-ik-si

ly

er houses, and at dusk one could see the busy woodcutters swimming from them in all directions to get their evening meal of willow or quaking aspen bark, preparatory to beginning their nightly work of storing food for winter use. I never killed

ke their preparations and start westward on a raid. They gathered in a sweat lodge with an old medicine man, who prayed earnestly for their success while he sprinkled the hot rocks with water, and dense steam filled the place. And at dusk

h the camp, shaking his medicine rattles, singing the song for the absent

m the Kootenais. And two carried a slender wand from which dangled a scalp. They came in singing the song of victory; and then the war chief sho

ng line, according to the strength and speed of each one's horse. We exchanged a few shots with the lead riders; one fell; the rest took their back trail, and how they did go up t

iser way: they could have made a stand at the

rriors in what was to be her last raid! But how many, many times our people have come rushing homeward over it, singing their songs of victory, waving the scalps the

is ahead direction. East is pi-na′-pohts: down-river direction; and west is ah-me′-tohts: up-river direction. I have told why the Two Medicine was so named, when the Blackfeet came into the country from the Fa

ON CUTB

erful Runner), and on right, Ki-nu

many a fight between the Blackfeet and their enemies, in which the Blackfeet were generally the vi

e evening all the men gathered in old Running Crane's lodge for prayers with his beaver medicine. An old woman, named Muk-sin-ah′-ki (Angry Woman), was sitting in her lodge by herself because there ha

n in the upper part was being slowly pulled aside to the width of a hand, and in that s

e what that enemy was doing. There was a moon; bright starlight; the night was almost as light as day; and she had no more than left the lodge than she saw the man walking here, there, examining the buffalo runners, the best and swiftest horses of the peo

n; he was struggling to rise; but the sun must have given her of his power: she held him firmly un

N CHIEF FOU

in the long ago," said Yellow Wolf as w

ome distance below here, Mountain Chief lost his two fast buffalo runners, and although all the young men of the camp scattered out to look for them, t

e of the twenty-four gentes of the P

untain Chief could think about. As they could not be

n Chiefs lodge, and said to him: 'You are grieving about the loss of your two

hat shall be done,' M

a robe, a good bow, and a quiv

y own weapons, that robe. Take them

said the Kootenai. 'And now

of great name. They came and were given seats in his lodge, each man according to his standing in the tribe. Said the Kootenai

l song that gripped one's heart. But it was not hard to learn; after th

er. Into this little enclosure crept the Kootenai, taking with him a bird wing-bone whistle, and a medicine rattle, and as soon as he was inside he ordered the women to smooth down carefully the leather coverings so that he would be in the dark. He then said to the people, sitting th

t with his rattle, and the people, listening, heard outside the sighing of the wind through a big pine tree, although no su

one by one they answered that they had not seen the horses. Came then a big rock, hurtling down through the sky and through the smoke hole of the lodge right into the fireplace,

D GLACIER POURING

he Kootenai then blew his whistle four times, four long, loud whistles. At the time there was no wind, but soon they heard, far off, the roar of an ap

with the noise of that of a hundred swarms of bees. And then, suddenly, the wind fell, and outside the pe

horses. Fast buffalo runners they are; both black; one with a white s

west side of this Backbone-of-the-World. It is from there that I start the winds that blow

out this from the birds, the animals, trees, and rocks, even the bumblebee could

-Man-of-the-Winds. 'He is Red-Top Plume. He lives in the clouds; he can s

he people held their breath, waiting to hear the answer. Here was sacred talk; talk of a man with

n to his lodge on his island in the great sea, you will know that Red-Top Plume is there above you. That red cloud is his

om the east, and Old-Man-of-the-Winds went with it

ountain Chief: 'Go, stand outside your lodge, watch for a cloud turning re

in the sky. There were four of them straight above him. These drifted toward one another, and he c

number! Oh, sun! Oh, Above People all! Pity us! Pity us all! A

'The four are now one large cloud, and its edge is beginning

knew that he was looking-not at an ordinary cloud,

imes they sang it, oh, how earnestly! The Kootenai then blew his wing-bone whistle four times. Followed a silence; the people scarce

matter of horses; of two fast buffalo runners; both black; one with a white

will tell you what I know: Yes, I have seen them. I saw them just now as I came down to earth.

r of gods and unafraid, cried out: 'Red-Top Plume! Sacred plumed god of the cloud

rd, his beautiful plumes redder than ever. And while the Kootenai and Mountain Chief and the other warriors made sacrifice to him, some young men mounted their horses

ly

ed beaver lodges. There are few of the little woodcutters here now, but in time to come, under the sure protection

working moons and moons to complete it. Then, when it is finished, and a great pond created, they build their lodges in the backed-up water, and

s and willows around the first pond. But that is still their pond, the clan that built it, and in time, when a new growth of food

