TWO CROWS’ WAR PARTY IN 1854. 461 
in the morning, we discovered the proximity of persons. When we said, ‘Ho! let us 
wait for them to appear,” ga¢i"-na"paji was unwilling for them to pass by. I said, 
“Let us head them off on that side. I am in favor of our going by a path which is 
more towards the interior of the country.” But ga¢i®-na®paji spoke of going towards 
the Missouri. And then we got ourselves into a difficulty. We did not overtake the 
nen, because we were tired. We dropped back, and so they got away in spite of us. 
When we awoke in the morning, we had no food. The servants were hungry. ‘Ho! 
O ga¢i®-na*paji, go hunting. The servants are hungry,” said I. ga¢i®-na®paji went 
hunting. At length he came back, carrying a deer. So we ate it. 
During the day we went across the country to the Missouri. That night we slept 
on the bank of the river. In the morning the stream was wide, as there was a freshet. 
We made a skin-boat of the deer-skin, and we put in it our guns, bows and blankets. 
The river extended as far as yonder house on the hill. When we put the things in the 
boat, we swam across with it. We barely reached the other side, as we were very 
weary. When we sat down on the other side, and had finished putting on our moc- 
casins, the grass was set afire in two directions. We sat looking at the trail of the 
Dakotas who had been traveling about. We sat concealed. ‘Ho! come, warriors, 
consider the matter. This smoke is in two places; to which one will we go?” said I. 
qa¢i™-na*paji said, ““O war-chief, let us go towards this one in the rear.” 
So we went. We left the river, and departed across the country, by a near way. 
The fire had been made towards the head of a stream, and as if was near by we went 
towards it. At night, we lay down for a short while. Then we walked throughout 
the night; and when it was almost day we slept. In the morning we looked around 
for the men, but did not find them. And we were all day in coming back towards the 
place where Sioux City now is. We looked around very carefully as we walked, but 
we did not find them. Late in the afternoon the sun was very near the bluffs. “Come, 
let us go, O servants,” said I. So we went. There was a bare cliff, without trees. 
“Let us soon go out of sight. Quicken your steps,” said I. Before we reached it, 
qa¢i®-na*paji and Wakide-jinga crouched suddenly, they being the first to find the 
people. We, too, lay crouching. ga¢i®-na™paji came back to us to report. ‘O war- 
chief, at this very place they ent wood, for they make the sound ‘“yaqi,” said he. ‘Ho! 
servant, as they are people, it is nothing.” After we stopped and stood awhile, the 
other man came back to report. ‘O war-chief, they are people. They are women, 
but they sing Mandan songs,” said he. ‘Ho! warriors, it is enough,” said I. 
So we went. We sat on avery small piece of the ground that was bare of vegeta- 
tion; that is, we sat on around tract of grass which had not been burnt by the prairie 
fire. The sun had nearly gone. ‘Ho! servants, it will be night. The sun has set. Ho! 
come, O servant ga¢i™-na™paji, go as a scout. Count the persons that have camped, 
and see how many they are,” said I. At length ga¢i"-na™paji returned tous. ‘O war- 
chief, the lodges are two. They have but one horse.” ‘Ho! that is enough. Ho! O 
servants, let us contend with them. You will do your best. Ho! to do it again but 
this once, Sinde-xa®xa", go to try them whether they are sound asleep. You will 
come back and report,” said I. At length Smde-xa™xa® came back. ‘O war-chief, 
they are sound asleep.” ‘Ho! come let us attack them, O servants. Make your 
weapons sharp,” said I. They sharpened their knives and arrow-heads, and they put 
extra loads in their guns, some three bullets, others four. Then I made them sit 
