398 THE @EGIHA LANGUAGE—MYTHS, STORIES, AND LETTERS. 
The Omahas went homeward. As they went homeward, Wabaskaha was crying con- 
tinually. He was erying and asking a favor of the deity. ‘Ho! Wakanda, though the 
foreigners have ill-treated me, I hope that you may help me,” he said when he cried. 
And Wabaskaha wished to take vengeance on the Pawnees. 
Atlength, when it was night, he and his comrades reached their own village. When 
they reached their own village, he went crying to his lodge. And they knew that he 
went away crying; all the people heard him. ‘That one who was following his horses 
is coming back, but he is coming crying,” said they. When he cried, he cried in prayer 
to the deity. And the people knew that it was the crying of one who wished to go on 
the war-path. He did not tell it, yet they knew it. And all the people went thither, 
as they wished to know why he was crying. And Wabaskaha told his story. “TI 
went thither; but they did not restore my horses to me. We came very near being 
killed. And they asked me for gunpowder in the fall. The Pawnees said, ‘Bring us 
gunpowder when you come.” All of the people pitied Wabaskaha; they were sorrow- 
ful. The next day the chiefs, the braves, and, in fact, all the people, assembled. They 
filled a pipe. And Wabaskaha stretched out his hands in.supplication towards the 
people; he touched their heads, and said as follows: “Pity ye me. Do for me just 
what you decide as to my case.” And the chief took the sacred pipe and filled it. He 
said as follows: “If ye are willing for us to take vengeance on the Pawnees, put ye that 
pipe to your lips; and if ye are not willing, do not put that to your lips.” And every 
man put the pipe to his lips, and smoked it. And the chief said, “Come! Make a final 
decision. Decide when we shall take vengeance on them.” And one said as follows: 
“<Q war-chief, let us eat only this summer. Let us pray to the deity too, only this sea- 
son. Let us take vengeance on them in the early fall.” And four men were the war- 
chiefs; they were continually crying: by day and by night they were continually crying. 
They continued saying, ‘‘Wakanda, pity me. Help me in that about which I am in a 
bad humor.” And when they went on the hunt in the summer, they were always crying. 
The four men did not eat during the days; water, too, they did not drink. Whenit was 
night they used to drink water and eat. 
At length they came back to their village, here on Omaha Creek. ‘Ho! Come, it 
is enough. Let us go,” said they. And they went out of the village. Very early in 
the morning all the men went on the war-path. When they went, behold, some Dakotas 
came to the village; they came with tobacco to the Omaha village. They were seven. 
“You have come to-day when every one has gone on the war-path,” said those who 
remained in the village. The Dakotas did not go back to their land. They spoke 
of going to those who had gone on the war-path. They said as follows: “*When the 
rest come, you will please tell them.” They referred to the Dakotas. And the seven 
Dakotas departed, following the Omahas who had gone on the war-path. The Omaha 
war party having gone, arrived at length at the Pawnee village. They arrived at the 
outskirts of the village when day was near. Having desired to attack them, they 
stood at the outskirts of the village. At length, when it was day, they attacked the 
Pawnees. The Pawnees said, ‘Really! though we are attacked, they are Kansas. 
After firing a number of shots, they will go homeward.” At length, having reached 
the village, behold, they were Omahas. And the Pawnees knew the Omahas. They 
contended with them. Though they fought them, they killed some on each side: some 
Pawnees were killed, and some Omahas were killed, At length the Omahas pressed 
