﻿FLETCHER-LA 
  FLESCIIi:] 
  WARFARE 
  423 
  

  

  men 
  have 
  taught 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  man: 
  you 
  an 
  now 
  going 
  

   where 
  you 
  will 
  realize 
  this 
  saying," 
  implying 
  that 
  he 
  will 
  prove 
  the 
  

   truth 
  of 
  the 
  teaching 
  by 
  his 
  valor. 
  

  

  The 
  custom 
  of 
  singing 
  the 
  we' 
  to" 
  waa" 
  and 
  belief 
  in 
  its 
  efficiency 
  

   obtains 
  also 
  among 
  the 
  Ponca 
  and 
  Osage 
  tribes. 
  

  

  All 
  the 
  rites 
  pertaining 
  to 
  defensive 
  warfare 
  were 
  in 
  charge 
  of 
  

   the 
  We'zhi"shte 
  gens, 
  whose 
  place 
  was 
  on 
  the 
  south 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  open- 
  

   ing 
  into 
  the 
  hu'ihuga. 
  A 
  tent 
  was 
  set 
  apart 
  as 
  a 
  repository 
  for 
  the 
  

   ceremonial 
  articles 
  pertaining 
  to 
  war. 
  This 
  tent 
  was 
  pitched 
  about 
  

   40 
  feet 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  tents 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  We'zhi 
  n 
  shte 
  gens. 
  

   The 
  door 
  of 
  the 
  tent 
  was 
  placed 
  about 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  invisible 
  

   line 
  that 
  divided 
  the 
  two 
  halves 
  of 
  the 
  hu'ihuga. 
  This 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  

   Tent 
  of 
  War, 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  diagram 
  (fig. 
  20), 
  was 
  maintained 
  only 
  

   when 
  the 
  tribe 
  camped 
  in 
  the 
  ceremonial 
  order 
  of 
  the 
  hu'ihuga 
  on 
  

   the 
  annual 
  tribal 
  buffalo 
  hunt. 
  In 
  the 
  village 
  the 
  tent 
  was 
  pitched 
  

   near 
  the 
  dwelling 
  of 
  the 
  keeper. 
  The 
  office 
  of 
  keeper 
  was 
  heredi- 
  

   tary 
  in 
  a 
  certain 
  family 
  of 
  the 
  We'zhi"shte 
  gens. 
  His 
  duties 
  were 
  

   to 
  provide 
  the 
  tent 
  for 
  housing 
  the 
  sacred 
  articles 
  and 
  to 
  protect 
  

   them 
  from 
  the 
  weather 
  and 
  injurious 
  influences. 
  When 
  the 
  tribe 
  

   moved 
  out 
  on 
  the 
  hunt, 
  he 
  had 
  to 
  furnish 
  proper 
  transportation 
  for 
  

   the 
  tent 
  and 
  its 
  belongings. 
  In 
  his 
  own 
  lodge 
  he 
  was 
  required 
  to 
  

   keep 
  his 
  doorway 
  in 
  order, 
  to 
  clean 
  out 
  his 
  fireplace, 
  and 
  to 
  sweep 
  

   both 
  every 
  morning. 
  His 
  children 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  prevented 
  from 
  digging 
  

   holes 
  about 
  the 
  fireplace. 
  Should 
  he 
  neglect 
  these 
  duties, 
  calamity 
  

   would 
  befall 
  him 
  or 
  his 
  kindred. 
  

  

  All 
  the 
  sacred 
  articles 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  Tent 
  of 
  War 
  were 
  kept 
  in 
  

   the 
  rear 
  of 
  the 
  tent, 
  facing 
  the 
  door, 
  with 
  a 
  skin 
  covering 
  to 
  protect 
  

   them 
  from 
  the 
  weather. 
  No 
  one 
  but 
  the 
  keeper 
  was 
  allowed 
  to 
  

   touch 
  them. 
  If 
  during 
  the 
  bustle 
  of 
  travel 
  any 
  person 
  or 
  animal 
  

   should 
  run 
  against 
  the 
  tent 
  or 
  any 
  of 
  its 
  belongings, 
  it 
  was 
  neces- 
  

   sary, 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  Tent 
  of 
  War 
  was 
  set 
  up, 
  for 
  the 
  offender 
  to 
  go 
  

   or 
  the 
  animal 
  to 
  be 
  taken 
  to 
  the 
  keeper 
  to 
  receive 
  the 
  ceremonial 
  

   ablution. 
  For 
  this 
  purpose 
  warm 
  water 
  was 
  sprinkled 
  by 
  the 
  keeper 
  

   over 
  the 
  offender 
  with 
  a 
  spray 
  of 
  artemesia. 
  If 
  this 
  should 
  be 
  neg- 
  

   lected, 
  the 
  person 
  or 
  animal 
  "would 
  become 
  covered 
  with 
  sores.'' 
  

  

  SENDING 
  OUT 
  SCOUTS 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  buffalo 
  hunt 
  when 
  the 
  tribe 
  entered 
  a 
  region 
  where 
  signs 
  

   of 
  the 
  trails 
  of 
  an 
  unknown 
  tribe 
  were 
  observed, 
  this 
  fact 
  was 
  at 
  once 
  

   reported 
  to 
  the 
  leader 
  of 
  the 
  hunt, 
  who 
  reported 
  to 
  the 
  Seven 
  Chiefs 
  ; 
  

   these 
  in 
  turn 
  notified 
  the 
  keeper 
  of 
  the 
  Tent 
  of 
  War, 
  who 
  then 
  sent 
  

   for 
  the 
  leading 
  men 
  of 
  the 
  We'zhi 
  n 
  shte 
  gens 
  to 
  assemble 
  in 
  council, 
  

   at 
  which 
  the 
  Seven 
  Chiefs 
  were 
  present. 
  The 
  chiefs 
  reported 
  to 
  the 
  

   council 
  that 
  signs 
  had 
  been 
  seen 
  which 
  indicated 
  that 
  the 
  people 
  

   were 
  on 
  dangerous 
  ground. 
  The 
  council 
  without 
  delay 
  selected 
  cer- 
  

  

  