off, whose names I had heard, but + + of whom I knew nothing. + +</p> +<p> + Sometimes, too, I was present in my uncle's lodge when he gave a feast to + + friends; and often among them were chiefs and older men, who in their day + + had done great things, and brought credit to the tribe. At such feasts, + + after all had eaten, and my uncle had filled the pipe, and pushed the + + tobacco board back under the bed, he gave the pipe to some young man, who + + lighted it and handed it back to him; and then he smoked, holding the pipe + + to the sky, and to the earth, and to the four directions, and made a prayer + + to the spirits, and then passed the pipe along to the end of the circle on + + his left; and, beginning there, each man smoked and made a prayer, and the + + pipe passed from hand to hand. After this the guests talked and joked, and + + laughed, and stories were told, perhaps of war or adventure, perhaps of + + hard times when food was scarce and the cold bitter, perhaps of those + + mysterious persons who rule the world, and of the kindly or the terrible + + things that they have done. + +</p> +<a name="image-0006"><!--IMG--></a> +<center> +<img src="images/img056.jpg" width="473" height="384" +alt="Holding the Pipe to The Sky and To The Earth"> +</center> +<!--IMAGE END--> +<p> + I remember well one such feast, when for the first time my uncle told me to + + sit on his right hand, and behind him; and when he had filled it, told me + + to light the pipe. I reached over to the fire, and with a tongs made of + + willow took up a small coal and lighted the pipe, and after it was going + + well, passed it to my uncle. And so I lighted all the pipes that were + + smoked that night. It was during the second of these pipes that an old man, + + Calf Robe, told a story of a thing that had happened in the tribe long ago, + + when he was a young man. He was a little man, thin and dried up, but in his + + time he had been a great warrior. Now he was old and poor, his left arm + + thin, withered and helpless, and on his side a great scar, much larger than + + my two hands, where people said his ribs on that side had all been torn + + away. I had heard of his adventures, how once the animals had taken pity on + + him, and brought him, after he was sorely wounded on a war journey, safe + + back to his people and his village. It was on this night that I first heard + + the story of the Medicine Circle. This was what he said: + +</p> +<p> + "It was winter. The people were camped on Lodgepole Creek near the Big Horn + + Mountains. Buffalo were close and small game plenty. The snow was deep, and + + the people did not watch their horses closely, for they thought no war + + parties would be out in such cold and in such deep snow. + +</p> +<p> + "The chief of this camp had strong mysterious power. On the ground at the + + right of his bed in his lodge was always a space, where red painted wooden + + pegs were set in the ground in a circle. Above this hung the medicine + + bundles. No one was allowed to step or sit in this circle. No one might + + throw anything on the ground near it. No one might pass between it and the + + fire. It was sacred. + +</p> +<p> + "It was a very cold night. The wind blew the snow about so that one could + + hardly see. The chief had gone to a feast in a lodge near his own, and his + + wives were in bed, but one of them was still awake. The fire had burned + + down, and the lodge was almost dark. Suddenly the curtain of the doorway + + was thrown back. A person entered, passed around to the back of the lodge, + + and sat down in the medicine circle. + +</p> +<p> + "'Now what is this?' the woman thought; 'why does this person sit in the + + medicine circle?' + +</p> +<p> + "She said to him: 'You know that is the medicine circle. Quick! get up, and + + sit down somewhere else. My husband will be angry if he sees you there.' + +</p> +<p> + "The person did not speak nor move, so the woman got up and put grass on + + the fire, and when it made a light, she saw that the man was a stranger, + + for his clothing was different from ours; but she could not see his face; + + he kept it covered, all but his eyes. The woman went out and ran to the + + lodge where her husband was, and said to him: 'Come quickly! A stranger has + + entered our lodge. He is sitting in the medicine circle.' + +</p> +<p> + "The chief went to his lodge, and many with him—for chiefs and warriors + + had been feasting together—and they carried in more wood and built a big + + fire. Then the stranger moved toward the fire, nearer and nearer, and they + + saw he was shaking with cold. His moccasins and leggings were torn and + + covered with ice, and his robe was thin and worn. + +</p> +<p> + "The chief was greatly troubled to see this person sitting in his medicine + + circle, and he asked him in signs, 'Where did you come from?' + +</p> +<p> + "He made no answer. + +</p> +<p> + "Again he asked, 'Who are you?' + +</p> +<p> + "The stranger did not speak. He sat as close to the fire as he could get, + + still shivering with cold. + +</p> +<p> + "The chief told a woman to feed him; and she warmed some soup and meat over + + the fire, and set it before the stranger. Then he threw off his robe, and + + began to eat like a dog that is starved; and all the people sat and looked + + at him. He was a young man; his face was good, and his hair very long; but + + he looked thin, and his clothes were poor. + +</p> +<p> + "The stranger ate all the soup and meat, and then he spoke, in signs: 'I + + came from the north. I was with a large party. We traveled south many days, + + and at last saw a big camp by a river. At night we went down to it, to take + + horses, but I got none, and my party rode off and left me. They told me to + + go with them and they would give me some of the horses that they had taken, + + but I was ashamed. I had taken no horses, and I could not go back to my + + people without counting a coup. So I came on alone, and it is now many days + + since I left my party. I had used up all my arrows, and could kill no food. + + I began to starve. To-day I saw your camp. I thought to take some horses + + from you, but my arrows are gone; I should have starved on the road. My + + clothes are thin and torn; I should have frozen. So I made up my mind to + + come to your camp and be killed. + +</p> +<p> + "'Come, I am ready. Kill me! I am a Blackfoot.' + +</p> +<p> + "A pipe was filled, lighted, and passed around. But the chief sat thinking. + + Everyone was waiting to hear what he would say. + +</p> +<p> + "At last he spoke: 'An enemy has come into our camp. The Blackfeet are our + + enemies. They kill us when they can. We kill them. This man came here to + + steal our horses, and he ought to be killed. But, you see, he has come into + + my lodge and sat down in the medicine circle. Perhaps his medicine led him + + to the place. He must have a powerful helper. + +</p> +<p> + "'There are many lodges in this camp, and in each of these lodges many + + seats, but he has come to my lodge, and has sat down in my medicine circle. + + I believe my medicine helped him too. So now I am afraid to kill this man, + + for if I do, it may break my medicine. I have finished.' + +</p> +<p> + "Everyone said the chief's talk was good. The chief turned to the Blackfoot + + and said: 'Do not be afraid; we will not kill you. You are tired. Take off + + your leggings and moccasins, and lie down in that bed.' + +</p> +<p> + "The Blackfoot did as he was told, and as soon as he lay down he slept; for + + he was very tired. + +</p> +<p> + "Next morning, when he awoke, there by his bed were new leggings for him, + + and warm hair moccasins, and a new soft cow's robe; and he put these on, + + and his heart was glad. Then they ate, and the chief told him about the + + medicine circle, and why they had not killed him. + +</p> +<p> + "In the spring a party of our people went to war against the Crows and the + + Blackfoot went with them, and he took many horses. He went to war often, + + and soon had a big band of horses. He married two women of our tribe, and + + stayed with us. Sometimes they used to ask him if he would ever go back to + + his people, and he would say: 'Wait, I want to get more horses, and when I + + have a big band—a great many—I will take my lodge, and my women and + + children, and we will go north, and I will make peace between your tribe + + and the Blackfeet.' + +</p> +<p> + "One summer the people were running buffalo. They were making new lodges. + + One day the men went out to hunt. At sundown they came back, but the + + Blackfoot did not return. Next day the men went out to look for him, and + + they searched all over the country. Many days they hunted for the + + Blackfoot, but he was never seen again. Some said he had gone back to his + + people. Some said that a bear might have killed him, or he might have + + fallen from his horse and been killed, and some said that a war party must + + have killed him and taken the horse with them. Neither man nor horse was + + seen again." + +</p> +<a name="2H_4_0012"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + <i>Among Enemy Lodges.</i> + +</h2> +<p> + It was late in the winter, when I was fifteen years old, that I made my + + first trip to war. We were camped on a large river, and not far from our + + camp was a village of the Arapahoes. + +</p> +<p> + One day I went to visit their camp, taking with me only my buffalo robe and + + my bow and arrows. At the camp I found a number of young men of my tribe, + + and I went into the lodge where they were sitting, and sat down near the + + door. Soon after I had entered a young man of my tribe proposed that our + + young men should gamble against the young men of the Arapahoes, and when + + they had agreed, we all left the lodge where we were sitting, and went off + + to that owned by Shaved-head. I followed along after the others, and when I + + entered the lodge I found that they were making ready to gamble. The + + counters were lying between the lines, ten of the sticks lying side by + + side, and two lying across the ten. + +</p> +<p> + When all was ready, the leader of the Arapahoes threw down on the ground + + the bone they were to gamble with, and the leader of our young men threw + + down his bone, and then all the young men of both parties began to sing, + + and dance, and yell, each trying to bring luck to his side. Some of them + + danced all around the lodge, singing as hard as they could sing. After a + + time all sat down, and then one of the Arapahoes chose a man from his side, + + and called him out and told him to sit down in front of his line. The + + leader took up the bone, and held it up to the sun, and to the four + + directions, praying that his side might win, and then handed it to this + + man, who let the robe fall back from his shoulders, rose to his knees, and + + after rubbing his hands on the ground, began to pass the bone from one hand + + to the other. Then the leader of our party stood up, and looked over his + + men, to choose someone who was good at guessing. He chose a man, and called + + him out in front of the line, to guess in which hand the Arapahoe held the + + bone. Then everybody began to sing hard, and four young men pounded with + + sticks on a parfleche, in time to the music. Presently our man guessed and + + guessed right. Then our people chose a man to pass the bone for them, and + + when the Arapahoes guessed, they guessed wrong. So it kept on. The + + Arapahoes did not win one point, and our people won the game. Then the + + Arapahoes would play no more, and the gambling stopped. Afterward they had + + a dance. It was now night. I had heard the young men talking to one + + another, and I knew that they were about to start off to war. After the + + dance was over, one of them said to the others, "Come, let us go about the + + camp to-night, and sing wolf songs." They did so, and I went with them. + + Every little while they would stop in front of some lodge and sing; and + + perhaps the man who owned the lodge would fill a pipe, and hold it out to + + them, and all would smoke; or someone would hand out a bit of tobacco, or a + + few arrows, or five or six bullets, or some caps, or a little powder. In + + this way they sang for a long time; and then, when they were tired, they + + went to the different lodges and slept. + +</p> +<p> + The next morning I saw them making up the packs which they were to carry on + + their backs, and packing the dogs which they had with them to carry their + + moccasins. I watched them, and as I looked at them I wished that I, too, + + might go to war; and the more I thought about it the more I wished to go. + + At last I made up my mind that I would go. I had no food, and no extra + + moccasins, but I looked about the camp, and found some that had been thrown + + away, worn out; and I asked one kind-hearted woman to give me some + + moccasins, and she gave me three pairs. By this time the war party had + + started, and I followed them. + +</p> +<p> + The snow still lay deep on the ground; and as we marched along, one after + + another, each man stepped in the tracks of the man before him. We traveled + + a long way, until we came to some hills, from which we could see a river; + + and before we got down to the river's valley we stopped on a hill, and took + + off our packs, and looked about and rested. After a time someone said, + + "Well, let us go down to the river and camp." They all started down the + + hill, but I remained where I was, waiting to see what they would do. You + + see, I did not belong to the party, and I did not know how the others felt + + toward me; so I was shy about doing anything; I wanted to wait and see what + + they did. + +</p> +<p> + When the others reached the level ground near the stream they threw down + + their packs and began to go to work. Some of the men scraped away the snow + + from the ground where they were to sleep; others went off into the timber, + + and soon returned with loads of wood on their backs, and started fires; + + others brought poles with which to build lodges; others, bark from old + + cottonwood trees, and others, still, brush. Everyone worked hard. + +</p> +<p> + Presently I grew tired of sitting alone on the hill, and went down to the + + others. When I reached there, I found that they were building three war + + lodges, and as I drew near, all the young men began to call out to me, each + + one asking me to come over to him. I was the littlest fellow in the party, + + and they all wanted me, thinking that I might bring them luck. When they + + called to me, they did not speak to me by my name, but called me Bear + + Chief, the name of one of the greatest warriors of the tribe. They were + + joking with me, to tease me. + +</p> +<p> + When I was near the lodges I stopped, uncertain what to do, or where to go, + + and Gray Eyes, a man a little older than the others, walked up to me, and + + took me by the arm, saying: "Friend, come to our lodge. If you go to one of + + the others, the young men will be making fun of you all the time." I went + + to his lodge, and he told me to sit down near the door. This lodge was well + + built, warm and comfortable. They had taken many straight poles and set + + them up as the poles of a lodge are set up, but much closer together. Then + + the poles were covered with bark and brush, so as to keep out the wind; and + + within, all about the lodge, were good beds, with bark and brush under + + them, so as to keep those who were to sleep there from the snow. A good + + fire burned in the middle of the lodge. + +</p> +<p> + When I grew warm I began to wonder what we should have to eat. We had + + traveled all day, and I was hungry; yet I had no food, and could see none, + + and there was nothing to cook with, not even a kettle. A man sitting by the + + fire seemed to know what was in my mind, and said to me, "Take courage, + + friend, soon you shall have plenty to eat." A little while after this, a + + man called out, saying, "If anyone has food to eat, let him get it out." + + When he said that, the young men began to open their packs. While they were + + doing this, someone cried, "The hunters are coming"; and when I looked I + + saw three or four men coming, each with an antelope on his back. When these + + men had come near to the camp, everyone rushed for them, and they threw + + their loads on the snow, and each man cut off meat for his lodge. Then they + + cut it into pieces and it was set up on green willow twigs, stuck in the + + ground near the fire, to roast. One of the men in our lodge said, "Let our + + young friend here be the first one to eat," and someone cut a piece of the + + short ribs of an antelope, and gave it to me. So we all ate, and were warm + + and comfortable. That night we slept well, lying with our feet to the fire, + + as people always lie in a war lodge. + +</p> +<p> + The next day we traveled on. Just before we camped at night I heard the + + sound of guns, and someone told me that the young men were killing buffalo. + + Soon after we had made camp, they began to come in, some carrying loads of + + meat on their backs, and others dragging over the snow a big piece of + + buffalo hide, sewed up into a sack, and full of meat. Everyone was + + good-natured, and each young man was laughing and joking with his fellows, + + and sometimes playing tricks on them. That night a friend took a piece of + + buffalo hide and sewed it up, and partly dried it over the fire, and then + + turned it inside out, and stuffed it full of meat, and gave it to me, + + saying, "Here is a pack for you to carry." + +</p> +<p> + We traveled on for several days; but it was not long after this that the + + scouts came in, and told us that they had seen signs of people, a trail + + where a large camp had passed along only a few days before. When I heard + + this I was a little frightened, for I thought to myself, "Suppose we were + + to be attacked, how could I run away with this big pack on my back?" But I + + said nothing, and no one else seemed to be afraid; all were happy because + + there was a chance that we might meet enemies. They laughed and talked with + + one another, and said what a good time we should have if there should be a + + fight. Nevertheless, that night the leader told the young men to bring logs + + out of the timber, and pile them up around the war lodges, so that if we + + should be attacked we might fight behind breast works. Also, he told them + + that if we should be attacked we must not run out of the lodges, but must + + stay in them, where we could fight well, and be protected and safe. Also, + + he said, "Everyone must be watchful; it may be that enemies are near; + + therefore, act accordingly." + +</p> +<p> + The next morning the leader sent out two parties of scouts, to go in two + + directions to look for enemies. He told them where they should go, and + + where they should meet the main party, which was to keep on its way, + + traveling carefully, and out of sight. + +</p> +<p> + At night, after we had reached the appointed place, and had camped there, + + the scouts came in, and told us that they had found the enemy, and that + + their camp was not far off. When the leader learned that, he said, "It will + + be well for us to go to-night to the camp of these enemies, and try to take + + their horses." The distance was not great, and after we had eaten, all set + + out. When we had come near to the camp, we could see in some of the lodges + + the fires still burning, and knew that all the people had not gone to bed. + + In a low place we stopped, and there put down all our things. Here the + + leader told us what we must do, calling out by name certain men who should + + go into the camp, and certain other men, younger, who should go about + + through the hills and gather up loose horses, and drive them to the place + + where we had left our packs. My name he did not speak, and I did not know + + what to do. While I sat there, doubtful, all the others started off. Then I + + made up my mind that I, too, would go into the camp, and would try to do + + something, and I followed the others. After a little time I overtook them, + + and followed along, and as we went on and drew nearer and nearer to the + + camp, men kept turning off to one side, until presently, when we were quite + + near the camp, most of them had disappeared into the darkness; but I could + + still see some, walking along ahead of me. Presently we reached the outer + + circle of the lodges, and a moment or two after that I could see none of + + our people. I was walking alone among the lodges. Now I was afraid, for I + + did not know how to act, nor what I wanted to do, and I thought that + + perhaps one of the enemy might see me, and see that I did not belong to his + + tribe, and attack me and kill me. I held my head down, and walked straight + + along. Not many people were about, and no one passed me. Presently I came + + to a lodge in which a little fire was burning, and not very far away was + + another lodge, in which people were singing and drumming, as if for a + + dance. I stopped, and looked into the first lodge. The fire was low, but + + still it gave some light, and I could see plainly that no one was there. + + Then suddenly it came to me that I would go into this lodge, and take + + something out of it, which should show to my friends that I, too, had been + + in the camp. I did not think much of the danger that someone might come in, + + but, stooping down, entered the lodge, and looked about. Hanging over the + + bed, at the back of the lodge, was a bow-case and quiver full of arrows. I + + stepped quickly across and took this down, and putting it under my robe, + + went out of the lodge, and walked back the way I had come. + +</p> +<p> + As I had entered the camp I had seen horses standing, tied in front of the + + lodges, and now, as I was going back, I stooped down in front of a lodge, + + where all was dark, cut loose a horse, and walked away, leading it by its + + rope. No one saw me, and when I had passed beyond the furthest lodge I + + mounted the horse and rode along slowly. After I had gone a little further, + + I went faster, and soon I was at the place where we had left our things. + + There were many horses there, brought in by the younger men that had been + + looking for loose horses, and some cut loose by those who had gone into + + camp. Every minute other men kept coming up, and presently all were there. + + The young men had filled their saddle-pads with grass, and now each one + + chose a good horse, and mounting it drove off the herd. I had only one + + horse, yet my heart was glad, for it was the first I had ever taken. + +</p> +<p> + For a time we rode slowly, but presently, faster; and when day had come we + + had gone a long way. The horses were still being driven in separate + + bunches, so that each man should know which were his—the ones he had + + taken; but soon after day broke, and there had been time for each to look + + over his animals, they were bunched together, and we went faster. + + Nevertheless, the leader said to us: "Friends, do not hurry the horses too + + much; they are poor, and we must not run them too hard. The horses on which + + the Crows will follow us are poor also, and they cannot overtake us." + +</p> +<p> + We rode fast until afternoon, when we came down into the valley of a river, + + and there stopped to let our horses feed. Two young men with fresh horses + + were left behind, on top of the highest hills, to watch the trail, to see + + whether the enemy were following us. After we had been there for a time, + + and the horses had eaten, the leader called out, "Friends, the enemy are + + pursuing; we must hurry on the horses." In a moment we had caught our + + animals, and mounted, and were driving on the herd; for, far back, we could + + see the scouts who had been left behind coming toward us, riding fast, and + + making signs that people had been seen. After we had left the valley, and + + were among the hills, the leader left two other young men, on fresh horses, + + behind, to see whether the enemy crossed the river, and followed; while we + + went on with the horses. We rode all that night and part of the next day, + + and then stopped again; and that night, in the middle of the night, the + + scouts overtook us, and told us that the enemy had not crossed the river, + + where we had first slept, but had turned about there, and had gone back. + + "There were only a few of them," they said. "We two were almost tempted to + + attack them, but we had been told only to watch them, and we thought it + + better to do that." Four days afterward we reached our village. + +</p> +<p> + I had no saddle, and when I reached the camp I was very sore and stiff from + + riding so long without a saddle. Nevertheless, I was pleased, for I had + + taken a horse that was fast, long-winded and tough; and I had taken also a + + fine bow and arrows, with an otter-skin case. The leader spoke to me, and + + told me that I had done well to go into this lodge. He said to me, "Friend, + + you have made a good beginning; I think that you will be a good warrior." + + Also, when we reached the village, my uncle praised me, and said that I had + + done well. He looked at the bow and the arrows, and told me that to have + + taken them was better than to have taken a good horse, and that he hoped + + that I would be able to use them in fighting with my enemies. Such was my + + first journey to war. + +</p> +<a name="2H_4_0013"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + <i>A Grown Man.