﻿FLETCHER-LA 
  FLESCHE] 
  THE 
  QUEST 
  OF 
  FOOD 
  281 
  

  

  the 
  watho 
  11 
  ' 
  to 
  the 
  honor 
  and 
  the 
  compassion 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  to 
  avoid 
  

   all 
  dissensions 
  and 
  imprudence 
  which 
  might 
  bring 
  about 
  trouble 
  or 
  

   misfortune, 
  since 
  any 
  misdeed 
  or 
  mishap 
  would 
  fall 
  heavily 
  on 
  the 
  

   director, 
  who 
  was 
  responsible 
  for 
  every 
  action, 
  fortunate 
  or 
  unfortu- 
  

   nate, 
  and 
  who 
  must 
  suffer 
  for 
  the 
  acts 
  of 
  the 
  tribe, 
  as 
  through 
  his 
  

   office 
  he 
  belonged 
  to 
  them, 
  was 
  in 
  a 
  sense 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  them, 
  "as," 
  an 
  

   Omaha 
  explained 
  "a 
  man's 
  hand 
  belongs 
  to 
  his 
  body." 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  herd 
  was 
  at 
  such 
  a 
  distance 
  that 
  the 
  tribe 
  must 
  move 
  on 
  

   and 
  camp 
  again 
  before 
  the 
  chase 
  took 
  place 
  then 
  the 
  Pole 
  and 
  the 
  Hide 
  

   remained 
  where 
  the 
  message 
  of 
  the 
  limners 
  had 
  been 
  received, 
  until 
  

   the 
  people 
  were 
  ready 
  to 
  go 
  to 
  the 
  new 
  camping 
  place. 
  On 
  that 
  

   jcumey 
  the 
  two 
  sacred 
  objects, 
  with 
  the 
  Seven 
  Chiefs, 
  led 
  the 
  ad- 
  

   vance, 
  while 
  the 
  marshals 
  rode 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  cavalcade 
  

   and 
  kept 
  the 
  people 
  in 
  order. 
  Once 
  arrived 
  at 
  the 
  camping 
  place, 
  the 
  

   camp 
  was 
  made 
  silently, 
  for 
  fear 
  of 
  any 
  sound 
  frightening 
  the 
  

   herd, 
  and 
  strict 
  silence 
  was 
  maintained 
  until 
  the 
  hunters 
  were 
  ready 
  

   to 
  start. 
  If, 
  however, 
  the 
  herd 
  was 
  discovered 
  near 
  the 
  camp, 
  then 
  

   after 
  the 
  message 
  from 
  the 
  runners 
  had 
  been 
  delivered 
  the 
  two 
  sacred 
  

   objects, 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Pole 
  and 
  the 
  White 
  Buffalo 
  Hide, 
  were 
  returned 
  

   to 
  their 
  tents 
  and 
  the 
  marshals 
  at 
  once 
  enforced 
  silence, 
  killing 
  any 
  

   barking 
  dogs 
  if 
  necessary. 
  All 
  preparations 
  were 
  made 
  as 
  quietly 
  

   as 
  possible. 
  Each 
  hunter 
  was 
  attended 
  by 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  mounted 
  boys 
  

   who 
  led 
  the 
  fast 
  running 
  horses 
  to 
  be 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  chase: 
  later 
  his 
  own 
  

   mount 
  would 
  be 
  used 
  to 
  bring 
  in 
  the 
  meat 
  from 
  the 
  field. 
  Once 
  again 
  

   the 
  herald 
  circled 
  the 
  camp. 
  His 
  return 
  to 
  the 
  tent 
  of 
  the 
  White 
  Buf- 
  

   falo 
  Hide 
  was 
  the 
  signal 
  for 
  the 
  hunters 
  to 
  move. 
  The 
  two 
  young 
  men 
  

   bearing 
  the 
  washa'he 
  and 
  the 
  pipestem 
  were 
  the 
  first 
  to 
  start; 
  these 
  led 
  

   the 
  procession 
  of 
  hunters, 
  headed 
  by 
  the 
  watho 
  71 
  ' 
  and 
  the 
  Seven 
  Chiefs. 
  

   The 
  advance 
  to 
  the 
  herd 
  was 
  by 
  four 
  stages. 
  At 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  each 
  

   stage 
  the 
  chiefs 
  and 
  the 
  director 
  sat 
  and 
  smoked. 
  This 
  slow 
  approach 
  

   to 
  the 
  herd 
  was 
  for 
  definite 
  purposes: 
  First, 
  to 
  afford 
  opportunity 
  to 
  

   make 
  prayer 
  offerings 
  of 
  smoke 
  to 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da, 
  to 
  secure 
  success; 
  sec- 
  

   ond, 
  to 
  check 
  haste 
  and 
  excitement 
  among 
  the 
  hunters; 
  third, 
  to 
  

   insure 
  an 
  orderly 
  progress 
  toward 
  the 
  buffalo 
  so 
  that 
  each 
  person 
  

   might 
  take 
  part 
  in 
  the 
  chase 
  and 
  obtain 
  his 
  share 
  of 
  the 
  food 
  supply. 
  

   As 
  the 
  four 
  stops 
  partook 
  of 
  a 
  religious 
  character 
  they 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  

   disregarded 
  with 
  impunity. 
  The 
  following 
  incident 
  occurred 
  during 
  

   a 
  tribal 
  hunt 
  early 
  in 
  the 
  last 
  century: 
  At 
  the 
  third 
  halt 
  a 
  man 
  gal- 
  

   loped 
  up 
  to 
  where 
  the 
  watho 
  71 
  ' 
  and 
  the 
  chiefs 
  sat 
  smoking 
  and 
  spoke 
  

   impatiently 
  of 
  the 
  slow 
  progress, 
  declaring 
  that 
  the 
  herd 
  was 
  moving 
  

   and 
  might 
  escape 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  delay. 
  The 
  watho 
  71 
  ' 
  said 
  quietly, 
  

   ' 
  ' 
  If 
  your 
  way 
  is 
  the 
  better, 
  follow 
  it 
  !" 
  The 
  man 
  dashed 
  off, 
  followed 
  

   by 
  the 
  hunters, 
  who 
  rushed 
  on 
  the 
  herd; 
  in 
  the 
  confusion 
  several 
  of 
  

   the 
  hunters 
  were 
  injured 
  anil 
  the 
  man 
  who 
  led 
  the 
  people 
  to 
  disobey 
  

   the 
  rites 
  was 
  crippled 
  for 
  life 
  by 
  his 
  horse 
  falling 
  on 
  him. 
  This 
  dis- 
  

  

  