The Way of an Indian

e coulees and the pines and the sage-brush to the camp of the Chis-c

mind of White Otter recovered their normal placidity. The red warrior on his resting-mat sinks in a torpor which a sunning mud-turtle

ich make a man. They both had their medicine-they were good hunters, whom the camp soldiers allowed to accompany the parties in the buffalo-surround. They both had a few ponies, which they had stolen from the Absaroke hunters the preceding autumn,

kin of the little brown bat, and covered it with gaudy porcupine decorations. This he had tied to his carefully cultivated scalp-loc

an Indian's medicine mostly has to do, so that

pen, but he said no word. He did not advise or admonish. He doted on his

e ancestral tepee, and Big Hair knew that his son had gone out into the world to win his feather. Again he consult

here. My medicine says not to go farther, as there is danger ahead. The demons of the night are waiting for us beyon

he skins of the gray wolf, with the head and ears of that fearful animal

who well knew how to make war, and with a medicine-man whose war-medicine was strong; but no wa

around the snapping sticks, ea

, which I am to kill, and then if my medicine says go on, I am not afraid, for

es us completely around, we can go on, and the Gray Horned Thunder-Being and the Great Pipe-Bearing Wolf will march on our either side. But if the wolf does not circle us, I do not know what to do. Old Bear-Walks-at-Right, who is the strongest war-medicine-maker i

sation from among the tree-tops, but got no nearer because the fire shot words of warning u

g branches of the fallen trees, White Otter was heard calling to Red Arrow: "Come! Here is the gray spider, and as I kill him, if

with his bow. The globular insect burst into a splash of blood, and the young savage threw back his shoulders with a haughty gr

they betook themselves through the pines to the open

p eyes detected ravens hovering over a depression in the plain, but the birds did not swoop down. They knew that there was a carcass there and wolves, otherwise the birds would not hover, but drop down. Quickly they made their way to the place, a

me this question. White Otter and I are going to the Absa-roke for s

nd the buffalo carcass. Slowly it trotted off to his

ced by the Absaroke? Do the enemy see us coming now-do they fee

And as the Indian turned, yet striding after the beast, it continued to

have laid my bow on the ground. Tell me not to fear the Absaroke, gray

his circle by this time, and

rdered by a man of the dog clan, and I did not do it. Speak to me-help me against my fears." And the wolf barked as he trotted around u

ssion in the plains where they had found the buffalo, gained the timber, and walked all day under its protecting folds. They were

to it: "You laugh at us, fool-bird, because we are boys, but you shall see when we come back that we are warriors. We will have a scalp to taun

wn, and ran to it, saying, "See, the Pipe-Bearing Wolf is with us; he m

e, and then stopped in some thick brush which lined its sides. They sat long together on the edge of the bushes, scanning with their piercing eyes the sweep of the plain

pths of the cut, threw a small quantity of tobacco into

bition's haughtiest fight; it was the sun-dried, wind-shriveled, tried-out

Eagerly they studied the cut and sweep of the land, the way the tepees dotted it, the moving of the pony herds and the coming and going of the hunters, but most of all the mischie

of attracting the ravens, which would circle overhead and be seen from the camp.

" said the little brown bat

choed Red A

he hostile camp. Long and silently they sat watching the fires and the people moving about, hearing their hum and chanting as it came to them on the

ises quieted and the fires died down. Red Ar

elling me what to

does i

blue-and-yellow tepee at the head of the village.

on; I am to be a great war

"My medicine says go with White Otte

rike an Absaroke if we can. Come with me." White Otter then glided forward in the darkness toward the camp. When quite near, th

cketed ponies, and felt them all over carefully with their hands. They found the clip-maned war-ponies and cut the ropes. The Indian dogs made no trouble, as they walked their

ian flute among the trees. Instantly they recognized it as an Indian

Otter slid from his horse. He passed among the tepees at the end of the

he halted to await their renewal. Again the impatient gallant called from the darkness to his hesitating

the surging blood which burns a lover's head, for his quick advance to White Otter discovered for him nothing until, with a series of lightni

the prize, whereat he ran fast to his chum. Attracted by the noise, Red Arrow rode up, and they were mounted. Cries and yells and barking came from the tepees, but silently they loped away from the confusion-turning into the creek, blin

bat's flight-see what I have done. White Otter is no longer a boy." Then to his pony: "Go on quickly now, pretty little war-pony. You are strong to carry me. Do not lame yourself in the dog-hole

here and there to refresh themselves. Gradually relaxing after this, they assumed the fox-t

ode up and shot arrows into it-the sacrifice to the brother of the clan who had a

m with a hand-weapon standing up. It shall wave above the bat and make him strong. The little brown bat will be v

r medicine was very strong, White Otter; there is no old warrior in the Chis-chis-chash whose is

their village, which had moved mean

will go into my father's lodge and get red pa

brought out, then moved slowly forward in the morning light on their jaded ponies to the village, yelling the long, high notes of the war-whoop. The people ran out to see them come, many young men riding to meet them. The yelling procession came to the masses

at White Otter