Part 16

“When the little dog quit trying to make the people understand, and ran away, she went straight for the village. When she got there, the people were sleeping, but she ran around and around among the lodges yelping and howling, and that set all the other dogs barking. So the people awoke and ran out of their lodges to see what was happening. The little dog ran up to some relatives she knew and leaped up on them, whining and yawning, and making queer noises in her throat. And the relatives said, ‘This dog belongs to Good Buffalo’s little daughter, and he is gone hunting with his family. Something bad must have happened to them. We must go and find them.’

“It was past the middle of the night, but they did not wait until morning. They formed a war party and started in the direction Good Buffalo had gone hunting. One of them was carrying the little dog, and when they had been riding awhile, they put her on the ground. She whined and whimpered and ran ahead, and the war party followed.

“When it was getting day, they could see that the little dog was limping and could hardly carry her tail. So one of them picked her up and let her ride in front of him. Afterwhile, they came to the bottom of a hill. The little dog leaped down and limped off up the hill, howling all the way. The party followed her; and when they were at the top, they saw three tepees in the valley and no smoke coming out. It was where Good Buffalo’s sister and little daughter were waiting for death with the six who were dead.”

_Ho, ho! Ho, ho!_ But surely there was more!

There was; but No Water was not in a hurry to divulge it. Adding the emphasis of silence to the impact of his tale, he searched our faces for a while with narrowed, penetrating eyes.

“It was not a small war party that followed the little dog,” he continued. “The way I heard about it, there were forty-two. When they saw what they saw in that tepee and heard what they heard from Good Buffalo’s sister, and the little daughter crying and crying, their hearts were bad, and every warrior of them was like three. So eight of them started back afoot towards the village with six led horses and the dead across them, and the sister mourning with her hair cut off, and the daughter holding her little dog and crying. There was mourning in the village; but after six days the victory songs were louder. That was when the war party came back from following the enemies. The way I heard, they were Assiniboins, and they are like cousins of the Lakota! Caught them camping and feeling safe. Fifteen scalps that time! Fifteen, the way I heard! And all the horses, too! It is a true story. The old man who told it is living yet.”

When all approving comments had been made, I ventured a question. “Grandfather, I wonder why the little girl could understand and the others could not.”

“I have thought and thought about that, Grandson,” No Water replied. “The two-leggeds and four-leggeds are relatives. Maybe a long time ago they had one tongue. When people are still little, they are four-leggeds yet, just like their relatives. Maybe they have the same tongue too when they are little and four-legged. Then when they begin to be two-leggeds they begin to forget, and they forget more and more. Maybe the little girl could remember yet. This is only what I have thought. I do not know.”

Ah-a-a! It was clear that we all felt the cogency of the idea. “And maybe,” Eagle Voice suggested with his crinkled, quizzical look, “maybe then when we get three-legged, we are beginning to remember again! Next time I hear a dog, maybe I can learn something!”

Laughter dwindled to chuckling, and in the following silence the pipe went round again.

Finally, Moves Walking, regarding us with his self-contradicting gaze--fierce from the glaring off-eye and friendly from the other--ended the meditative silence.

“I want to tell a story, but it is not about a dog. It is about a woman who was four times widowed, because nobody would believe her--just the way they would not believe the little girl. This also is a true story. A Sisseton who was _gan inhuni_ [come to old age] told it. I was over there and this old man told me. His father told him. They are both dead, and I cannot prove it, but it is true. All of the Sisseton Lakota know it, so I must be very careful to tell it right.

“This woman, I could say that I know her name, but I have forgotten it so I will give her the name of Sees-White-Cow. I could say that maybe she had a dream about seeing a white bison cow and it gave her a power to see more than other people, because a white cow is _wakon_. But I do not tell this because I do not know it. I must be careful.