</i> + +</h2> +<p> + That summer my uncle gave me a gun, and now I was beginning to feel that I + + was really a man, and I hunted constantly, and had good luck, killing deer + + and elk, and other game. + +</p> +<p> + One day the next year, with a friend, I was hunting a two days' journey + + from the camp. We had killed nothing until this day, when we got a deer, + + and toward evening stopped to cook and eat. The country was broken with + + many hills and ravines, and before we went down to the stream to build our + + fire I had looked from the top of a little hill, to see whether anything + + could be seen. My friend was building a fire to cook food, and I had gone + + down to the fire and spread my robe on the ground, and was lying on it, + + resting, while our horses were feeding near by, when suddenly I had a + + strange feeling. I seemed to feel that I was in great danger, and as if I + + must get away from this place. I was frightened. I felt there was danger; + + that something bad was going to happen. I did not know what it was, nor why + + I felt so, but I was afraid. I seemed to turn to water inside of me. I had + + never felt so before. I sat up and looked about; nothing was to be seen. My + + friend was cutting some meat to cook over the little fire, and just beyond + + him the horses were feeding. My friend was singing to himself a little war + + song, as he worked. + +</p> +<p> + My feelings grew worse instead of better. I stood up, took my gun, and + + walked toward a little hill not far from where we were, and my friend + + called out to me, "Where are you going? I thought you wished to rest." I + + said to him, "I will go to the top of that little hill, and look over it." + + When I got there I looked about; I could see nothing. It was early summer, + + and the grass was green. The soil was soft and sandy. For a long time I + + looked about in all directions, but could see nothing, but then I could not + + see far, for there were other little hills, nearly as high, close to me. + +</p> +<p> + Presently I looked at the ground a few steps before me, and I thought I saw + + where something had stepped. It was hard for me to make up my mind to walk + + to this place, but at length I did so. When I got there I saw where a horse + + had stood—a fresh horse track. Near it were two tracks made by a man, an + + enemy. I could see where he had stood, with one foot advanced before the + + other. When I saw these tracks I knew what had happened; an enemy had stood + + there looking over at us, and when he saw me with my gun start toward the + + top of the hill he had gone away. Standing where he had stood, I looked + + back toward our horses; I could hardly see their backs, but a man taller + + than I could have seen more of them, and the heads of the two men. I turned + + to follow the tracks a little way, and as I walked, it did not seem to me + + that my bones were stiff enough to support my body; I seemed to sway from + + side to side, and felt as if I should fall down. I was frightened. + +</p> +<p> + I saw where the man had led his horse a little way back from the hill, and + + then had jumped on it and ridden off as hard as he could gallop. A little + + further on was the place where another horse had stood; it, too, had turned + + and gone off fast; its rider had not dismounted. One of the men had said to + + the other: "You wait here, and I will go up and take a look. If these + + people sleep here we will attack them when it is dark, and kill them and + + take their horses." + +</p> +<p> + I cannot tell you how much I wanted to run back to my friend and tell him + + what I had seen; but I had courage enough to walk. I felt angry at myself + + for being so frightened. I said to myself: "Come, you are a man; you belong + + to brave people; your uncle and your father did not fear things that they + + could not see. Be brave. Be strong." It was no use for me to say this; I + + was so frightened I could hardly control myself. I felt as if I must run + + away. + +</p> +<p> + I walked until I was close to my friend. He was cooking meat, and was still + + singing to himself. When I was pretty near to him I said, "Friend, put the + + saddle on your horse, and I will saddle mine, and we will go away from + + here." He turned and looked at me, and in a moment he had dropped the meat + + that he was cooking, and was saddling up. He told me the next day that my + + face had changed so that he hardly knew me; my face was like that of one + + dead. I said to him, "Do you go ahead, and go fast, but do not gallop." He + + started off without a word, and I followed him. It was now growing dark, + + but you could still see a long way. As I rode I seemed to have three heads, + + I looked in so many different directions. We traveled fast. My courage did + + not come back to me. I was still miserable. + +</p> +<p> + About the middle of the night I said to my friend, "Let us stop here, so + + that the horses may eat." We stopped and took off our saddles, and held the + + ropes of our horses in our hands, and lay down on the ground together, + + looking back over the trail that we had come. My friend's horse was eating, + + but mine stood with his head high, and his ears pricked, and kept looking + + back toward where we had come from. Every now and then he would snort, as + + if frightened. Sometimes he would take a bite or two of grass, and then + + would again stand with his head up, looking and snorting. This made me more + + afraid than ever; and now my friend was as badly frightened as I. + +</p> +<p> + At last I could stand it no longer, and I said to him, "Let us turn off the + + trail, and go along a divide where no one is likely to follow us." We + + started, loping. After we had gone some distance we stopped, took off our + + bridles, and again lay down, looking back over the way we had come. The + + night was dark, but we could see a little, and we watched and listened. + + Still my horse would not eat, but kept looking back over the trail. + + Suddenly, my friend said, "There he is. Do you see?" I looked, and looked, + + but could see nothing. "Where is it?" said I. With my head close to the + + ground I looked in the direction in which he pointed, but could see + + nothing. My friend saw it move, however. I said to him, "Here, let us + + change places;" and I moved to his place, and he to mine. Then I looked, + + and in a moment I saw just in front of my face a weed-stalk, and when I + + moved my head the stalk moved. This was what he had seen. + +</p> +<p> + For the first time since this feeling had come over me in the afternoon I + + laughed, and with a rush my courage came back to me. I felt as brave and + + cheerful as ever. All through the evening I had not wished to smoke, and if + + I had wished to, I should have been afraid to light my pipe. Now I filled + + my pipe, lighted it, and we smoked. When I laughed my friend's courage came + + back too. We lay down and slept, and the next day went on to the village. + +</p> +<a name="2H_4_0014"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + <i>A Sacrifice.</i> + +</h2> +<p> + During the next two years I went to war five times, always as a servant, + + but always I had good luck. This was because early, after my first trip to + + war, I had asked an old man, one of my relations, to teach me how to make a + + sacrifice which should be pleasing to those spirits who rule the world. + +</p> +<p> + It was in the early summer, when the grass was high and green, not yet + + turning brown, that, with this old man, Tom Lodge, I went out into the + + hills to suffer and to pray, to ask for help in my life, and that I might + + be blessed in all my warpaths. Tom Lodge had told me what I must do, and + + before the time came I had cut a pole, and brought it and a rope, and a + + bundle of sinew, and some small wooden pins near to the place where we were + + to go, and had hidden them in a ravine. + +</p> +<p> + It was before the sun had risen that we started out, and when we came to + + the hill where the things were, I carried them to the top of the hill, and + + there Tom Lodge and I dug a hole in the soil with our knives, and planted + + the pole, stamping the earth tightly about it, and then putting great + + stones on the earth, so that the pole should be held firmly. Then Tom Lodge + + tied the rope to the pole, and with sinew tied the pins to the rope, and + + then holding the pins and his knife up to the sun, and to the sky, and then + + placing them on the earth, he prayed to all the spirits of the air, and of + + the earth, and of the waters, asking that this sacrifice that I was about + + to make should be blessed, and that I should have help in all my + + undertakings. Then he came and stood before me, and taking hold of the skin + + of my breast on the right side, he pinched it up and passed his knife + + through it, and then passed the pin through under the skin, and tied the + + end to the rope with another strand of sinew. In the same way he did on the + + left side of my breast. Then he told me that all through the day I should + + walk about this pole, always on the side of the pole toward which the sun + + was looking, and that I should throw myself back against the rope and + + should try to tear the pins from my skin. Then, telling me to pray + + constantly, to have a strong heart, and not to lose courage, he set out to + + return to the village. + +</p> +<p> + All through the long summer day I walked about the pole, praying to all the + + spirits, and crying aloud to the sun and the earth, and all the animals and + + birds to help me. Each time when I came to the end of the rope I threw + + myself back against it, and pulled hard. The skin of my breast stretched + + out as wide as your hand, but it would not tear, and at last all my chest + + grew numb, so that it had no feeling in it; and yet, little by little, as I + + threw my whole weight against the rope, the strips of skin stretched out + + longer and longer. All day long I walked in this way. The sun blazed down + + like fire. I had no food, and did not drink; for so I had been instructed. + + Toward night my mouth grew dry, and my neck sore; so that to swallow, or + + even to open my mouth in prayer hurt me. It seemed a long time before the + + sun got overhead and the pole cast but a small shadow; but it seemed that + + the shadow of the pole grew long in the afternoon much more slowly than it + + had grown short in the morning. + +</p> +<p> + I was very tired, and my legs were shaking under me, when at last, as the + + sun hung low over the western hills, I saw someone coming. It was my + + friend, Tom Lodge; and when he had come close to me, he spoke to me and + + said, "My son, have you been faithful all through the day?" I answered him, + + "Father, I have walked and prayed all day long, but I cannot tear out these + + pins." "You have done well," he said; and, drawing his knife, he came to + + me, and taking hold first of one pin and then of the other, he cut off the + + strips of skin which passed about the pins, and set me free. He held the + + strips of skin that he had cut off, toward the sky, and toward the four + + directions, and prayed, saying: "Listen! all you spirits of the air, and of + + the earth, and of the water; and you, O earth! and you, O sun! This is the + + sacrifice that my son has made to you. You have heard how he cries to you + + for help. Hear his prayer." Then at the foot of the pole he scraped a + + little hole in the earth and placed the bits of skin there, and covered + + them up. Then he gave me to drink from a buffalo paunch waterskin that he + + had brought. + +</p> +<p> + "Now, my son," said he, "you shall sleep here this night, and to-morrow + + morning, as the sun rises, leave this; hill, and everything on it, as it + + is, and return to the camp. It may be that during the night something will + + come to you, to tell you a thing. If you are spoken to in your sleep, + + remember carefully what is said to you." + +</p> +<p> + After he had gone I lay down, covering myself with my robe, and was soon + + asleep, for I was very tired. That night, while I slept, I dreamed that a + + wolf came to me, and spoke, saying: "My son, the spirits to whom you have + + cried all day long have heard your prayers, and have sent me to tell you + + that your cryings have not been in vain. Take courage, therefore, for you + + shall be fortunate so long as these wars last. You shall strike your + + enemies; your name shall be called through the camp, and all your relations + + will be glad. + +</p> +<p> + "Look at me, and consider well my ways. Remember that of all the animals, + + the wolves are the smartest. If they get hungry, they go out and kill a + + buffalo; they know what is going to happen; they are always able to take + + care of themselves. You shall be like the wolf; you shall be able to creep + + close to your enemies, and they shall not see you; you shall be a great man + + for surprising people. In the bundle that you wear tied to your necklet, + + you shall carry a little wolf hair, and your quiver and your bow-case shall + + be made of the skin of a wolf." The wolf ceased speaking, yet for a time he + + sat there looking at me, and I at him; but presently he yawned, and stood + + up on his feet, and trotted off a little way, and suddenly I could not see + + him. + +</p> +<p> + So then in these five times that I went to war, once I counted the first + + coup of all on an enemy; and three times I crept into camp and brought out + + horses, twice going with other men who went in to cut loose the horses, and + + once going in alone. For these things I came to be well thought of by the + + tribe. My uncle praised me, and said that the time was coming when I would + + be a good warrior. All my relations felt proud and glad that I had such + + good luck. + +</p> +<p> + I knew why all this had come to me. I had done as the wolf had said, and + + often I went out from the camp—or perhaps I stopped when I was traveling + + far from the village—and went up on a hill, and, lighting a pipe, offered + + a smoke to the wolf, and asked him not to forget what he had said to me. + +</p> +<p> + I was now a grown man, and able to do all the things that young men do. I + + was a good hunter; I had a herd of horses, and had been to war, and been + + well spoken of by the leaders whose war parties I went with. I was old + + enough, too, to think about young girls, and to feel that some day I wanted + + to get married, and to have a lodge and home of my own. There were many + + nice girls in the camp; many who were hard workers, modest, and very + + pretty. I liked many of them, but there was no one whom I liked so much as + + Standing Alone. I often saw her, but sometimes she would not look at me, + + and sometimes she looked, but when she saw me looking at her she looked + + down again; but sometimes she smiled a little as she looked down. It was + + long since we had played together, but I thought that perhaps she had not + + forgotten the time, so many years ago, when she pretended to be my wife, + + and when she had mourned over me once when I was killed by a buffalo. + +</p> +<p> + As I grew older I felt more and more that I wished to see and talk with + + her. Of course I was too young to be married yet, but I was not too young + + to want to talk with Standing Alone. I used to go out and stand by the + + trail where the women passed to get water, hoping that I might speak to + + her, but often there was no chance to do so. Sometimes she was with other + + girls, who laughed and joked about me, and asked whom I was waiting for. + + They could not tell who was standing there, for my robe or my sheet covered + + my whole body, except the hole through which I looked with one eye. But one + + day when Standing Alone was going by with some girls, one of them + + recognized the sheet that I had on, and called out my name, and said that + + she believed that I was waiting for Standing Alone. I was surprised that + + she should know me, and felt badly, but I did not move, and so I think + + neither she nor the girls with her knew that she had guessed right; and the + + next time I went I wore a different sheet, and different moccasins and + + leggings. + +</p> +<p> + One evening I had good luck; all the women had passed, and Standing Alone + + had not appeared. I supposed that all had got their water, and was about to + + go away when she came hurrying along the trail, and passed me and went to + + the water's edge. She filled her vessel and came back, and when she passed + + me again I took hold of her dress and pulled it, and dropped my sheet from + + my head. She stopped and we stood there and talked for a little while. We + + were both of us afraid, we did not know of what, and had not much to say, + + but it was pleasant to be there talking to her, and looking at her face. + + Three times she started to go, but each time I said to her, "Do not go; + + wait a little longer"; and each time she waited. The fourth time she went + + away. After that, I think she knew me whenever I stood by the trail, and + + sometimes she was late in coming for water, and I had a chance to speak to + + her alone. + +</p> +<a name="image-0007"><!--IMG--></a> +<center> +<img src="images/img080.jpg" width="384" height="549" +alt="'Do Not Go; Wait A Little Longer'"> +</center> +<!--IMAGE END--> +<p> + In those days I was happy; and often when the camp was resting, and there + + was nothing for me to do, I used to go out and sit on the top of a high + + hill, and think about Standing Alone, and hope that in the time to come I + + might have her for my wife, and that I might do great things in war, so + + that she would be proud of me; and might bring back many horses for her, so + + that she could always ride a good horse, and have a finely ornamented + + saddle and saddle-cloth. If I could take horses enough, I should be rich, + + and then whatever Standing Alone might desire, I could give a horse for it. + +</p> +<a name="2H_4_0015"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + <i>A Warrior Ready to Die.</i> + +</h2> +<p> + It was not long after this that buffalo were found, and we began to kill + + them, as we used to do in the old times; and then a great misfortune + + happened to me. + +</p> +<p> + One day I was chasing buffalo on a young horse, and as it ran down a steep + + hill, it stumbled among the stones, and fell down, rolling over, and I was + + thrown far; and, as I fell to the ground, my knee struck against a large + + stone. When I got up my leg was useless, and I could not walk, but I + + managed to catch my horse, and crawling on it I reached the camp. After a + + little my knee got better, and then again worse, and then better again. + + Still I could not walk, and for two years I stayed in the camp, crippled, + + and unable to go from place to place, except when I was helped on my horse. + + I grew thin and weak, and thought that I should die. + +</p> +<p> + Many of the young men of my age, my friends, were sorry for me. They used + + to come to my lodge and eat and talk, telling me the news. Sometimes, when + + I was sitting out in the shade of the lodge, looking over the camp, and + + feeling the pleasant breeze blow on my face, or the warm sun shine on my + + body, I saw the young men and boys walking about, and running, and + + wrestling, and kicking, and jumping on their horses and galloping off, and + + it made me feel badly to think that I could no longer do the things that I + + used to do; could no longer hunt, and help to support my relations; could + + no longer go off on the warpath with my fellows, to fight the enemy, or to + + take plunder from them. I was useless. + +</p> +<p> + Often during this time, older men—my uncle's friends—used to come to the + + lodge, and stop there and talk with me for a little time, to cheer me up, + + for I think they too felt sorry for me. The doctors tried hard to cure my + + leg, but though they did many things, and I and my uncle paid them many + + horses, and saddles and blankets, they could not help me. Once in a while, + + in the morning, after all the men had gone out to chase buffalo, or to hunt + + for smaller animals, deer or elk or antelope, Standing Alone would come to + + my mother's lodge, perhaps bringing some little present for her, and would + + sit and talk with her, and sometimes look at me, and I could see that her + + eyes were full of tears, and that she too felt sorry. Sometimes she spoke + + to me, but not often; but it always made me glad to see her, and made me + + feel more than ever that she had a good heart. + +</p> +<p> + At the end of two years I sent word to my uncle, asking him to come to see + + me; and when he had come and sat down, I asked my mother and my sisters to + + leave the lodge, and when they had gone I spoke to my uncle. "Father, you + + have seen how it has been with me for two years; that I am no longer able + + to go about; that I am a cripple, lying here day after day, useless to my + + relations, and very unhappy. Now, I have thought of this for a long time, + + and I have made up my mind what I shall do. It is time for me to go off + + with some of the young men on the warpath, and when we meet the enemy, I + + will ride straight into the midst of them, and will strike one, and he + + shall kill me. I am no longer glad to live, and it will be well for me to + + die bravely." + +</p> +<p> + For a long time my uncle said nothing, but sat there looking at the ground. + + After he had thought, he raised his head and spoke to me, saying: "Son, you + + can remember how it has been with us since you were a little boy. You have + + been my son, and I have loved you. I have been glad when you went to war, + + and glad when you returned with credit; yet I should not have mourned if + + you had been killed in battle, for that is the way a man ought to die. I + + have seen your sufferings now for two years, and I know how you feel. I + + think that it will be well for you to do as you have said, and for you to + + give your body to the enemy, and to be killed on the open prairie, where + + the birds and the beasts may feed on your flesh, and may scatter it over + + the plain. Now, when you are ready to do this, tell me, so that I may see + + that you go to war as becomes a warrior who is about to die." + +</p> +<p> + It was not very long after this that a party of young men set out to war, + + all mounted, to go south to look for the Utes. Among them was the one who + + had been my close friend, and to him I had told what was in my mind; and + + when I spoke to the leader of the party, he was glad to have me go with + + him, as were all of them. + +</p> +<p> + I told my uncle, and he gave me his best war horse to ride, and gave me + + also a sacred headdress that he wore, which had in it some of the feathers + + of the thunder bird. I took with me no arms, except a stone axe that my + + father had had from his father, and he from his father, and which had come + + down in our family through many generations. + +</p> +<p> + The party started, and we traveled fast and far to the south. At first I + + was very weak, and got very tired during the long marches, but after a time + + I grew stronger, and could eat better, and felt better; but my leg was as + + bad as ever. + +</p> +<p> + We had been out many days and were still traveling south, east of the + + mountains, when, one day our scouts came upon the carcasses of buffalo that + + had been killed only a little time before, and the meat cut from the bones. + + From this we knew that enemies were close by, and we went carefully. Not + + far beyond these carcasses, as we rode up on a hill, we saw before us in + + the valley two persons butchering a buffalo, and as we watched them at + + their work, we could see that they were Utes—enemies. All the young men + + jumped on their horses, and we charged down on them. Before we were near + + them they had seen us, and had run to their horses, and jumped on them and + + ridden away. By this time I was far ahead of my friends, for my horse was + + the fastest of all; and soon I was getting close to these enemies. They + + rode almost side by side, but one a little ahead of the other. + +</p> +<p> + The one who was on the left and a little behind carried a bow and arrows, + + while the man on the right had a gun. I said to myself: "I will ride + + between these two persons, and the man with the bow will then have to shoot + + toward his right hand, and will very likely miss me, while I may be able to + + knock him off his horse with my axe." I was not afraid, for I had made up + + my mind to die. + +</p> +<p> + Before long I had overtaken the Utes, and, riding between them, made ready + + to strike them. The man with the arrows turned on his horse, and shot at + + me, but I bent to one side, and the arrow passed by without hitting me, and + + I struck him with my axe and knocked him off his horse. Then the man with + + the gun turned and was aiming at me, but when he pulled the trigger his gun + + snapped and did not go off. I was close to him and caught the barrel in my + + hand, and struck him with my axe, and knocked him off his horse. Then I + + rode on, holding his gun in my hand. Before the two men whom I had struck + + could get on their horses again, my friends had overtaken and killed them. + +</p> +<p> + We traveled on further, but found no more enemies, and at last we gave up, + + and returned to our village. All the time, as we were journeying about, and + + going back, I kept feeling better and better. I grew stronger slowly. The + + swelling on my knee began to go down, so that before we reached the village + + I could rest my weight on that foot a little. At last we arrived, and when + + we came in sight of the camp, we could see people looking from the lodges + + to see who were coming. + +</p> +<p> + As we rode down the hill to charge upon the village, the leader told me to + + ride far in front, "For," he said, "you are the bravest of all." When we + + came into the village the men and the women and the children came out to + + meet us. All of them shouted out my name, and my heart grew big in my + + breast, for I felt that all the people thought that I had done well. Among + + the women who came out to meet us, I saw Standing Alone, running along by + + my mother, and both were singing a glad song. And when I saw this, I came + + near to crying. + +</p> +<p> + At last I reached my lodge, and before it stood my uncle; and as I rode + + toward him he called out in a loud voice, and asked a certain man named + + Brave Wolf to come to his lodge and see his son who had given his body to + + the enemy, desiring to be killed, but who had done great things and had + + survived. And when Brave Wolf came to the lodge, my uncle gave to him the + + best horse that he had, a spotted war pony, handsome and long-winded and + + fleet. + +</p> +<p> + All that day I sat in the lodge and rested, and talked to my uncle. I told + + him about our journey to war, and while he did not say much I could see + + that his heart was glad. Before he got up to leave the lodge, he said to + + me, "Friend, you have done well; I am glad to have such a son." This made + + me feel glad and proud—more proud, I think, than I felt when I heard the + + people shout out my name. I loved my uncle and it seemed good that I had + + done something that pleased him. + +</p> +<p> + All day long people were coming to our lodge and talking about what had + + happened to us while on our journey. Those who came were my relations and + + friends, but, besides these, older men, good warriors, people to whose + + words all the tribe listened, came and sat and talked with me for a little + + while. My mother and one or two of her relations were busy all day cooking + + food for the visitors. It was a happy time. + +</p> +<p> + The leader of our war party sent word to me that this night there would be + + a war dance over the scalps that had been taken. Although I could walk a + + little, I could not dance, yet I wished to go to the dance and watch the + + others. All through the afternoon boys and young men were bringing wood to + + a level place in the circle of the camp, and there they built what we call + + a "skunk," piling up long poles together in a shape somewhat like a lodge, + + so that when finished the "skunk" looked like a war lodge. + +</p> +<p> + Late in the night the people gathered near the "skunk," called together by + + the sound of the singing and the drumming. Leaning on a stick, I walked + + down there, and before long the "skunk" was lighted, and the members of our + + war party and the young women began to dance. Although I could not dance, + + my face was painted black like those of other men of the war party, and I + + sat there and watched the young people dance and saw the old men and women + + carry about the scalps. That was one of the last of the old-fashioned war + + dances that I ever saw held. + +</p> +<p> + The days went by, and before the birds had flown over on their way to the + + south, and the weather became cold, I could walk pretty well, and could + + ride easily. One day about this time a doctor whom I had given many + + presents a year or two before to cure my sickness came to my lodge and + + asked me if I did not think I ought to give him a present because he had + + cured me of the swollen knee that I had had so long. I said to him that I + + believed that not he but the Great Power, to whom I had prayed and to whom + + I had offered my body as a sacrifice, had cured me. The doctor said that + + this was a mistake; that really he had cured me, but that his power had not + + had time to work until after I had started on my warpath. + +</p> +<p> + I did not think that this was true, but I remembered that this man + + possessed mysterious power, and I felt that perhaps it would not be wise to + + refuse what he asked. I told him I must have time to think about this, and + + that in seven days he should return and I would talk further with him about + + it. Not long after this I told my uncle what the doctor had said. At first + + he was angry and said that I would do well to refuse what had been asked of + + me, but after we had talked about it, he came to think as I thought, that + + perhaps it would be better to make the doctor a present, rather than to + + have his ill will, for it was possible that he might be able to harm us. My + + uncle, therefore, told me to give the doctor a certain horse, and a day or + + two after that he sent me the horse, to be put with my band and later to be + + given to the doctor. When he received the horse, the doctor was glad, and + + he told me that after this he would protect me in case any danger + + threatened me. + +</p> +<p> + The winter passed, the snow melted, the birds went north in spring, and the + + buffalo began to get poor. It seemed to me now that I was as strong and + + well as ever I had been. I walked alike on both legs, and was as active as + + any of the young men. During this summer I joined one of the soldier + + societies of the tribe, and in this I followed the advice of my uncle, who + + had belonged to this same society. + +</p> +<a name="2H_4_0016"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + <i>A Lie That Came True.