1922] BARRETT, EAGLE WOMAN's RETURN 103 



pie. He must return to the banks of the great river and be buried with 

 proper ceremonies, as was the right of a member of a great family of 

 the Sioux. 



Quickly the fresh skin of a big buffalo bull was secured and withes 

 were dexterously woven and bound into a framework, over which it 

 was stretched. In this great bull boat, Eagle Woman, her husband and 

 two trusty friends, departed with the body of the Little Chief on the 

 long journey down the Missouri to the old home at the mouth of Grand 

 river. Day after day they paddled down the great, muddy water, 

 through the country of the Blackfoot, the Gros Ventres, the Cree and 

 the Mandan, all hostile by nature to the Sioux; but everywhere the 

 story of the strange journey was signalled ashore by the sign language 

 and the sign of peace was returned. The little party thus came, weary 

 and heart-sore one evening just after dusk, to the site of the old trad- 

 ing post. There still stood the buildings ,of the old Grand river post and 

 opposite, on the east bank of the Missouri, were the lights of many 

 campfires. 



Knowing that they were now back in the land of her own people, 

 Eagle Woman hailed ashore and, receiving an answer in her own 

 tongue, they pulled toward the camp. Approaching in the darkness, 

 they, all too late, saw the signs of a war party. Their boat was seized 

 and pulled ashore. They were in the hands of the enemy. But these 

 were Eagle Woman's own people. 



She demanded, "Who is the leader of this war party?" 



"It is the great chief, White Lodge." 



"None other than my own uncle. Lead me at once to his lodge. 1 

 am Eagle Woman, his kinswoman and one of chief's blood." 



She was soon in the great central lodge of the chief, who showed no 

 sign of recognition. "Do you not recognize your own kinswoman? 

 Know you not Eagle Woman, the daughter of your own blood rela- 

 tive ?" 



"I know no one who chooses to follow the whiteman's way," replied 

 White Lodge. "You are she who spread your robe in the tipi of the 

 whiteman. You forsook the ways of your forefathers and took for a 

 husband, not a great warrior, a great hunter of the buffalo ; but one 

 with a pale face, .one who lives not by the ways of our forefathers, but 

 who buys the skins of the buffalo, the otter, the beaver. His ways and 

 the ways of his people are not our ways. They are not good ways and 

 the time has come to go back to our old life to live as befits our tribe. 

 You have chosen the whiteman's ways and are now no kinswoman of 



