_Omaha_
Grizzly Bear was going somewhere, following the course of a stream,
and at last he went straight towards the headland. When he got in
sight, Buffalo Bull was standing beneath it. Grizzly Bear retraced his
steps, going again to the stream, following its course until he got
beyond the headland. Then he drew near and peeped. He saw that Buffalo
Bull was very lean, and standing with his head bowed, as if sluggish.
So Grizzly Bear crawled up close to him, made a rush, seized him by
the hair of his head, and pulled down his head. He turned Buffalo Bull
round and round, shaking him now and then, saying, "Speak! Speak! I
have been coming to this place a long time, and they say you have
threatened to fight me. Speak!" Then he hit Buffalo Bull on the nose
with his open paw.
"Why!" said Buffalo Bull, "I have never threatened to fight you, who
have been coming to this country so long."
"Not so! You have threatened to fight me." Letting go the buffalo's
head, Grizzly Bear went around and seized him by the tail, turning him
round and round. Then he left, but as he did so, he gave him a hard
blow with his open paw.
"Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! you have caused me great pain," said Buffalo
Bull. Bobtailed Grizzly Bear departed.
Buffalo Bull thought thus: "Attack him! You too have been just that
sort of a person."
Grizzly Bear knew what he was thinking, so he said, "Why! what are you
saying?"
"I said nothing," said Buffalo Bull.
Then Grizzly Bear came back. He seized Buffalo Bull by the tail,
pulling him round and round. Then he seized him by the horns, pulling
his head round and round. Then he seized him again by the tail and hit
him again with the open paw. Again Grizzly Bear departed. And again
Buffalo Bull thought as he had done before. Then Grizzly Bear came
back and treated Buffalo Bull as he had before.
Buffalo Bull stepped backward, throwing his tail into the air.
"Why! Do not flee," said Grizzly Bear.
Buffalo threw himself down, and rolled over and over. Then he
continued backing, pawing the ground.
"Why! I say, do not flee," said Grizzly Bear. When Buffalo Bull
backed, making ready to attack him, Grizzly Bear thought he was
scared.
Then Buffalo Bull ran towards Grizzly, puffing a great deal. When he
neared him, he rushed on him. He sent Grizzly Bear flying through the
air.
As Grizzly Bear came down towards the earth, Buffalo Bull caught him
on his horns and threw him into the air again. When Grizzly Bear fell
and lay on the ground, Buffalo Bull made at him with his horns to gore
him, but just missed him. Grizzly Bear crawled away slowly, with
Buffalo Bull following him step by step, thrusting at him now and
then, though without striking him. When Grizzly Bear came to a cliff,
he plunged over headlong, and landed in a thicket at the foot. Buffalo
Bull had run so fast he could not stop at the edge where Grizzly Bear
went over, but followed the cliff for some distance. Then he came back
and stood with his tail partly raised. Grizzly Bear returned to the
bank and peeped.
"Oh, Buffalo Bull," said Grizzly Bear. "Let us be friends. We are very
much alike in disposition."
[Notes: RIVALRY OVER THE BUFFALO
(Comanche drawing on a buffalo shoulder blade)
_The Indian chase is by arrow; the white man's by the lasso, gun, and
spear. The rivalry is indicated by half the buffalo being drawn as
belonging to one race, half to the other. The white men are supposed
to be Spaniards. The shoulder blade was found in the Comanche country,
in Texas._]
[Illustration: _Enlarged from a sketch in Report of the Bureau of
Ethnology_]
[Notes: CAPTURE OF A WANDERING BUFFALO
(Indian drawing)
_A buffalo has wandered near an Indian village, and is being captured.
The dotted lines indicate footprints. One Indian, having secured the
buffalo by his forefeet, tells his companion of his success--indicated
by the line drawn from his mouth to its feet. Another, having secured
the buffalo by the horns, gives a companion a chance to kill it with
an axe. This he intends to do--indicated by the line from his mouth to
its head, as well as by his attitude. The Indian in the upper corner
is told by his squaw to take an arrow and join in the capture. He
turns his head to inform her that he has an arrow--indicated by
holding it up, and by the line from his mouth to her._]
[Illustration: _Enlarged from a sketch in Report of the Bureau of
Ethnology_]