said, ‘They are here! Enemies are here! My dog said it and she has run
away!’
“So Good Buffalo said to his sons, ‘Let us go and see what all this
is about. We can eat when we get back.’ But they did not go, for just
then there were shots from out in the dark. The camp was surrounded.
The women raised the tremolo. Good Buffalo began a death-song, and the
sons sang with him as they ran out to meet the enemies. They did not
sing long, for they were killed. Then Loud Woman beat her breast and
grasped a butcher knife and went out yelling after the men. And after
her the sons’ wives ran with butcher knives to help their men. Soon
there was only a galloping of horses, and then it was still out in the
night.
“Good Buffalo’s sister and her little niece hid under a buffalo robe
inside the tepee. They thought soon they would be killed and scalped.
But nothing more happened. All the enemies wanted was the horses, and
maybe they thought a big camp was near.
“When it was morning, Good Buffalo’s sister and her little niece went
to find the others. It was terrible--the way the dog said it was going
to be. The three men and the three women were scattered around, all
dead. The sister was shot in the leg--but it was not in the bone, so
she was strong enough to drag the six dead people into the tepee and to
place them side by side. She thought, the enemies may come back and it
will be just as well to lie dead here with the others. And there she
mourned, waiting for death, and the little girl cried and cried.
“When the little dog quit trying to make the people understand, and ran
away, she went straight for the village. When she got there, the people
were sleeping, but she ran around and around among the lodges yelping
and howling, and that set all the other dogs barking. So the people
awoke and ran out of their lodges to see what was happening. The little
dog ran up to some relatives she knew and leaped up on them, whining
and yawning, and making queer noises in her throat. And the relatives
said, ‘This dog belongs to Good Buffalo’s little daughter, and he is
gone hunting with his family. Something bad must have happened to them.
We must go and find them.’
“It was past the middle of the night, but they did not wait until
morning. They formed a war party and started in the direction Good
Buffalo had gone hunting. One of them was carrying the little dog,
and when they had been riding awhile, they put her on the ground. She
whined and whimpered and ran ahead, and the war party followed.
“When it was getting day, they could see that the little dog was
limping and could hardly carry her tail. So one of them picked her up
and let her ride in front of him. Afterwhile, they came to the bottom
of a hill. The little dog leaped down and limped off up the hill,
howling all the way. The party followed her; and when they were at the
top, they saw three tepees in the valley and no smoke coming out. It
was where Good Buffalo’s sister and little daughter were waiting for
death with the six who were dead.”
_Ho, ho! Ho, ho!_ But surely there was more!
There was; but No Water was not in a hurry to divulge it. Adding the
emphasis of silence to the impact of his tale, he searched our faces
for a while with narrowed, penetrating eyes.
“It was not a small war party that followed the little dog,” he
continued. “The way I heard about it, there were forty-two. When they
saw what they saw in that tepee and heard what they heard from Good
Buffalo’s sister, and the little daughter crying and crying, their
hearts were bad, and every warrior of them was like three. So eight of
them started back afoot towards the village with six led horses and
the dead across them, and the sister mourning with her hair cut off,
and the daughter holding her little dog and crying. There was mourning
in the village; but after six days the victory songs were louder.
That was when the war party came back from following the enemies. The
way I heard, they were Assiniboins, and they are like cousins of the
Lakota! Caught them camping and feeling safe. Fifteen scalps that time!
Fifteen, the way I heard! And all the horses, too! It is a true story.
The old man who told it is living yet.”
When all approving comments had been made, I ventured a question.
“Grandfather, I wonder why the little girl could understand and the
others could not.”
“I have thought and thought about that, Grandson,” No Water replied.
“The two-leggeds and four-leggeds are relatives. Maybe a long time
ago they had one tongue. When people are still little, they are
four-leggeds yet, just like their relatives. Maybe they have the same
tongue too when they are little and four-legged. Then when they begin
to be two-leggeds they begin to forget, and they forget more and more.
Maybe the little girl could remember yet. This is only what I have
thought. I do not know.”
Ah-a-a! It was clear that we all felt the cogency of the idea. “And
maybe,” Eagle Voice suggested with his crinkled, quizzical look, “maybe
then when we get three-legged, we are beginning to remember again! Next
time I hear a dog, maybe I can learn something!”
