The ordinary manner of opening communication with parties known or
supposed to be hostile is to ride toward them in zigzag manner, or to
ride in a circle. (Custer's _My Life on the Plains_, _loc. cit._, p.
58.)
This author mentions (p. 202) a systematic manner of waving a blanket,
by which the son of Satana, the Kaiowa chief, conveyed information to
him, and a similar performance by Yellow Bear, a chief of the Arapahos
(p. 219), neither of which he explains in detail.
---- I do not know you. Who are you?
Point the folded blanket at arm's length toward the person, and then
wave it toward the right and left in front of the face. You--I don't
know. Take an end of the blanket in each hand, and extend the arms to
full capacity at the sides of the body, letting the other ends hang
down in front of the body to the ground, means, Where do you come
from? or who are you? (_Dakota_ I.)