myths and legends of the sioux-第18章

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The　stranger　drew　the　plate　towards　him；　and　commenced　eating

ravenously。　　He　soon　finished　his　meal　and　handed　the　dish　and　cup

back。　　He　had　not　uttered　a　word　so　far。　　Chaske　filled　the　pipe

and　handed　it　to　him。　　He　smoked　for　a　few　minutes；　took　one　last

draw　from　the　pipe　and　handed　it　back　to　Chaske；　and　then　he　said：

〃Now；　my　friends；　I　am　not　a　living　man；　but　the　wandering　spirit

of　a　once　great　warrior；　who　was　killed　in　these　woods　by　the　enemy

whom　you　two　brave　young　men　are　now　seeking　to　make　war　upon。　　For

years　I　have　been　roaming　these　woods　in　hopes　that　I　might　find

some　one　brave　enough　to　stop　and　listen　to　me；　but　all　who　have

camped　here　in　the　past　have　run　away　at　my　approach　or　fired　guns

or　shot　arrows　at　me。　　For　such　cowards　as　these　I　have　always

found　a　grave。　　They　never　returned　to　their　homes。　　Now　I　have

found　two　brave　men　whom　I　can　tell　what　I　want　done；　and　if　you

accomplish　what　I　tell　you　to　do；　you　will　return　home　with　many

horses　and　some　scalps　dangling　from　your　belts。　　Just　over　this

range　of　hills　north　of　us；　a　large　village　is　encamped　for　the

winter。　　In　that　camp　is　the　man　who　laid　in　ambush　and　shot　me；

killing　me　before　I　could　get　a　chance　to　defend　myself。　　I　want

that　man's　scalp；　because　he　has　been　the　cause　of　my　wanderings

for　a　great　many　years。　　Had　he　killed　me　on　the　battlefield　my

spirit　would　have　at　once　joined　my　brothers　in　the　happy　hunting

grounds；　but　being　killed　by　a　coward；　my　spirit　is　doomed　to　roam

until　I　can　find　some　brave　man　who　will　kill　this　coward　and　bring

me　his　scalp。　　This　is　why　I　have　tried　every　party　who　have　camped

here　to　listen　to　me；　but　as　I　have　said　before；　they　were　all

cowards。　　Now；　I　ask　you　two　brave　young　men；　will　you　do　this　for

me？〃



〃We　will；〃　said　the　friends　in　one　voice。　　〃Thank　you；　my　boys。　

Now；　I　know　why　you　came　here；　and　that　one　of　you　came　to　earn　his

feathers　by　killing　an　enemy；　before　he　would　marry；　the　girl　he　is

to　marry　is　my　granddaughter；　as　I　am　the　father　of　the

great　Medicine　Man。　　In　the　morning　there　will　pass　by　in　plain

sight　of　here　a　large　party。　　They　will　chase　the　buffalo　over　on

that　flat。　　After　they　have　passed　an　old　man　leading　a　black　horse

and　riding　a　white　one　will　come　by　on　the　trail　left　by　the

hunting　party。　　He　will　be　driving　about　a　hundred　horses；　which　he

will　leave　over　in　the　next　ravine。　　He　will　then　proceed　to　the

hunting　grounds　and　get　meat　from　the　different　hunters。　　After　the

hunters　have　all　gone　home　he　will　come　last；　singing　the　praises

of　the　ones　who　gave　him　the　meat。　　This　man　you　must　kill　and

scalp；　as　he　is　the　one　I　want　killed。　　Then　take　the　white　and

black　horse　and　each　mount　and　go　to　the　hunting　grounds。　　There

you　will　see　two　of　the　enemy　riding　about　picking　up　empty　shells。　

Kill　and　scalp　these　two　and　each　take　a　scalp　and　come　over　to　the

high　knoll　and　I　will　show　you　where　the　horses　are；　and　as　soon　as

you　hand　me　the　old　man's　scalp　I　will　disappear　and　you　will　see

me　no　more。　　As　soon　as　I　disappear；　it　will　start　in　snowing。　

Don't　be　afraid　as　the　snow　will　cover　your　trail；　but

nevertheless；　don't　stop　traveling　for　three　days　and　nights；　as

these　people　will　suspect　that　some　of　your　tribe　have　done　this；

and　they　will　follow　you　until　you　cross　your　own　boundary　lines。〃



When　morning　came；　the　two　friends　sat　in　the　thick　brush　and

watched　a　large　party　pass　by　their　hiding　place。　　So　near　were

they　that　the　friends　could　hear　them　laughing　and　talking。　　After

the　hunting　party　had　passed；　as　the　spirit　had　told　them；　along

came　the　old　man；　driving　a　large　band　of　horses　and　leading　a　fine

looking　coal　black　horse。　　The　horse　the　old　man　was　riding　was　as

white　as　snow。　　The　friends　crawled　to　a　little　brush　covered　hill

and　watched　the　chase　after　the　shooting　had　ceased。　　The　friends

knew　it　would　not　be　long　before　the　return　of　the　party；　so　they

