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  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1927 
  

  

  The 
  body 
  was 
  recovered 
  and 
  carried 
  back 
  to 
  the 
  fort, 
  some 
  coming 
  

   on 
  horseback, 
  many 
  walking, 
  and 
  others 
  driving 
  dogs 
  drawing 
  loaded 
  

   travays. 
  

  

  Having 
  arrived 
  at 
  the 
  burial 
  ground 
  the 
  dead 
  vparrior 
  was 
  taken 
  from 
  his 
  

   horse 
  and 
  laid 
  on 
  his 
  blanket, 
  his 
  head 
  and 
  chest 
  raised. 
  Relatives 
  sat 
  around 
  

   him 
  w-ailing 
  and 
  hovs^ling, 
  jerking 
  out 
  their 
  hair, 
  pounding 
  their 
  heads 
  with 
  

   their 
  fists, 
  tearing 
  their 
  flesh 
  with 
  knife 
  and 
  arrow 
  points 
  until 
  their 
  blood 
  

   flowed 
  as 
  sacrifice. 
  Friends 
  brought 
  blankets, 
  garments, 
  bright 
  colors 
  as 
  

   funeral 
  offerings. 
  Meanwhile 
  a 
  scaffold 
  was 
  constructed 
  of 
  four 
  stakes 
  held 
  

   together 
  with 
  crossbeams. 
  Upon 
  this 
  structure 
  the 
  fallen 
  Mandan, 
  attired 
  after 
  

   the 
  manner 
  of 
  Indian 
  warriors 
  and 
  wrapped 
  in 
  his 
  robe, 
  was 
  laid 
  beneath 
  the 
  

   covering 
  of 
  a 
  new 
  blanket. 
  His 
  medicine 
  pouch 
  was 
  fastened 
  to 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  

   posts. 
  The 
  crowd 
  dispersed 
  ; 
  only 
  his 
  widow 
  and 
  his 
  mother 
  remained 
  to 
  wail. 
  

  

  Thus 
  Kurz 
  had 
  witnessed 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  tragedies 
  of 
  the 
  wilderness. 
  

  

  The 
  Indians 
  were 
  becoming 
  very 
  superstitious 
  and 
  believed 
  that 
  

   Kurz, 
  by 
  making 
  pictures, 
  showing 
  their 
  likenesses 
  on 
  paper, 
  was 
  

   causing 
  the 
  great 
  sickness 
  that 
  was 
  fatal 
  to 
  many. 
  An 
  epidemic 
  had 
  

   occurred 
  just 
  after 
  Catlin's 
  visit, 
  again 
  cholera 
  prevailed 
  in 
  the 
  

   upper 
  Missouri 
  Valley 
  soon 
  after 
  Bodmer 
  and 
  Maximilian 
  had 
  trav- 
  

   ersed 
  the 
  same 
  region, 
  and 
  now 
  another 
  was 
  in 
  their 
  midst, 
  with 
  the 
  

   dreaded 
  cholera 
  claiming 
  their 
  friends 
  and 
  relatives. 
  Even 
  while 
  at 
  

   Belle 
  Vue, 
  Kurz 
  had 
  been 
  warned 
  by 
  Picotte; 
  nevertheless 
  he 
  con- 
  

   tinued 
  to 
  sketch. 
  On 
  the 
  evening 
  of 
  July 
  15, 
  after 
  the 
  evening 
  meal, 
  

   there 
  was 
  great 
  excitement 
  in 
  the 
  fort. 
  

  

  Two 
  young 
  braves 
  were 
  returning 
  with 
  their 
  first 
  scalps 
  ! 
  What 
  exultation 
  

   among 
  the 
  spectators! 
  Every 
  one 
  was 
  eager 
  to 
  extend 
  the 
  first 
  welcome. 
  

  

  The 
  faces 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  — 
  

  

  were 
  painted 
  black 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  the 
  tips 
  of 
  their 
  noses 
  — 
  sign 
  of 
  their 
  

   having 
  performed 
  a 
  coup. 
  

  

  They 
  had 
  crossed 
  the 
  river 
  from 
  the 
  other 
  shore, 
  and 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  

   they 
  landed 
  presented 
  their 
  weapons 
  — 
  

  

  to 
  those 
  standing 
  nearest 
  them 
  on 
  shore, 
  in 
  token 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  congratulations. 
  

   One 
  of 
  the 
  persons 
  so 
  honored 
  fastened 
  the 
  two 
  scalps 
  to 
  a 
  long 
  pole 
  and 
  

   strode 
  into 
  line 
  just 
  behind 
  the 
  victorious 
  braves, 
  singing 
  their 
  song 
  of 
  triumph. 
  

   Proudly 
  they 
  moved 
  forward, 
  betraying 
  no 
  sign 
  of 
  emotion. 
  

  

  Later 
  the 
  two 
  scalps 
  — 
  

   were 
  placed 
  beside 
  the 
  dead 
  Le 
  Boeuf 
  court 
  queue 
  as 
  an 
  expiatory 
  offering. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  following 
  day 
  Kurz 
  finishes 
  a 
  Mandan 
  dictionary 
  of 
  some 
  

   600 
  words. 
  It 
  was 
  compiled 
  according 
  to 
  Kipp's 
  pronunciation 
  for 
  

   Colonel 
  Mitchell. 
  That 
  same 
  day 
  the 
  St. 
  Ange 
  arrived 
  on 
  its 
  return 
  

   trip 
  from 
  Fort 
  Union. 
  Women 
  were 
  soon 
  engaged 
  in 
  taking 
  packs 
  

   of 
  10 
  buffalo 
  robes 
  to 
  the 
  boat. 
  Kurz 
  noted 
  that 
  — 
  

  

  Indian 
  women 
  in 
  this 
  region 
  carry 
  bundles 
  on 
  their 
  backs 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  broad 
  

   leather 
  bands 
  that 
  cross 
  upon 
  the 
  breast. 
  Iowa 
  squaws 
  carry 
  their 
  packs 
  

  

  