Bowers] HIDATSA SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL ORGANIZATION 413 



He would take up his hoop and point it towards tribe after tribe, looking for the 

 right man but he could not find anyone who was as strong as he was. He looked 

 through all the tribes until he saw Strong Jaw and his party traveling towards 

 the Killdeer Mountains. He saw a man in the camp with something powerful 

 looking back at him. 



The Snake Indian called the people together and announced that he was getting 

 old and wanted someone to take over his medicine powers. The only one fit to 

 do so was Strong Jaw's son, Walks-at-Dusk. The Snake Indians did not approve 

 the idea but agreed to assist in the transfer. 



His tribesmen inquired how he would handle it and the Snake holy man said, 

 "We will go after that little boy in the middle of the summer. I do not know 

 whether we can get him or not for his father keeps a pack of wolves watching 

 over him all the time. The only way I can get them off their guard is to feed them 

 something. We will drive a large herd of buffaloes into their camp. When they 

 go out to hunt them, we will have our chance. The men will be out hunting, 

 leaving the women and children alone in camp. Do not kill any of the children." 



The Snakes, 200 in number, started for the Hidatsa village, driving the bufifaloes 

 before them. One night the leader announced that he was to pray to his hoop 

 that evening and then camp four times before reaching the Hidatsa. 



They moved one more camp towards the village. Strong Jaw's daughter had 

 a dream which she related to her parents in the morning saying, "I saw a big 

 smoke in my dream. I was carrying my little brother on my back and did not 

 know where to go." The old people said it was surely a bad dream but did 

 nothing about it. 



The second morning she told the same story saying that things were so clear 

 she could not get it out of her mind. She shook from fright all day. 



The third night her dream was even more vivid. Strong Jaw's wife said to her 

 husband, "You should pay attention to what she is saying." He thought it was 

 only a child's dream for no enemies were near or the wolves would have told him. 



She had a fourth dream. By that time the Snake Indians were on the opposite 

 side of the hills. Again she said, "I had my little brother, Walks-at-Dusk, on 

 my back. The lodges were burning and all the dogs were howling." 



This time Strong Jaw's wife convinced him that something should be done. 

 He brought out his sacred pipe and the wolf skin. He burned sage before the 

 skin and it turned into a live wolf. When the wolf went out of the door, the dogs 

 rushed at him and drove him back into the lodge, just as the Snake holy man 

 had planned it. The people told of a large buffalo herd near the village; Strong 

 Jaw was uneasy and could not decide at first what to do. At last he decided to 

 go after the herd and the men were soon killing the buffaloes. The Snake Indians 

 killed the women, captured the children, and burned the lodges. 



Four days later the Snake holy man took the little giil and boy, giving the 

 other children to his tribesmen to raise. He said of the little boy, "This is the 

 young man who will some day be your strong man." 



When they reached the main camp, the little girl was given to another woman 

 who was very kind. One day this old woman said, "I pity you. Do you think 

 you could reach home if I showed you the way? I will take you away from the 

 camp." 



She drew a map of the Missouri and Little Missouri Rivers on the ground and 

 showed her where the Knife River villages were situated. She said to the girl, 

 "We will start tomorrow evening. I will take you part way. Tell your people 

 what happened but do not urge your brother to go for he has a good home here. 

 Some day when he is strong enough, he may come back to visit you." 