Laughter dwindled to chuckling, and in the following silence the pipe
went round again.
Finally, Moves Walking, regarding us with his self-contradicting
gaze--fierce from the glaring off-eye and friendly from the
other--ended the meditative silence.
“I want to tell a story, but it is not about a dog. It is about a woman
who was four times widowed, because nobody would believe her--just the
way they would not believe the little girl. This also is a true story.
A Sisseton who was _gan inhuni_ [come to old age] told it. I was over
there and this old man told me. His father told him. They are both
dead, and I cannot prove it, but it is true. All of the Sisseton Lakota
know it, so I must be very careful to tell it right.
“This woman, I could say that I know her name, but I have forgotten it
so I will give her the name of Sees-White-Cow. I could say that maybe
she had a dream about seeing a white bison cow and it gave her a power
to see more than other people, because a white cow is _wakon_. But I do
not tell this because I do not know it. I must be careful.
“Sometimes the tribe is all gathered together and sometimes it is
scattered. This happened when the tribe was scattered, and it happened
at a place they call Minnesota. There was a man by the name of Turning
Hawk, and he did not belong to Sees-White-Cow’s band. He had been
wanting her for his woman when the bands were all together, and he
had talked to her under the blanket. When the bands parted and went
different ways, he felt very sad; so he thought he would not stay with
his people. He would follow his girl. At that time there were few
horses, but Turning Hawk had a good one, so he followed where his girl
went.
“Sees-White-Cow was the only girl in the family, but she had two
brothers, both brave warriors. When Turning Hawk came to where she was,
he had a talk with her family, and offered his horse for the girl. She
was the only daughter they had, but they did not have any horse at all;
so Turning Hawk got the girl for his woman. Of course he wanted to go
back to his people with her, and she was willing. So Sees-White-Cow got
everything ready, and because he had traded his horse off, they had to
go _maka mani_.
“They started early in the morning, and on the second day they were
coming down to a lake with trees and brush growing around it. They
thought it was a good place to camp and rest awhile, for the grass was
soft and green under the trees.
“Just then Sees-White-Cow saw something, and she said, ‘Look! There is
a man peeking out from yonder brush!’ Turning Hawk looked and answered,
‘That is not a man; it is an otter.’ And Sees-White-Cow said, ‘Look
there and there! They are men looking out of the brush!’ Still Turning
Hawk could not see, and he said, ‘They are only otter.’ But the woman
was frightened at what she had seen. ‘They are enemies, and I am
going.’ So she dropped her pack and began running back the way they had
come.”
Moves Walking had risen spryly to his feet, hand at brow, the
better to see otter yonder in the brush. Apparently he was less
certain about the otter now, for he glanced nervously back over his
shoulder at the fleeing woman. Suddenly it happened. He clapped his
hands, simulating the sound of bows released and arrows in flight.
“_Whang--whoosh--whang--whoosh--whang--whoosh!_” Tugging at imaginary
shafts in his breast and belly, he slumped slowly, and sat down. After
pausing long enough to emphasize the fatal nature of the incident, he
resumed.
“Turning Hawk was dead, full of arrows; but Sees-White-Cow got away. I
think she was a fast runner. When she came to the band of her people
and told the story, a war party set forth and her two brothers were
in it. They found Turning Hawk butchered like a deer and hung up in a
tree. Afterwhile they caught the Chippewas who did this. There was a
big fight. Many enemies were killed and scalped, and the two brothers
were so brave and got so many scalps that everybody was talking about
them; and there was a big victory dance.
“So the husband was dead, and maybe if he had listened to his woman he
would have lived. Sees-White-Cow cut off her hair and mourned for a
while. But she was a young woman and good to see; so when a brave young
man by the name of Chasing Otter asked for her, she became his woman.
He was a Sisseton.
