366 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BuU. 194 



chewed black medicine and rubbed it over me for Smells told me to do that or 

 I might lose my life. 



Before the feast was ready, Smells came and said that he had had a good dream 

 in which he saw the pipe painted nicely. He thought that it was a good sign. 



That fall some people came to the village to steal horses. The people shot at 

 them and they went off without the horses. Our people went after them with 

 Old-White-Man in the lead. He got oflf and was near the enemies when they 

 threw their guns away and motioned him to come. He went towards one enemy 

 and hit him in the face with his shield. The enemy said, "I will give you my 

 necklace; we did not come to kill you." 



They discovered that this enemy had a ferret skin on his neck, just like the 

 one that was to be used in the ceremony. I tell this because they took it away 

 from him. Hard Horn had promised to put on this ceremony and that is the 

 reason why they got the horses back and found the ferret on the man. Smells 

 had dreamed that there would be good luck; if it had not been for his dream, 

 it would have been hard for me to find one of these ferrets to use in this ceremony. 



After Hard Horn had left for Fort Buford to get the hides and food for the 

 ceremony, I heard how he was getting along. He hunted and got many buflFaloes 

 that winter. Because he had promised to put up a sweat lodge ceremony, the 

 enemies came to his camp and stole horses. The young men went out to get the 

 horses back. Hard Horn went along. He thought he might kill some of the 

 enemies since he had promised his gods that he would give the ceremony. They 

 found the enemies hidden in the brush where they were eating, and surrounded 

 them. One of the enemies ran towards Two Bulls and shot Two Bulls through 

 the chest, killing him. Bird Bear was shot through the skin but did not fall; 

 he shot the enemy and Hard Horn's brother struck coup on him. Even though 

 one of our men was killed, the three enemies were killed. Hard Horn and his 

 brothers succeeded in striking coups; it showed that his luck was good because 

 he had made this promise even though one man was killed.*^ 



Smells heard about it and said, "It is all right; Hard Horn was the one who 

 made the pledge. He and his brother were successful so he is going to become 

 a chief." 



When the grass began to turn green in the spring, Hard Horn and all his 

 brothers and sisters came back from Fort Buford in bullboats, bringing the things 

 he was to use. He selected the large lodge occupied by Never-Eats-Marrow, 

 where the Mandan Okipa ceremony was held, for his ceremony and paid the 

 family for its use. He cleaned out the lodge and told me that he would be ready 

 the next day. I was expected to go there when it was dark. When I came 

 in, I saw that they had a line stretched all the way around the lodge. There 

 were robes hanging on it, all the way around. There were also three sticks 

 at the head of the lodge to show that I was to receive three horses also. 



He called me over and said, "There are 60 hides and some of them are well 

 tanned and decorated. Three sticks go with them; it is up to you to decide how 

 they are to be divided. ^^ Get a man, who has more power and more songs, to 

 eat and sing the holy songs; then pay him part of the things I have gathered here." ^^ 



" Presumably Hard Horn did not "kick the stone" because he was not personally in charge as in the 

 case of organized military expeditions. 



'2 This is not entirely true. Each ceremony provided rules for the division of the goods put up as payment 

 for the various performers. There seems to have been no rule outlining the precise number of robes and 

 horses required. In this case it was largely determined by their success In hunting. For the minimum 

 amount of goods for the Bear ceremony, see p. 352. 



" Hard Horn seems to have assumed a rather dictatorial attitude not characteristic of buyers; It may be 

 because of Wolf Chief's youth. This Is the only Instance 1 encountered In which the buyer undertook to 

 advise his ceremonial "father" In the management of a ceremony. 



