228 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 194 



lated on the inside for we were hungry. Then we went back to our camp with 

 meat for the others. 



When almost to the butte, the rain predicted by Kidney came and we were 

 soaked. It was dark so I called like a coyote and the others answered so we 

 went to the east side where the leader told us we would meet. When we went 

 down to the foot of the hill, we heard them singing and knew that they had arrived. 

 We saw their fire and called like the coyote and they answered. They had found 

 the horse that we had left picketed. That made Kidney happy, even though the 

 horse was not a very good one, for it proved that Kidney's bundle had great 

 powers. 



We had gone a long distance from home and I did not know the country but 

 the older men Uke Kidney did. He said, "l think we will move tomorrow to the 

 place where you killed the buffalo and stored the meat, for there is a stream at 

 that place that flows towards Powder River." 



After supper Hard Horn said to me, "Wolf Chief, my father, I want you to cut 

 my skin; there is a hawk's nest here; I want to fast near it tonight. I have a 

 horse and some blankets at home that I will give you for doing this." 



When he said that, I did not know what to do for I did not have much to pray 

 to. Even Hard Horn had more bundles than I did and had often been out to 

 war. I thought that it would be better to ask one of my older clan brothers 

 named Dancing Flag.^^ I went to Dancing Flag and said, "My brother, our 

 son wants me to cut his skin but you are older and have more gods and power 

 than I have. He is going to give a horse and blankets. I will return the arrow 

 to him." 



Dancing Flag said, "That is right; you are younger than I am. Since you 

 want me to, I will take the arrow." 



Hard Horn furnished two sharpened sticks and three or four heavy stakes to 

 fasten into the bank. It was too steep where the nest was and there was no place 

 to drive in the stakes for it was too rocky. Dancing Flag found a place where he 

 could drive the stakes in the ground nearby. Dancing Flag put the sticks through 

 Hard Horn's skin and let him down. We had an extra roi^e fastened to him lest 

 the sticks pull out of his flesh allowing him to fall and be killed. About midnight 

 we thought he would be exhausted so Dancing Flag and I went back, pulled him 

 up, and took the sticks out. 



Next morning I thought that by custom I really owned the horse because I 

 was leader of the scouts when it was found, but others thought it belonged to 

 Kidney because he had actually seen it first when he had his bundle predict the 

 future. Ividney was happy when I said to him "You should take the horse, for 

 you saw it when you sang the holy song." 



We moved to the place where we had killed the buffalo and had the meat piled 

 with our shirts arranged around it to keep the wolves and coyotes away. We 

 stayed there several days enjoying ourselves and examining the butte from which 

 the buflfaloes were said to come. While we were there two other war parties of 

 our people arrived looking for the enemy. Hairy Coat was one leader who had 

 with him Scattered Village and Takes-the-Gun. Shortly afterward. Iron Eyes 

 came with Big Bull, Bears Teeth, Red Leaf, Wolf Ghost, High Eagle, Bear Chief, 

 and Coyote Necklace. We stayed together for a few days and then decided to 

 unite and go west in search of the enemy. 



The three war parties united and then we had three leaders. Kidney, Hairy Coat, 

 and Iron Eyes. We traveled as before with the scouts out to the front. The 



« Dancing Flag was a Mandan of the Speckled Eagle clan; Wolf Chief was of the Hidatsa Prairie Chicken 

 dan. 