“Afterwhile the band was camped by a lake, and on the other side of it
there was a high bank with trees and plum brush. Someone said there
were big ripe plums there, so Chasing Otter said to Sees-White-Cow,
‘Why don’t we paddle over there and get us some good ripe plums?’ And
she said that would be good. So they got in their canoe and paddled to
where the ripe plums were. They were having a good time picking the
plums, and then Sees-White-Cow thought she would climb up the bank to
where the plums were even bigger and riper. When she got up there and
looked over, there was a man peeking at her out of the brush. So she
dropped back down the bank and whispered to Chasing Otter, ‘An enemy
peeked at me! Let us get away from here quick!’ Chasing Otter was
eating ripe plums and they tasted very good. So he said, ‘It is only
some other people who are picking some plums for themselves. I will go
and see.’ He started climbing up the bank. But the woman was frightened
and she said, ‘They are enemies! I am going!’ So she leaped into the
canoe and began to paddle away.”
Moves Walking fell to paddling violently, peering anxiously ahead.
Suddenly, he looked back over his shoulder. “The enemies are charging!”
he announced excitedly--“_Wham! Whock!_” He lashed viciously at the
air with an imaginary tomahawk. “Chasing Otter is dead, scalped.
_Whang--whang--whang!_” With left hand extended and right hand at
ear, Moves Walking released arrow after arrow in the direction of the
galloping canoe.
“They shot at Sees-White-Cow, but did not hit her. When she got back
to the village and told the story, a war party set out after the
enemies and her two brothers were in it. When they found the enemies
they were Chippewas again, and there was a big fight. Only a few of the
enemies got away. The brothers were so brave and got so many scalps
that people talked and talked about them, and there was a big victory
dance.
“So the second husband was dead and Sees-White-Cow was a widow again.
She cut her hair and mourned awhile. But she was young and good to see;
and when her hair was beginning to get long, a brave young man, called
Tall Horse, asked for her, and she became his woman. Tall Horse was
from another band and he had been visiting some relatives. He wanted to
go back home with his woman, and Sees-White-Cow was willing, so they
got ready and started out afoot, because there were few horses in those
days.
“They traveled all day, and when it was getting dark they came to a
rough country, hilly and wooded. Sees-White-Cow did not want to lose
another man. She was thinking hard about this, so she chose a place to
camp where they would be hidden and safe. There they made a tepee of
brush and grass. Tall Horse was tired and he went to sleep right after
they had eaten; but Sees-White-Cow could not sleep at all for thinking
and thinking. It was getting near morning when she heard an otter
calling. When she had listened awhile, she knew it was not an otter
at all, but a man making like an otter. Then she heard another--and
another--and another--”
Moves Walking, with his hands cupped behind his ears, listened
breathlessly for some time.
“They were not otter! They were enemies! She could hear the difference.
So she shook her man and whispered, ‘Tall Horse, get up! There are
enemies and I think we are surrounded! We can crawl down the ravine and
escape.’ Tall Horse listened, and when there were more calls, he yawned
and said, ‘They are otter. They are mating and calling to each other.
I am tired, so let me sleep.’ But the woman was frightened and she was
thinking of the other husbands too. ‘Man, I know! They are _not_ otter!
You’d better come if you want to live, for I am going.’ But he yawned
and said, ‘They _are_ otter, and I am sleepy.’ Then he lay down again.
“Sees-White-Cow started crawling down a wash and thought her man would
still believe and follow her when he knew she meant what she said. She
was not far down the wash yet, and some men were coming up it. So she
made herself flat in the grass and they nearly stepped on her. When
they were gone awhile, she listened, and heard Tall Horse yell just
once. After that, men were talking all excited. Then she got up and
started running, for she knew her man was dead up there. Afterwhile,
she could hear men running after her. There was an old moon coming up,
not very bright, but it helped her to see. She came to where there was
a flat place with a big tree standing alone in its shadow. So she ran
into the shadow and made herself flat against the tree. Soon the men
came running by in the dim moonlight. She could hear them puffing. When
they were gone, she ran back down the wash and into a ravine. There she
hid again just as the day was coming. After two more nights she was
back home.
“When the people heard her story, a war party started out after the
enemies, and the two brothers went along. The enemies were Chippewas
again, and there was a big fight. Not one got away. The two brothers of
Sees-White-Cow were braver than ever. They brought back so many scalps
and counted so many coups that people talked and talked about them even
more than before; and there was a big victory dance. Seemed like every
time their sister lost a man, they got more famous.