crawled　back　to　their　camp　and　hurriedly　ate　some　pounded　meat　and

drank　some　cherry　tea。　　Then　they　took　down　their　robe　and　rolled

it　up　and　got　everything　in　readiness　for　a　hurried　flight　with　the

horses。　　Scarcely　had　they　got　everything　in　readiness　when　the

party　came　by；　singing　their　song　of　the　chase。　　When　they　had　all

gone　the　friends　crawled　down　to　the　trail　and　lay　waiting　for　the

old　man。　　Soon　they　heard　him　singing。　　Nearer　and　nearer　came　the

sounds　of　the　song　until　at　last　at　a　bend　in　the　road；　the　old　man

came　into　view。　　The　two　friends　arose　and　advanced　to　meet　him。　

On　he　came　still　singing。　　No　doubt　he　mistook　them　for　some　of　his

own　people。　　When　he　was　very　close　to　them　they　each　stepped　to

either　side　of　him　and　before　he　could　make　an　outcry　they　pierced

his　cowardly　old　heart　with　two　arrows。　　He　had　hardly　touched　the

ground　when　they　both　struck　him　with　their　bows；　winning　first　and

second　honors　by　striking　an　enemy　after　he　has　fallen。　　Chaske

having　won　first　honors；　asked　his　friend　to　perform　the　scalping

deed；　which　he　did。　　And　wanting　to　be　sure　that　the　spirit　would

get　full　revenge；　took　the　whole　scalp；　ears　and　all；　and　tied　it

to　his　belt。　　The　buffalo　beef　which　the　old　man　had　packed　upon

the　black　horse；　they　threw　on　the　top　of　the　old　man。　　Quickly

mounting　the　two　horses；　they　hastened　out　across　the　long　flat

towards　the　hunting　grounds。　　When　they　came　in　sight　of　the

grounds　there　they　saw　two　men　riding　about　from　place　to　place。　

Chaske　took　after　the　one　on　the　right；　Hake　the　one　on　the　left。　

When　the　two　men　saw　these　two　strange　men　riding　like　the　wind

towards　them；　they　turned　their　horses　to　retreat　towards　the

hills；　but　the　white　and　the　black　were　the　swiftest　of　the　tribe's

horses；　and　quickly　overtook　the　two　fleeing　men。　　When　they　came

close　to　the　enemy　they　strung　their　arrows　onto　the　bowstring　and

drove　them　through　the　two　fleeing　hunters。　　As　they　were　falling

they　tried　to　shoot；　but　being　greatly　exhausted；　their　bullets

whistled　harmlessly　over　the　heads　of　the　two　friends。　　They

scalped　the　two　enemies　and　took　their　guns　and　ammunition；　also

secured　the　two　horses　and　started　for　the　high　knoll。　　When　they

arrived　at　the　place；　there　stood　the　spirit。　　Hake　presented　him

with　the　old　man's　scalp　and　then　the　spirit　showed　them　the　large

band　of　horses；　and　saying；　〃Ride　hard　and　long；〃　disappeared　and

was　seen　no　more　by　any　war　parties；　as　he　was　thus　enabled　to　join

his　forefathers　in　the　happy　hunting　grounds。



The　friends　did　as　the　spirit　had　told　them。　　For　three　days　and

three　nights　they　rode　steadily。　　On　the　fourth　morning　they　came

into　their　own　boundary。　　From　there　on　they　rode　more　slowly；　and

let　the　band　of　horses　rest　and　crop　the　tops　of　long　grass。　　They

would　stop　occasionally；　and　while　one　slept　the　other　kept　watch。　

Thus　they　got　fairly　well　rested　before　they　came　in　sight　of　where

their　camp　had　stood　when　they　had　left。　　All　that　they　could　see

of　the　once　large　village　was　the　lone　tent　of　the　great　Medicine

Man。　　They　rode　up　on　to　a　high　hill　and　farther　on　towards　the

east　they　saw　smoke　from　a　great　many　tepees。　　They　then　knew　that

something　had　happened　and　that　the　village　had　moved　away。



〃My　friend；〃　said　Chaske；　〃I　am　afraid　something　has　happened　to

the　Medicine　Man's　lodge；　and　rather　than　have　you　go　there；　I　will

go　alone　and　you　follow　the　trail　of　our　party　and　go　on　ahead

with　the　horses。　　I　will　take　the　black　and　the　white　horses　with

me　and　I　will　follow　on　later；　after　I　have　seen　what　the　trouble

is。〃



〃Very　well；　my　friend；　I　will　do　as　you　say；　but　I　am　afraid

something　has　happened　to　Pretty　Feather。〃　　Hake　started　on　with

the　horses；　driving　them　along　the　broad　trail　left　by　the　hundreds

of　travois。　　Chaske　made　slowly　towards　the　tepee；　and　stopping

outside；　stood　and　listened。　　Not　a　sound　could　he　hear。　　The　only

living　thing　he　saw　was　Pretty　Feather's　s