FIGHTING GIVING THE 'COUP: 389 



A story is told of Jack Hays, a captain of Bangers, 

 very celebrated under the Eepublic of Texas, that once, 

 when his company had charged and put to flight a band 

 of Comanches, his very fine and fast mare became unduly 

 excited, ran away with and carried him alone in amongst 

 the flying savages, who set upon him from every side. 

 Without firing a shot he rode with them for several 

 miles, keeping off too pertinacious assailants by simply 

 presenting his pistol, until finally getting control of his 

 horse, he drew unhurt out of the dangerous neighbour- 

 hood. 



A very curious and unexplained custom among the 

 northern plains tribes is called ' giving the coup' 

 How the custom originated is not known ; but the term 

 indicates that it was at least named by the old French 

 trappers, predecessors of the Hudson Bay Company. 

 When a foe has been struck down in a fight, the scalp 

 belongs to him who shall first strike the body with knife 

 or tomahawk. This is the coup. If in a melee or 

 running fight a warrior kills an enemy, he, in order to 

 secure his proper recognition and reward, must rush at 

 once on the prostrate body, and strike his coup, re- 

 gardless of other enemies that may be at hand. This, 

 of course, renders the Indian less formidable. The 

 enemy being in full flight, a brave and skilful warrior 

 who would press on and on, adding victim after victim 

 to his list, would return at last to find the scalps of all 

 the enemies killed by his hand at the girdles of laggards 

 in the race, to each of whom would be accorded all the 

 honours due to one who had killed his man. While he 

 who took all the risks and did all the killing, and who, 

 in his eagerness to kill, may have passed even the last of 

 his victims, has nothing whatever to show for his gal- 

 lantry, and is consequently without honour or credit, 

 the cowardly shirks, far in the rear, gain all the glory 

 and applause. The consequence is that, when a foe falls, 

 the slayer, even in the hottest race, and though other 