</i> + +</h2> +<p> + Soon after this something strange happened. + +</p> +<p> + I had a friend named Sun's Road. He was a little younger than I, perhaps + + eighteen or twenty years old, big enough to have a sweetheart, and there + + was a girl in the camp that he wished to please. He had been more than once + + to war and had done well, but he wanted to do still better. He was eager to + + do great things, to make the people talk about him and say that he was + + brave and always lucky. Like most other young men, he wished to become a + + great man. + +</p> +<p> + Our camp was on the South Platte River, a big village of near two hundred + + lodges. All these had been made during the summer, and were new, white and + + clean. The camp looked nice, but now the buffalo had all gone away. None + + were to be found and the people were hungry. They had eaten all the food + + they had saved and now they were eating their dogs, and most of these were + + already gone. + +</p> +<p> + One day two boys, each the son of a chief, were out on the prairie hunting, + + and each killed an antelope and took it to his father's lodge. After these + + had been cooked the chiefs were called together to feast. There was not + + enough food to allow them to call any others except the chiefs. + +</p> +<p> + I heard of all this at the time, but it was a good deal later that Sun's + + Road told me what he had done and what happened to him about this time. He + + did not wish me to tell anyone about it, but it is a long time ago and + + those who were important people at that time are now dead, so I think no + + harm can be done by telling of it. + +</p> +<p> + After these chiefs had eaten, they talked of the suffering of the people + + and tried to think what could be done to help them. After a time one of the + + chiefs came out of the lodge and walked through the camp crying aloud to + + the people, saying, "Listen, listen, you people; we will all stay in this + + camp." This he called out again and again as he walked around the circle, + + so that all might hear him. + +</p> +<p> + After a time Sun's Road heard his name called, and the old man shouted: + + "Sun's Road, Sun's Road; the chief wishes you to go to his lodge. He wishes + + you to go out to look for buffalo." + +</p> +<p> + Sun's Road went to the chief's lodge and when he had entered they told him + + where he should sit, by the door, and gave him a little piece of antelope + + meat to eat. After he had finished eating, the chief said to him: "We want + + you to-night to go across the river to the other side, and you shall go to + + where the pile of bones is, where we had the fight with the Pawnees. On the + + other side of that hill for a long distance the country is level. Look over + + that country and see if you can see any buffalo and come back and let us + + know what you have seen. If you see no buffalo do not go farther; come back + + from there." + +</p> +<p> + The pile of bones was a breastwork of buffalo bones built on the top of a + + very high hill by some Pawnees who many years before had been surrounded + + there by men of our tribe. + +</p> +<p> + Sun's Road started on his journey. When he came to the river he took off + + his leggings and moccasins and waded across. It was cold, for by this time + + it was late in the night. On the other side of the river he put on his + + leggings and moccasins again and walked on north, sometimes walking, and + + sometimes trotting for a little way. After he had walked a long distance + + and it was beginning to get toward morning he felt tired and thought that + + he would rest for a little while. He looked about for a place to lie down, + + and found a little bunch of brush behind a small bank, and there unbelted + + his robe and lay down to sleep for a little while. He had not slept long + + when his feet became cold and this woke him, and when he raised his head he + + saw that day was beginning to break. He said to himself: "I must not stay + + here longer. I am out looking for buffalo for people who are starving. I + + must not lie here," so he rose and tied up his waist and started on. + +</p> +<p> + He walked on and on and at length he saw the high hill and on it the pile + + of bones. As he went on he came nearer and nearer, and he walked up the + + hill until he was close by the pile of bones. Then he stopped, for he was + + afraid. He was afraid that when he looked over the hill he would see + + nothing. He wanted to make a great man of himself, and to take back the + + news that he had seen buffalo, so that the people would call his name and + + all would say that Sun's Road was smart and was lucky. He was so afraid + + that he would see nothing when he looked over the hill that he stopped and + + stood there and thought. He said to himself: "If I shall not see anything + + and go back, they will all hear of it and my girl will hear of it. They + + will not think much of me. If I could only see plenty of buffalo, what a + + great man I should be!" + +</p> +<p> + He went on and when he came to the top of the hill and peeped over, there + + down below him he saw and counted thirty bulls and a calf. He looked at + + them and said, "Those are bulls; they are not much, but something." He + + looked another way, and presently he saw one bull, and then two, and then + + others far off, scattered—in all five or six. He said again, "These are + + not many, but they will be some help to the people." A little to his right + + and down the hill a point of the bluff ran out a little way and this point + + hid a part of the country beyond, and Sun's Road walked down there just a + + few steps to see what was over that way. When he got there he looked out + + into a very pretty, level basin with a stream running through it, and said + + to himself: "This is a pretty place, a good place for buffalo. There ought + + to be a great many of them here." + +</p> +<p> + At first he could see none, but he kept on looking and at last far off, + + just specks, he saw a few—a very few, perhaps ten or fifteen—cows. + +</p> +<p> + For a long time he stood there trying to think what he should tell the + + chiefs when he went back to the camp. He said to himself: "If I go back and + + tell them just what I have seen it will be nothing to tell. Now, I want + + people to think that I am a great man, and I am going to tell them a lie. + + Yes, I shall have to tell them a lie. I shall tell them that when I looked + + over the hill I saw those thirty bulls with one calf, but beyond I saw many + + buffalo—hundreds. I know it is a lie, but I shall have to tell it." Then + + he turned about and went back. + +</p> +<p> + He traveled fast, walking and trotting, and sometimes running, for he + + wished to reach the camp before night. It was late in the afternoon when he + + came to the river, waded across and reached the camp. He went into his + + father's lodge and sat down. His father was at work making a whetstone. He + + looked up at his son, and said, "Ha, you have returned," and he turned to + + his wife and said, "Give our son something to eat." His mother was cooking + + a little dog, the last one they had, and she gave Sun's Road a piece of it + + and he ate. Then he took off his moccasins, went over to his bed and lay + + down, covered himself, and went to sleep. He did not speak, and he made no + + report to the chiefs. Some children were playing in the lodge, and making a + + little noise, and his father spoke to them, saying, "Go out, you will wake + + my son; he is tired and has gone to sleep." Sun's Road slept only for a + + short time, for the lie that he was going to tell troubled him. Pretty soon + + he heard one of the old chiefs coming—old Double Head. He could hear him + + coming, coughing and groaning and clearing his throat, and he knew who it + + was by the sound. The chief entered the lodge and sat down, and said to + + Sun's Road's father, "Has your son returned?" The father replied, "Yes, he + + is asleep." He filled the pipe and Double Head smoked. Sun's Road lay + + still. In a few moments he heard another old man coming towards the lodge + + grunting. He knew who it was—White Cow. He came in, sat down, asked the + + same question that Double Head had asked, and smoked. + +</p> +<p> + White Cow called to Sun's Road, "Nephew, get up now and tell us what you + + saw; we are starving." + +</p> +<p> + Sun's Road rolled over, pulled the robe from his head, raised himself on + + his elbow and said: "I went to the hill of the pile of bones, and on the + + other side of the hill right over beyond the bones I saw thirty bulls and a + + calf. Just beyond them, as I looked over, I saw many buffalo." + +</p> +<p> + The old men stood up and went out. Soon he heard them crying out through + + the camp so that all the people should hear: "Sun's Road has come in. On + + the other side of the pile of bones he saw thirty bulls and a calf, and + + just below this he saw many buffalo. Gather in your horses. Get them up. + + Women, sharpen your knives. Men, whet your arrow points. Tie up your + + horses, and early in the morning we will go after buffalo. The camp will + + stay here. All will go on horseback." + +</p> +<p> + Sun's Road was frightened when he heard this, but it was now too late to be + + sorry for what he had done. Next morning just at break of day, before it + + was light, all the people were out. The old crier was still shouting out, + + "Saddle your horses; make ready to start, men, women and all." + +</p> +<p> + Soon all were saddled, and they crossed the river and went on. The chiefs + + rode first and everyone was behind them. No one rode ahead of them. They + + went pretty fast, for all were eager to get to the buffalo. + +</p> +<p> + Pretty soon they came in sight of the pile of bones. Sun's Road could hear + + the old chiefs talking and saying to each other, "There are the bones; soon + + we will be there at the buffalo." All the time he kept thinking of the lie + + that he had told, and remembering that there were only a few buffalo, while + + he had said that there were many. He did not know what he should do. + +</p> +<p> + When they reached the foot of the hill close to the bones, the chiefs + + stopped and everyone behind them stopped. All the chiefs got off their + + horses and sat down in a row and filled the pipe and began to smoke. Soon + + Sun's Road heard one of them call out: "Sun's Road, Sun's Road, go up to + + the pile of bones and see if you can see your buffalo now. Let us know if + + they are there." Then Sun's Road was still more frightened. When he first + + heard his name called, his heart seemed to stop and then it began to beat + + so fast that it almost choked him. He did not know what to do. He did not + + move. + +</p> +<p> + Soon old Standing Water, another chief, called out sharply, "Sun's Road, go + + to the pile of bones and see if you can see those buffalo; come back and + + tell us what you see." + +</p> +<p> + Then Sun's Road started and rode up towards the pile of bones. Just as he + + did so a raven flew over him and began to call "Ca, Ca, Ca." He kept riding + + on, his heart beating fast, but as he rode he held up his hands to the + + raven and prayed, "Ah, raven, take pity on me and fetch the buffalo." He + + held his hands up higher and prayed to the Great Power, "O He amma wihio, + + you are the one who made the buffalo; take pity on me; you know what I + + need." Then he rode up to the top of the hill. + +</p> +<p> + The moment his head got to where he could see over the hill, he looked and + + there he saw thirty bulls and the calf. They had hardly moved at all. Then + + he went on a step or two further, so that he could see beyond them, and the + + place that he had seen the day before was just full of buffalo. Again he + + held up his hands to the sky and said: "O raven, O He amma wihio, you have + + made my words true. The lie that I told you have made come true." + +</p> +<p> + He turned and rode down the hill towards the chiefs. Before he had reached + + them, one of them called to him to come right to the middle of the line + + where they were sitting, and when he had come near, they told him to get + + off his horse and lead it off to one side and then to come back to the + + middle of the line. They sent a young man to bring a buffalo chip and he + + brought one and put it down on the ground before the old chief Standing + + Water, and then went away. The chief placed it on the ground in front of + + him, about the length of his arm distant from his knees. Then he filled a + + pipe. Sun's Road still stood out in front of the line, in sight of all the + + people. He was still badly frightened, for he did not know what they were + + going to do. He was young, and did not know the ceremonies. + +</p> +<p> + When the pipe was filled, the old chief lighted it and pointed the stem to + + the east, to the south, to the west and to the north, then up to the sky, + + and then down to the ground. Then he rested the bowl of the pipe on the + + buffalo chip and said, "Sun's Road, come here." When he had come close, the + + chief said, "Take hold of this pipe and draw on it five times." The old man + + held the pipe, and so did Sun's Road, until he had drawn five times on the + + pipe. Then the chief said, "Now do you hold the pipe," and Sun's Road held + + it while the old man took his hands away, and he said: "Sun's Road, pass + + your hands all down the stem and over the pipe, and then rub your hands + + over your face and head, and over your arms and body and legs. Then hand me + + the pipe." Sun's Road did as he was bade. Then the old man put his hand on + + the buffalo chip and said to Sun's Road, "Did you see bulls?" + +</p> +<p> + And Sun's Road answered, "I saw them." + +</p> +<p> + The old man pulled in the chip a little way toward himself. + +</p> +<p> + "Did you see cows?" + +</p> +<p> + "I saw them." + +</p> +<p> + The chief moved the chip a little further toward himself. + +</p> +<p> + "Did you see two-year-olds?" + +</p> +<p> + "I saw them." + +</p> +<p> + Standing Water moved the chip a little further toward himself. + +</p> +<p> + "Did you see yearlings?" + +</p> +<p> + "I saw them." + +</p> +<p> + "Did you see small calves?" + +</p> +<p> + "I saw them." + +</p> +<p> + After each answer the chip was moved nearer the chief, and when all the + + questions had been answered it was close to his body. Then Standing Water + + lifted up his hands toward the sky and thanked He amma wihio for all his + + goodness to the people. + +</p> +<p> + Standing Water cleaned out the pipe, emptied the ashes on the chip in four + + piles and left them there. He put his pipe in its sheath and said to the + + people: "Now, let none of you people go around toward the left and pass in + + front of this chip—between it and the camp. Back off and all go around + + behind it, on the side toward the buffalo. If you should pass in front of + + it that might make the buffalo all go away." All the people went around it, + + as they had been told to do. + +</p> +<p> + The chiefs mounted and all rode up on the ridge and all saw the buffalo. + + The chiefs said: "Now here we will divide into two parties; let half go to + + the right and half to the left. The chiefs will go straight down from here. + + Let one party go around below the buffalo, and the other party on the upper + + side. When you get to your places let all make the charge at the same + + time." + +</p> +<p> + Sun's Road watched where his girl was riding, and when he saw that she went + + to the right he went that way too, and she saw him on his fine horse. They + + charged down on the buffalo and he rode close to a fat cow and killed it. + +</p> +<p> + The people killed plenty of buffalo and took much meat back to the camp and + + ate, and all were happy. + +</p> +<p> + A day or two afterward someone who was out saw the buffalo quite close and + + coming toward the river. They went out and chased them and again killed + + plenty. Two or three days later the buffalo began to come down to the river + + and then to cross the river and to feed in the hills about the camp. The + + people stayed in this camp for a long time and killed many buffalo and made + + plenty of robes. + +</p> +<a name="2H_4_0017"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + <i>My Marriage.</i> + +</h2> +<p> + The next summer I went with a party to war against the Mexicans. There were + + seventeen men, and two of them, Howling Wolf and Red Dog, had taken their + + wives with them. We took many horses, and were coming back, when, while we + + were passing through the mountains, two of the young men who had been sent + + ahead as scouts came hurrying back and told us that they had been seen by a + + camp of enemies, and that many of them were coming. We had a little time, + + and perhaps if the leaders of the party had been willing to give up the + + horses we were driving and had told each man to catch his fastest horse, we + + might have run away, but the leaders did not like to leave the horses and + + determined to fight those who were coming. Before long we saw them, Utes + + and Mountain Apaches, a large party—too many for us to fight with. We + + started to run. + +</p> +<p> + Our horses were tired, and it was not long before our enemies began to + + overtake us and some of them to strike us with their whips, counting coups. + + Howling Wolf, a brave man, rode behind us all, trying to defend us, riding + + back and forth fighting off the enemy and whipping up the slower horses. As + + we ran, partly surrounded by the enemy and all in confusion, the girth on + + the saddle of Howling Wolf's wife broke and she fell off her horse with the + + saddle, and was left behind and taken prisoner. One of the Utes captured + + her and took her up behind him on his horse. + +</p> +<p> + After they had taken this prisoner the enemy stopped, and presently one of + + our men called out to Howling Wolf, saying, "Look, look, there is your + + wife! They have taken her prisoner!" Howling Wolf said, "Can that be?" and + + then as he looked he threw down his empty gun, calling out, "Someone pick + + up that gun." He drew his bow and strung it, and alone charged back on the + + man who had his wife. The Utes had gathered in a little group about this + + woman, and Howling Wolf rode straight for this crowd, shooting right and + + left with his arrows, when he got close to them. He ran against one man, + + and his horse knocked down horse and rider. He passed through the crowd up + + to the man who had his wife as prisoner, and shot an arrow through him, and + + then shot another man who tried to lead off the horse the woman was riding. + + A third ran up to take the bridle and he shot an arrow through his head. + + Then all the Utes made a rush at Howling Wolf and his wife. Their horses + + were separated, and the woman pushed off to one side. All the Utes were + + shooting at Howling Wolf, and he fought until all his arrows were gone, and + + then he was pushed off further, and rode to us. We never knew how many of + + the Utes were wounded. Howling Wolf was not hurt, but his horse was shot + + through the mane with an arrow. + +</p> +<p> + Long afterwards, we were told that the Utes said to this woman, "Who is + + that man who is doing all this fighting?" She answered proudly, "That man + + is my husband." When she said that the Utes rushed upon her and shot her + + with arrows, so that she died. + +</p> +<p> + The enemy did not follow us further. They had killed two more of our men + + and this woman, and had captured all the horses we were driving. Perhaps + + they were satisfied. + +</p> +<p> + For the last year I had been thinking a great deal about Standing Alone. I + + saw and spoke to her sometimes, but in these later days not so often as + + when I had been younger and had not been so often going on the warpath + + against my enemies. Yet she knew how I felt and her family and my mother + + also knew how I felt. She was wearing a ring of horn that I had given her + + and I wore her ring. + +</p> +<p> + Three times in the last two years when I had come back from my war journeys + + with horses I had driven the horses to Two Bulls' lodge and left them + + there, and had sent him a message telling him that those horses were his. I + + had not given any present to Standing Alone. + +</p> +<p> + In summer of this year I spoke to my uncle and told him that I wished to + + send horses to Two Bulls, and to ask him to give me his daughter for my + + wife. My uncle felt that this would be good and advised me to do it, saying + + that if I had not so many horses as I wished to send I should go to his + + band and take any that I liked. I told him that this need not be done for + + I, myself, could furnish the horses. Besides, my relations would give such + + other presents as might be needed. + +</p> +<p> + So it happened that about the time the leaves of the cottonwoods began to + + turn yellow, my aunt, my mother's oldest sister, went to Two Bulls' lodge + + taking ten horses, which she tied before the lodge, and then, entering, + + gave the message, saying that Wikis wished Standing Alone for his wife. + + After she had said this, my aunt returned to her lodge. + +</p> +<p> + That night Two Bulls sent for his relations and told them what I had said. + + They counseled together and agreed that the young woman should be given to + + me. When I learned this my heart was stirred. + +</p> +<p> + The news came to my lodge through one of the women of Two Bulls' family, + + and my mother and sisters prepared our lodge for the coming of Standing + + Alone. + +</p> +<p> + It was about the middle of the day when they told me that she was coming. + +</p> +<p> + Standing Alone, finely dressed, was riding a handsome spotted horse led by + + one of her relations, and other women were coming behind, leading other + + horses which bore loads. + +</p> +<p> + The horse ridden by Standing Alone was led up close to the lodge and my + + mother ran out to it. Standing Alone put her arms around my mother's neck + + and slipped out of the saddle on my mother's back. My sisters caught her + + feet and supported Standing Alone, who was thus carried on my mother's back + + into the lodge and her feet did not touch the ground. Then she was carried + + around to the back of the lodge where my sleeping place was and seated next + + to me on my bed. Presently food was prepared and for the dish to be offered + + to Standing Alone my mother cut up the meat into small pieces, so that she + + should have no trouble in eating her food. Then Standing Alone and I ate + + together and so I took her for my wife. + +</p> +<p> + Many of the gifts that Two Bulls had sent with Standing Alone were + + distributed among my relations. + +</p> +<p> + That day all my near relations came, bringing gifts of many sorts to us who + + were newly married. They brought us a lodge and much lodge furniture—robes + + and bedding, backrests, mats and dishes—all the things that people used in + + the life of the camp. Of these presents some were sent to the relations of + + Standing Alone and they in turn sent other presents to us, so that as + + husband and wife Standing Alone and I began our life well provided with all + + that we needed. + +</p> +<p> + I did not again go to war that year, but spent much of my time + + hunting—providing food for my own family and often leaving meat at my + + father-in-law's lodge. + +</p> +<p> + Up to this time, as I look back on it to-day, it seems to me that life had + + been easy for me and for the tribe. We had many skins for robes, lodges and + + clothing. Food was plenty. If we needed horses we made journeys to war + + against our enemies to the south and took what we required—but hard times + + were coming. + +</p> +<p> + It was but a few years after I took Standing Alone for my wife, when my + + oldest boy was four years old, that the wars were begun between the white + + people and my tribe. + +</p> +<p> + This was a hard time. It is true we killed many white people and captured + + much property, but though most of the tribe did not seem to see that it was + + so, my uncle and I felt that the Indians were being crowded out, pushed + + further and further away from where we had always been—where we belonged. + + After each expedition through the country by white troops and after each + + fight that we had with the white men, we felt as if some great hand that + + was all around my tribe and all the other tribes, was closing a little + + tighter about us all, and that at last it would grasp us and squeeze us to + + death. + +</p> +<p> + Of that bad time and of what followed that time, I do not wish to speak, + + and so my story ends. +<div style="height: 6em;"><br><br><br><br><br><br></div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's When Buffalo Ran, by George Bird Grinnell + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WHEN BUFFALO RAN *** + +***** This file should be named 15189-h.htm or 15189-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/5/1/8/15189/ + +Produced by David Newman and the PG Online Distributed Proofreading +Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: When Buffalo Ran + +Author: George Bird Grinnell + +Release Date: February 27, 2005 [EBook #15189] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WHEN BUFFALO RAN *** + + + + +Produced by David Newman and the PG Online Distributed Proofreading +Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +[Illustration: PEOPLE LOOKING FROM THE LODGES] + + + + +_WHEN BUFFALO RAN_ + +_BY GEORGE BIRD GRINNELL_ + + + +_Copyright, 1920, by +Yale University Press._ + +_First published, 1920._ + + + + +_Table of Contents._ + +Introduction: The Plains Country +The Attack on the Camp +Standing Alone +The Way to Live +Lessons of the Prairie +On a Buffalo Horse +In the Medicine Circle +Among Enemy Lodges +A Grown Man +A Sacrifice +A Warrior Ready to Die +A Lie That Came True +My Marriage + + + + +_List of Illustrations._ + +People Looking from the Lodges +Hunting in the Brush along the River +My Grandmother Lived in Our Lodge +My Grandfather ... Long before Had Given up the Warpath +I Killed Many Buffalo and My Mother Dressed the Hides +Holding the Pipe to the Sky and to the Earth +"Do Not Go, Wait a Little Longer" +Watch the Men and Older Boys Playing at Sticks + + + + +_The Plains Country._ + + +Seventy years ago, when some of the events here recounted took place, +Indians were Indians, and the plains were the plains indeed. + +Those plains stretched out in limitless rolling swells of prairie until +they met the blue sky that on every hand bent down to touch them. In spring +brightly green, and spangled with wild flowers, by midsummer this prairie +had grown sere and yellow. Clumps of dark green cottonwoods marked the +courses of the infrequent streams--for most of the year the only note of +color in the landscape, except the brilliant sky. On the wide, level river +bottoms, sheltered by the enclosing hills, the Indians pitched their +conical skin lodges and lived their simple lives. If the camp were large +the lodges stood in a wide circle, but if only a few families were +together, they were scattered along the stream. + +In the spring and early summer the rivers, swollen by the melting snows, +were often deep and rapid, but a little later they shrank to a few narrow +trickles running over a bed of sand, and sometimes the water sank wholly +out of sight. + +The animals of the prairie and the roots and berries that grew in the +bottoms and on the uplands gave the people their chief sustenance. + +In such surroundings the boy Wikis was born and grew up. The people that he +knew well were those of his own camp. Once a year perhaps, for a few weeks, +he saw the larger population of a great camp, but for the most part half a +dozen families of the tribe, with the buffalo, the deer, the wolves, and +the smaller animals and birds, were the companions with whom he lived and +from whom he learned life's lessons. + +The incidents of this simple story are true. + +The life of those days and the teachings received by the boy or the girl +who was to take part in it have passed away and will not return. + + + + +_The Attack on the Camp._ + + +It is the first thing that I can recollect, and comes back to me now +dimly--only as a dream. My mother used to tell me of it, and often to laugh +at me. She said I was then about five or six years old. + +I must have been playing with other little boys near the lodge, and the +first thing that I remember is seeing people running to and fro, men +jumping on their horses, and women gathering up their children. I remember +how the men called to each other, and that some were shouting the war cry; +and then that they all rode away in the same direction. My mother rushed +out and caught me by the hand, and began to pull me toward the lodge, and +then she stopped and in a shrill, sweet voice began to sing; and other +women that were running about stopped too, and began to sing songs to +encourage their husbands and brothers and sons to fight bravely; for +enemies were attacking the camp. + +I did not understand it at all, but I was excited and glad to hear the +noise, and to see people rushing about. Soon I could hear shooting at a +distance. Then presently I saw the men come riding back toward the camp; +and saw the enemy following them down toward the lodges, and that there +were many of these strangers, while our people were only a few. But still +my people kept stopping and turning and fighting. Now the noise was louder. +The women sang their strong heart songs more shrilly, and I could hear more +plainly the whoops of men, and the blowing of war whistles, and the reports +of guns. + +Presently one of our men fell off his horse. The enemy charged forward in a +body to touch him, and our few men rushed to meet them, to keep them from +striking the fallen one, and from taking the head. And now the women began +to be frightened, and some of them ran away. My mother rushed to the lodge, +caught up my little sister, and threw her on her back, and holding me by +the hand, ran toward the river. By this time I was afraid, and I ran as +hard as I could; but my legs were short and I could not keep up, even +though my mother had a load on her back. Nevertheless, she pulled me along. +Every little while I stumbled and lost my feet; but she dragged me on, and +as she lifted me up, I caught my feet again, and ran on. + +Before long I began to tire, and I remember that I wanted to stop. In after +years mother used to laugh at me about this, and say that I had asked her +to throw away my sister, and to put me on her back and carry me instead. +She used to say, too, that if she had been obliged to throw away either +child I should have been the one left behind, for as I was a boy, and would +grow up to be a warrior, and to fight the enemies of our tribe, I might +very likely be killed anyway, and it might as well be earlier as later. + +When we reached the river, my mother threw herself into it. Usually it was +not more than knee-deep, but at this time the water was high from the +spring floods, and my mother had to swim, holding my sister on her back, +and at the same time supporting me, for though I could swim a little, I was +not strong enough to breast the current, and without help would have been +carried away. + +After we had crossed the river and come out on the other side, we looked +back toward the village, and could see that the enemy were retreating. They +might easily have killed or driven off the few warriors of our small camp, +but not far from us there was a larger camp of our people, and when they +heard the shooting and the shouting, they came rushing to help us; and when +the enemy saw them coming, they began to yield and then to run away. Our +warriors followed and killed some of them; but the most of them got away +after having killed four warriors of our camp, whose hard fighting and +death had perhaps saved the little village. + +After the enemy had retreated, my mother crossed the river again, being +helped over by a man who was on the side opposite the camp, and who let us +ride his horse, while he held its tail and swam behind it. + +In the village that night there was mourning for those who had lost their +lives to save their friends. Their relations cried very pitifully over the +dead; and early the next day their bodies were carried to the top of a hill +near the village, and buried there. + +After the mourning for the dead was ended, the people had dances over the +scalps that had been taken from the enemy, rejoicing over the victory. Men +and women blackened their faces, and danced in a circle about the scalps, +held on poles; and old men and old women shouted the names of those men who +had been the bravest in the fight. We little boys looked on and sang and +danced by ourselves away from the circle. + +It was soon after this that my uncle made me a bow and some blunt-headed +arrows, with which he told me I should hunt little birds, and should learn +to kill food, to help support my mother and sisters, as a man ought to do. +With these arrows I used to practice shooting, trying to see how far I +could shoot, how near I could send the arrow to the mark I shot at; and +afterwards, as I grew a little older, hunting in the brush along the river, +or on the prairie not far from the camp with the other little boys. We +hunted the blackbirds, or the larks, or the buffalo birds that fed among +the horses' feet, or the other small birds that lived among the bushes and +trees in the bottom. If I killed a little bird, as sometimes I did, my +mother cooked it and we ate it. + +[Illustration: HUNTING IN THE BRUSH ALONG THE RIVER] + +This was a happy time for me. We little boys played together all the time. +Sometimes the older boys allowed us to go with them, when they went far +from the village, to hunt rabbits, and when they did this, sometimes they +told us to carry back the rabbits that they had killed; and I remember that +once I came back with the heads of three rabbits tucked under my belt, +killed by my cousin, who was older than I. Then we used to go out and watch +the men and older boys playing at sticks; and we had little sticks of our +own, and our older brothers and cousins made us wheels; and we, too, played +the stick game among ourselves, rolling the wheel and chasing it as hard as +we could; but, for the most part, we threw our sticks at marks, trying to +learn how to throw them well, and how to slide them far over the ground. + +[Illustration: WATCH THE MEN AND OLDER BOYS PLAYING AT STICKS] + +I remember another thing--a sad thing--that happened when I was a very +little boy. + +It was winter; the snow lay deep on the ground; a few lodges of people were +camped in some timber among the foothills; buffalo were close, and game was +plenty; the camp was living well. With the others I played about the camp, +spinning tops on the ice, sliding down hill on a bit of parfleche, or on a +sled made of buffalo ribs, and sometimes hunting little birds in the brush. +All this I know about from having heard my mother tell of it; it is not in +my memory. This is what I remember: One day, with one of my friends, I had +gone a little way from the camp, and down the stream. A few days before +there had been a heavy fall of snow, and after that some warm days, so that +the top of the snow had melted. Then had come a hard cold, which had frozen +it, so that on the snow there was a crust over which we could easily run. + +As we were playing we went around the point of a hill, and suddenly, close +to us, saw a big bull. He seemed to have come from the other side of the +river, and was plowing his way through the deep snow, which came halfway up +to the top of his hump. When we saw the bull we were a little frightened; +but as we watched him we saw that he could hardly move, and that after he +had made a jump or two he stood still for a long time, puffing and blowing, +before he tried to go further. As we watched him he came to a low place in +the prairie, and here he sank still deeper in the snow, so that part of his +head was hidden, and only his hump showed above it. My friend said to me, +"Let us go up to this bull, and shoot him with our arrows." We began to go +toward him slowly, and he did not see us until we had come quite close to +him, when he turned and tried to run; but the snow was so deep that he +could not go at all; on each side it rose up, and rolled over, away from +him, as the water is pushed away and swells out on either side before a +duck that is swimming. My friend was very brave, and he said to me, "I am +going to shoot that bull, and count a coup on him"; and he ran up close to +the bull, and shot his blunt-headed arrow against him, and then turned off. +The bull tried hard to go faster, but the snow was too deep; and when I saw +that he could not move, I, too, ran up close to him, and shot my arrow at +him, and the arrow bounded off and fell on the snow. Again my friend did +this, and then I did it; and each time the bull was frightened and +struggled to get away: but the last time my friend did it the bull had +reached higher ground, where the snow was not so deep, and he had more +freedom. My friend shot his arrow into him, and I was following not far +behind, expecting to shoot mine; but when the bull felt the blow of the +last arrow, he turned toward my friend and made a quick rush; the snow was +less deep; he went faster; my little friend slipped, and the bull caught +him with his horns and threw him far. My friend fell close to me, and where +he fell the snow was red with his blood, for the great horn had caught him +just above the waist, and had ripped his body open nearly to the throat. + +I went up to him in a moment, and, catching him, pulled him over the smooth +crust, far from the bull; but when I stopped and looked at him, he was +still, his eyes were dull, and he did not breathe; he was dead. + +I did not know what to do. I had lost my friend, and I cried hard. Also, I +wished to be revenged on the bull for what he had done; but I did not wish +to be killed. I covered my friend with my robe, and started running fast to +the camp, where I told my mother what had happened. Soon all the men in the +camp, and some of the women, had started with me, back to where the bull +was. My friend's relations were wailing and mourning, as they came along, +and soon we reached his body, and his relations carried him back to the +camp. Two of the men went to where the bull stood in the snow and killed +him; and after he was dead I struck him with my bow. + + + + +_Standing Alone._ + + +Always as winter drew near, the camps came closer together, and the people +began to make ready to start off on the hunt for buffalo. By this time food +was scarce, and the people needed new robes; and now that the cold weather +was at hand, the hair of the buffalo was long and shaggy, so that the robes +would be soft and warm, to keep out the winter cold. + +I remember that before the tribe started there used to be a great ceremony, +but I was too young to understand what it all meant, though with the others +I watched what the old men did, and wondered at it, for it seemed very +solemn. There was a big circle about which the people stood or sat, and in +the middle of the circle there were buffalo heads on the ground, and before +them stood old men, who prayed and offered sacrifices, and passed their +weapons and their sacred implements over the skulls, and then people +danced; and not long after this the women loaded their lodges and their +baggage on the horses, and put their little children into the cages on the +travois, or piled them on the loaded pack horses; and then presently, in a +long line, the village started off over the prairie, to look for buffalo. + +Most of the way I walked or ran, playing with the other little boys, or +looking through the ravines to try and find small birds, or a rabbit, or a +prairie chicken. Sometimes I rode a colt, too young yet to carry a load, or +to be ridden by an older person, yet gentle enough to carry me. In this way +I learned to ride. + +When buffalo were found, the young men killed them, and then the whole +camp, women and children, went out to where the buffalo lay, and meat and +hides were brought in to the camp, where the women made robes, and dried +meat. Food was plenty, and everybody was glad. + +My grandmother lived in our lodge. She was an old woman with gray hair, and +was always working hard. Whenever there were skins in the lodge she worked +at them until they were tanned and ready for use. Often she used to talk to +me, telling me about the old times; how our tribe used to fight with its +enemies, and conquer them, and kill them; and how brave the men always +were. She used to tell me that of all things that a man could do, the best +thing was to be brave. She would say to me: "Your father was a brave man, +killed by his enemies when he was fighting. Your grandfather, too, was +brave, and counted many coups; he was a chief, and is looked up to by +everyone. Your other grandfather was killed in a battle when he was a young +man. The people that you have for relations have never been afraid, and you +must not be afraid either. You must always do your best, because you have +many relations who have been braves, and chiefs. You have no father to tell +you how you ought to live, so now your other relations must try to help you +as much as they can, and advise you what to do." + +[Illustration: MY GRANDMOTHER LIVED IN OUR LODGE] + +She used to tell me of the ancient times, and of things that happened then, +of persons who had strong spiritual power, and did wonderful things, and of +certain bad persons and animals, who harmed people, and of the old times +before the people had bows, when they did not kill animals for food, but +lived on roots and berries. She told me that I must remember all these +things, and keep them in my mind. + +Sometimes my grandmother had hard pains in her legs, and it hurt her to +walk, and when she had these pains she could not go about much, and could +not work. When this happened, sometimes she used to ask me to go down to +the stream and fetch her a skin of water; and I would whine, and say to +her, "Grandmother, I do not want to carry water; men do not carry water." +Then she would tell us some story about the bad things that had happened to +boys who refused to carry water for their grandmothers; and when I was +little these stories frightened me, and I would go for the water. So +perhaps I helped her a little in some things after she was old. Yet she +lived until I was a grown man; and so long as she lived she worked hard; +except when she had these pains. + +Sometimes my mother and some of her relations would go off and camp +together for a long time; and then perhaps they would join a larger camp, +and stay with them for a while. In these larger camps we children had much +fun, playing our different games. We had many of these. Some, like those I +have spoken of, we played in winter, and some we played in summer. Often +the little girls caught some of the dogs, and harnessed them to little +travois, and took their baby brothers and sisters, and others of the +younger children, and moved off a little way from the camp, and there +pitched their little lodges. The boys went too, and we all played at living +in camp. In these camps we did the things that older people do. A boy and +girl pretended to be husband and wife, and lived in the lodge; the girl +cooked and the boy went out hunting. Sometimes some of the boys pretended +that they were buffalo, and showed themselves on the prairie a little way +off, and other boys were hunters, and went out to chase the buffalo. We +were too little to have horses, but the boys rode sticks, which they held +between their legs, and lashed with their quirts to make them go faster. +Among those who played in this way was a girl smaller than I, the daughter +of Two Bulls--a brave man, a friend to my uncle. The little girl's name was +Standing Alone; she was pretty and nice, and always pleasant; but she was +always busy about something--always working hard, and when she and I played +at being husband and wife, she was always going for wood, or pretending to +dress hides. I liked her, and she liked me, and in these play camps we +always had our little lodge together; but if I sat in the lodge, and +pretended to be resting longer than she thought right, she used to scold +me, and tell me to go out and hunt for food, saying that no lazy man could +be her husband. When she said this I did not answer and seemed to pay no +attention to her words, but sat for a little while, thinking, and then I +went out of the lodge, and did as she said. When I came in again, whether I +brought anything or not, she was always pleasant. + +Once, when we were running buffalo, one of the boys, who was a buffalo, +charged me when I got near him, and struck me with the thorn which he +carried on the end of his stick, and which we used to call the buffalo's +horn. The thorn pierced me in the body, and, according to the law of our +play, I was so badly wounded that I was obliged to die. I went a little way +toward the village, and then pretended to be very weak. Then my companions +carried me into the camp, and to the lodge, and Standing Alone mourned over +her husband who had been killed while hunting buffalo. Then one of the +boys, who pretended that he was a medicine man, built a sweat lodge, and +doctored me, and I recovered. + + + + +_The Way to Live._ + + +I must have been ten years old when my uncle first began to talk to me. +Long before this, when he had made a bow and some arrows for me, he had +told me that I must learn to hunt, so that in the time to come I would be +able to kill food, and to support my mother and sisters. "We must all eat," +he had said, "and the Creator has given us buffalo to support life. It is +the part of a man to kill food for the lodge, and after it has been killed, +the women bring in the meat, and prepare it to be eaten, while they dress +the hides for robes and lodge skins." + +My uncle was a brave man, and was always going off on the warpath, +searching for the camps of enemies, taking their horses, and sometimes +fighting bravely. He was still a young man, not married; but was quiet and +of good sense and all the people respected him. Even the chiefs and older +men used to listen to him when he spoke; and sometimes he was asked to a +feast to which many older men were invited. + +All my life I have tried to remember what he told me this first time that +he talked with me, for it was good advice, and came to me from a good man, +who afterwards became one of the chiefs of the tribe. + +One day, soon after he had returned from one of his warpaths, he said to +me, early in the morning: "My son, get your bow and arrows, and you and I +will go over into the hills, hunting. We will try to kill some rabbits, and +perhaps we may find a deer." + +I was glad to go with my uncle; no grown man had ever before asked me to go +with him, and to have him speak to me like this made me feel glad and +proud. I ran quickly and got my bow, and we set out, walking over the +prairie. We walked a long way, and I was beginning to get tired, when we +came to a place where we started first one rabbit and then another, and +then a third. I shot at one, but missed it; and my uncle killed all three. +After this we went up to the top of a high hill, to look over the country. +We saw nothing, but as we sat there my uncle spoke to me, telling me of the +things that he had done not long before; and after a time he began to tell +me how I ought to live, and what I ought to do as I grew older. + +He said to me: "My son, I am going to tell you some things that will be +useful to you; and if you listen to what I say, your life will be easier +for you to live; you will not make mistakes, and you will come to be liked +and respected by all the people. Before many years now you will be a man, +and as you grow up you must try more and more to do the things that men do. +There are a few things that a boy must always remember. + +"When older people speak to you, you must stop what you are doing and +listen to what they say, and must do as they tell you. If anyone says to +you, 'My son, go out and drive in my horses,' you must go at once; do not +wait; do not make anyone speak to you a second time; start at once. + +"You must get up early in the morning; do not let the sun, when it first +shines, find you in bed. Get up at the first dawn of day, and go early out +into the hills and look for your horses. These horses will soon be put in +your charge, and you must watch over them, and must never lose them; and +you must always see that they have water." + +"You must take good care of your arms. Always keep them in good order. A +man who has poor arms cannot fight." + +"It is important for you to do all these things. But there is one thing +more important than anything else, and that is to be brave. Soon you will +be going on a warpath, and then you must strive always to be in the front +of the fighting, and to try hard to strike many of the enemy. You must be +saying all the time to yourself, 'I will be brave; I will not fear +anything.' If you do that, the people will all know of it, and will look on +you as a man." + +"There is another thing: if by chance you should do anything that is great, +you must not talk of it; you must never go about telling of the great +things that you have done, or that you intend to do. To do that is not +manly. When you are at war you may do brave things, and other people will +see what you have done, and will tell of it. If you should chance to +perform any brave act, do not speak of it; let your comrades do this; it is +not for you to tell of the things that you have done." + +"If you listen to my words you will become a good man, and will amount to +something. If you let the wind blow them away, you will become lazy, and +will never do anything." + +So my uncle talked to me for a long time, and just as he had finished his +talking, we saw, down in the valley below us, a deer come out from behind +some brush, and feed for a little while, and then it went back into another +patch of brush, and did not come out again. + +"Ah," said my uncle, "I think we can kill that deer." We went around a long +distance, to come down without being seen to where the deer was, and we had +crept up close to the edge of the bushes before the deer knew that we were +there. When we reached the place we walked around it, he on one side and I +on the other; and presently the deer sprang up out of the bushes, and my +uncle shot it with his arrow; and after it had run a distance it fell down, +and when we got to it, was dead. I also shot at it with one of my +sharp-pointed arrows, but I did not hit it. After we had cut up the meat of +the deer, and made it into a pack, done up in the hide, we started back to +the camp. I felt proud to have gone on a hunt with a man and to be carrying +the rabbits. + +As we walked along to the camp that night, my uncle told me other things. +He said: "Always be careful to do nothing bad in camp. Do not quarrel and +fight with your fellows. Men do not fight with each other in the camp; to +do that is not manly." + +You see, my uncle thought that I was now old enough to be taught some of +the things a man ought to do, and he tried to help me; for my father was +dead, and I had no one else to teach me. The words he spoke were all good +words, and I have tried always to remember them. + +The white people gather up their children and send them all to one place to +be taught; but that is not the way we Indians do. Nevertheless, we try to +teach our children in our way; for children must be taught, or they will +not know anything, and if they do not know anything they will have no +sense, and if they have no sense they will not know how to act. + +When our children are small, the mother tries to keep them from making a +noise. It is not fitting that young children should disturb older people. I +am telling you about the way I was taught in the old times, when there were +but few white people in the country. + +Because we have no schools, like the white people, we have to teach our +children by telling them what to do; it is only in this way that they can +learn. They have lived but a short time, and cannot know much. We older +ones, after we have lived many years, and have listened to what our fathers +and brothers have taught us, know a good many things; but little children +know nothing. We want them to be wise, so that they may live