AND HIS

llow-grown, and it still backs up some water, a pond as large in extent as the camp of our tribe. But in the old days that dam extended from one side to the other of the valley, and the water it backed up was more than a pond: i

me full of lodges; the trees were cut in greater number each succeeding summer. So it was that, when the ice went out one spring, White Fur went around and around the pond, examining the remaining food trees, and saw that

BEAV

uncil, told what he had learne

we go we must know just where we are going; we cannot afford to lose time hunt

ed. He was so named because he could tail-slap the

hall be the first one to look for a new home for us. I have had a dream, and I want you to find out if it told me truth: Go down this river a little way beyond the edge of the pines, look north, and you will see a big ridge with a low gap in it. Go up through that gap, and down the other side, and you will soon come to a small branch of a good-siz

I will do,' Lou

angerous trail of discovery. Below his pond there were other ponds; and as he sw

ast us only this coming winter; we have t

oam past his breast. He had started out too early; when he passed the last of the pines, daylight was still some time off, so he dived under a pile of d

iddle of the river. Near by was a high, sloping bank bare of trees and brush; he swam to shore, climbed it, looked north, and saw the big ridge and the big

far as he could see, the valley below him and its far side was one green growth of trees, and he knew that somewhere down there was water, plenty of it. Down he went, oh, how easily, on the steeper places just pushing a little with his hind feet and sliding along on his belly. He soon came to a small stream of running water and drank and drank of it, rolled over and over in its shallowness until wet all over, and then he followed it down

tream. This is the one which we long ago named Ki-nuk′-si Is-si-sak′

a (Little River). By the wh

the risk that he ran traveling there in that open, waterless country. Whenever he came to a patch of buck brush or a clump of tall grass, he would sit up and look all around to see if any enemy was near; and then he would go on, keeping as close to the ground as possible. Twice he saw a coyote in the distance, and sat motionless until the animal moved on out of sight.

uth of the patch, and not too close, then all would be well. From where he lay, flat on the ground in the brush, Loud Slap could see nothing but the brush stems in front of his nose; but presently he heard, close to the patch and to the west of it, the sniff! sniff! sniffle! of his enemy. He closed his eyes; his body shook with fear; he could almost feel strong, sharp-fanged jaws closing upon his neck! The suspense was terribly hard to bear! And then, after what seemed to be a whole moon o

lunge into the cool water from the bank! and, once into it, he made it foam as he swam homeward against the swift current. Long before night he c

e, and about his narrow escape from the wolverine. Then his mother went swimming from lodge to lodge of the gens, calling all the heads of the families, and when they had

now came, and until the ice and cold weather prevented further cutting. The trails they left in the snow, just before the pond froze over, were a sure call to their passing enemies, and they halted and lay in wa

t again, and eat fresh bark from living tree branches. All were anxious to start at once for the new home across the ridge, but White Fur would not permit it. From the pr

mates. The new grass came, and when it was a little higher than the top of a beaver's back, old White Fur and Loud Slap led all those who could go, about fifty of them, down the river on the way to the stream b

h little rest, they toiled to complete the dam, of sticks and stones and sod and earth, and within two moons' time they finished it, and had a pond large enough and deep enough for the lodges of the gens, and all the food sticks they would need to sink for winter use. Then, one evening, came those who had been left behind, cam

r them. Old White Fur called a council, and there was much talk about it. Some favored sending scouts away down the Little River to learn if there were any beaver colonies along it. Others, and the greater number, declared that the unmarried males should take the trail through th

eking beavers came to the pond on Little River.

in four days' time, I shall go over to the

more took the trail for Cutbank, saying to White Fur as he left, 'If I do not return within

sharp lookout in all directions, and seeing nothing to alarm him. After passing through the gap he saw, on a ridge to the east, a number of wolves followin

nce, and came upon a scene that made him shiver; that made him mourn: there, on the trail and on both sides of it, lay his youthful kin who had gone out to seek wives! There they lay, their bodies swollen and burst

wer one of the beaver ponds. Straight to the chief's lodge he swam, and dived d

ome you are! Sit youth and give

death of so many of their kind. The chief's wife went out and spr

o us a visitor from the big pond at the head of the lake on the next stream south of thi

id Loud Sl

er pond, your pond, and at this time they are repairing the dam and backing the water up into the new growth of food trees, which are as thick as they can stand. We told him, we all told him, this chief,-Strong Dam is hi

een here. Tell your people to keep my visit secret from all above here. I go to bring my kindre