“Sometimes the tribe is all gathered together and sometimes it is scattered. This happened when the tribe was scattered, and it happened at a place they call Minnesota. There was a man by the name of Turning Hawk, and he did not belong to Sees-White-Cow’s band. He had been wanting her for his woman when the bands were all together, and he had talked to her under the blanket. When the bands parted and went different ways, he felt very sad; so he thought he would not stay with his people. He would follow his girl. At that time there were few horses, but Turning Hawk had a good one, so he followed where his girl went.

“Sees-White-Cow was the only girl in the family, but she had two brothers, both brave warriors. When Turning Hawk came to where she was, he had a talk with her family, and offered his horse for the girl. She was the only daughter they had, but they did not have any horse at all; so Turning Hawk got the girl for his woman. Of course he wanted to go back to his people with her, and she was willing. So Sees-White-Cow got everything ready, and because he had traded his horse off, they had to go _maka mani_.

“They started early in the morning, and on the second day they were coming down to a lake with trees and brush growing around it. They thought it was a good place to camp and rest awhile, for the grass was soft and green under the trees.

“Just then Sees-White-Cow saw something, and she said, ‘Look! There is a man peeking out from yonder brush!’ Turning Hawk looked and answered, ‘That is not a man; it is an otter.’ And Sees-White-Cow said, ‘Look there and there! They are men looking out of the brush!’ Still Turning Hawk could not see, and he said, ‘They are only otter.’ But the woman was frightened at what she had seen. ‘They are enemies, and I am going.’ So she dropped her pack and began running back the way they had come.”

Moves Walking had risen spryly to his feet, hand at brow, the better to see otter yonder in the brush. Apparently he was less certain about the otter now, for he glanced nervously back over his shoulder at the fleeing woman. Suddenly it happened. He clapped his hands, simulating the sound of bows released and arrows in flight. “_Whang--whoosh--whang--whoosh--whang--whoosh!_” Tugging at imaginary shafts in his breast and belly, he slumped slowly, and sat down. After pausing long enough to emphasize the fatal nature of the incident, he resumed.

“Turning Hawk was dead, full of arrows; but Sees-White-Cow got away. I think she was a fast runner. When she came to the band of her people and told the story, a war party set forth and her two brothers were in it. They found Turning Hawk butchered like a deer and hung up in a tree. Afterwhile they caught the Chippewas who did this. There was a big fight. Many enemies were killed and scalped, and the two brothers were so brave and got so many scalps that everybody was talking about them; and there was a big victory dance.

“So the husband was dead, and maybe if he had listened to his woman he would have lived. Sees-White-Cow cut off her hair and mourned for a while. But she was a young woman and good to see; so when a brave young man by the name of Chasing Otter asked for her, she became his woman. He was a Sisseton.

“Afterwhile the band was camped by a lake, and on the other side of it there was a high bank with trees and plum brush. Someone said there were big ripe plums there, so Chasing Otter said to Sees-White-Cow, ‘Why don’t we paddle over there and get us some good ripe plums?’ And she said that would be good. So they got in their canoe and paddled to where the ripe plums were. They were having a good time picking the plums, and then Sees-White-Cow thought she would climb up the bank to where the plums were even bigger and riper. When she got up there and looked over, there was a man peeking at her out of the brush. So she dropped back down the bank and whispered to Chasing Otter, ‘An enemy peeked at me! Let us get away from here quick!’ Chasing Otter was eating ripe plums and they tasted very good. So he said, ‘It is only some other people who are picking some plums for themselves. I will go and see.’ He started climbing up the bank. But the woman was frightened and she said, ‘They are enemies! I am going!’ So she leaped into the canoe and began to paddle away.”

Moves Walking fell to paddling violently, peering anxiously ahead. Suddenly, he looked back over his shoulder. “The enemies are charging!” he announced excitedly--“_Wham! Whock!_” He lashed viciously at the air with an imaginary tomahawk. “Chasing Otter is dead, scalped. _Whang--whang--whang!_” With left hand extended and right hand at ear, Moves Walking released arrow after arrow in the direction of the galloping canoe.

