-si-sak′-ta (

ust

body of timber in which the stream has its source. We are here on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, and several miles from the boundary line of

BIOGRAPHY ON THE FLESH S

n ten minutes he saw the animal not fifty yards away, standing partly concealed behind a clump of willows and watching our approach. Its head was in plain view, and he fired and struck it just at the base of the ear, and it fell, gave a convulsive kick or two, and was dead when we got to it. It was a three-year-old bull, and carried a very ordinary set of antlers, velvet-covered and still soft at the points. I dressed the carcass while my c

tle River in other days, and of them all I think that Takes-Gun-Ahead's story was the best. As the pipe went t

N AND T

o to have a more lively time, when, as he approached the river here, probably right where we are camped, he saw a band of six wolves sitting on the bank, watching him. He stoppe

sons, Heavy Body and Long Body. The old father wolf answered Old Man. 'Just what do you mean?' h

olly into a wolf. Just make my head and neck to look like yours, and put wolf hair on my l

lf-like. And now, let me tell you something about our family. My old wife and I don't hunt much. Your two younger brothers there are the runners and killers, and their sisters help in the way of heading off and confusing the game. Your younger brother there, Long Body, is the swiftest runner, but he hasn't the best of wind.

I am now very tired, but to-morrow I shall

st during this night,' said the old wolf; and he led the way up to the

e, instead of in the shelter of the timber?' Old Man

at moves, and as one or another of us is always on watch, we can keep out of danger. Also, we can look down and see the different kinds of game, and

so cold that he trembled all over, and, try a

d your teeth chatterings; you keep us f

ong,' Old Man answered, 'becaus

brother of ours is freezing. I suppose we have to protect him. Lie do

d their tails and he soon began to shiver. 'Put them back! I freeze!' he cried; and they did as he commanded. During the night he had them cover

all sneaked around into the timber, and then Long Body and Old Man crept down the valley until the buck saw them and ran, and then they chased it. Long Body soon pulled it down,

some days. Then, after two failures in chasing antelope and some hungry days, Long Body killed a big bull elk, just outside the timber here. They were several days eating it, but at last all the meat and the soft bones were finished, and not

o Old Man: 'Now, while this chewing is going on, bone splinters are bound to fly. You must keep your

urn came next. His curiosity now got the better of him: he just had to see what was going on, and slowly opened one eye, the one next to Long Body. All the wolves had their heads to the ground or resting on their fore paws, and all-even Long Body, busily chewing the bone-kept their eyes tight shut. 'Huh! Thi

. All had their eyes tight shut, so, raising the bone as high as he could, he brought it down with all the force of his arm upon Long Body's head and

u have killed your younger b

r fly, and it struck me in this eye. I meant to punish him a little for being so care

ou got the splinter!' the old wolf said; and then

led, and Old Man thought that he would go mad from the mournfulness of it

. 'Had you killed my son intentionally,' the old wolf concluded, 'we would have had your life in payment fo

of what I have done. I want to be moving; to be doing something. Let Heavy

'Yes, I will allow him to go with you, and remember this: if anything happe

or elk or moose, and no matter how close you may get to it, if it crosses a stream, even a little stream that you can jump, stop right there and turn back. Mind, now, ev

now this?' Hea

know,' Old Man replied. 'I have

it to an island, and from that to the other shore. Heavy Body thought of Old Man's warning, but said to himself: 'He doesn't know everything. I must have that moose!' And into the water he went and started swimming toward the island. And just as he was nearing it a water bear sprang from the shore, a

he appearance of an old stump. Soon after sunrise the old water bear, coming out from the brush on the island, saw it, sat up and stared at it, and said to

said to one of them: 'Go across there and bite, and claw that stump. I beli

t back to the island and told the old one that the stump was a stump, and nothing else. But the old one was not satisfied. She sent the other young one over, and it bit and clawe

right, that this was a stump and nothing else, she left it and started back for the island. Then it was that, just as she was entering the water, Old Man picked up the bow and arrows he had made during the two days back in the timber and shot an arrow into her, well back in the loin; but she

rom it, when he saw a kingfisher sitting on a limb of a tree overhanging the water

n the water, and clots of blood and pieces of fat escape from the wou

er!' Old Man said. '

f Heavy Body, when he heard some one out in the brush chanting: 'Some one has shot the old water bear! I ha

the bull frog, jumping about and making the chant after eve

I find a certain medicine plant, I shall pull the arrow out and apply

shot the old water bear! I have to doctor the old water bear!' And so, chanting and jumping, he followed a trail into the brush and came upon the old bear and her two young. She was lying on her side, breathing heavily, and her eyes were shut. Old Man bent over h

the depression. He then called the animals. 'All you who would be fat, come bathe in this oil,' he shouted. And on all sides the animals heard and began to come in. The bears-real bears, the grizzly and the black-came first and rolled in the oil, and ever since that time they have been the fattest of all animals. Then came the skunk; next the badger; after him the porcupine, and rolled in the oil and got fat. The beaver came a

me good. I have avenged the death of my wolf partner and have made fat many o

y story

ust

as is generally the case with them when at home,-some die every winter from want of food,-they have now in every lodge real meat; meat of mo