“So the third husband was dead, and Sees-White-Cow was a widow once
more. She cut her hair again and mourned and mourned, and she did not
want to get married to anybody at all. She always had such bad luck
that she thought she would just live alone and maybe save a few men.
But she was still a young woman, and she was good to see, after her
hair began to get long again.
“There was a brave young man called Red Horse, and he was very
handsome. After a while he wanted Sees-White-Cow for his woman. She
already had three dead husbands and maybe he would be the fourth. So
she would not listen to him for a long time. But her brothers liked Red
Horse, whose father was a chief, and when he offered four good horses
to her father, she forgot about her dead husbands for a while, and took
him.
“Red Horse was from another band and he was visiting relatives. Of
course he wanted to go back home and take his woman along, but she
would not go. She would not even let him go on war parties, and she was
always watching him, for she was afraid something might happen.
“They got along well together that winter, and afterwhile the grass
appeared again and got tall in the valleys. One day Red Horse came
back from taking care of his horses, for he still had some after he
traded off the four; and horses were few in those days. So he said
to his woman, ‘I saw many turnips, and they look good. Why do we not
go out and get ourselves some?’ And Sees-White-Cow said, ‘I think it
would be good to do that.’ So that is what they did. It was not far,
so they went afoot. Many people were out there with their sticks
digging turnips, laughing and having a good time. The scouts had been
all around, and there were no signs of enemies, so the people were not
afraid.
“Sees-White-Cow and her man had some food with them, and when it was
getting evening Red Horse said, ‘Why do we not make a little camp in
the ravine yonder and stay all night? We can peel and braid the turnips
we have, and in the morning we can dig some more.’ The woman was
afraid, for she was thinking about her other husbands. She said, ‘There
may be enemies.’ But Red Horse laughed and said, ‘The scouts have been
looking all around, and there are no enemies here. I think it will be
good to camp and braid the turnips.’ Sees-White-Cow did not want to do
this, but afterwhile she gave in. So they made a little shelter with
their turnip sticks and a blanket thrown over these. When they were
through eating and braiding turnips by their little fire, they lay down
to sleep under the blanket. But Sees-White-Cow could not sleep at all
for thinking and thinking. Afterwhile an otter whistled--then another
one whistled--then another.”
Moves Walking paused, listening tensely, mouth open, hands cupped
behind his ears.
“Of course,” he continued, “otter are mostly in a lake, but she heard
this whistling and she was frightened. These were enemies! She could
tell the difference. So she shook Red Horse and whispered, ‘Enemies!
Listen!’ Red Horse was only half awake, and when there was another
whistle, he said, ‘Foolish woman! That is an otter! Do not bother me!’
But Sees-White-Cow was more frightened than ever. She had heard two
dead husbands talk the same way. So she said, ‘They are enemies! I am
going!’ And she started crawling away. All at once two men were coming,
bent over and looking all around. She flattened herself in the grass,
and they went by. Soon she heard just one big yell. Then she got up and
ran towards camp as fast as she could.”
At this point, No Water grunted and Moves Walking paused to scan his
friend’s face, one eye glaring fiercely, the other questioning. “Four
dead husbands,” said No Water with his grieved, apprehensive look. He
held up four fingers. “One, two, three, four. How many more husbands
has that woman got?”
Eagle Voice chuckled, and Moves Walking, ignoring the question,
continued. “When the people heard about this, a war party started out
to catch the enemies and the two brothers went along. There was a big
fight and nearly all the Chippewas got killed and scalped. The brothers
were braver than ever before, and I can not say how many scalps they
got, because I do not know that, and I must be careful when I tell
this true story. All the people talked and talked about them again,
and by now I think they must have been _wichasha yatapika_, maybe
_akichitas_, or even councilors. I think if Sees-White-Cow got a few
more husbands those brothers would be head chiefs!
“Sees-White-Cow cut off her hair another time, and mourned and mourned.
Seemed like every time she got a husband it was the same as murdering
him herself. So she was never going to do that again as long as she
lived. She was going to live alone after that.
“Afterwhile her hair was getting long again--”
“Ah-a-a-ah!” commented No Water.
