52 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 194 



horses or riding gear, of others whose men had all been killed in a 

 recent battle, and of the little problems of preparation for the trip. 

 A good leader was one who could organize the group to travel without 

 laggards. So he would send word by his announcer to those with a 

 surplus of horses to lend assistance here and there or a word of criti- 

 cism to another household that was not providing adequately for 

 some of its members. But many of these details were more tactfully 

 handled by dropping a hint to the council member most closely 

 related to the distressed household. 



Since the gardens were so important to the Hidatsa, the summer 

 hunt was not scheduled to leave until the corn was knee high. When 

 the date for the hunt was announced, the women looked to their 

 gardens, completing the hilling of the plants and pulling the last 

 weeds; the men repaired their riding equipment and checked their 

 weapons. But the sharp dichotomy of work was not as apparent 

 as during normal times. Men did many duties otherwise reserved 

 for the women. They would assist in the gardens, spread out the 

 tipis for inspection and last-minute repairs, and attend to last- 

 minute matters so that the household would be ready to move out 

 of the village when the signal was given. Everyone worked hard 

 to get ready, for the summer hunt was a happy event in Hidatsa 

 life. It was an opportunity for the younger boys and girls to travel 

 and see new things. Riding horseback together in groups, boys 

 were often mounted three or four to a horse. They ran races, sang 

 songs, and galloped back and forth from the front to the back of the 

 line. 



The older boys and young men would dress up and watch for op- 

 portunities to talk to their girls whose mothers were otherwise en- 

 gaged in caring for the household's equipment. But this fhrting was 

 often a front to conceal their inner feelings about the torture ordeals 

 that would be expected of them once the group was out in the buffalo 

 country. Many had already pledged to draw buffalo heads or to be 

 suspended from some cliff while on the summer hunt; others knew 

 that their "older brothers" would bring up the matter once they 

 had reached the hunting grounds. 



The welfare of the whole group was the leader's responsibility, but 

 the council was always invited to assist him. The leader's position 

 was at the head of the line with his announcer who rode back and 

 forth informing the people from time to time of matters affecting the 

 whole group. The Black Mouths policed the party, driving stragglers 

 back, assisting the laggards or those encountering difficulties of travel 

 and looking after the general welfare of the group. The leader called 

 upon men younger than the Black Mouths to serve as scouts, riding 

 ahead and watching from the hills for evidences of enemies or of 