“They shot at Sees-White-Cow, but did not hit her. When she got back to the village and told the story, a war party set out after the enemies and her two brothers were in it. When they found the enemies they were Chippewas again, and there was a big fight. Only a few of the enemies got away. The brothers were so brave and got so many scalps that people talked and talked about them, and there was a big victory dance.

“So the second husband was dead and Sees-White-Cow was a widow again. She cut her hair and mourned awhile. But she was young and good to see; and when her hair was beginning to get long, a brave young man, called Tall Horse, asked for her, and she became his woman. Tall Horse was from another band and he had been visiting some relatives. He wanted to go back home with his woman, and Sees-White-Cow was willing, so they got ready and started out afoot, because there were few horses in those days.

“They traveled all day, and when it was getting dark they came to a rough country, hilly and wooded. Sees-White-Cow did not want to lose another man. She was thinking hard about this, so she chose a place to camp where they would be hidden and safe. There they made a tepee of brush and grass. Tall Horse was tired and he went to sleep right after they had eaten; but Sees-White-Cow could not sleep at all for thinking and thinking. It was getting near morning when she heard an otter calling. When she had listened awhile, she knew it was not an otter at all, but a man making like an otter. Then she heard another--and another--and another--”

Moves Walking, with his hands cupped behind his ears, listened breathlessly for some time.

“They were not otter! They were enemies! She could hear the difference. So she shook her man and whispered, ‘Tall Horse, get up! There are enemies and I think we are surrounded! We can crawl down the ravine and escape.’ Tall Horse listened, and when there were more calls, he yawned and said, ‘They are otter. They are mating and calling to each other. I am tired, so let me sleep.’ But the woman was frightened and she was thinking of the other husbands too. ‘Man, I know! They are _not_ otter! You’d better come if you want to live, for I am going.’ But he yawned and said, ‘They _are_ otter, and I am sleepy.’ Then he lay down again.

“Sees-White-Cow started crawling down a wash and thought her man would still believe and follow her when he knew she meant what she said. She was not far down the wash yet, and some men were coming up it. So she made herself flat in the grass and they nearly stepped on her. When they were gone awhile, she listened, and heard Tall Horse yell just once. After that, men were talking all excited. Then she got up and started running, for she knew her man was dead up there. Afterwhile, she could hear men running after her. There was an old moon coming up, not very bright, but it helped her to see. She came to where there was a flat place with a big tree standing alone in its shadow. So she ran into the shadow and made herself flat against the tree. Soon the men came running by in the dim moonlight. She could hear them puffing. When they were gone, she ran back down the wash and into a ravine. There she hid again just as the day was coming. After two more nights she was back home.

“When the people heard her story, a war party started out after the enemies, and the two brothers went along. The enemies were Chippewas again, and there was a big fight. Not one got away. The two brothers of Sees-White-Cow were braver than ever. They brought back so many scalps and counted so many coups that people talked and talked about them even more than before; and there was a big victory dance. Seemed like every time their sister lost a man, they got more famous.

“So the third husband was dead, and Sees-White-Cow was a widow once more. She cut her hair again and mourned and mourned, and she did not want to get married to anybody at all. She always had such bad luck that she thought she would just live alone and maybe save a few men. But she was still a young woman, and she was good to see, after her hair began to get long again.

“There was a brave young man called Red Horse, and he was very handsome. After a while he wanted Sees-White-Cow for his woman. She already had three dead husbands and maybe he would be the fourth. So she would not listen to him for a long time. But her brothers liked Red Horse, whose father was a chief, and when he offered four good horses to her father, she forgot about her dead husbands for a while, and took him.

“Red Horse was from another band and he was visiting relatives. Of course he wanted to go back home and take his woman along, but she would not go. She would not even let him go on war parties, and she was always watching him, for she was afraid something might happen.

