Chapter 12
M. R. HARRINGTON — SACRED BUNDLES OF THE SAC AND FOX INDIANS. 145
cine into little bundles, and tie one of them on the raven head band, and two on the necklace, which must be made of the skin from the buffalo’s head, one right, one left; then tie one on each arm band, and one on the buffalo tail, which is to be worn hanging down behind^ Split the black wolf hide so that you can wear it with its head upon your breast and its rear parts and tail hanging down your back. Now spread every- thing out on the four fawn hides.” What the Manito told him, that Pi toe ka h' did. Then he took up one fawn hide and put the head band in it, and the same way with every- thing else; thus the bundle was made.
All this time the four dogs had been cooking, so he sent the young men who were serving as helpers out to call the people to bring their wooden bowls and come to the feast. When they came and saw this stuff spread out, they were surprised, and wondered what it might be. Then the young man, sitting, spoke: “Now, my friends, what you see before me was given by the Great Manito. He told me to do this. When you have eaten the feast I shall start on the warpath.” Then the people began to eat. Meanwhile he put on his robe and girded himself, thrusting extra moccasins under his belt as preparation for the journey, then he rolled up his bundle and tied it as may be seen to-day, then slinging it over his shoulder cried, “As many of you as wish to go with me, come on!” Now the Great Manito was advising him all this time.
So he started, and when night came, camped beside a creek. Here it was that many who wished to accompany him overtook him. “To-morrow at midday I will tell you where I want you to go,” the Great Manito told him, so at midday he stopped, and was told, “On the third day you will see two mountains, between which there is a camp of A ca' hak‘ (Sioux), but stop on this side.” So they traveled on. All this time he had eaten nothing.
At last the Great Manito told him, “To-morrow you will arrive, but do not make an attack until midday.” So they camped when they came to the place, to wait for the time
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appointed, but the young man sent two spies, one Ac kac'* and one Kic'ko a , to look around the mountains and see what was there. They saw the enemy, and returning, reported that by their appearance, they outnumbered the war party two to one. There were no guns at that time, but the weapons were nearly all of wood, clubs and bows and arrows, with some stone-headed hatchets and the like.
Then came the word from the Manito: “Now move up to the right distance!” When they came in view of the Sioux, it seemed as if they could see nothing else, there were so many. “Now we will make the attack, my people!” came the word. The Sioux knew by this time that they were coming. Pi toe ka h' put on the garments in his bundle — the head band, necklace and arm bands, for he was the only one that had them. “Do not be afraid,” he told his comrades; “they are our protection.” Then as they started in to fight he sang the attack song, keeping time with his deer hoof rattle, and dancing as he sang, repeating the songs over and over again as they fought, for he was their leader:
No ten wi kao tha
(Wind blow, leg walk) (repeat five times)
Ci ci kwa wai ya ke
(Bull-snake hide)
Ne ta ma' ki sa hi
(Shoes I have)
No ten wi ka o tha
(Wind blow, leg walk) (repeat three times)
By this he meant, “I travel like the wind, or as a bull-snake slips through the grass.” The fight was like running into a prairie fire, so he sang:
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