well with +their people. But we want them to be wise also, so that when they are the +chiefs and braves of the tribe they may rule the people well. We remember +that before very long we ourselves shall no longer be here; and then the +ones who are caring for the people's welfare will be these children that +now are playing about the camps. Their relations, therefore, talk to the +children, for they want their lives to be made easier for them; and they +want also to have the next generation of people wise enough to help all the +people to live. The men must hunt and go to war; the women must be good +women, not foolish ones, and must be ready to work, and glad to take care +of their husbands and their children. This is one of the reasons why we +like to have them play at moving the camp, harnessing the old dogs to the +travois, pitching the lodges, making clothing for the dolls; while the boys +play at hunting buffalo and at making war journeys against their enemies. +All are trying to learn how to live the life that our people have always +lived. + +My grandfather was an old man, who long before this had given up the +warpath. He spent most of his time in the camp, and he used to make +speeches to the little and big boys, and give them much good advice. Once I +heard him talk to a group of boys playing near the lodge, and this is what +he said: "Listen, you boys; it is time you did something. You sit here all +day in the sun, and throw your arrows, and talk about things of the camp, +but why do you not do something? When I was a boy it was not like this; +then we were always trying to steal off and follow a war party. Some of +those who did so were too little to fight; but we used to follow along, and +try to help. In this way, even though we did nothing, we learned the ways +of warriors. I do not want you boys to be lazy. It is not a lazy man who +does great things, so that he is talked about in the camp, and his name is +called aloud by all the people, when the war party returns." + +[Illustration: MY GRANDFATHER ... LONG BEFORE HAD GIVEN UP THE WARPATH] + + + + +_Lessons of the Prairie._ + + +Once when I was a little older, I was out on the hills one day, watching +the horses. They were feeding quietly, and I lay on a hill and went to +sleep. Suddenly I was awakened by a terrible crash close to my head, and I +knew that a gun had been fired close to me, and I thought that the enemy +had attacked me and were killing me, and would drive off the horses. I was +badly frightened. I sprang to my feet, and started to run to my horse, and +in doing this I ran away from the camp, but before I reached the horse I +heard someone laughing, and when I looked around my uncle sat there on the +ground, with the smoke still coming from his gun. He signed to me to come +to him and sit down, and when I had done so, he said: + +"My son, you keep a careless watch. You do not act as a man ought to do. +Instead of sitting here looking over the prairie in all directions to see +if enemies are approaching, or if there are any signs of strange people +being near, you lie here and sleep. I crept up to you and fired my gun, to +see what you would do. You did not stop to see where the noise came from, +nor did you look about to see if enemies were here. You thought only of +saving your body, and started to run away. This is not good. A warrior does +not act like this; he is always watching all about him, to see what is +going to happen, and if he is attacked suddenly, he tries to fight, or, if +he cannot fight, he thinks more of giving warning to the people than he +does of saving himself." + +When my uncle spoke to me like this he made me feel bad, for of all people +he was the one whom I most wished to please, and with him I wished to stand +well. I considered a little before I said to him: "I was trying to run to +my horse, and if I had got him I think I should have tried to reach the +camp, and perhaps I should have tried to drive in some of the horses; but I +was badly frightened, for I had been asleep and did not know what had +happened." + +"I think you speak truly," said my uncle, "but you should not have gone to +sleep when you were sent out here to watch the horses. Boys who go to sleep +when they ought to be looking over the country, and watching their horses, +or men who get tired and go to sleep when they are on the warpath, never do +much. I should like to have you always alert and watchful." + +I made up my mind that I would hold fast to the words which my uncle spoke +to me, and after this would not sleep when I was on herd. + +It was not long after this that my uncle again told me to get my arrows, +and come and hunt with him. He told me also to take my robe with me, and +that we would go far up the river and be gone one night. I was glad to go, +and we started. + +All through the day we traveled up stream, going in low places, and +traveling cautiously; for, although we were close to the camp, still my +uncle told me no one could be sure that enemies might not be about, and +that we might not be attacked at any time; so we went carefully. If we had +to cross a hill, we crept up to the top of it, and lifted our heads up +little by little, and looked over all the country, to see whether people +were in sight; or game; or to see what the animals might be doing. + +Once, when we stopped to rest, my uncle said to me: "Little son, this is +one of the things you must learn; as you travel over the country, always go +carefully, for you do not know that behind the next hill there may not be +some enemy watching, looking over the country to see if someone may not be +about. Therefore, it is well for you always to keep out of sight as much as +you can. If you have to go to the top of the hill, because you wish to see +the country, creep carefully up some ravine, and show yourself as little as +possible. If you have to cross a wide flat, cover yourself with your robe, +and stoop over, walking slowly, so that anyone far off may perhaps think it +is a buffalo that he sees. In this respect the Indians are different from +the white people; they are foolish, and when they travel they go on the +ridges between the streams, because the road is level, and the going easy. +But when they travel in this way everyone can see them from a long way off, +and can hide in the path, and when they approach can shoot at them and kill +them. The white people think that because they cannot see Indians, there +are none about; and this belief has caused many white people to be killed." + +As I walked behind my uncle, following him over the prairie, I tried to +watch him, and to imitate everything that he did. If he stopped, I stopped; +if he bent down his head, and went stooping for a little way, I also +stooped, and followed him; when he got down to creep, I, too, crept, so as +to be out of sight. + +That day, as the sun fell toward the west, my uncle went down to the river, +and looked along the bank and the mud-bars, trying to learn whether any +animals had been to the water; and when he saw tracks he pointed them out +to me. "This," he said, "is the track of a deer. You see that it has been +going slowly. It is feeding, because it does not go straight ahead, but +goes now in one direction, and then in another, and back a little, not +seeming to have any purpose in its wandering about, and here," showing me a +place where a plant had been bitten off, "is where it was eating. If we +follow along, soon we will see its tracks in the mud by the river." It was +as he had said, and soon, in a little sand-bar, we saw the place where the +animal had stopped. "You see," he said, "this was a big deer; here are his +tracks; here he stopped at the edge of the water to drink; and then he went +on across the river, for there are no tracks leading back to the bank. You +will notice that he was walking; he was not frightened; he did not see nor +smell any enemies." + +Further up the river, on a sand-bar, he showed me the tracks of antelope, +where the old ones had walked along quietly, and other smaller tracks, +where the sand had been thrown up; and these marks, he said, were made by +the little kids, which were playing and running. + +"Notice carefully," he said, "the tracks that you see, so that you will +remember them, and will know them again. The tracks made by the different +animals are not all alike. The antelope's hoof is sharp-pointed in front. +Notice, too, that when his foot sinks in the mud there is no mark behind +his footprint; while behind the footprint of a deer there are two marks, in +soft ground, made by the little hoofs that the deer has on his foot." + +We kept on further up the river, and when night came we stopped, and sat +down in some bushes. All day long we had seen nothing that we could kill; +but from a fold in his robe my uncle drew some dried meat, and we built a +little fire of dried willow brush, that would make no smoke, and over this +we roasted our meat, and ate; and my uncle talked to me again, saying: "My +son, I like to have you come out with me, and travel about over the +country. You have no father to teach you, and I am glad to take you with +me, and to tell you the things that I know. It is a good thing to be a +member of our tribe, and it is a good thing to belong to a good family in +that tribe. You must always remember that you come of good people. Your +father was a brave man, killed fighting bravely against the enemy. I want +you to grow up to be a brave man and a good man. You must love your +relations, and must do everything that you can for them. If the enemy +should attack the village, do not run away; think always first of defending +your own people. You have a mother, and sisters, who will depend on you for +their living, and for their credit. They love you, and you must always try +to do everything that you can for them. Try to learn about hunting, and to +become a good hunter, so that you may support them. But, above all things, +try to live bravely and well, so that people will speak well of you and +your relations will be proud. + +"You are only a boy now, but the time will come when you will be a man, and +must act a man's part. Now your relations all respect you. They do not ask +you to do woman's work; they treat you well. You have a good bed, and +whenever you are hungry, food is given you. Do you know why it is that you +are treated in this way? I will tell you. Your relations know that you are +a man, and that you will grow up to go to war, and fight; perhaps often to +be in great danger. They know that perhaps they may not have you long with +them; that soon you may be killed. Perhaps even to-night or to-morrow, +before we get back to the camp, we may be attacked, and may have to fight, +and perhaps to die. It is for this cause that you are treated better than +your sisters; because at any moment you may be taken away. This you should +understand." + +After we had eaten it began to grow dark, and pretty soon my uncle stood up +and tied up his waist again, and we set out once more, going up the river. +I wanted to ask my uncle where we were going, but I knew that he had some +reason for moving away from the camp, and before I had spoken to him about +it we had gone a mile or two, and it was quite dark, and we stopped again +in another clump of bushes. Here we sat down, and my uncle said to me: "My +son, here we will sleep. Where we stopped and ate, just before the sun set, +was a good place to camp, but it may be that an enemy was watching from the +top of some hill, and may have seen us go into those bushes. If he did, +perhaps he will creep down there to-night, hoping to kill us; and if there +were several persons they may go down there and surround those bushes. I +did not want to stop there where we might have been seen, and so when it +grew dark we came on here. We will sleep here, but will build no fire." + +The next morning, before day broke, my uncle roused me, and we went to the +top of a high hill not far off. We reached it before the sun rose, and lay +on top of it, looking off over the prairie. From here we could see a long +way. Many animals were in view, buffalo and antelope, and down in the river +bottom a herd of elk. For a long time we lay there watching, but everywhere +it was quiet. The animals were not moving; no smokes were seen in the air; +birds were not flying to and fro, as if waiting for the hunter to kill a +buffalo, or for people to fight and kill each other, when they might feed +on the flesh. + +After we had watched a long time, my uncle said: "I see no signs of people. +Let us creep down this ravine, and get among the bushes, and perhaps we can +kill one of these elk." We did as he had said; and before very long had +come near to the elk. Then he told me to wait there. I stopped and for a +few moments I could see him creeping up nearer and nearer to the elk. +Presently they started and ran; and one cow turned off to cross the river, +and as she was crossing it she fell in the water. + +My uncle stood up and motioned to me to go down to where the elk lay. We +met there and cut up the elk, and my uncle took a big load of meat on his +back, and I a smaller load, and we started back toward the village. + +As we were returning, he spoke to me again, saying: "I want you to remember +that of all the advice I give you the chief thing is to be brave. If you +start out with a war party, to attack enemies, do not be afraid. If your +friends are about to make a charge on the enemy, still do not be afraid. +Watch your friends, and see how they act, and try to do as the others do. +Try always to have a good horse, and to be in the front of the fighting. To +be brave is what makes a man. If you are lucky, and count a coup, or kill +an enemy, people will look on you as a man. Do not fear anything. To be +killed in battle is no disgrace. When you fight, try to kill. Ride up close +to your enemy. Do not think that he is going to kill you; think that you +are going to kill him. As you charge, you must be saying to yourself all +the time, 'I will be brave; I will not fear anything.' + +"In your life in the camp remember this too; you must always be truthful +and honest with all your people. Never say anything that is not true; never +tell a lie, even for a joke--to make people laugh. When you are in the +company of older people, listen to what they say, and try to remember; thus +you will learn. Do not say very much; it is just as well to let other +people talk while you listen. If you have a friend, cling close to him; and +if need be, give your life for him. Think always of your friend before you +think of yourself." + +That night we reached the camp again. My uncle left the meat that he had +killed at my mother's lodge. + + + + +_On a Buffalo Horse._ + + +I had lived twelve winters when I did something which made my mother and +all my relations glad; for which they all praised me, and which first +caused my name to be called aloud through the camp. + +It was the fall of the year, and the leaves were dropping from the trees. +Long ago the grass had grown yellow; and now sometimes when we awoke in the +morning it was white with frost; little places in the river bottom, where +water had stood in the springtime, and which were still wet, were frozen in +the morning; and all the quiet waters had over them a thin skin of clear +ice. Great flocks of water birds were passing overhead, flying to the +south; and many of them stopped in the streams, resting and feeding. There +were ducks of many sorts, and the larger geese, and the great white birds +with black tips to their wings, and long yellow bills; and the cranes that +fly over, far up in the sky, looking like spots, but whose loud callings +are heard plainly as they pass along. Often we saw flocks of these walking +on the prairie, feeding on the grasshoppers; and sometimes they all stopped +feeding and stuck up their heads, and then began to dance together, almost +as people dance. + +We boys used to travel far up and down the bottom, trying to creep up to +the edge of the bank, or to the puddles of water, where the different birds +sat, to get close enough to kill them with our arrows. It was not easy to +do this, for generally the birds saw us before we could get near enough; +and then, often, even if we had the chance to shoot, we missed, and the +birds flew away, and we had to wade out and get back our arrows. + +One day I had gone with my friend a long way up the river, and we had tried +several times to kill ducks, but had always missed them. We had come to a +place where the point of a hill ran down close to the river, on our side, +and as we rounded the point of this hill, suddenly we saw close before us +three cranes, standing on the hillside; two of them were gray and further +off, but one quite near to us was still red, by which we knew that it was a +young one. I was ahead of my friend, and as soon as I saw the cranes I drew +my arrow to its head, and shot at the young one, which spread its wings and +flew a few yards, and then came down, lying on the hillside, with its wings +stretched wide, for the arrow had passed through its body. I rushed upon it +and seized it, while the old cranes flew away. Then I was glad, for this +was the largest bird that I had ever killed; and you know that the crane is +a wise bird, and people do not often kill one. + +After my friend and I had talked about it, I picked up the bird and put it +on my back, holding the neck in one hand, and letting the legs drag on the +ground behind me; and so we returned to camp. When we reached the village +some of the children saw us coming, and knew me, and ran ahead to my +mother's lodge, and told her that her boy was coming, carrying a great +bird; and she and my sisters came out of the lodge and looked at me. I must +have looked strange, for the crane's wings were partly spread, and hung +down on either side of me; and when I had nearly come to the lodge, my +mother called out: "What is the great bird that is coming to our lodge? I +am afraid of it," and then she and the children ran in the door. Then they +came out again, and when I reached the lodge, all looked at the bird, and +said how big it was, and how fine, and that it must be shown to my uncle +before it was cooked. They sent word to him, asking him to come to the +lodge, and soon he did so, and when he saw what I had killed, he was glad, +and told me that I had done well, and that I was lucky to have killed a +crane. "There are many grown men," said he, "who have never killed a crane; +and you have done well. I wish to have this known." + +He called out in a loud voice, and asked Bellowing Cow, a poor old woman, +to come to the lodge and see what his son had done; and he sent one of the +boys back to his lodge, telling him to bring a certain horse. Soon the boy +returned, leading a pony; and when Bellowing Cow had come, my uncle handed +her the rope that was about the pony's neck, and told her to look at this +bird that his son had killed. + +"We have had good luck," he said; "my son has killed this wise bird; he is +going to be a good hunter, and will kill much meat. In the time to come, +after he has grown to be a man, his lodge will never lack food. His women +will always have plenty of robes to dress." + +Then Bellowing Cow mounted her horse and rode around the village, singing a +song, in which she told how lucky I had been; that I had killed a crane, a +bird that many grown men had not killed; and that I was going to be a good +hunter, and always fortunate in killing food. My uncle did not give the +bird to Bellowing Cow; he kept it, and told my mother to cook it; and he +said to her: "Save for me the wing bones of this bird, and give them to me, +in order that I may make from them two war whistles, which my son may carry +when he has grown old enough to go to war against his enemies." + +I was proud of what had happened, and it made me feel big to listen to this +poor old woman as she rode through the village singing her song. + +What he did at this time showed some things about my uncle. It showed that +he liked me; it showed that he was proud of what I had done; and it showed, +too, that he was a person of good heart, since he called to see what I had +done a poor old woman who had nothing, and gave her a horse. It would have +been as easy for him to have called some chief or rich man who had plenty +of horses, and then sometime this chief or rich man would have given him a +horse for some favor done him. + +I had killed the crane with a pointed arrow, of which I had three, though +in my hunting for little birds I still used blunt arrows. My uncle had made +me another bow, which was almost as large as a man's bow; and I was +practicing with it always, trying to make my right arm strong, to bend it, +so that it might send the arrow with full force. + +The next summer, when the tribe had started off to look for buffalo, I +spoke one night to my uncle, as he was sitting alone in his lodge, and said +to him: "Father, is it not now time for me to try to kill buffalo? I am +getting now to be a big boy, and I think big enough to hunt. I should like +to have your opinion about this." For a time he sat smoking and +considering, and then he said: "Son, I think it is time you should begin to +hunt; you are now old enough to do some of the things that men do. I have +watched you, and I have seen that you know how to use the bow. The next +time that we run buffalo, you shall come with me, and we will see what we +can do. You shall ride one of my buffalo horses, and you shall overtake the +buffalo, and then we shall see whether you are strong enough to drive the +arrow far into the animal." + +It was not long after this that buffalo were found, and when the tribe went +out to make the surround, my uncle told me to ride one of his horses, and +to keep close to him. As we were going toward the place where the surround +was to be made, he said to me: "Now, to-day we will try to catch calves, +and you shall see whether you can kill one. You may remember this, that if +you shoot an arrow into the calf, and blood begins to come from its mouth, +it will soon die, you need not shoot at it again, but may go on to overtake +another, and kill it. Then, perhaps, after a little while you can chase big +buffalo. One thing you must remember. If you are running buffalo, do not be +afraid of them. Ride your horse close up to the buffalo, as close as you +can, and then let fly the arrow with all your force. If the buffalo turns +to fight, your horse will take you away from it; but, above all things, do +not be afraid; you will not kill buffalo if you are afraid to get close to +them." + +We rode on, and before the surround was made we could see the yellow calves +bunched up at one side of the herd. My uncle pointed them out to me, and +said, "Now, when the herd starts, try to get among those calves, and +remember all that I have told you." + +At length the soldiers gave the word for the charge, and we all rushed +toward the buffalo. They turned to run, and a great dust rose in the air. +That day there were many men on fast horses, but my uncle's horse was +faster than all; and because I was little and light, he ran through the big +buffalo, and was soon close to the calves. When he was running through the +buffalo I was frightened, for they seemed so big, and they crowded so on +each other, and their horns rattled as they knocked together, as the herd +parted and pushed away on either side, letting me pass through it. + +In only a short time I was running close to a yellow calf. It ran very +fast, and for a little while I could not overtake it; but then it seemed to +go slower, and my horse drew up close to it. I shot an arrow and missed it, +and then another, and did not miss; the arrow went deep into it, just +before the short ribs, and a moment afterward I could see blood coming from +the calf's mouth; and I ran on to get another. I did kill another, and then +stopped and got down. The herd had passed, and I began to butcher the last +calf; and before I had finished my uncle rode up to me and said, "Well, +son, did you kill anything?" I told him that I had killed two calves; and +we went back and looked for the other. He helped me to butcher, and we put +the meat and skins of both calves on my horse and then returned to the +camp. + +When we reached there, my uncle stood in front of the lodge, and called out +with a loud voice, saying: "This day my son has chased buffalo, and has +killed two calves. I have given one of my best horses to Red Fox." This he +called out several times, and at the same time he sent a young man to his +lodge, telling him to bring a certain good horse, which he named. Before +very long the young man came with the horse, and about the same time the +old man Red Fox, who was poor and lame, and without relations, was seen +limping toward the lodge, coughing as he came. + +In his young days Red Fox had been a brave and had done many good things, +but he had been shot in the thigh, in battle, and his leg had never healed, +so that he could not go to war. After that, his wife and then his children +one by one had died, or been killed in battle, and now he had nothing of +his own, but lived in the lodge with friends--people who were kind to him. +After Red Fox had mounted his horse, and had ridden off about the circle of +the lodges, singing a song, in which he told what I had done, and how my +uncle was proud of my success, and of how good his heart was toward poor +people, so that when he made gifts he gave them to persons who had nothing, +and not to people who were rich and happy, my uncle turned about and went +into the lodge. He told the young man who had brought the horse to go out +and call a number of his friends, and older people, to come that night to +his lodge, to feast with him. + +After they had come, and all had eaten, and while the pipe was being +smoked, my uncle said: "Friends, I have called you to eat with me, because +this day my son has killed two calves. He has done well, and I can see that +he will be a good man. His lodge will not be poor for meat nor will his +wife lack skins to tan, or hides for lodge skins. We have had good luck, +and to-day my heart is glad; and it is for this reason that I have asked +you to come and hear what my son has done, in order that you may be +pleased, as I am pleased." + +When he had finished speaking, Double Runner, an old man, whose hair was +white, stood up on his feet and spoke, and said that I had done well. He +spoke good words of my uncle because he had a kind heart and was generous, +and liked to make people happy. He spoke also of my father, and said that +it was bad for the tribe when the enemy killed him; but, nevertheless, he +had died fighting, as a brave man would wish to die. + +From that time on, so long as the buffalo were seen, I went out with the +men of the camp. Sometimes I went alone, or with companions of my own age, +and we tried to kill calves, but more than once I went with my uncle. The +second time I rode with him he said to me that I had killed calves, and now +I must try to kill big buffalo. I remembered what he had said about riding +close to the buffalo, but I was afraid to do this, and yet I was ashamed to +tell him that I was afraid. When the surround was made, my uncle and I were +soon among the buffalo. I was riding my uncle's fast buffalo horse. My +uncle rode on my right hand, and when we charged down and got among the +buffalo we soon passed through the bulls and then drew up slowly on the +cows, and those younger animals whose horns were yet straight. I thought we +were going to pass on through these, and kill calves, but suddenly my uncle +crowded his horse up close to me, and, pointing to a young bull, signed to +me to shoot it. I did not want to, but my uncle kept crowding his horse +more and more on me, and pushing me close to the bull. I was afraid of it; +I thought that perhaps it would turn its head toward me and frighten my +horse, and my horse could not get away because of my uncle's horse, and +then my horse, and perhaps I, myself, would be killed; but there was not +much time to think about it. I felt that I was not strong enough to kill a +buffalo; I did not want to try; but all the time my uncle was signing to +me, "Shoot, shoot." There was no way for me to escape, and I drew the arrow +and shot into the buffalo. The point hit the animal between the ribs, and +went in deep, yet not to the feathers. When I shot, my uncle sheered off, +and I followed him; and in a moment, looking back, I saw that the blood was +coming from the bull's nose and mouth; and then I knew that I had killed +it. In a few moments it fell, and I went back to it. Then truly I thought +that I had done something great, and I felt glad that I had killed a big +buffalo. I forgot that a little while before I had been frightened, and had +wanted to get away without shooting. I forgot that, except for my uncle, I +should not have made this lucky shot. I felt as if I had done something, +and something that was very smart and great. You see, I was only a boy. + +This feeling did not last very long; after a little I remembered that +except for my uncle I should have still been afraid of big buffalo, and +should not have dared to go near enough to kill one, but should have been +content to kill calves. My mind was still big for what I had done, and I +felt thankful to my uncle for making me do it. I wanted to pass my hands +over him--to express my gratitude to him--for all his kindness to me. No +father could have done more for me than he had done, and always did. + +That night when we came back to the camp my horse was carrying a great pile +of meat; and when I stopped in front of the lodge, I called out to my +mother to come and take my horse, and take the meat from it; for so my +uncle had told me to do. "Now," he said, "you have become a man; you are +able to hunt, and to kill food, and you must act as a man acts." + +When my mother came out of the lodge she was astonished; she could hardly +believe that it was I who had killed this buffalo. Nevertheless, she took +the rope from me, and began to take the meat from the horse; and I went +into the lodge and lay down on the bed by the fire to rest, for this too +was what my uncle had told me to do. + +The next time the camp made a surround, I rode alone, and this time I did +not do so well. It is true that I killed a cow, but also I shot another +animal, which carried away three of my arrows. It was afterward killed by a +man a long way off, and the next day he gave me back my arrows, which he +had taken from the cow. I felt ashamed of this, but, nevertheless, I kept +on, and before the hunt was over I killed many buffalo, and my mother +dressed the hides. + +[Illustration: I KILLED MANY BUFFALO AND MY MOTHER DRESSED THE HIDES] + + + + +_In the Medicine Circle._ + + +Soon after I had killed my big buffalo, my uncle had sent for me and when I +had gone to his lodge, he said, "Come with me"; and we walked out on the +prairie where his horses were feeding. He carried a rope in his hand, and, +throwing it over the fast buffalo horse, that he had told me to ride when I +first hunted buffalo, he put the rope in my hand, and said: "Son, I give +you this horse; he is fast, and he is long-winded. You have seen that he +can overtake buffalo. I tell you now that he is a good horse for war. If +you ride him when you go on the warpath, you can get up close to your +enemy, and strike him; he will not be able to run away from you." + +This was the first horse I had, and I was proud to own it. Also, later, my +uncle said to me, "My son, if you need horses for riding, catch some of +those out of my band, and use them." This I did, sometimes. My uncle had +plenty of horses, and was always going to war and getting more. + +I was now a big boy, and began to think more and more about going to war. +Ever since I had been little I had talked with my companions, and they with +me, about the time when we should be big enough to do the things that our +fathers and uncles did; and the thing that we most wished to do was to go +to war against the enemy, and to do something brave, so that we should be +looked up to by the people. As we grew older the wish to do this increased. +That summer, when the old men used to come out of their lodges, and sit in +the sun, smoking, or to gather in little groups, and gossip with one +another, I used to listen to their talk of the things that had happened in +past years, when they were young. They told of many strange things that had +happened; of war; journeys that they had made against their enemies, of +fights that they had had, and horses that they had taken. They spoke, too, +of treaties that they had made with other tribes; and told how they had +visited the camps of people who lived far off, whose names I had heard, but +of whom I knew nothing. + +Sometimes, too, I was present in my uncle's lodge when he gave a feast to +friends; and often among them were chiefs and older men, who in their day +had done great things, and brought credit to the tribe. At such feasts, +after all had eaten, and my uncle had filled the pipe, and pushed the +tobacco board back under the bed, he gave the pipe to some young man, who +lighted it and handed it back to him; and then he smoked, holding the pipe +to the sky, and to the earth, and to the four directions, and made a prayer +to the spirits, and then passed the pipe along to the end of the circle on +his left; and, beginning there, each man smoked and made a prayer, and the +pipe passed from hand to hand. After this the guests talked and joked, and +laughed, and stories were told, perhaps of war or adventure, perhaps of +hard times when food was scarce and the cold bitter, perhaps of those +mysterious persons who rule the world, and of the kindly or the terrible +things that they have done. + +[Illustration: HOLDING THE PIPE TO THE SKY AND TO THE EARTH] + +I remember well one such feast, when for the first time my uncle told me to +sit on his right hand, and behind him; and when he had filled it, told me +to light the pipe. I reached over to the fire, and with a tongs made of +willow took up a small coal and lighted the pipe, and after it was going +well, passed it to my uncle. And so I lighted all the pipes that were +smoked that night. It was during the second of these pipes that an old man, +Calf Robe, told a story of a thing that had happened in the tribe long ago, +when he was a young man. He was a little man, thin and dried up, but in his +time he had been a great warrior. Now he was old and poor, his left arm +thin, withered and helpless, and on his side a great scar, much larger than +my two hands, where people said his ribs on that side had all been torn +away. I had heard of his adventures, how once the animals had taken pity on +him, and brought him, after he was sorely wounded on a war journey, safe +back to his people and his village. It was on this night that I first heard +the story of the Medicine Circle. This was what he said: + +"It was winter. The people were camped on Lodgepole Creek near the Big Horn +Mountains. Buffalo were close and small game plenty. The snow was deep, and +the people did not watch their horses closely, for they thought no war +parties would be out in such cold and in such deep snow. + +"The chief of this camp had strong mysterious power. On the ground at the +right of his bed in his lodge was always a space, where red painted wooden +pegs were set in the ground in a circle. Above this hung the medicine +bundles. No one was allowed to step or sit in this circle. No one might +throw anything on the ground near it. No one might pass between it and the +fire. It was sacred. + +"It was a very cold night. The wind blew the snow about so that one could +hardly see. The chief had gone to a feast in a lodge near his own, and his +wives were in bed, but one of them was still awake. The fire had burned +down, and the lodge was almost dark. Suddenly the curtain of the doorway +was thrown back. A person entered, passed around to the back of the lodge, +and sat down in the medicine circle. + +"'Now what is this?' the woman thought; 'why does this person sit in the +medicine circle?' + +"She said to him: 'You know that is the medicine circle. Quick! get up, and +sit down somewhere else. My husband will be angry if he sees you there.' + +"The person did not speak nor move, so the woman got up and put grass on +the fire, and when it made a light, she saw that the man was a stranger, +for his clothing was different from ours; but she could not see his face; +he kept it covered, all but his eyes. The woman went out and ran to the +lodge where her husband was, and said to him: 'Come quickly! A stranger has +entered our lodge. He is sitting in the medicine circle.' + +"The chief went to his lodge, and many with him--for chiefs and warriors +had been feasting together--and they carried in more wood and built a big +fire. Then the stranger moved toward the fire, nearer and nearer, and they +saw he was shaking with cold. His moccasins and leggings were torn and +covered with ice, and his robe was thin and worn. + +"The chief was greatly troubled to see this person sitting in his medicine +circle, and he asked him in signs, 'Where did you come from?' + +"He made no answer. + +"Again he asked, 'Who are you?' + +"The stranger did not speak. He sat as close to the fire as he could get, +still shivering with cold. + +"The chief told a woman to feed him; and she warmed some soup and meat over +the fire, and set it before the stranger. Then he threw off his robe, and +began to eat like a dog that is starved; and all the people sat and looked +at him. He was a young man; his face was good, and his hair very long; but +he looked thin, and his clothes were poor. + +"The stranger ate all the soup and meat, and then he spoke, in signs: 'I +came from the north. I was with a large party. We traveled south many days, +and at last saw a big camp by a river. At night we went down to it, to take +horses, but I got none, and my party rode off and left me. They told me to +go with them and they would give me some of the horses that they had taken, +but I was ashamed. I had taken no horses, and I could not go back to my +people without counting a coup. So I came on alone, and it is now many days +since I left my party. I had used up all my arrows, and could kill no food. +I began to starve. To-day I saw your camp. I thought to take some horses +from you, but my arrows are gone; I should have starved on the road. My +clothes are thin and torn; I should have frozen. So I made up my mind to +come to your camp and be killed. + +"'Come, I am ready. Kill me! I am a Blackfoot.' + +"A pipe was filled, lighted, and passed around. But the chief sat thinking. +Everyone was waiting to hear what he would say. + +"At last he spoke: 'An enemy has come into our camp. The Blackfeet are our +enemies. They kill us when they can. We kill them. This man came here to +steal our horses, and he ought to be killed. But, you see, he has come into +my lodge and sat down in the medicine circle. Perhaps his medicine led him +to the place. He must have a powerful helper. + +"'There are many lodges in this camp, and in each of these lodges many +seats, but he has come to my lodge, and has sat down in my medicine circle. +I believe my medicine helped him too. So now I am afraid to kill this man, +for if I do, it may break my medicine. I have finished.' + +"Everyone said the chief's talk was good. The chief turned to the Blackfoot +and said: 'Do not be afraid; we will not kill you. You are tired. Take off +your leggings and moccasins, and lie down in that bed.' + +"The Blackfoot did as he was told, and as soon as he lay down he slept; for +he was very tired. + +"Next morning, when he awoke, there by his bed were new leggings for him, +and warm hair moccasins, and a new soft cow's robe; and he put these on, +and his heart was glad. Then they ate, and the chief told him about the +medicine circle, and why they had not killed him. + +"In the spring a party of our people went to war against the Crows and the +Blackfoot went with them, and he took many horses. He went to war often, +and soon had a big band of horses. He married two women of our tribe, and +stayed with us. Sometimes they used to ask him if he would ever go back to +his people, and he would say: 'Wait, I want to get more horses, and when I +have a big band--a great many--I will take my lodge, and my women and +children, and we will go north, and I will make peace between your tribe +and the Blackfeet.' + +"One summer the people were running buffalo. They were making new lodges. +One day the men went out to hunt. At sundown they came back, but the +Blackfoot did not return. Next day the men went out to look for him, and +they searched all over the country. Many days they hunted for the +Blackfoot, but he was never seen again. Some said he had gone back to his +people. Some said that a bear might have killed him, or he might have +fallen from his horse and been killed, and some said that a war party must +have killed him and taken the horse with them. Neither man nor horse was +seen again." + + + + +_Among Enemy Lodges._ + + +It was late in the winter, when I was fifteen years old, that I made my +first trip to war. We were camped on a large river, and not far from our +camp was a village of the Arapahoes. + +One day I went to visit their camp, taking with me only my buffalo robe and +my bow and arrows. At the camp I found a number of young men of my tribe, +and I went into the lodge where they were sitting, and sat down near the +door. Soon after I had entered a young man of my tribe proposed that our +young men should gamble against the young men of the Arapahoes, and when +they had agreed, we all left the lodge where we were sitting, and went off +to that owned by Shaved-head. I followed along after the others, and when I +entered the lodge I found that they were making ready to gamble. The +counters were lying between the lines, ten of the sticks lying side by +side, and two lying across the ten. + +When all was ready, the leader of the Arapahoes threw down on the ground +the bone they were to gamble with, and the leader of our young men threw +down his bone, and then all the young men of both parties began to sing, +and dance, and yell, each trying to bring luck to his side. Some of them +danced all around the lodge, singing as hard as they could sing. After a +time all sat down, and then one of the Arapahoes chose a man from his side, +and called him out and told him to sit down in front of his line. The +leader took up the bone, and held it up to the sun, and to the four +directions, praying that his side might win, and then handed it to this +man, who let the robe fall back from his shoulders, rose to his knees, and +after rubbing his hands on the ground, began to pass the bone from one hand +to the other. Then the leader of our party stood up, and looked over his +men, to choose someone who was good at guessing. He chose a man, and called +him out in front of the line, to guess in which hand the Arapahoe held the +bone. Then everybody began to sing hard, and four young men pounded with +sticks on a parfleche, in time to the music. Presently our man guessed and +guessed right. Then our people chose a man to pass the bone for them, and +when the Arapahoes guessed, they guessed wrong. So it kept on. The +Arapahoes did not win one point, and our people won the game. Then the +Arapahoes would play no more, and the gambling stopped. Afterward they had +a dance. It was now night. I had heard the young men talking to one +another, and I knew that they were about to start off to war. After the +dance was over, one of them said to the others, "Come, let us go about the +camp to-night, and sing wolf songs." They did so, and I went with them. +Every little while they would stop in front of some lodge and sing; and +perhaps the man who owned the lodge would fill a pipe, and hold it out to +them, and all would smoke; or someone would hand out a bit of tobacco, or a +few arrows, or five or six bullets, or some caps, or a little powder. In +this way they sang for a long time; and then, when they were tired, they +went to the different lodges and slept. + +The next morning I saw them making up the packs which they were to carry on +their backs, and packing the dogs which they had with them to carry their +moccasins. I watched them, and as I looked at them I wished that I, too, +might go to war; and the more I thought about it the more I wished to go. +At last I made up my mind that I would go. I had no food, and no extra +moccasins, but I looked about the camp, and found some that had been thrown +away, worn out; and I asked one kind-hearted woman to give me some +moccasins, and she gave me three pairs. By this time the war party had +started, and I followed them. + +The snow still lay deep on the ground; and as we marched along, one after +another, each man stepped in the tracks of the man before him. We traveled +a long way, until we came to some hills, from which we could see a river; +and before we got down to the river's valley we stopped on a hill, and took +off our packs, and looked about and rested. After a time someone said, +"Well, let us go down to the river and camp." They all started down the +hill, but I remained where I was, waiting to see what they would do. You +see, I did not belong to the party, and I did not know how the others felt +toward me; so I was shy about doing anything; I wanted to wait and see what +they did. + +When the others reached the level ground near the stream they threw down +their packs and began to go to work. Some of the men scraped away the snow +from the ground where they were to sleep; others went off into the timber, +and soon returned with loads of wood on their backs, and started fires; +others brought poles with which to build lodges; others, bark from old +cottonwood trees, and others, still, brush. Everyone worked hard. + +Presently I grew tired of sitting alone on the hill, and went down to the +others. When I reached there, I found that they were building three war +lodges, and as I drew near, all the young men began to call out to me, each +one asking me to come over to him. I was the littlest fellow in the party, +and they all wanted me, thinking that I might bring them luck. When they +called to me, they did not speak to me by my name, but called me Bear +Chief, the name of one of the greatest warriors of the tribe. They were +joking with me, to tease me. + +When I was near the lodges I stopped, uncertain what to do, or where to go, +and Gray Eyes, a man a little older than the others, walked up to me, and +took me by the arm, saying: "Friend, come to our lodge. If you go to one of +the others, the young men will be making fun of you all the time." I went +to his lodge, and he told me to sit down near the door. This lodge was well +built, warm and comfortable. They had taken many straight poles and set +them up as the poles of a lodge are set up, but much closer together. Then +the poles were covered with bark and brush, so as to keep out the wind; and +within, all about the lodge, were good beds, with bark and brush under +them, so as to keep those who were to sleep there from the snow. A good +fire burned in the middle of the lodge. + +When I grew warm I began to wonder what we should have to eat. We had +traveled all day, and I was hungry; yet I had no food, and could see none, +and there was nothing to cook with, not even a kettle. A man sitting by the +fire seemed to know what was in my mind, and said to me, "Take courage, +friend, soon you shall have plenty to eat." A little while after this, a +man called out, saying, "If anyone has food to eat, let him get it out." +When he said that, the young men began to open their packs. While they were +doing this, someone cried, "The hunters are coming"; and when I looked I +saw three or four men coming, each with an antelope on his back. When these +men had come near to the camp, everyone rushed for them, and they threw +their loads on the snow, and each man cut off meat for his lodge. Then they +cut it into pieces and it was set up on green willow twigs, stuck in the +ground near the fire, to roast. One of the men in our lodge said, "Let our +young friend here be the first one to eat," and someone cut a piece of the +short ribs of an antelope, and gave it to me. So we all ate, and were warm +and comfortable. That night we slept well, lying with our feet to the fire, +as people always lie in a war lodge. + +The next day we traveled on. Just before we camped at night I heard the +sound of guns, and someone told me that the young men were killing buffalo. +Soon after we had made camp, they began to come in, some carrying loads of +meat on their backs, and others dragging over the snow a big piece of +buffalo hide, sewed up into a sack, and full of meat. Everyone was +good-natured, and each young man was laughing and joking with his fellows, +and sometimes playing tricks on them. That night a friend took a piece of +buffalo hide and sewed it up, and partly dried it over the fire, and then +turned it inside out, and stuffed it full of meat, and gave it to me, +saying, "Here is a pack for you to carry." + +We traveled on for several days; but it was not long after this that the +scouts came in, and told us that they had seen signs of people, a trail +where a large camp had passed along only a few days before. When I heard +this I was a little frightened, for I thought to myself, "Suppose we were +to be attacked, how could I run away with this big pack on my back?" But I +said nothing, and no one else seemed to be afraid; all were happy because +there was a chance that we might meet enemies. They laughed and talked with +one another, and said what a good time we should have if there should be a +fight. Nevertheless, that night the leader told the young men to bring logs +out of the timber, and pile them up around the war lodges, so that if we +should be attacked we might fight behind breast works. Also, he told them +that if we should be attacked we must not run out of the lodges, but must +stay in them, where we could fight well, and be protected and safe. Also, +he said, "Everyone must be watchful; it may be that enemies are near; +therefore, act accordingly." + +The next morning the leader sent out two parties of scouts, to go in two +directions to look for enemies. He told them where they should go, and +where they should meet the main party, which was to keep on its way, +traveling carefully, and out of sight. + +At night, after we had reached the appointed place, and had camped there, +the scouts came in, and told us that they had found the enemy, and that +their camp was not far off. When the leader learned that, he said, "It will +be well for us to go to-night to the camp of these enemies, and try to take +their horses." The distance was not great, and after we had eaten, all set +out. When we had come near to the camp, we could see in some of the lodges +the fires still burning, and knew that all the people had not gone to bed. +In a low place we stopped, and there put down all our things. Here the +leader told us what we must do, calling out by name certain men who should +go into the camp, and certain other men, younger, who should go about +through the hills and gather up loose horses, and drive them to the place +where we had left our packs. My name he did not speak, and I did not know +what to do. While I sat there, doubtful, all the others started off. Then I +made up my mind that I, too, would go into the camp, and would try to do +something, and I followed the others. After a little time I overtook them, +and followed along, and as we went on and drew nearer and nearer to the +camp, men kept turning off to one side, until presently, when we were quite +near the camp, most of them had disappeared into the darkness; but I could +still see some, walking along ahead of me. Presently we reached the outer +circle of the lodges, and a moment or two after that I could see none of +our people. I was walking alone among the lodges. Now I was afraid, for I +did not know how to act, nor what I wanted to do, and I thought that +perhaps one of the enemy might see me, and see that I did not belong to his +tribe, and attack me and kill me. I held my head down, and walked straight +along. Not many people were about, and no one passed me. Presently I came +to a lodge in which a little fire was burning, and not very far away was +another lodge, in which people were singing and drumming, as if for a +dance. I stopped, and looked into the first lodge. The fire was low, but +still it gave some light, and I could see plainly that no one was there. +Then suddenly it came to me that I would go into this lodge, and take +something out of it, which should show to my friends that I, too, had been +in the camp. I did not think much of the danger that someone might come in, +but, stooping down, entered the lodge, and looked about. Hanging over the +bed, at the back of the lodge, was a bow-case and quiver full of arrows. I +stepped quickly across and took this down, and putting it under my robe, +went out of the lodge, and walked back the way I had come. + +As I had entered the camp I had seen horses standing, tied in front of the +lodges, and now, as I was going back, I stooped down in front of a lodge, +where all was dark, cut loose a horse, and walked away, leading it by its +rope. No one saw me, and when I had passed beyond the furthest lodge I +mounted the horse and rode along slowly. After I had gone a little further, +I went faster, and soon I was at the place where we had left our things. +There were many horses there, brought in by the younger men that had been +looking for loose horses, and some cut loose by those who had gone into +camp. Every minute other men kept coming up, and presently all were there. +The young men had filled their saddle-pads with grass, and now each one +chose a good horse, and mounting it drove off the herd. I had only one +horse, yet my heart was glad, for it was the first I had ever taken. + +For a time we rode slowly, but presently, faster; and when day had come we +had gone a long way. The horses were still being driven in separate +bunches, so that each man should know which were his--the ones he had +taken; but soon after day broke, and there had been time for each to look +over his animals, they were bunched together, and we went faster. +Nevertheless, the leader said to us: "Friends, do not hurry the horses too +much; they are poor, and we must not run them too hard. The horses on which +the Crows will follow us are poor also, and they cannot overtake us." + +We rode fast until afternoon, when we came down into the valley of a river, +and there stopped to let our horses feed. Two young men with fresh horses +were left