“--and she was still not old,” continued Moves Walking. “Also she
was good to see. About that time a very handsome young warrior came
visiting his relatives, and I do not know how many horses he had, but
they were many. This handsome young man’s name was Flies Back, and he
wanted Sees-White-Cow for his woman. I think he had not heard this
story. So when he offered six horses, her father thought maybe it would
be better for her this time; also there were few horses in those days.
Her two brothers liked Flies Back and they coaxed her to take him,
so that she would not be living alone. Maybe they wanted to get more
famous, but I do not know this, and I do not tell it.
“So afterwhile Sees-White-Cow gave in, and they got along well together
all that winter. Then it was spring and the ducks were coming back.
“One day Flies Back said to his woman, ‘There are many ducks on the
lake. Why do we not go out and get some for ourselves? We can go out
this evening and make a camp near the water. Then when it is early
morning we can get some for ourselves. I am hungry for ducks.’ When
he said that, Sees-White-Cow began to remember, and she did not want
to go. But she was hungry for ducks too, and she thought it might be
all right this time. So they went and made a good warm camp close to
this lake, and Flies Back went hunting, crawling through the grass and
reeds. While he was gone, Sees-White-Cow kept looking all around, for
she was afraid.” Moves Walking, with hand at brow, peered anxiously
about him for a while and No Water soberly joined him in the silent
search. “All at once,” resumed Moves Walking with a start, “she saw a
man run from behind a tree and disappear behind some brush.”
“_Ho--ho!_” exclaimed Eagle Voice.
“--saw a man running and hiding behind some brush,” Moves Walking
continued, “and she was more frightened than she had ever been. About
that time Flies Back came with two ducks, and Sees-White-Cow told
him about the man. ‘It is only somebody out getting some ducks for
himself,’ Flies Back said. ‘There are no enemies here. The scouts have
been out looking all around.’
“Sees-White-Cow thought maybe her husband was right this time, and she
was hungry for ducks. So they cooked the ducks and ate them, and then
it was dark, so they lay down to sleep.
“But Sees-White-Cow got to remembering, and she could not sleep at
all. I did not tell that they had a little dog with them, but I tell
it now. And when the night was old, the little dog began growling and
barking. Sees-White-Cow knew all at once that it was an enemy she had
seen and no duck hunter. So she shook her man and whispered ‘Enemies!
We are surrounded! We must run away from here!’ She got up and started
running. He got up and started running too, but he ran the other way.
When he came to the village, Sees-White-Cow was not there. He ’woke the
people, and when they heard, a war party got together and started after
the enemies. The two brothers went along. In the early morning they
found Sees-White-Cow, and she was not going to have any more husbands.
The little dog was curled up beside her whining, and she was scalped.
Maybe she was hiding, and the little dog ran to where she was and
barked, so that the enemies came and found her. I do not know this, and
that is why I do not tell it.
“It was Chippewas again, and there was a big fight. The two brothers
couped and killed and scalped I do not know how many. Big victory
dance! People talk and talk about it. Maybe the two brothers were made
chiefs that time. I do not know, and I must be careful when I tell this
true story. The Sisseton who told me was _gan inhuni_, and he heard it
from his father who was _gan inhuni_ also.”
“_Ho-ho! Ho-ho! Ho-ho!_” No Water and Eagle Voice applauded in unison.
“_Washtay!_” remarked No Water. “One husband got away that time!
_Washtay!_”
“It was not so,” said Moves Walking. “Brothers were very sad. Had bad
hearts. Killed Flies Back for running away from their sister. All dead!
Five!” Holding up his spread right hand, he slowly counted with a
careful forefinger.
Eagle Voice chuckled, and No Water, his grieved look intensified, shook
his head sadly in silence.
XVIII
_Falling Star, the Savior_
Having filled the coffee cups and set the meat pot within easy reach of
the guests, I went outside to get a chunk of cottonwood, for a chill
had crept into the tepee. Under a dull sky the afternoon was waning
fast, and already the edge of the still air was sharpening with the
approach of night. While chopping, it occurred to me that we would soon
be sitting in the dark, so I went to the little log house and borrowed
an oil lamp--the only one, but freely given. The family would go to bed
soon, the daughter explained, and it would not be needed. Also, if the
old men did not want to go home, they could sleep on the floor by the
stove, and go home in the morning.