THE MOOSE 51 



that I had had for a long time a sore knee, badly 

 swollen and painful. It had hurt and troubled 

 me for more than two years, and I thought that 

 it would kill me. I said to my father : * Now 

 pretty soon I am going to die. When I die, 

 do not put me in the ground and cover me with 

 earth. I want you to put me in a lodge on a 

 bed and leave me there/ 



" My father said : ' My son, you must not die 

 in that way. That will not be good. Instead, 

 I will fit you out properly, and you shall 

 go to war, and give your body to the enemy. 

 Ride right in and count the first coup> and let 

 them kill you. Then you will die bravely 

 and well/ 



<c Not long after this a war-party was gotten 

 up by Big Foot to go against the Omahas, and I 

 joined it. My father gave me his best horse ; 

 it was the fastest one in the party. I was finely 

 dressed and nicely painted, and my hair was 

 combed and smoothly braided, so that I might 

 look well and die bravely. 



"When we got down toward the country of 

 the Omahas, our scout one day returned very 

 soon, and told us that he had found the enemy 

 close by. Just beyond a near-by hill. 