behind, on top of the highest hills, to watch the trail, to see +whether the enemy were following us. After we had been there for a time, +and the horses had eaten, the leader called out, "Friends, the enemy are +pursuing; we must hurry on the horses." In a moment we had caught our +animals, and mounted, and were driving on the herd; for, far back, we could +see the scouts who had been left behind coming toward us, riding fast, and +making signs that people had been seen. After we had left the valley, and +were among the hills, the leader left two other young men, on fresh horses, +behind, to see whether the enemy crossed the river, and followed; while we +went on with the horses. We rode all that night and part of the next day, +and then stopped again; and that night, in the middle of the night, the +scouts overtook us, and told us that the enemy had not crossed the river, +where we had first slept, but had turned about there, and had gone back. +"There were only a few of them," they said. "We two were almost tempted to +attack them, but we had been told only to watch them, and we thought it +better to do that." Four days afterward we reached our village. + +I had no saddle, and when I reached the camp I was very sore and stiff from +riding so long without a saddle. Nevertheless, I was pleased, for I had +taken a horse that was fast, long-winded and tough; and I had taken also a +fine bow and arrows, with an otter-skin case. The leader spoke to me, and +told me that I had done well to go into this lodge. He said to me, "Friend, +you have made a good beginning; I think that you will be a good warrior." +Also, when we reached the village, my uncle praised me, and said that I had +done well. He looked at the bow and the arrows, and told me that to have +taken them was better than to have taken a good horse, and that he hoped +that I would be able to use them in fighting with my enemies. Such was my +first journey to war. + + + + +_A Grown Man._ + + +That summer my uncle gave me a gun, and now I was beginning to feel that I +was really a man, and I hunted constantly, and had good luck, killing deer +and elk, and other game. + +One day the next year, with a friend, I was hunting a two days' journey +from the camp. We had killed nothing until this day, when we got a deer, +and toward evening stopped to cook and eat. The country was broken with +many hills and ravines, and before we went down to the stream to build our +fire I had looked from the top of a little hill, to see whether anything +could be seen. My friend was building a fire to cook food, and I had gone +down to the fire and spread my robe on the ground, and was lying on it, +resting, while our horses were feeding near by, when suddenly I had a +strange feeling. I seemed to feel that I was in great danger, and as if I +must get away from this place. I was frightened. I felt there was danger; +that something bad was going to happen. I did not know what it was, nor why +I felt so, but I was afraid. I seemed to turn to water inside of me. I had +never felt so before. I sat up and looked about; nothing was to be seen. My +friend was cutting some meat to cook over the little fire, and just beyond +him the horses were feeding. My friend was singing to himself a little war +song, as he worked. + +My feelings grew worse instead of better. I stood up, took my gun, and +walked toward a little hill not far from where we were, and my friend +called out to me, "Where are you going? I thought you wished to rest." I +said to him, "I will go to the top of that little hill, and look over it." +When I got there I looked about; I could see nothing. It was early summer, +and the grass was green. The soil was soft and sandy. For a long time I +looked about in all directions, but could see nothing, but then I could not +see far, for there were other little hills, nearly as high, close to me. + +Presently I looked at the ground a few steps before me, and I thought I saw +where something had stepped. It was hard for me to make up my mind to walk +to this place, but at length I did so. When I got there I saw where a horse +had stood--a fresh horse track. Near it were two tracks made by a man, an +enemy. I could see where he had stood, with one foot advanced before the +other. When I saw these tracks I knew what had happened; an enemy had stood +there looking over at us, and when he saw me with my gun start toward the +top of the hill he had gone away. Standing where he had stood, I looked +back toward our horses; I could hardly see their backs, but a man taller +than I could have seen more of them, and the heads of the two men. I turned +to follow the tracks a little way, and as I walked, it did not seem to me +that my bones were stiff enough to support my body; I seemed to sway from +side to side, and felt as if I should fall down. I was frightened. + +I saw where the man had led his horse a little way back from the hill, and +then had jumped on it and ridden off as hard as he could gallop. A little +further on was the place where another horse had stood; it, too, had turned +and gone off fast; its rider had not dismounted. One of the men had said to +the other: "You wait here, and I will go up and take a look. If these +people sleep here we will attack them when it is dark, and kill them and +take their horses." + +I cannot tell you how much I wanted to run back to my friend and tell him +what I had seen; but I had courage enough to walk. I felt angry at myself +for being so frightened. I said to myself: "Come, you are a man; you belong +to brave people; your uncle and your father did not fear things that they +could not see. Be brave. Be strong." It was no use for me to say this; I +was so frightened I could hardly control myself. I felt as if I must run +away. + +I walked until I was close to my friend. He was cooking meat, and was still +singing to himself. When I was pretty near to him I said, "Friend, put the +saddle on your horse, and I will saddle mine, and we will go away from +here." He turned and looked at me, and in a moment he had dropped the meat +that he was cooking, and was saddling up. He told me the next day that my +face had changed so that he hardly knew me; my face was like that of one +dead. I said to him, "Do you go ahead, and go fast, but do not gallop." He +started off without a word, and I followed him. It was now growing dark, +but you could still see a long way. As I rode I seemed to have three heads, +I looked in so many different directions. We traveled fast. My courage did +not come back to me. I was still miserable. + +About the middle of the night I said to my friend, "Let us stop here, so +that the horses may eat." We stopped and took off our saddles, and held the +ropes of our horses in our hands, and lay down on the ground together, +looking back over the trail that we had come. My friend's horse was eating, +but mine stood with his head high, and his ears pricked, and kept looking +back toward where we had come from. Every now and then he would snort, as +if frightened. Sometimes he would take a bite or two of grass, and then +would again stand with his head up, looking and snorting. This made me more +afraid than ever; and now my friend was as badly frightened as I. + +At last I could stand it no longer, and I said to him, "Let us turn off the +trail, and go along a divide where no one is likely to follow us." We +started, loping. After we had gone some distance we stopped, took off our +bridles, and again lay down, looking back over the way we had come. The +night was dark, but we could see a little, and we watched and listened. +Still my horse would not eat, but kept looking back over the trail. +Suddenly, my friend said, "There he is. Do you see?" I looked, and looked, +but could see nothing. "Where is it?" said I. With my head close to the +ground I looked in the direction in which he pointed, but could see +nothing. My friend saw it move, however. I said to him, "Here, let us +change places;" and I moved to his place, and he to mine. Then I looked, +and in a moment I saw just in front of my face a weed-stalk, and when I +moved my head the stalk moved. This was what he had seen. + +For the first time since this feeling had come over me in the afternoon I +laughed, and with a rush my courage came back to me. I felt as brave and +cheerful as ever. All through the evening I had not wished to smoke, and if +I had wished to, I should have been afraid to light my pipe. Now I filled +my pipe, lighted it, and we smoked. When I laughed my friend's courage came +back too. We lay down and slept, and the next day went on to the village. + + + + +_A Sacrifice._ + + +During the next two years I went to war five times, always as a servant, +but always I had good luck. This was because early, after my first trip to +war, I had asked an old man, one of my relations, to teach me how to make a +sacrifice which should be pleasing to those spirits who rule the world. + +It was in the early summer, when the grass was high and green, not yet +turning brown, that, with this old man, Tom Lodge, I went out into the +hills to suffer and to pray, to ask for help in my life, and that I might +be blessed in all my warpaths. Tom Lodge had told me what I must do, and +before the time came I had cut a pole, and brought it and a rope, and a +bundle of sinew, and some small wooden pins near to the place where we were +to go, and had hidden them in a ravine. + +It was before the sun had risen that we started out, and when we came to +the hill where the things were, I carried them to the top of the hill, and +there Tom Lodge and I dug a hole in the soil with our knives, and planted +the pole, stamping the earth tightly about it, and then putting great +stones on the earth, so that the pole should be held firmly. Then Tom Lodge +tied the rope to the pole, and with sinew tied the pins to the rope, and +then holding the pins and his knife up to the sun, and to the sky, and then +placing them on the earth, he prayed to all the spirits of the air, and of +the earth, and of the waters, asking that this sacrifice that I was about +to make should be blessed, and that I should have help in all my +undertakings. Then he came and stood before me, and taking hold of the skin +of my breast on the right side, he pinched it up and passed his knife +through it, and then passed the pin through under the skin, and tied the +end to the rope with another strand of sinew. In the same way he did on the +left side of my breast. Then he told me that all through the day I should +walk about this pole, always on the side of the pole toward which the sun +was looking, and that I should throw myself back against the rope and +should try to tear the pins from my skin. Then, telling me to pray +constantly, to have a strong heart, and not to lose courage, he set out to +return to the village. + +All through the long summer day I walked about the pole, praying to all the +spirits, and crying aloud to the sun and the earth, and all the animals and +birds to help me. Each time when I came to the end of the rope I threw +myself back against it, and pulled hard. The skin of my breast stretched +out as wide as your hand, but it would not tear, and at last all my chest +grew numb, so that it had no feeling in it; and yet, little by little, as I +threw my whole weight against the rope, the strips of skin stretched out +longer and longer. All day long I walked in this way. The sun blazed down +like fire. I had no food, and did not drink; for so I had been instructed. +Toward night my mouth grew dry, and my neck sore; so that to swallow, or +even to open my mouth in prayer hurt me. It seemed a long time before the +sun got overhead and the pole cast but a small shadow; but it seemed that +the shadow of the pole grew long in the afternoon much more slowly than it +had grown short in the morning. + +I was very tired, and my legs were shaking under me, when at last, as the +sun hung low over the western hills, I saw someone coming. It was my +friend, Tom Lodge; and when he had come close to me, he spoke to me and +said, "My son, have you been faithful all through the day?" I answered him, +"Father, I have walked and prayed all day long, but I cannot tear out these +pins." "You have done well," he said; and, drawing his knife, he came to +me, and taking hold first of one pin and then of the other, he cut off the +strips of skin which passed about the pins, and set me free. He held the +strips of skin that he had cut off, toward the sky, and toward the four +directions, and prayed, saying: "Listen! all you spirits of the air, and of +the earth, and of the water; and you, O earth! and you, O sun! This is the +sacrifice that my son has made to you. You have heard how he cries to you +for help. Hear his prayer." Then at the foot of the pole he scraped a +little hole in the earth and placed the bits of skin there, and covered +them up. Then he gave me to drink from a buffalo paunch waterskin that he +had brought. + +"Now, my son," said he, "you shall sleep here this night, and to-morrow +morning, as the sun rises, leave this; hill, and everything on it, as it +is, and return to the camp. It may be that during the night something will +come to you, to tell you a thing. If you are spoken to in your sleep, +remember carefully what is said to you." + +After he had gone I lay down, covering myself with my robe, and was soon +asleep, for I was very tired. That night, while I slept, I dreamed that a +wolf came to me, and spoke, saying: "My son, the spirits to whom you have +cried all day long have heard your prayers, and have sent me to tell you +that your cryings have not been in vain. Take courage, therefore, for you +shall be fortunate so long as these wars last. You shall strike your +enemies; your name shall be called through the camp, and all your relations +will be glad. + +"Look at me, and consider well my ways. Remember that of all the animals, +the wolves are the smartest. If they get hungry, they go out and kill a +buffalo; they know what is going to happen; they are always able to take +care of themselves. You shall be like the wolf; you shall be able to creep +close to your enemies, and they shall not see you; you shall be a great man +for surprising people. In the bundle that you wear tied to your necklet, +you shall carry a little wolf hair, and your quiver and your bow-case shall +be made of the skin of a wolf." The wolf ceased speaking, yet for a time he +sat there looking at me, and I at him; but presently he yawned, and stood +up on his feet, and trotted off a little way, and suddenly I could not see +him. + +So then in these five times that I went to war, once I counted the first +coup of all on an enemy; and three times I crept into camp and brought out +horses, twice going with other men who went in to cut loose the horses, and +once going in alone. For these things I came to be well thought of by the +tribe. My uncle praised me, and said that the time was coming when I would +be a good warrior. All my relations felt proud and glad that I had such +good luck. + +I knew why all this had come to me. I had done as the wolf had said, and +often I went out from the camp--or perhaps I stopped when I was traveling +far from the village--and went up on a hill, and, lighting a pipe, offered +a smoke to the wolf, and asked him not to forget what he had said to me. + +I was now a grown man, and able to do all the things that young men do. I +was a good hunter; I had a herd of horses, and had been to war, and been +well spoken of by the leaders whose war parties I went with. I was old +enough, too, to think about young girls, and to feel that some day I wanted +to get married, and to have a lodge and home of my own. There were many +nice girls in the camp; many who were hard workers, modest, and very +pretty. I liked many of them, but there was no one whom I liked so much as +Standing Alone. I often saw her, but sometimes she would not look at me, +and sometimes she looked, but when she saw me looking at her she looked +down again; but sometimes she smiled a little as she looked down. It was +long since we had played together, but I thought that perhaps she had not +forgotten the time, so many years ago, when she pretended to be my wife, +and when she had mourned over me once when I was killed by a buffalo. + +As I grew older I felt more and more that I wished to see and talk with +her. Of course I was too young to be married yet, but I was not too young +to want to talk with Standing Alone. I used to go out and stand by the +trail where the women passed to get water, hoping that I might speak to +her, but often there was no chance to do so. Sometimes she was with other +girls, who laughed and joked about me, and asked whom I was waiting for. +They could not tell who was standing there, for my robe or my sheet covered +my whole body, except the hole through which I looked with one eye. But one +day when Standing Alone was going by with some girls, one of them +recognized the sheet that I had on, and called out my name, and said that +she believed that I was waiting for Standing Alone. I was surprised that +she should know me, and felt badly, but I did not move, and so I think +neither she nor the girls with her knew that she had guessed right; and the +next time I went I wore a different sheet, and different moccasins and +leggings. + +One evening I had good luck; all the women had passed, and Standing Alone +had not appeared. I supposed that all had got their water, and was about to +go away when she came hurrying along the trail, and passed me and went to +the water's edge. She filled her vessel and came back, and when she passed +me again I took hold of her dress and pulled it, and dropped my sheet from +my head. She stopped and we stood there and talked for a little while. We +were both of us afraid, we did not know of what, and had not much to say, +but it was pleasant to be there talking to her, and looking at her face. +Three times she started to go, but each time I said to her, "Do not go; +wait a little longer"; and each time she waited. The fourth time she went +away. After that, I think she knew me whenever I stood by the trail, and +sometimes she was late in coming for water, and I had a chance to speak to +her alone. + +[Illustration: "DO NOT GO; WAIT A LITTLE LONGER"] + +In those days I was happy; and often when the camp was resting, and there +was nothing for me to do, I used to go out and sit on the top of a high +hill, and think about Standing Alone, and hope that in the time to come I +might have her for my wife, and that I might do great things in war, so +that she would be proud of me; and might bring back many horses for her, so +that she could always ride a good horse, and have a finely ornamented +saddle and saddle-cloth. If I could take horses enough, I should be rich, +and then whatever Standing Alone might desire, I could give a horse for it. + + + + +_A Warrior Ready to Die._ + + +It was not long after this that buffalo were found, and we began to kill +them, as we used to do in the old times; and then a great misfortune +happened to me. + +One day I was chasing buffalo on a young horse, and as it ran down a steep +hill, it stumbled among the stones, and fell down, rolling over, and I was +thrown far; and, as I fell to the ground, my knee struck against a large +stone. When I got up my leg was useless, and I could not walk, but I +managed to catch my horse, and crawling on it I reached the camp. After a +little my knee got better, and then again worse, and then better again. +Still I could not walk, and for two years I stayed in the camp, crippled, +and unable to go from place to place, except when I was helped on my horse. +I grew thin and weak, and thought that I should die. + +Many of the young men of my age, my friends, were sorry for me. They used +to come to my lodge and eat and talk, telling me the news. Sometimes, when +I was sitting out in the shade of the lodge, looking over the camp, and +feeling the pleasant breeze blow on my face, or the warm sun shine on my +body, I saw the young men and boys walking about, and running, and +wrestling, and kicking, and jumping on their horses and galloping off, and +it made me feel badly to think that I could no longer do the things that I +used to do; could no longer hunt, and help to support my relations; could +no longer go off on the warpath with my fellows, to fight the enemy, or to +take plunder from them. I was useless. + +Often during this time, older men--my uncle's friends--used to come to the +lodge, and stop there and talk with me for a little time, to cheer me up, +for I think they too felt sorry for me. The doctors tried hard to cure my +leg, but though they did many things, and I and my uncle paid them many +horses, and saddles and blankets, they could not help me. Once in a while, +in the morning, after all the men had gone out to chase buffalo, or to hunt +for smaller animals, deer or elk or antelope, Standing Alone would come to +my mother's lodge, perhaps bringing some little present for her, and would +sit and talk with her, and sometimes look at me, and I could see that her +eyes were full of tears, and that she too felt sorry. Sometimes she spoke +to me, but not often; but it always made me glad to see her, and made me +feel more than ever that she had a good heart. + +At the end of two years I sent word to my uncle, asking him to come to see +me; and when he had come and sat down, I asked my mother and my sisters to +leave the lodge, and when they had gone I spoke to my uncle. "Father, you +have seen how it has been with me for two years; that I am no longer able +to go about; that I am a cripple, lying here day after day, useless to my +relations, and very unhappy. Now, I have thought of this for a long time, +and I have made up my mind what I shall do. It is time for me to go off +with some of the young men on the warpath, and when we meet the enemy, I +will ride straight into the midst of them, and will strike one, and he +shall kill me. I am no longer glad to live, and it will be well for me to +die bravely." + +For a long time my uncle said nothing, but sat there looking at the ground. +After he had thought, he raised his head and spoke to me, saying: "Son, you +can remember how it has been with us since you were a little boy. You have +been my son, and I have loved you. I have been glad when you went to war, +and glad when you returned with credit; yet I should not have mourned if +you had been killed in battle, for that is the way a man ought to die. I +have seen your sufferings now for two years, and I know how you feel. I +think that it will be well for you to do as you have said, and for you to +give your body to the enemy, and to be killed on the open prairie, where +the birds and the beasts may feed on your flesh, and may scatter it over +the plain. Now, when you are ready to do this, tell me, so that I may see +that you go to war as becomes a warrior who is about to die." + +It was not very long after this that a party of young men set out to war, +all mounted, to go south to look for the Utes. Among them was the one who +had been my close friend, and to him I had told what was in my mind; and +when I spoke to the leader of the party, he was glad to have me go with +him, as were all of them. + +I told my uncle, and he gave me his best war horse to ride, and gave me +also a sacred headdress that he wore, which had in it some of the feathers +of the thunder bird. I took with me no arms, except a stone axe that my +father had had from his father, and he from his father, and which had come +down in our family through many generations. + +The party started, and we traveled fast and far to the south. At first I +was very weak, and got very tired during the long marches, but after a time +I grew stronger, and could eat better, and felt better; but my leg was as +bad as ever. + +We had been out many days and were still traveling south, east of the +mountains, when, one day our scouts came upon the carcasses of buffalo that +had been killed only a little time before, and the meat cut from the bones. +From this we knew that enemies were close by, and we went carefully. Not +far beyond these carcasses, as we rode up on a hill, we saw before us in +the valley two persons butchering a buffalo, and as we watched them at +their work, we could see that they were Utes--enemies. All the young men +jumped on their horses, and we charged down on them. Before we were near +them they had seen us, and had run to their horses, and jumped on them and +ridden away. By this time I was far ahead of my friends, for my horse was +the fastest of all; and soon I was getting close to these enemies. They +rode almost side by side, but one a little ahead of the other. + +The one who was on the left and a little behind carried a bow and arrows, +while the man on the right had a gun. I said to myself: "I will ride +between these two persons, and the man with the bow will then have to shoot +toward his right hand, and will very likely miss me, while I may be able to +knock him off his horse with my axe." I was not afraid, for I had made up +my mind to die. + +Before long I had overtaken the Utes, and, riding between them, made ready +to strike them. The man with the arrows turned on his horse, and shot at +me, but I bent to one side, and the arrow passed by without hitting me, and +I struck him with my axe and knocked him off his horse. Then the man with +the gun turned and was aiming at me, but when he pulled the trigger his gun +snapped and did not go off. I was close to him and caught the barrel in my +hand, and struck him with my axe, and knocked him off his horse. Then I +rode on, holding his gun in my hand. Before the two men whom I had struck +could get on their horses again, my friends had overtaken and killed them. + +We traveled on further, but found no more enemies, and at last we gave up, +and returned to our village. All the time, as we were journeying about, and +going back, I kept feeling better and better. I grew stronger slowly. The +swelling on my knee began to go down, so that before we reached the village +I could rest my weight on that foot a little. At last we arrived, and when +we came in sight of the camp, we could see people looking from the lodges +to see who were coming. + +As we rode down the hill to charge upon the village, the leader told me to +ride far in front, "For," he said, "you are the bravest of all." When we +came into the village the men and the women and the children came out to +meet us. All of them shouted out my name, and my heart grew big in my +breast, for I felt that all the people thought that I had done well. Among +the women who came out to meet us, I saw Standing Alone, running along by +my mother, and both were singing a glad song. And when I saw this, I came +near to crying. + +At last I reached my lodge, and before it stood my uncle; and as I rode +toward him he called out in a loud voice, and asked a certain man named +Brave Wolf to come to his lodge and see his son who had given his body to +the enemy, desiring to be killed, but who had done great things and had +survived. And when Brave Wolf came to the lodge, my uncle gave to him the +best horse that he had, a spotted war pony, handsome and long-winded and +fleet. + +All that day I sat in the lodge and rested, and talked to my uncle. I told +him about our journey to war, and while he did not say much I could see +that his heart was glad. Before he got up