260 CALENDAR HISTORY OF THE KIQWA Ieth.ann.17 



Oil foot. The Kiowa say that the Pawnee in particular went afoot on 

 war expeditious, and more recently when they visited other tribes for 

 the puri)()se of a social dance, in the latter case always returning witli 

 large numbers of ponies given them by their entertainers (see sum- 

 mer 1851 and winter 1871-72). Gregg says that small war parties of 

 the Pawnee were accustomed to rove ou foot through every part of the 

 jdains, even to the Mexican frontier, but generally returning mounted 

 on captured horses. When, on one occasiou, his train was attacked 

 upon the upper Canadian, he says: 



It was evidently a foot party, which we looked upon as another proof of tlieir 

 being Pawnees, for these famous marauders arc well kuowu to go forth upon their 

 expeditions of plunder without horses, although they seldom fail to I'eturu well 

 mounted (Gregg, 4). 



Dunbar says that Pawnee runners have been known repeatedly to 

 travel over 100 miles in twenty-four hours or less, going at a swinging 

 trot, without stopping on the way for sleep or food (Chirk, 11). 



Secondly, it is to be noted that the Osage beheaded the Kiowa with- 

 out scalping them. This, the Kiowa say, was a general Osage practice; 

 in fact, according to the Kiowa, the Osage never scalped tlieir enemies, 

 but cut off the heads and left them unscal]jed upon the field. They 

 kept tally of the number killed, however, and when an Osage warrior 

 had killed four he painted a blue half circle, curving downward, upon 

 his breast. So far as Kiowa knowledge goes, no other tribe of the 

 plains practiced the custom of beheading, but all of them scalped their 

 enemies. It seems certain, however, that the Dakota at an early period 

 had the same custom, as they are called " Beheaders" in several Indian 

 languages, while their name is indicated in the sign language by draw- 

 ing the hand across the throat to signify the same thing. Clark says: 



In former times the .Sioux Indians, if they had time, eut ott' the heads of their 

 slain enemies and took them to their first camp after the fight, where the entire 

 scalp was taken oft'. To make it particularly fine, they kept on the ears with the 

 rings and ornaments. In case a woman had lost some of her kin by death, and her 

 heart was, as they say, had, she was at timtes allowed to go with the war party, 

 remaining in the camp establi.shed near the ])oint of .attack. The head of a slain 

 foe would be given to her, and after removing the scalp she would make her heart 

 good by smashing the skull with a war club (Clark, li'). 



Among other tribes, as well as the Osage, especially in the north, the 

 number of enemies slain or other brave deeds performed was some- 

 times indicated by the style of body paint or dress adornment. Among 

 the Kiowa the number of transverse stripes upon a woman's legging 

 indicates the scalps or coups won by some warrior kinsman. 



AVINTER 1S33-34 



n'W-p'e'gyd-de Sat, "Winter that the stars fell." This winter takes 

 its name from the memorable meteoric display which occurred shortly 

 before daylight on the morning of November 13, 1833. It was observed 

 throughout North America, and created great excitement among the 