heir hearts burned with anger against Strong Dam and his gens. Said White Fur: 'I am old, old. But I can still fight! We will go over to our pond to

ite Fur led them across to the river without mishap, and up to the first pond, where they visited, and rested, and ate their fill of fresh, green bark. And there some of the females met yo

are only too glad to help you. Who would not

a secret mission: visit the ponds of our friends above here, and say to the unmarried males that ou

out. Late that night he returned, and reported that all the young males had agr

vance began, and by the time he reached the dam

n. He was awake; and when, in the bright moonlight, he saw that big, old, white-furred beaver come up on the dam, and a hundred an

stolen our pond and our new growth of food trees. Just you keep still: we want to surprise them. If you see that they are

ere and watched more than a hundred beavers cross the dam close in front of him, and sl

ace of the pond was as if it had been struck by a tornado. It boiled, and eddied, and foamed, and shot high in spray, and with it all was the slap! slap! slap! of beaver tails as the animals struggled and clinched, and floundered and bit, all over its long length and width. And soon beavers, frightened and gasping for breath, and bleeding from many wounds, began to pass on each side of the young man over the dam, and drop into the stream below

d on the bottom of the pond or sorely wounded on the shore. White Fur directed that they should be helped into the cool lodges, where they would be safe from the prowlers, a

and I would have been with y

rong medicine, and teach you the songs that go with it. But I cannot do this her

TRY. HEAD OF

ives and their troubles, just as I am telling it to you. And upon reaching the pond on Little River, No Otter remained there a long time with the beavers, the old chief and his son, Loud Slap, giving him a medicine beaver cutting and teaching him the

ends my

ly

e, on the extreme summit of the rough crested mountain, we came upon five bighorn, all ewes, and not one of them with a lamb beside her. Durin

usly stamping the rock with one or the other of their fore feet. And then they circled around us, twice, and finally walked of

tly they saw the brush shaking as the animal forced its way through it, and then, half revealed and half concealed in more open brush, they saw a big grizzly coming straight toward them! Right near where they sat a dwarf juniper grew at the edge of the high bank, several of its limbs overhanging it. Without speaking a word, and trembling as though they had ague, they crept to the tree, grasped one of the limbs, and tenaciously gripping it let themselves

arless as they are. As for the bears, they are continually trying to break into the meat-houses of the different camps. Undoubtedly these mountains and forests within the next ten years will fairly be alive with game. And as to trout, the supply is increasing instead of dec

ER. A GOOD

ly

us places in their once enormous domain. From the Saskatchewan to the Yellowstone, and from the Rockies between these two streams, eastward for about three hundred mile

ather told me. It happened in the days

RY OF TH

here on Cutbank River to cut new lodge poles, and to gather weasel-eye

pi. Weasel-eyes:

nd skins they could use, and even gave them gentle horses for packing and riding whenever camp was moved. At the time the people moved up here on Cutbank, he had been married but a short time. He had fallen in love with Otter Woman, the most beautiful girl in th

l that this time, because of a dream, a vision he had, he would take no one but his woman. He made full preparation for the war trail, had a sacred sweat with an old medicine m

e he struck the trail of a big hunting party of people, and followed it, and soon found that he was gaining upon them; one early morning he came upon th

o he said to his woman, 'You go around on that side of the big camping-place and examine every lodg

, some beautiful war clothes, and a large fringed and painted medicine pouch. She well knew that these had been spread out to sun by the campers and forgotten, and that some one would be coming back for them, and was about to go after Falling Bear to come and take them when she heard the tread of an approaching horse. So near was it that she had not time to run

woman he had ever seen. Suddenly she began making signs to him. What a wonderful thing that silent language is! All

how get his weapons from him, then hold him. You come quickly when I

ul woman, what a big coup that would be! He signed to the woman that what she proposed was good, and slid

told him. 'On some bushes over there are hanging beautiful war clothes, a shield, weapons, an

weapons? One should never be

follow, and you will have all you can do to

s are right across there in the brush,' she told him, pointing to the place, and then gradually dropped back to his side, and then a step behind him. Then, as they came near the brush on the far side, she suddenly seized him, en

but he stood the pain of it until the Nez Percé, with war club raised, was but a step or two away. He then broke loose from the woman, kicked backward, his foot striking her in the stomach and knocking her over, and then he sprang at the Nez Percé, seized the arm and hand that held the war cl

at she had not done it. 'Get up. If you spoke truth, if there are war clo

es were swelling shut so fast that one was entirely closed, but he could partly use the other. He looked at the things

horse and led it across the camping-place, she following, and he had her take up his own weapons and things and fasten them to the saddle. He then mounted the horse, and told her to lead it and take the back trail home. Be

