396 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 194 



The next day he instructed his wife to go to the river bank and hide. He 

 walked by her and swam the river. There he howled like a wolf and when she 

 uncovered her head, she saw a wolf on the opposite bank. He called to her, 

 "Now you see that I am holy" and he ran over the hills towards the north. 



Before the party left, he told his pal that he would join them on the fourth 

 night while the others were singing derisive songs about him and that when they 

 heard a wolf howl he should bring roasted shoulder meat to the edge of the camp 

 and leave it. Then on the next day Village- Young- Man would be far to the front 

 and coming from the enemy's village when the others first saw the camp. All 

 these things came true. Village- Young- Man and the other scouts returned to 

 their camp where he reported that he saw the lodges and they were as thick as 

 the spots in the buffalo's mouth and informed the scouts that in the future scouts 

 must repeat the same information. 



The leader did not believe what Village- Young- Man said so he went out to 

 see for himself. Village- Young- Man went into the enemy camp. There he 

 waited until daybreak so his party could see him. Then he killed a woman, 

 scalped her, and ran away slowly so that the enemy would follow. He ran back 

 to the scouts who had not yet reached the enemy camp, instructed them as the 

 Wolves had taught him in running so as not to tire, and led them into battle 

 against the scouts which the enemy had sent out. While instructing the scouts, 

 he demonstrated his new supernatural powers by knocking down four enemies 

 with the assistance of his pal. 



While returning to Black Hawk's camp, he instructed the scouts in the use of 

 white clay to make them light on their feet so they could run faster. The main 

 party stood in a line when they heard the scouts coming and Village- Young-Man 

 gave the scalp and elk-horn scraper to Black Hawk's wife, addressing her as sister- 

 in-law. Black Hawk was not sure that they might not be old lovers and Village- 

 Young- Man criticized him for acting unchief tainlike. The scouts told Black 

 Hawk of Village- Young-Man's skill and supernatural powers and they danced 

 the scalp dances. 



Village- Young-Man said to Black Wolf, "I am going back home and will be 

 there before sunrise for I am not really human any more. I will transform my- 

 self into a wolf and be there when the sun rises." 



He crossed the river at daybreak and went into his lodge. Since he returned so 

 soon, his wife thought he had been lost. He told of turning himself into a wolf 

 and she was happy. But he said nothing to her of his part in the battle. He 

 dressed up and put marks on his leggings to show that he had killed the enemies 

 and he wore scalps and feathers too. The people thought he must be insane and 

 laughed at him. 



On the fourth morning home he saw an old man walking through the village 

 and he asked him to be announcer to tell the people that the war party would 

 arrive that day and to use the word sakucha which in the future would signify 

 that the party had been successful. The old man made the announcement even 

 though he thought the young man was insane. 



Soon the people saw the war party on the opposite bank singing an Honor song 

 and each time they sang they mentioned Village- Young-Man. It was customary 

 for the relatives of those who had killed the enemy to give out food and goods. 

 His parents hesitated for they did not believe their son had accomplished these 

 things and were crying for shame. 



Village- Young-Man came off of his lodge and said to his wife and parents, 

 "I am the one who killed all the enemies they mention. Now they are asking for 

 articles and you should give them some. Paint your faces black and dance for 

 I did all that they tell you I have done." 