to leave the lodge, he said to +me, "Friend, you have done well; I am glad to have such a son." This made +me feel glad and proud--more proud, I think, than I felt when I heard the +people shout out my name. I loved my uncle and it seemed good that I had +done something that pleased him. + +All day long people were coming to our lodge and talking about what had +happened to us while on our journey. Those who came were my relations and +friends, but, besides these, older men, good warriors, people to whose +words all the tribe listened, came and sat and talked with me for a little +while. My mother and one or two of her relations were busy all day cooking +food for the visitors. It was a happy time. + +The leader of our war party sent word to me that this night there would be +a war dance over the scalps that had been taken. Although I could walk a +little, I could not dance, yet I wished to go to the dance and watch the +others. All through the afternoon boys and young men were bringing wood to +a level place in the circle of the camp, and there they built what we call +a "skunk," piling up long poles together in a shape somewhat like a lodge, +so that when finished the "skunk" looked like a war lodge. + +Late in the night the people gathered near the "skunk," called together by +the sound of the singing and the drumming. Leaning on a stick, I walked +down there, and before long the "skunk" was lighted, and the members of our +war party and the young women began to dance. Although I could not dance, +my face was painted black like those of other men of the war party, and I +sat there and watched the young people dance and saw the old men and women +carry about the scalps. That was one of the last of the old-fashioned war +dances that I ever saw held. + +The days went by, and before the birds had flown over on their way to the +south, and the weather became cold, I could walk pretty well, and could +ride easily. One day about this time a doctor whom I had given many +presents a year or two before to cure my sickness came to my lodge and +asked me if I did not think I ought to give him a present because he had +cured me of the swollen knee that I had had so long. I said to him that I +believed that not he but the Great Power, to whom I had prayed and to whom +I had offered my body as a sacrifice, had cured me. The doctor said that +this was a mistake; that really he had cured me, but that his power had not +had time to work until after I had started on my warpath. + +I did not think that this was true, but I remembered that this man +possessed mysterious power, and I felt that perhaps it would not be wise to +refuse what he asked. I told him I must have time to think about this, and +that in seven days he should return and I would talk further with him about +it. Not long after this I told my uncle what the doctor had said. At first +he was angry and said that I would do well to refuse what had been asked of +me, but after we had talked about it, he came to think as I thought, that +perhaps it would be better to make the doctor a present, rather than to +have his ill will, for it was possible that he might be able to harm us. My +uncle, therefore, told me to give the doctor a certain horse, and a day or +two after that he sent me the horse, to be put with my band and later to be +given to the doctor. When he received the horse, the doctor was glad, and +he told me that after this he would protect me in case any danger +threatened me. + +The winter passed, the snow melted, the birds went north in spring, and the +buffalo began to get poor. It seemed to me now that I was as strong and +well as ever I had been. I walked alike on both legs, and was as active as +any of the young men. During this summer I joined one of the soldier +societies of the tribe, and in this I followed the advice of my uncle, who +had belonged to this same society. + + + + +_A Lie That Came True._ + + +Soon after this something strange happened. + +I had a friend named Sun's Road. He was a little younger than I, perhaps +eighteen or twenty years old, big enough to have a sweetheart, and there +was a girl in the camp that he wished to please. He had been more than once +to war and had done well, but he wanted to do still better. He was eager to +do great things, to make the people talk about him and say that he was +brave and always lucky. Like most other young men, he wished to become a +great man. + +Our camp was on the South Platte River, a big village of near two hundred +lodges. All these had been made during the summer, and were new, white and +clean. The camp looked nice, but now the buffalo had all gone away. None +were to be found and the people were hungry. They had eaten all the food +they had saved and now they were eating their dogs, and most of these were +already gone. + +One day two boys, each the son of a chief, were out on the prairie hunting, +and each killed an antelope and took it to his father's lodge. After these +had been cooked the chiefs were called together to feast. There was not +enough food to allow them to call any others except the chiefs. + +I heard of all this at the time, but it was a good deal later that Sun's +Road told me what he had done and what happened to him about this time. He +did not wish me to tell anyone about it, but it is a long time ago and +those who were important people at that time are now dead, so I think no +harm can be done by telling of it. + +After these chiefs had eaten, they talked of the suffering of the people +and tried to think what could be done to help them. After a time one of the +chiefs came out of the lodge and walked through the camp crying aloud to +the people, saying, "Listen, listen, you people; we will all stay in this +camp." This he called out again and again as he walked around the circle, +so that all might hear him. + +After a time Sun's Road heard his name called, and the old man shouted: +"Sun's Road, Sun's Road; the chief wishes you to go to his lodge. He wishes +you to go out to look for buffalo." + +Sun's Road went to the chief's lodge and when he had entered they told him +where he should sit, by the door, and gave him a little piece of antelope +meat to eat. After he had finished eating, the chief said to him: "We want +you to-night to go across the river to the other side, and you shall go to +where the pile of bones is, where we had the fight with the Pawnees. On the +other side of that hill for a long distance the country is level. Look over +that country and see if you can see any buffalo and come back and let us +know what you have seen. If you see no buffalo do not go farther; come back +from there." + +The pile of bones was a breastwork of buffalo bones built on the top of a +very high hill by some Pawnees who many years before had been surrounded +there by men of our tribe. + +Sun's Road started on his journey. When he came to the river he took off +his leggings and moccasins and waded across. It was cold, for by this time +it was late in the night. On the other side of the river he put on his +leggings and moccasins again and walked on north, sometimes walking, and +sometimes trotting for a little way. After he had walked a long distance +and it was beginning to get toward morning he felt tired and thought that +he would rest for a little while. He looked about for a place to lie down, +and found a little bunch of brush behind a small bank, and there unbelted +his robe and lay down to sleep for a little while. He had not slept long +when his feet became cold and this woke him, and when he raised his head he +saw that day was beginning to break. He said to himself: "I must not stay +here longer. I am out looking for buffalo for people who are starving. I +must not lie here," so he rose and tied up his waist and started on. + +He walked on and on and at length he saw the high hill and on it the pile +of bones. As he went on he came nearer and nearer, and he walked up the +hill until he was close by the pile of bones. Then he stopped, for he was +afraid. He was afraid that when he looked over the hill he would see +nothing. He wanted to make a great man of himself, and to take back the +news that he had seen buffalo, so that the people would call his name and +all would say that Sun's Road was smart and was lucky. He was so afraid +that he would see nothing when he looked over the hill that he stopped and +stood there and thought. He said to himself: "If I shall not see anything +and go back, they will all hear of it and my girl will hear of it. They +will not think much of me. If I could only see plenty of buffalo, what a +great man I should be!" + +He went on and when he came to the top of the hill and peeped over, there +down below him he saw and counted thirty bulls and a calf. He looked at +them and said, "Those are bulls; they are not much, but something." He +looked another way, and presently he saw one bull, and then two, and then +others far off, scattered--in all five or six. He said again, "These are +not many, but they will be some help to the people." A little to his right +and down the hill a point of the bluff ran out a little way and this point +hid a part of the country beyond, and Sun's Road walked down there just a +few steps to see what was over that way. When he got there he looked out +into a very pretty, level basin with a stream running through it, and said +to himself: "This is a pretty place, a good place for buffalo. There ought +to be a great many of them here." + +At first he could see none, but he kept on looking and at last far off, +just specks, he saw a few--a very few, perhaps ten or fifteen--cows. + +For a long time he stood there trying to think what he should tell the +chiefs when he went back to the camp. He said to himself: "If I go back and +tell them just what I have seen it will be nothing to tell. Now, I want +people to think that I am a great man, and I am going to tell them a lie. +Yes, I shall have to tell them a lie. I shall tell them that when I looked +over the hill I saw those thirty bulls with one calf, but beyond I saw many +buffalo--hundreds. I know it is a lie, but I shall have to tell it." Then +he turned about and went back. + +He traveled fast, walking and trotting, and sometimes running, for he +wished to reach the camp before night. It was late in the afternoon when he +came to the river, waded across and reached the camp. He went into his +father's lodge and sat down. His father was at work making a whetstone. He +looked up at his son, and said, "Ha, you have returned," and he turned to +his wife and said, "Give our son something to eat." His mother was cooking +a little dog, the last one they had, and she gave Sun's Road a piece of it +and he ate. Then he took off his moccasins, went over to his bed and lay +down, covered himself, and went to sleep. He did not speak, and he made no +report to the chiefs. Some children were playing in the lodge, and making a +little noise, and his father spoke to them, saying, "Go out, you will wake +my son; he is tired and has gone to sleep." Sun's Road slept only for a +short time, for the lie that he was going to tell troubled him. Pretty soon +he heard one of the old chiefs coming--old Double Head. He could hear him +coming, coughing and groaning and clearing his throat, and he knew who it +was by the sound. The chief entered the lodge and sat down, and said to +Sun's Road's father, "Has your son returned?" The father replied, "Yes, he +is asleep." He filled the pipe and Double Head smoked. Sun's Road lay +still. In a few moments he heard another old man coming towards the lodge +grunting. He knew who it was--White Cow. He came in, sat down, asked the +same question that Double Head had asked, and smoked. + +White Cow called to Sun's Road, "Nephew, get up now and tell us what you +saw; we are starving." + +Sun's Road rolled over, pulled the robe from his head, raised himself on +his elbow and said: "I went to the hill of the pile of bones, and on the +other side of the hill right over beyond the bones I saw thirty bulls and a +calf. Just beyond them, as I looked over, I saw many buffalo." + +The old men stood up and went out. Soon he heard them crying out through +the camp so that all the people should hear: "Sun's Road has come in. On +the other side of the pile of bones he saw thirty bulls and a calf, and +just below this he saw many buffalo. Gather in your horses. Get them up. +Women, sharpen your knives. Men, whet your arrow points. Tie up your +horses, and early in the morning we will go after buffalo. The camp will +stay here. All will go on horseback." + +Sun's Road was frightened when he heard this, but it was now too late to be +sorry for what he had done. Next morning just at break of day, before it +was light, all the people were out. The old crier was still shouting out, +"Saddle your horses; make ready to start, men, women and all." + +Soon all were saddled, and they crossed the river and went on. The chiefs +rode first and everyone was behind them. No one rode ahead of them. They +went pretty fast, for all were eager to get to the buffalo. + +Pretty soon they came in sight of the pile of bones. Sun's Road could hear +the old chiefs talking and saying to each other, "There are the bones; soon +we will be there at the buffalo." All the time he kept thinking of the lie +that he had told, and remembering that there were only a few buffalo, while +he had said that there were many. He did not know what he should do. + +When they reached the foot of the hill close to the bones, the chiefs +stopped and everyone behind them stopped. All the chiefs got off their +horses and sat down in a row and filled the pipe and began to smoke. Soon +Sun's Road heard one of them call out: "Sun's Road, Sun's Road, go up to +the pile of bones and see if you can see your buffalo now. Let us know if +they are there." Then Sun's Road was still more frightened. When he first +heard his name called, his heart seemed to stop and then it began to beat +so fast that it almost choked him. He did not know what to do. He did not +move. + +Soon old Standing Water, another chief, called out sharply, "Sun's Road, go +to the pile of bones and see if you can see those buffalo; come back and +tell us what you see." + +Then Sun's Road started and rode up towards the pile of bones. Just as he +did so a raven flew over him and began to call "Ca, Ca, Ca." He kept riding +on, his heart beating fast, but as he rode he held up his hands to the +raven and prayed, "Ah, raven, take pity on me and fetch the buffalo." He +held his hands up higher and prayed to the Great Power, "O He amma wihio, +you are the one who made the buffalo; take pity on me; you know what I +need." Then he rode up to the top of the hill. + +The moment his head got to where he could see over the hill, he looked and +there he saw thirty bulls and the calf. They had hardly moved at all. Then +he went on a step or two further, so that he could see beyond them, and the +place that he had seen the day before was just full of buffalo. Again he +held up his hands to the sky and said: "O raven, O He amma wihio, you have +made my words true. The lie that I told you have made come true." + +He turned and rode down the hill towards the chiefs. Before he had reached +them, one of them called to him to come right to the middle of the line +where they were sitting, and when he had come near, they told him to get +off his horse and lead it off to one side and then to come back to the +middle of the line. They sent a young man to bring a buffalo chip and he +brought one and put it down on the ground before the old chief Standing +Water, and then went away. The chief placed it on the ground in front of +him, about the length of his arm distant from his knees. Then he filled a +pipe. Sun's Road still stood out in front of the line, in sight of all the +people. He was still badly frightened, for he did not know what they were +going to do. He was young, and did not know the ceremonies. + +When the pipe was filled, the old chief lighted it and pointed the stem to +the east, to the south, to the west and to the north, then up to the sky, +and then down to the ground. Then he rested the bowl of the pipe on the +buffalo chip and said, "Sun's Road, come here." When he had come close, the +chief said, "Take hold of this pipe and draw on it five times." The old man +held the pipe, and so did Sun's Road, until he had drawn five times on the +pipe. Then the chief said, "Now do you hold the pipe," and Sun's Road held +it while the old man took his hands away, and he said: "Sun's Road, pass +your hands all down the stem and over the pipe, and then rub your hands +over your face and head, and over your arms and body and legs. Then hand me +the pipe." Sun's Road did as he was bade. Then the old man put his hand on +the buffalo chip and said to Sun's Road, "Did you see bulls?" + +And Sun's Road answered, "I saw them." + +The old man pulled in the chip a little way toward himself. + +"Did you see cows?" + +"I saw them." + +The chief moved the chip a little further toward himself. + +"Did you see two-year-olds?" + +"I saw them." + +Standing Water moved the chip a little further toward himself. + +"Did you see yearlings?" + +"I saw them." + +"Did you see small calves?" + +"I saw them." + +After each answer the chip was moved nearer the chief, and when all the +questions had been answered it was close to his body. Then Standing Water +lifted up his hands toward the sky and thanked He amma wihio for all his +goodness to the people. + +Standing Water cleaned out the pipe, emptied the ashes on the chip in four +piles and left them there. He put his pipe in its sheath and said to the +people: "Now, let none of you people go around toward the left and pass in +front of this chip--between it and the camp. Back off and all go around +behind it, on the side toward the buffalo. If you should pass in front of +it that might make the buffalo all go away." All the people went around it, +as they had been told to do. + +The chiefs mounted and all rode up on the ridge and all saw the buffalo. +The chiefs said: "Now here we will divide into two parties; let half go to +the right and half to the left. The chiefs will go straight down from here. +Let one party go around below the buffalo, and the other party on the upper +side. When you get to your places let all make the charge at the same +time." + +Sun's Road watched where his girl was riding, and when he saw that she went +to the right he went that way too, and she saw him on his fine horse. They +charged down on the buffalo and he rode close to a fat cow and killed it. + +The people killed plenty of buffalo and took much meat back to the camp and +ate, and all were happy. + +A day or two afterward someone who was out saw the buffalo quite close and +coming toward the river. They went out and chased them and again killed +plenty. Two or three days later the buffalo began to come down to the river +and then to cross the river and to feed in the hills about the camp. The +people stayed in this camp for a long time and killed many buffalo and made +plenty of robes. + + + + +_My Marriage._ + + +The next summer I went with a party to war against the Mexicans. There were +seventeen men, and two of them, Howling Wolf and Red Dog, had taken their +wives with them. We took many horses, and were coming back, when, while we +were passing through the mountains, two of the young men who had been sent +ahead as scouts came hurrying back and told us that they had been seen by a +camp of enemies, and that many of them were coming. We had a little time, +and perhaps if the leaders of the party had been willing to give up the +horses we were driving and had told each man to catch his fastest horse, we +might have run away, but the leaders did not like to leave the horses and +determined to fight those who were coming. Before long we saw them, Utes +and Mountain Apaches, a large party--too many for us to fight with. We +started to run. + +Our horses were tired, and it was not long before our enemies began to +overtake us and some of them to strike us with their whips, counting coups. +Howling Wolf, a brave man, rode behind us all, trying to defend us, riding +back and forth fighting off the enemy and whipping up the slower horses. As +we ran, partly surrounded by the enemy and all in confusion, the girth on +the saddle of Howling Wolf's wife broke and she fell off her horse with the +saddle, and was left behind and taken prisoner. One of the Utes captured +her and took her up behind him on his horse. + +After they had taken this prisoner the enemy stopped, and presently one of +our men called out to Howling Wolf, saying, "Look, look, there is your +wife! They have taken her prisoner!" Howling Wolf said, "Can that be?" and +then as he looked he threw down his empty gun, calling out, "Someone pick +up that gun." He drew his bow and strung it, and alone charged back on the +man who had his wife. The Utes had gathered in a little group about this +woman, and Howling Wolf rode straight for this crowd, shooting right and +left with his arrows, when he got close to them. He ran against one man, +and his horse knocked down horse and rider. He passed through the crowd up +to the man who had his wife as prisoner, and shot an arrow through him, and +then shot another man who tried to lead off the horse the woman was riding. +A third ran up to take the bridle and he shot an arrow through his head. +Then all the Utes made a rush at Howling Wolf and his wife. Their horses +were separated, and the woman pushed off to one side. All the Utes were +shooting at Howling Wolf, and he fought until all his arrows were gone, and +then he was pushed off further, and rode to us. We never knew how many of +the Utes were wounded. Howling Wolf was not hurt, but his horse was shot +through the mane with an arrow. + +Long afterwards, we were told that the Utes said to this woman, "Who is +that man who is doing all this fighting?" She answered proudly, "That man +is my husband." When she said that the Utes rushed upon her and shot her +with arrows, so that she died. + +The enemy did not follow us further. They had killed two more of our men +and this woman, and had captured all the horses we were driving. Perhaps +they were satisfied. + +For the last year I had been thinking a great deal about Standing Alone. I +saw and spoke to her sometimes, but in these later days not so often as +when I had been younger and had not been so often going on the warpath +against my enemies. Yet she knew how I felt and her family and my mother +also knew how I felt. She was wearing a ring of horn that I had given her +and I wore her ring. + +Three times in the last two years when I had come back from my war journeys +with horses I had driven the horses to Two Bulls' lodge and left them +there, and had sent him a message telling him that those horses were his. I +had not given any present to Standing Alone. + +In summer of this year I spoke to my uncle and told him that I wished to +send horses to Two Bulls, and to ask him to give me his daughter for my +wife. My uncle felt that this would be good and advised me to do it, saying +that if I had not so many horses as I wished to send I should go to his +band and take any that I liked. I told him that this need not be done for +I, myself, could furnish the horses. Besides, my relations would give such +other presents as might be needed. + +So it happened that about the time the leaves of the cottonwoods began to +turn yellow, my aunt, my mother's oldest sister, went to Two Bulls' lodge +taking ten horses, which she tied before the lodge, and then, entering, +gave the message, saying that Wikis wished Standing Alone for his wife. +After she had said this, my aunt returned to her lodge. + +That night Two Bulls sent for his relations and told them what I had said. +They counseled together and agreed that the young woman should be given to +me. When I learned this my heart was stirred. + +The news came to my lodge through one of the women of Two Bulls' family, +and my mother and sisters prepared our lodge for the coming of Standing +Alone. + +It was about the middle of the day when they told me that she was coming. + +Standing Alone, finely dressed, was riding a handsome spotted horse led by +one of her relations, and other women were coming behind, leading other +horses which bore loads. + +The horse ridden by Standing Alone was led up close to the lodge and my +mother ran out to it. Standing Alone put her arms around my mother's neck +and slipped out of the saddle on my mother's back. My sisters caught her +feet and supported Standing Alone, who was thus carried on my mother's back +into the lodge and her feet did not touch the ground. Then she was carried +around to the back of the lodge where my sleeping place was and seated next +to me on my bed. Presently food was prepared and for the dish to be offered +to Standing Alone my mother cut up the meat into small pieces, so that she +should have no trouble in eating her food. Then Standing Alone and I ate +together and so I took her for my wife. + +Many of the gifts that Two Bulls had sent with Standing Alone were +distributed among my relations. + +That day all my near relations came, bringing gifts of many sorts to us who +were newly married. They brought us a lodge and much lodge furniture--robes +and bedding, backrests, mats and dishes--all the things that people used in +the life of the camp. Of these presents some were sent to the relations of +Standing Alone and they in turn sent other presents to us, so that as +husband and wife Standing Alone and I began our life well provided with all +that we needed. + +I did not again go to war that year, but spent much of my time +hunting--providing food for my own family and often leaving meat at my +father-in-law's lodge. + +Up to this time, as I look back on it to-day, it seems to me that life had +been easy for me and for the tribe. We had many skins for robes, lodges and +clothing. Food was plenty. If we needed horses we made journeys to war +against our enemies to the south and took what we required--but hard times +were coming. + +It was but a few years after I took Standing Alone for my wife, when my +oldest boy was four years old, that the wars were begun between the white +people and my tribe. + +This was a hard time. It is true we killed many white people and captured +much property, but though most of the tribe did not seem to see that it was +so, my uncle and I felt that the Indians were being crowded out, pushed +further and further away from where we had always been--where we belonged. +After each expedition through the country by white troops and after each +fight that we had with the white men, we felt as if some great hand that +was all around my tribe and all the other tribes, was closing a little +tighter about us all, and that at last it would grasp us and squeeze us to +death. + +Of that bad time and of what followed that time, I do not wish to speak, +and so my story ends. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's When Buffalo Ran, by George Bird Grinnell + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WHEN BUFFALO RAN *** + +***** This file should be named 15189.txt or 15189.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/5/1/8/15189/ + +Produced by David Newman and the PG Online Distributed Proofreading +Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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