﻿FLETCHER-LA 
  FLESCHE] 
  THE 
  QUEST 
  OF 
  FOOD 
  279 
  

  

  was 
  reached, 
  each 
  woman 
  knew 
  exactly 
  where 
  to 
  place 
  her 
  tent 
  in 
  the 
  

   hu'thuga, 
  or 
  tribal 
  circle. 
  The 
  Sacred 
  Tents 
  were 
  set 
  up 
  in 
  their 
  

   respective 
  places 
  and 
  the 
  sacred 
  articles 
  put 
  at 
  once 
  under 
  cover. 
  

   After 
  the 
  camp 
  was 
  made 
  the 
  daily 
  life 
  went 
  on 
  as 
  usual; 
  the 
  ponies 
  

   were 
  tethered 
  or 
  hobbled 
  and 
  put 
  where 
  they 
  could 
  feed; 
  wood 
  and 
  

   water 
  were 
  secured, 
  and 
  soon 
  the 
  smoke 
  betrayed 
  that 
  preparations 
  

   for 
  the 
  evening 
  meal 
  were 
  going 
  forward. 
  

  

  The 
  beauty 
  of 
  an 
  Indian 
  camp 
  at 
  night 
  deserves 
  a 
  passing 
  word. 
  

   It 
  can 
  never 
  be 
  forgotten 
  by 
  one 
  who 
  has 
  seen 
  it 
  and 
  it 
  can 
  hardly 
  

   be 
  pictured 
  to 
  one 
  who 
  has 
  not. 
  The 
  top 
  of 
  each 
  conical 
  tent, 
  

   stained 
  with 
  smoke, 
  was 
  lost 
  in 
  shadow, 
  but 
  the 
  lower 
  part 
  was 
  aglow 
  

   from 
  the 
  central 
  fire 
  and 
  on 
  it 
  the 
  moving 
  life 
  inside 
  was 
  pictured 
  in 
  

   silhouette, 
  while 
  the 
  sound 
  of 
  rippling 
  waters 
  beside 
  which 
  the 
  camp 
  

   stood 
  accentuated 
  the 
  silence 
  of 
  the 
  overhanging 
  stars. 
  

  

  The 
  signal 
  to 
  move 
  in 
  the 
  morning 
  was 
  the 
  dropping 
  of 
  the 
  cover 
  

   from 
  the 
  tent 
  of 
  the 
  director. 
  When 
  the 
  poles 
  of 
  his 
  tent 
  were 
  visible 
  

   every 
  woman 
  began 
  to 
  unfasten 
  her 
  tent 
  cover, 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  short 
  time 
  

   the 
  cam]) 
  was 
  a 
  memory 
  and 
  the 
  people 
  were 
  once 
  more 
  on 
  the 
  march, 
  

   stretched 
  out 
  as 
  a 
  motley 
  colored 
  mass 
  over 
  the 
  green 
  waste. 
  

  

  As 
  the 
  buffalo 
  country 
  was 
  reached 
  — 
  that 
  is, 
  when 
  signs 
  of 
  game 
  

   were 
  discerned 
  — 
  then 
  the 
  chiefs, 
  the 
  watho 
  n 
  ', 
  and 
  the 
  Washa'be 
  subgens 
  

   of 
  theHo 
  n 
  'ga 
  gens 
  met 
  in 
  council 
  and 
  appointed 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  men 
  who 
  

   were 
  to 
  act 
  as 
  "soldiers" 
  or 
  marshals. 
  These 
  men 
  were 
  chosen 
  from 
  

   among 
  the 
  bravest 
  and 
  most 
  trusty 
  warriors 
  of 
  the 
  tribe, 
  those 
  who 
  

   had 
  won 
  the 
  right 
  to 
  wear 
  "the 
  Crow" 
  (see 
  p. 
  441). 
  They 
  were 
  

   summoned 
  to 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Tent 
  of 
  the 
  White 
  Buffalo 
  Hide, 
  where 
  they 
  

   were 
  informed 
  of 
  their 
  duty. 
  It 
  is 
  said 
  that 
  these 
  officers 
  were 
  told 
  : 
  

   "You 
  are 
  to 
  recognize 
  no 
  relations 
  in 
  performing 
  your 
  duty 
  — 
  neither 
  

   fathers, 
  brothers, 
  nor 
  sons." 
  Their 
  services 
  began 
  when 
  the 
  

   camp 
  was 
  within 
  hearing 
  distance 
  of 
  the 
  herd 
  selected 
  for 
  the 
  coming 
  

   surround. 
  The 
  marshals 
  were 
  to 
  prevent 
  noises, 
  as 
  loud 
  calls 
  and 
  

   the 
  barking 
  of 
  dogs, 
  and 
  to 
  see 
  that 
  no 
  one 
  slipped 
  away 
  privately. 
  

   Few, 
  however, 
  ever 
  attempted 
  to 
  act 
  independently, 
  as 
  it 
  meant 
  death 
  

   to 
  a 
  man 
  to 
  stampede 
  a 
  herd 
  by 
  going 
  out 
  privately 
  to 
  secure 
  game. 
  

   During 
  the 
  surround 
  the 
  marshals 
  held 
  the 
  hunters 
  back 
  until 
  the 
  

   signal 
  was 
  given 
  for 
  the 
  attack 
  on 
  the 
  herd. 
  It 
  was 
  in 
  the 
  exercise 
  

   of 
  this 
  duty 
  that 
  the 
  marshals 
  were 
  sometimes 
  put 
  to 
  the 
  test 
  of 
  keep- 
  

   ing 
  true 
  to 
  the 
  obligations 
  of 
  their 
  office. 
  

  

  The 
  watho 
  11 
  ' 
  chose 
  some 
  twenty 
  young 
  men 
  to 
  act 
  as 
  runners 
  to 
  

   search 
  for 
  a 
  herd 
  suitable 
  for 
  the 
  tribe 
  to 
  surround. 
  If 
  the 
  region 
  

   was 
  one 
  in 
  which 
  there 
  was 
  danger 
  of 
  encountering 
  enemies, 
  the 
  run- 
  

   ners 
  went 
  out 
  in 
  groups; 
  otherwise 
  they 
  might 
  scatter 
  anil 
  go 
  singly 
  

   in 
  search 
  of 
  game. 
  When 
  the 
  runners 
  had 
  been 
  selected 
  the 
  tribal 
  

   herald 
  stood 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Tent 
  containing 
  the 
  White 
  Buffalo 
  

   Hide, 
  and 
  intoned 
  the 
  following 
  summons. 
  First 
  he 
  called 
  the 
  name 
  

  

  