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THE BUFFALO came well up into
the north country that winter, and provisions were plentiful, and the making
of robes, and the trapping of furs, and the gathering of hides for domestic
use, and for the making of new lodges, kept the whole camp busy. And the
spring came, and with the coming of the wild goose, and the re-appearing on
the ground of the gopher and the crocus, and the grass springing, the
warriors and young men of the camp felt that it was time for them to bestir
themselves on the war-path. During the winter several large timber wolves
had been killed, and White Buffalo had secured some of the best pelts, and
his mother had dressed these for him. Any one entering the lodge would have
immediately had their attention drawn to the decorations therein. These were
almost altogether made up of the large timber wolves pelts, and, as every
one knows, these skins when prime make up handsome. But why saddle cloth and
lean-to cloths, and panel robes, especially on the side occupied by White
Buffalo, should be made up altogether of the large wolf skins, only the
initiated could tell the reason. In the minds of his parents, and in those
of the older members of the tribe, the reason was patent. The big timber
wolf was the visible manifestation of the spirit of White Buffalo's dream.
Furthermore, if one
frequented this lodge, one would have noticed that never by those resident
therein, or by visitors, were these decorations and wolf skins mentioned. On
this topic there was absolute silence in this camp and lodge. Further, the
stranger with any perceptive faculty would have also seen that whenever it
was necessary to re-arrange these robes and mats and decorations, no matter
who touched them, this act was done with scrupulous care, and in a spirit of
solemn reverence. Never would any occupant of this lodge, or any of their
friends, forget that all these were the spiritual emblems of the young
warrior-hunter's faith.
Within the range of a wide
experience the writer has never met more absolute consideration for other
men's faith than that manifest among the aboriginal tribes of North America.
A closer inspection would take note, moreover, of the long sash or
color-looking article handsomely trimmed with crimson cloth and ermine skin,
but the main portion was a strip of great wolf's pelt, being the back from
the tip of the nose to the extreme end of the tail. This strip, about a
handbreadth wide, had been carefully and precisely cut out, and perfectly
dressed. This was White Buffalo's shoulder strap, or medicine belt. In
following the customs of his father's people, he would occasionally wear
this, perhaps when some great battle was imminent, or some annual religious
festival was on. Then this medicine belt was produced. This especially
commanded the care and constant attention of the residents in this camp or
lodge. To select these skins, to have them dressed and decorated, took up
the spare time of White Buffalo's mother and her women friends who might
visit her during the winter months of this period. And yet while all manner
of gossip might go on, the special object of this work, and the quality
thereof, and him who would be the owner, were topics never mentioned.
The war expedition of that
spring was a young man's enterprise. Snake Skin was the prime mover. Young
men of his and White Buffalo's age were to participate. All who could were
to go. Of course, he had settled it in his own mind that White Buffalo must
be the leader. White Buffalo's word must be law on this trip. During the
winter he had gone through the camp working up this enterprise. He did all
this before he broached the subject to White Buffalo, and, being a tactful
fellow, he did it through the man's love. White Buffalo of himself would not
delight in war. He had not thought of hurriedly pushing on the war-path
again. His delight was in hunting and trapping, and when he thought within
himself, the question always arose: Why hate your fellow-man? Why kill your
fellow-man? A man's language, or the name of his tribe, or the fact that his
people and your people had been at enmity in the days that were gone seemed
altogether insufficient reason for war in White Buffalo's mind. Snake Skin
knew all this. Therefore, he took another way of securing his friend. He
discoursed as they were out hunting one day on the virtue and beauty and
grace of little Nagos. He told White Buffalo over again the story of the
evening when the North Wind Maker was telling the people of the camp how
White Buffalo had rushed in and saved his life. "Oh," said he, "you were not
looking, but I was, and as her father told the story of how you rushed in
and rescued him, I saw her eye kindle, and her face illume, and her whole
spirit move within her. I knew she was saying to herself: ' Ah, there is a
man, there is a man—one such as I can love.' It is for such deeds as these
that women like Nagos worship the man they love, and we must do more of
them, White Buffalo. You and I must go to war this spring. When the snow
melts and the grass springs, and the young men of our camp, with you as
their leader, must do great deeds, and bring, if we can, much glory back
with us from the lodges and country of our enemies. Moreover, you expect to
go and meet the North Wind Maker and his camp. You expect those people to
give you their daughter to wife, and for her sake and for their sake it will
be fitting for you to have led us to that which will bring honor and fame to
our people. I will want to go with you when you go north this autumn, and I
want something worth while to have to tell those people."
Thus did Snake Skin
frequently reason until finally White Buffalo consented, and soon it was
known all through the various camps which were now beginning to converge
towards one of their favorite meeting places, and it was told far and wide:
"When the nesting moon is
still small White Buffalo will lead the young men forth on the war path."
Because of this preparations
went on in many a lodge. With this end in view all through the wild goose
and frog moons, young men were making ready. On the surface they were making
lariats and quirts and looking to bow and quiver and flintlock and war club
and knife. And mothers and wives and sweethearts were making mocassins or
beading robes, or helping to fix neat and strong some distinctive war dress.
Inwardly and personally, and spiritually, each man was communing with his
familiar spirit, seeking a sign of approval if possible, and a benediction
upon the enterprise in hand. All these personal and private communings were
in proportion to the religious instinct possessed by each one. Snake Skin
was in his element. He visited some of the neighboring camps. He harangued
the listening crowd in the dance lodges; he talked to groups of young men
around many camp fires. He forever extolled the virtue and wisdom and pluck
of White Buffalo. He dropped his voice almost to a hushed whisper as he
spoke mysteriously of the intercourse of his great friend with the
supernatural. He prophesied victory and much glory under the leadership of
such a character as his young chief, White Buffalo. By the time of the
waning of the frog moon a large percentage of the able young men from all
the camps constituent to this gathering were eager and ready for the war
path.
In the meantime White Buffalo
had made a big fur hunt and killed many food animals. His zest for this work
was strong and his skill becoming greater all the time. No wonder his friend
Snake Skin said of him:
"The spirits love White
Buffalo."
During the goose moon he
rescued a couple of young men who had broken through the ice where the sun
above and the current beneath had worn it thin, and the snowfall had covered
these spots as with a big new blanket. And these young fellows would have
drowned but for the speed and skill and strength of our young hero, who,
without a moment's thought for himself, came to their help and rescued them
from death. Thus White Buffalo's prestige grew, and gatherings of bands
discussed him, as indeed fit to lead in all things. Many an evening he spent
with Papamotao, the great traveller, and also in the lodge of the old arrow
maker, studying the geography of the western and southern country, and
listening to the experiences of the expeditions in which these old warriors
had taken part. And, presently, when all was ready, he gave the signal call,
and from the many lodges there sprang the young and brave to follow his lead
into the country of their enemy. Mothers and wives and sisters and
sweethearts watched the converging groups of young men, as these gathered in
the growing distance into line behind the stately stepping of their leader,
White Buffalo. Snake Skin, anxious that none should fail, lingered, taking
stock, and speaking a word of encouragement, and when all were fully on the
way hastened forward to the side of his much-loved friend. |
