


FOREST AND STREAM. 
[ FEB. 10, 1906. 





















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In the Lodges of the Blackfeet. 

XII.—The Great Race. 
THE visit of the Kutenais to our people wound 
up as several previous visits had done, in a fine 
row, which for a time threatened to be serious. 
It began also as another one had, over a horse 
race. The Kutenais owned a large, clean-limbed 
and very swift black mare which, with one horse 
after another, the Piegans had endeavored to 
beat. Race after race had been run and each time 
the black had been victorious. The Piegans had 
lost heavily—guns, horses, blankets, finery of all 
descriptions—and were getting desperate. They 
claimed, for one thing, that the winners had man- 
aged secretly to rub something on their several 
horses which reduced the speed of the animals. 
In their extremity it was decided to send over to 
the Bloods for a certain horse which was known 
to be very fast, and to guard him night and day 
until the race was run. After a time the 
deputation sent to the Bloods returned with the 
horse, which was certainly a fine animal, a well 
blooded American bay which had - undoubtedly 
been taken from some unfortunate traveler on 
the Overland trail far away to the south. He 
was to have a rest of four days, and then the 
great race was to be run in which the Piegans 
expected to recoup their losses. During this 
time there is no question but what the horse was 
guarded. By day there were half a dozen young 
men with him out on the plain, where he grazed 
upon the richest grass that could be found, and 
at night he was fairly surrounded by interested 
watchers, 
At last the great day came, and everyone in 
both camps, even the women and children, went 
out to the place where the race was to be run— 
a level stretch about 500 yards long. The betting 
was furious, and such a lot of stuff as was set 
out here and there on the plain I never saw be- 
fore nor since. Specimens of everything the two 
tribes had for use or adornment were to be found 
in one or another of the heaps, and the many 
horses which had been staked upon the result 
were also there, their ropes held by some non-bet- 
ting youth or boy. Even the women were bet- 
ting; here you would see a brass kettle wagered 
against a beaded dress, there a parfleche of dried 
buffalo meat against a tanned elkskin, a yard of 
red cloth against a couple of copper bracelets. I 
stood with a crowd of others at the finishing 
point, where a furrow had been scraped across 
the dusty course. It was to be a standing start; 
we could see the two youthful riders, naked ex- 
cept for the inevitable breech clout, guide their 
excited and prancing mounts up to the starting 
point, some 500 yards distant. They started; the 
spectators lining the course began to shout, en- 
couraging the riders to do their utmost, an in- 
creasing confusion and clamor of Blackfoot and 
Kutenai eee a in which the shrill cries 
of the women played no unimportant part. We at 
the post could not tell which of the horses was 
ahead, as they came toward us with quick, long 
leaps; they seemed to be running side by side. 
Now, as they neared the goal, a sudden silence 
fell upon the crowd. Everyone held his breath; 
we could hear the broad thongs of the riders’ 
rapidly plied quirts thwack against the straining 
sides of the racers. And now here they were; a 
few leaps more and they crossed the furrow al- 
most neck and neck, the Kutenai horse, I 
thought, a few inches in the lead. Immediately 
a great clamor of tongues arose and there was a 
general rush for the stakes, 
“We win!’ the Piegans shouted, “We win!” 
and I presume that is what the Kutenais were 
saying in their unintelligible and angry words. 
What a scene ensued, Men seized upon the stakes 
and pulled and pushed each other for the posses- 
sion of them. A Kutenai in the midst of a strug- 
eling group pulled an ancient flint-lock pistol and 
aimed it at his opponent, but some one knocked it 
upward in the nick of time, and the bullet went 
wide of its mark. At the sound of the shot the 
women fled in terror to their several lodges, drag- 
ging their crying children after them. The hot- 
headed Piegan youths and men began to call out 
to each other: “Get your weapons! Let’s kill 
off these Kutenai cheats.” 
