dAGL-NA*PAJLS WAR PARTY IN 1853. 449 
the hands for shooting at foes or game, for working in any way. We know how to 
creep up to them in the darkness, and snatch their horses from them. TI think that 
we can do it well. Let us pursue. We shall follow the trail. I, even I, will do the 
sacred cooking.” 
I did the sacred cooking. I collected the men. TI cooked fresh venison, which I 
valued at two dollars. The kettle was worth five dollars. I put some goods in the 
middle of the tent; a red blanket, a green one, a black robe, and two figured calico 
shirts, the last of which I valued at a dollar and a half each. To those who had been 
invited, I said, “Ho! I leave this pile of things to you. I will seek that man who did 
the injury. I shall make every effort in walking to find him. Please give me your 
temper. I buy it of you.” “Ho!” said they, “though we will give it to you, please 
do your best.” They took a pillow, which they put in the middle with two gourd 
rattles. ‘We will sing for you to dance. As you have bought it, we will give it to 
you. You shall return after doing to them as they did to you.” They sat singing, 
making the gourds rattle by striking them against the pillow. As the night was long, 
they beat the rattles even till day. And all those who desired to go on the war-path 
with me danced. “Twill kill him,” said one. Another said, ‘I will take hold of him.” 
“T will take hold of one when he is not wounded at all,” said a third. “TI will snatch 
horses from them,” exclaimed a fourth. 
It was day. And as they had given something to me, I, too, gave presents all 
around. ‘You may take a sacred bag, and what is bound up with it (what is always 
fastened securely to it),” said my guests to me. When it was dark, we stole off one by 
one, secretly, without being detected by any one at all. The next day it was said, 
“They went on the war-path last night.” We reached a place outside of the village, 
and there we slept. ‘Ho! warriors, go ye as scouts,” I said. Those who go as scouts at 
night, usually go about a mile from the camp before they liedown. “Ho! warriors, when 
you become sleepy, come back,” said I. * * * When it was time for roosters to crow, L 
said, “Arise! arise!” All arose hurriedly. * * * The next day the scouts came back 
very suddenly. As they were returning, two war-chiefs went out to meet them. “O 
war-chiefs, they have just taken them homeward on this side of the stream. The 
feet of the horses have recently made a series of bare spots along the ground where 
the grass has been burnt.” They also referred to the fresh manure dropped by the 
horses as they went. ‘They have gone back, making a line of clusters of whitish spots 
on the burnt grass,” said they. “Ho! warriors, come, let us see it,” said the war-chiefs. 
They went thither. “This is it,” said the scouts. “Ho! warriors, it is that. Let us 
follow them,” said the war chiefs. They followed them, walking the whole day. At 
length, when the sun had just set, they reached again a place where they had been, and 
there they camped. Behold, the foe had reached home with the horses. The tents were 
four. We slept at night, and we pursued them the next day. Though we passed along 
the road, we did not overtake them, and we slept on the way, The next day we con- 
tinued the pursuit ; but we did not overtake them, so we slept on the way. We pursued 
them four days. When half of the day had gone, and it was noon, we stopped, as we 
were very tired. We ate, and then continued the pursuit. At length, when we reached 
the forks of a stream, the trail had gone up a crooked branch to the right hand. We 
went straight on to head them off. We ran down-hill, and walked fast wp-hill till 
noon. When the sun was very low, we stopped. Two went as scouts. When they 
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