atheads, and crossed the mountains. On the morning that they approached the camp here on Cutbank, Falling Bear had partly

to him; that he would await them right where he was. They soon came out to him, his father-in-law and his brother-in-law, and when the

ved and trusted.' And then he told them all about it, and concluded by giv

th shame and grief that for a time they could not speak. But at last Falling Bear's

to her father's lodge. He was glad that she had gone there; he never wanted to see her again. His father asked him to giv

r mother all that she had done, and then, calling in their son, the three agreed upon the way the bad wife should be punished. They called her in and told her to bra

unt the Nez Percé horse. I will lead it, your mother and brother will follow, and we will go all thro

nough as it is! I am sorry that I did it! I don't know how

ast down, looking neither to the right nor left nor ahead: shame was with her. Holding the horse's rope, the old man shouted: 'Listen, people, listen.' And when a crowd had gather

rse out into the center of the great circle of the lodges, and told his daughter to dismount. She did so, and, drawing his knife, he stabbed her in the heart and she fel

Never again did any one menti

eams! Let us have one of more cheerful natur

hen," said Two Guns.

ld Man and the woman," said Black Bull

-MISTAKE (right) NEAR L

will," the c

own the story, I m

l as to the gods of the later religion, although in time a great many stories have grown up about Old Man that make him appear to be more of a buffoon than a god. An interesting point about the word n?p′-i is, that, while it is the term for an old man, its real meaning is

ow, the old c

AND TH

made a mistake. He saw that they should live together. The camps of the two sexes were far apart: the women were living here at the foot of the mountains, in

he found that he himself wanted a woman; so he went to the men and said: 'You shall no longer l

r, and then started off with Old Man for the women's camp. When they came in sight of it, Old Man told them to stop right there, and he would go ahead and plan with the wo

butchering the animals that they had that morning decoyed into it. When he told the few women that he found why he had come, he

Old Man called out; and when they came back to h

chief,' one answered. And another said: 'Ai! She is all tha

to us, and each select the man you want. Now, tell your chief woman that the chief man is brave and kind and handsome, and that she shall select him for her man. She will know him by the way he is dress

d, and started off for the buffa

and hurriedly put on his fine clothes, t

hat she thought would best suit her. The butchering of the animals ceased at once, and the women started for their camp to put on their good clothes and recomb their hair. They wanted to appear as neat and clean and well dress

und all the other women dressed and impatient to go and choose their men. 'Oh, well, it doesn't matter how I look,' she

the messenger man had told them, and she said: 'I'l

and grease from the neck down to the bottom of the skirt; and her moccasins were even more f

and of fine appearance in his beautiful new porcupine-embroidered clothes. By these the chief woman recognized him from afar, and said to herself: 'He is a fine looking man. I hope that

ainly showing his loathing of such a

ay from her hold and ran behind his men: 'No! No! I do not want you, blo

e told them. And to the men she said, 'Remain where you are until I return. I shall not be gone long.' And

ccasins, braided her hair, scented herself with sweetgrass, and returned to her women. She was now better dressed than any of them, an

hem. But she passed him by, as though she did not see him, and he, with a little cry, ran after her, t

nd from her arm, and cried: 'Never touch me again, good-for-nothin

s one woman who had no man; all had been taken except Old Man. She would not have him, and became the second wife of one of the men. The choosing over, all started for the women's camp. Old Man, now very

t Old Man got fo

ly

d out trails over the highest parts of the range, making it easy and safe for tenderfeet tourists to view the wonders of this sub-Arctic, greater than Alpine range of mountains. One of the most impressive views is from the summit of the trail from Upper Two Medicine Lake to Cutbank River. The Dry Fork Trail, it is called. At its

ns from that height is so grand, so stupendous and imp

bottom of the canyon with a reverberating crash that can be heard for miles. Just below this glacier, down Nyack Creek three or four miles, is a fine alkaline spring and clay bed where, in other days, old Tail-Feathers-Coming-over-the-Hill and I were

OMAN, AND HER SON, LITT

of the greatest chiefs the Montana Blackfeet ever had. As a young man, fresh from his first war trail, he witnessed the signing of the treaty between his people and the representatives of the United States, at the mouth of the Judith River, in 1855, so he must have been born in 1836 or 18

he Twin Buttes is Little Plume; the east one is O-nis-tai′-mak-an (Wonderful Runner). And, as I have said, the outer mountain on the south side of the valley is Muk-sin-a′ (Angry Woman). All but the last one were named for old-time great chiefs and warriors of my people, and we intend

hite men, James, and Vorhis, for whom the mountains were na

that I had neve

d "Huh!" all the others