There was no more struggling over the things 
which had been staked upon the result of the race. 
Each bettor seemed to take that which was his, 
without protest and hurry away to his lodge. In 
a moment or two the race ground was deserted 
save by the Kutenai and Piegan chiefs, a few of 
their leading men, Nat-ah’-ki and I. The latter 
was grasping my arm and there was real terror in 
her eyes as she begged me go with her at once. 
“There is going to be a big fight,’ she said. 
“Come, let us saddle our horses and ride away 
from it.” 
“The fight wili not concern me,” I told her. “I 
am a white man. 
“Yes,” she cried, “you are a white man, and 
you are also a Piegan; the Kuténais will shoot 
at you as quickly as at anyone else.” 
I motioned her to keep silent, for I wanted to 
hear what was being decided upon by the chiefs. 
Big Lake sent his camp crier home. 
“Tell them,” he said, “that these are my words; 
I go now to the camp of my good friend Back-in- 
sight; whoever would fight the Kutenais must 
fight me and these here with me.” 
The camp crier hurried away and then he 
turned to me. “Come,” he said, “you also are for 
peace; come with us.” 
I went with them over to the Kutenai camp. 
Nat-ah’-ki, sorely troubled, closely following. We 
had barely arrived there when we saw an ever- 
increasing throng of shouting and excited riders 
bearing down upon us from the other camp. 
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Than me a gun,” said Big Lake, peremptorily. 
“Some one loan me a gun.” 
When it was handed him he stepped out in 
front of us and there was a look of grim deter- 
mination on his fine old face, an angry light in 
his eyes. ‘Behind us, with rustle of lodge skin 
and rattle of poles the lodges were being hur- 
riedly taken down, the baggage packed by anxious 
and much scared women, and near us the Kutenai 
men were gathering, preparing to defend them- 
selves and theirs. They were no match for the 
Piegans they well knew; were far outnumbered; 
but one had only to look at their attitude of pre- 
paredness, their steady eyes and compressed lips, 
to be satisfied that they would do their best. 
A young warrior named Little Deer was at the 
head of the Piegans as they came riding fast 
toward us. I had taken a strong dislike to him, 
for I felt that he hated me. I had some serious 
trouble with him later on, as will appear in due 
time. He had a mean, cruel face, pitiless and 
treacherous, with shifty eyes. The most of this 
angry crowd of our people, we learned later, had 
not heard the camp crier in the excitement and 
confusion or had left before he arrived among 
them, and here they were, determined to deal un- 
mercifully with those whom they now considered 
their enemies. Big Lake hastened out to meet 
them, shouting to them, and making the sign for 
them to stop. But as they paid no heed to him he 
ran on still farther, and leveling his gun at Little 
Deer, exclaimed: “If you dont. Stomueueart 
shoot.” 
The latter unwillingly checked his horse and 
said: “Why do you stop me? These Kutenai 
dogs have robbed us, cheated us; we are going to 
have revenge.” 
He started to go on, calling out to his follow- 
ers, and again Big Lake raised his gun: “Aim 
then at me,” he cried, “I am now a Kutenai. Aim, 
shoot; I give you a chance.” 
Little Deer did not raise his gun; he just sat 
there on his horse and glared at the chief, then 
turned in his saddie and looking at the crowd 
which had ridden up behind him, called upon 
them to follow him. But the other Piegan lead- 
ers were now among them, by turns threatening, 
coaxing them to return to their camp. None of 
them came forward; on the other hand, some 
started back toward their lodges. Little Deer 
worked himself into a fine rage, alternately point- 
ing at them and at the Kutenais, calling them all 
the evil names he could think of. But in spite of 
his anger and defiance he made no attempt to 
advance; the chief’s pointed gun, the steady cold, 
clear stare of his eyes wholly disconcerted him; 
muttering something or other in an unintelligible 
tone, he finally turned his horse and moodily rode 
back to camp in the wake of those who but a few 
moments before he had so eagerly led. The chiefs 
gave a long sigh of relief; so did I, so did Nat- 
ah’-ki, again close by my side. 