TAKES-GUN-AHEAD AND W

country would most please me. I had told them that I could not put them all down-could use only two or three of the most interesting ones. And so, when we all gathered in Yellow Wolf's lodge last evening, and the pip

BE, THE

any one had seen the boy? None had; so then the chiefs ordered all the men and youths to go out and try to find him. All that moonlit night, and all the next day, they searched the surrounding country, but got no trace of him. Every alighting buzzard was marked down, but in every instance it was found to be feasting upon the remains of game that the hunters had killed. So then, although his

t-ai (Big River of the Nor

far back as he could remember, he had worn nothing but the used clothes the charitable had given him. He had never been to war, had never done anything to make a name for himself, but now he was eager to start in qu

ell I knew that my people would not allow me to marry one so poor as you. But now there is hope for us; somehow I believe that this trouble is to be the m

he mountains, and knew that he was fast overtaking them. At the River-of-Many-Chiefs-Gathering[8] he found live coals in the ashes of their abandoned fireplaces, and so, upon arriving at the top of the ridge overlooking this stream, he was not surpris

Mary's R

fulfilling their vows to the sun, so he went from one living lodge to another, looking into each for some sign of the missing boy. By the time he had made the round of the lodges of h

lodge, and, desperate, and knowing well the great risk that he would incur, he went toward it, and stood at the outer edge of the great crowd and watched the ceremonial dancing of the different warri

ress, nor could he locate the exact place from which the groaning came. It was a light-voiced groaning, such as a child would make; he felt sure tha

ne lodge, and, listening, heard faint groaning and located it. It came from the top of the center post, where all the sacrifices to the sun

ine man whose duty it was to drive back approaching thunderclouds and rain. He had to risk awakening them! He had at least to attempt to rescue the boy! So, casting off his robe, he climbed the outer wall of t

started with him across the big camp-ground. Dawn had come. As he was passing the circle of lodges, an early riser, a woman, saw him and with her shrieks aroused all the near-by sleepers. They rushed out, warriors and youths, the women following, and overtook him. He made no resistance. He could have left the boy and m

sister. And where did I find him! Tied to the center post of your medicine lodge, there to die from want of water and food, a living but dying sacrifice to the sun! That wer

are to remain here in this lodge to-day, to-night, to-morrow, and the following night. My young men will keep watch on you, so do not attempt to escape. On the morning following your second night he

ning after the second night, the chief signed to him: 'It is not my fault, nor the fault of my under chiefs, that you have to undergo this trial for your life and that of the boy this day. My people were crying for your lives; they wanted to drag you two out from here and fill your bodies with arrows. I did

sh buffalo bull heads which a number of men were skinning, and out in front of them, in a great half-circle, were gathered every man, woman, and child of the Mo

mark of many flashing, angry eyes, and presently the skinners finished their work, and an old chief placed the

u step upon the last one; pass from it to the ground. If you succeed in doing that, you and the boy are free to go to your home, and none of my people shall harm you on your way. Bu

ly, from one to another, or make a run across them touching each one quickly, lightly? They were far apart; too far for slow, deliberate stepping; he concluded that the thing to do was to sta

asin soles with the sandy earth. Then, suddenly swinging the boy to his back, and running swiftly across the lodge, he lit upon the first skull with his right foot, and went leaping on from one to another as fast as he could with the weight upon his back. The third skull began to turn wi

ey suddenly broke out in loud cheers. The chief then signed to New Robe: 'There is one thing more you ar

age and long and painful illness, and he wants a chance to kill one more enemy before he dies. He wants to fight you. If he kills you, then that will be good. If you kill him, t

eapons,' New

the camp are anxious to loan you what they have. You shall go wit

turn to his people with the weapons and the war horse of his enemy. If he lost, if he was

n that case some of us will take the boy to within sight

that, and now give me w

ng a beautiful war costume and riding a sorrel pinto war horse. And now, dressed as he was, and easily controlling his fiery-tempered mount, he did not seem to be so very old; at a distance one would have thought him a young warrior. His weapon in hand was a

New Robe. And he, dropping his tattered wrap, awaited his coming with ready bow. On he came, shouting his war cry, and when quite close New Robe let fly his long and heavy-shafted arrow. It struck the old warrior fair in the rib

way, that way, uncertainly. Then came to him the son of the old dead chief and signed to him to take the horse and the weapons of his enemy, and he did so. Then the young man brought to him another horse, a big and gentle black: 'I said that I would give you s

him, and bring him safely home. And at last, when she saw that her father and mother were likely to go mad from grief, she told them that New Robe had gone in search of the boy, and that she would marry him, even if he return

been praying for, ran to meet them. They were the missing ones. They sprang from their fine horses, and she kissed first her brother and then clung to New Robe:

the weapons and fine war clothes she saw. So it was that, coming into camp, she had the tale of his brave deeds to shout to the people, and they, gathering close around, honored his name and gave him a chief's greeting. Ye