dorset.1 WAR CUSTOMS DEFENSIVE WARFARE. 313 



they used to seek for tbe fallen euemy in order to mutilate tbem. 

 When some of the upper Dakotas had taken a prisoner they secured 

 him to a stake and allowed their women to torture him by mutilating 

 him previous to killing him, etiam genitalia exciderunt. But the writer 

 never heard of the (fegiha women's having acted in this manner. 



§ 185. Preparation for the attack by the foe.— About thirty-two years 

 ago the Dakotas and Ponkas attacked the Omabas, but the latter had 

 timely notice of their intentions and prepared for them. Four Omabas 

 had found the camp of the enemy and reported to their friends that the 

 foe would make the attack either that night or the next morning. So 

 tbe Omabas made ready that night, having sent a crier around tbe tribal 

 circle, saying, " They say that you must make an iutrenchment for the 

 children. The foe will surely come!" Then the people made an embank- 

 ment around the greater part of the circle. It was about 4 feet high, 

 and on the top were planted all the tent poles, the tents having been 

 pulled down. The tent poles were interlaced and over these were fas- 

 tened all the tent skins as far as they would go. This was designed as 

 a screen for the men, while for the women and children was dug a trench 

 about 4 or 5 feet deep, inside the embankment. 



Mr. J. La Fleche, wbo was present during the fight, says that the em- 

 bankment did not extend all around the circle, and tbat the area pre- 

 viously occupied by the tents of the end genres, Weji n cte, Ictasanda, 

 etc., were not thus protected, and that he and others slept on the ground 

 tbat night. Some of the men dug trenches for the protection of their 

 horses. Early in the morning the crier went around, saying, " They say 

 that you must do your best, as day is at baud. They have come ! " The 

 night scouts came in and reported having heard the sounds made by the 

 tramping of the host of the advancing foe. Then the crier exhorted tbe 

 peopleagain, "Theysay that you must do your best ! You have none to 

 help you. You will lie with your weapons in readiness. You wili load your 

 guns. They have come ! " Some of the Omahas fought outside of the 

 embankment, others availed themselves of that shelter, and cut holes 

 through the skins so that they might aim through them at the enemy. 

 These structures for defense were made by digging up the earth with 

 sticks which they had sharpened with axes. The earth thrown up made 

 the embankment for the men, aud the hollows or trenches were the 

 ufihnucka into which the women and children retreated. 



§ 186. Old Ponka Fort.—M the old Ponka Agency, iu what was Todd 

 County, Dakota Territory, may be seen the remains of an ancient fort, 

 which the Ponkas say was erected over a hundred years ago by their 

 forefathers. J. La Fleche saw it many years ago, and he says that the 

 curvilinear intrenchment used to be higher than a man ; i. e., over six 

 feet high. Many earth-lodges used to be inside. At the time it was 

 built the Yanktons were in Minnesota, and the tribes who fought the 

 Ponkas were the Bees, Cheyennes, and Padanka (Cainancb.es). Then 

 tbe only Dakotas out of Minnesota were the Oglala and the Sitca n xu 



