232 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BuU. 194 



him, but we see that Hard Horn got only a questionable fourth coup 

 when the enemy was killed. Therefore, Wolf Chief and Dancing 

 Flag did not get credit for their prayers and could not enumerate this 

 honor on public occasions at home. 



We saw the partial union of three war parties because of the danger 

 that one group would reach the enemy first and thus cause the others 

 risk of detection when they arrived. So the leaders of the three 

 groups planned for the future by agreeing on the division of the honors. 

 Each group had its own campfire and performed its own rituals 

 independently of the other. When they stopped in the timber before 

 reaching the enemy, Kidney introduced a new ceremonial featiu-e; 

 the temporary shelter erected in the village when he formerly had 

 given the Painted Red Stick ceremony and had called the old biiffalo 

 impersonators in to exercise ceremonial sexual license with his wives. 



Crows Breast succeeded in demonstrating his supernatural powers 

 by praying for a "son," Flying Eagle, who killed one enemy and was 

 first to strike coup on the body. By doing this, Crows Breast came 

 out ahead of Wolf Chief and Dancing Flag. Although Wolf Chief 

 did not say so in the narrative, other "sons" would thereafter pay 

 Crows Breast to pray for them whenever they undertook dangerous 

 missions. 



It is important for an understanding of Plains warfare to note 

 that, although the enemy was greatly outnumbered and there was a 

 fine opportunity to kill a great many of them, the battle was stopped 

 and both groups retired once the scouts had killed one man sep- 

 arated from his group. Kidney had fulfilled his mission — to possess 

 one crippled horse and one enemy who would be found on a flat 

 near Powder River. Since his honors were expressed in the number 

 of his successful military expeditions without loss or injury to his 

 party, nothing further was to be gained by continuing the battle. 



This military expedition led by Kidney was only one of a number 

 of successful ones which he directed. He provided an opportunity 

 for various households to obtain horses and for the young men to 

 win military honors. In time, as he supplemented his military activ- 

 ities with frequent feasts for the older people, he grew in social stat- 

 ure. The older people subsequently met to reorganize the village 

 leadership and he was selected as "protector of the people" to 

 represent one of the cardinal points. 



Although the Hidatsa had a rather clear-cut dual division of vil- 

 lage leadership into war and peace or village roles, some military 

 honors were expected of the peace or village chief. The village 

 functions for the Hidatsa-proper and Awaxawi were normally inher- 

 ited with Earthnaming bundle ownership and as long as the village 

 groups were independent it made little difference what the military 