“They got along well together that winter, and afterwhile the grass appeared again and got tall in the valleys. One day Red Horse came back from taking care of his horses, for he still had some after he traded off the four; and horses were few in those days. So he said to his woman, ‘I saw many turnips, and they look good. Why do we not go out and get ourselves some?’ And Sees-White-Cow said, ‘I think it would be good to do that.’ So that is what they did. It was not far, so they went afoot. Many people were out there with their sticks digging turnips, laughing and having a good time. The scouts had been all around, and there were no signs of enemies, so the people were not afraid.

“Sees-White-Cow and her man had some food with them, and when it was getting evening Red Horse said, ‘Why do we not make a little camp in the ravine yonder and stay all night? We can peel and braid the turnips we have, and in the morning we can dig some more.’ The woman was afraid, for she was thinking about her other husbands. She said, ‘There may be enemies.’ But Red Horse laughed and said, ‘The scouts have been looking all around, and there are no enemies here. I think it will be good to camp and braid the turnips.’ Sees-White-Cow did not want to do this, but afterwhile she gave in. So they made a little shelter with their turnip sticks and a blanket thrown over these. When they were through eating and braiding turnips by their little fire, they lay down to sleep under the blanket. But Sees-White-Cow could not sleep at all for thinking and thinking. Afterwhile an otter whistled--then another one whistled--then another.”

Moves Walking paused, listening tensely, mouth open, hands cupped behind his ears.

“Of course,” he continued, “otter are mostly in a lake, but she heard this whistling and she was frightened. These were enemies! She could tell the difference. So she shook Red Horse and whispered, ‘Enemies! Listen!’ Red Horse was only half awake, and when there was another whistle, he said, ‘Foolish woman! That is an otter! Do not bother me!’ But Sees-White-Cow was more frightened than ever. She had heard two dead husbands talk the same way. So she said, ‘They are enemies! I am going!’ And she started crawling away. All at once two men were coming, bent over and looking all around. She flattened herself in the grass, and they went by. Soon she heard just one big yell. Then she got up and ran towards camp as fast as she could.”

At this point, No Water grunted and Moves Walking paused to scan his friend’s face, one eye glaring fiercely, the other questioning. “Four dead husbands,” said No Water with his grieved, apprehensive look. He held up four fingers. “One, two, three, four. How many more husbands has that woman got?”

Eagle Voice chuckled, and Moves Walking, ignoring the question, continued. “When the people heard about this, a war party started out to catch the enemies and the two brothers went along. There was a big fight and nearly all the Chippewas got killed and scalped. The brothers were braver than ever before, and I can not say how many scalps they got, because I do not know that, and I must be careful when I tell this true story. All the people talked and talked about them again, and by now I think they must have been _wichasha yatapika_, maybe _akichitas_, or even councilors. I think if Sees-White-Cow got a few more husbands those brothers would be head chiefs!

“Sees-White-Cow cut off her hair another time, and mourned and mourned. Seemed like every time she got a husband it was the same as murdering him herself. So she was never going to do that again as long as she lived. She was going to live alone after that.

“Afterwhile her hair was getting long again--”

“Ah-a-a-ah!” commented No Water.

“--and she was still not old,” continued Moves Walking. “Also she was good to see. About that time a very handsome young warrior came visiting his relatives, and I do not know how many horses he had, but they were many. This handsome young man’s name was Flies Back, and he wanted Sees-White-Cow for his woman. I think he had not heard this story. So when he offered six horses, her father thought maybe it would be better for her this time; also there were few horses in those days. Her two brothers liked Flies Back and they coaxed her to take him, so that she would not be living alone. Maybe they wanted to get more famous, but I do not know this, and I do not tell it.

“So afterwhile Sees-White-Cow gave in, and they got along well together all that winter. Then it was spring and the ducks were coming back.

“One day Flies Back said to his woman, ‘There are many ducks on the lake. Why do we not go out and get some for ourselves? We can go out this evening and make a camp near the water. Then when it is early morning we can get some for ourselves. I am hungry for ducks.’ When he said that, Sees-White-Cow began to remember, and she did not want to go. But she was hungry for ducks too, and she thought it might be all right this time. So they went and made a good warm camp close to this lake, and Flies Back went hunting, crawling through the grass and reeds. While he was gone, Sees-White-Cow kept looking all around, for she was afraid.” Moves Walking, with hand at brow, peered anxiously about him for a while and No Water soberly joined him in the silent search. “All at once,” resumed Moves Walking with a start, “she saw a man run from behind a tree and disappear behind some brush.”

“_Ho--ho!_” exclaimed Eagle Voice.

“--saw a man running and hiding behind some brush,” Moves Walking continued, “and she was more frightened than she had ever been. About that time Flies Back came with two ducks, and Sees-White-Cow told him about the man. ‘It is only somebody out getting some ducks for himself,’ Flies Back said. ‘There are no enemies here. The scouts have been out looking all around.’

“Sees-White-Cow thought maybe her husband was right this time, and she was hungry for ducks. So they cooked the ducks and ate them, and then it was dark, so they lay down to sleep.

“But Sees-White-Cow got to remembering, and she could not sleep at all. I did not tell that they had a little dog with them, but I tell it now. And when the night was old, the little dog began growling and barking. Sees-White-Cow knew all at once that it was an enemy she had seen and no duck hunter. So she shook her man and whispered ‘Enemies! We are surrounded! We must run away from here!’ She got up and started running. He got up and started running too, but he ran the other way. When he came to the village, Sees-White-Cow was not there. He ’woke the people, and when they heard, a war party got together and started after the enemies. The two brothers went along. In the early morning they found Sees-White-Cow, and she was not going to have any more husbands. The little dog was curled up beside her whining, and she was scalped. Maybe she was hiding, and the little dog ran to where she was and barked, so that the enemies came and found her. I do not know this, and that is why I do not tell it.

“It was Chippewas again, and there was a big fight. The two brothers couped and killed and scalped I do not know how many. Big victory dance! People talk and talk about it. Maybe the two brothers were made chiefs that time. I do not know, and I must be careful when I tell this true story. The Sisseton who told me was _gan inhuni_, and he heard it from his father who was _gan inhuni_ also.”

“_Ho-ho! Ho-ho! Ho-ho!_” No Water and Eagle Voice applauded in unison. “_Washtay!_” remarked No Water. “One husband got away that time! _Washtay!_”

“It was not so,” said Moves Walking. “Brothers were very sad. Had bad hearts. Killed Flies Back for running away from their sister. All dead! Five!” Holding up his spread right hand, he slowly counted with a careful forefinger.

Eagle Voice chuckled, and No Water, his grieved look intensified, shook his head sadly in silence.

XVIII

_Falling Star, the Savior_

Having filled the coffee cups and set the meat pot within easy reach of the guests, I went outside to get a chunk of cottonwood, for a chill had crept into the tepee. Under a dull sky the afternoon was waning fast, and already the edge of the still air was sharpening with the approach of night. While chopping, it occurred to me that we would soon be sitting in the dark, so I went to the little log house and borrowed an oil lamp--the only one, but freely given. The family would go to bed soon, the daughter explained, and it would not be needed. Also, if the old men did not want to go home, they could sleep on the floor by the stove, and go home in the morning.

When I re-entered the tepee, Eagle Voice was lying down, his knees drawn up, an arm across his face. Apparently he was asleep. No Water and Moves Walking were having a friendly argument between mouthfuls. No Water was convinced that it happened in the winter when the four Crows were killed, while Moves Walking held out for the winter when the tree fell on the old woman. When I had put the cottonwood chunk on the embers and placed the lighted lamp on the ground near the stove, it soon became clear to me that both contenders had the best of reasons, with a glaring eye to reinforce them on the one hand, and a deeply grieved look on the other.

What it was that had happened, whenever it had, was not revealed. Eagle Voice sat up, brushed the straggling gray hair from his eyes, grinned pleasantly, and said: “_Kola_, it was not the winter when the four Crows were killed; it was not the winter when the tree fell on the old woman. It was the winter when the Shoshonis were chased over the bank; and that is a story I could tell.”