THE COUNCIL FIRE
Late the second day the Sioux came in sight of the great Minneconjoux camp. It was situated beside a wide stream that flowed down from great snowy peaks farther to the westward. The little company of riders stopped on the summit of a grassy knoll and looked with pride on the great circle of lodges which dotted the plain. Their pride was somewhat humbled, however, by the absence of the vast herd of ponies which usually were to be seen grazing near the village. The few horses that had escaped the Blackfeet raid were carefully guarded within the camp.
The riders had already been discovered and recognized by watchers at the edge of the village, and a company of horsemen was soon racing across the plain to meet them.
"See! my people are coming to take you to their village," Sun Bird told White Otter.
As the Minneconjoux dashed up to them White Otter recognized several old friends in the company who had come out to welcome him. There was Feather Dog, a famous scout, with whom he had shared a number of thrilling adventures; and Sitting Eagle, another great scout, was in the party. Then there was Kicking Bull, a renowned hunter, whom White Otter had saved from death in a buffalo stampede. All those men greeted the famous young Ogalala chief with great respect, and his heart filled with pride as he realized the esteem in which he was held by those renowned warriors.
"You have come to help us fight the Blackfeet," said Feather Dog. "It is good. We will do some big things."
"I was going with my brother Sun Bird to find you, but the great chief Curly Horse asked me to stay behind," explained Kicking Bull. "Some of our young men saw smoke over near the mountains, and we were afraid that the Blackfeet were coming back. That is why I held back."
"It is good," declared White Otter.
As the horsemen approached the camp the Minneconjoux began to shout the name of White Otter and to sing songs of welcome. The daring exploits of the young Ogalala war chief had made him famous throughout the great Dacotah nation, and the Minneconjoux were prepared to honor him with the courtesies due a great chief. When he reached the edge of the village he was met by a delegation of noted warriors who led him through the camp, so that all the people might have a chance to welcome him.
"See, here is White Otter!" cried the Minneconjoux. "It is White Otter, the great chief of the Ogalalas. It is White Otter, the great war leader. See, White Otter, our lodges are open. We have cooked much meat. You must come to our lodges, and eat with us."
Men, women and children followed behind his pony, as his escort led him toward the lodge of the famous chief, Curly Horse. The Minneconjoux war chief was waiting to receive him. Beside him stood Rain Crow, the noted Minneconjoux medicine man, who was the father of Sun Bird and Little Raven. The most renowned men of the tribe composed the company which Curly Horse had summoned to greet the Ogalala. They were dressed in their choicest possessions and they made a splendid appearance. Each of them wore the coveted war bonnet of eagle plumes, and carried his coupstick with a record of his achievements on the war trail. It was a notable gathering, and White Otter thrilled with pride as he looked upon those splendid men of the great Dacotah nation.
Curly Horse, the chief, was particularly imposing. He was a middle-aged man, tall, and of powerful physique, with stern features, and steady, penetrating eyes. His voice was deep and commanding, and he carried himself with the pride and dignity appropriate to his rank. He wore a great headdress of eagle feathers which extended to the ground. Each feather was tipped with a small tuft of hair taken from the scalps of his foes. His buckskin shirt was decorated with weasel tails, and mystic symbols traced with colored porcupine quills. His buckskin breeches were deeply fringed, and ornamented with porcupine quills and elk teeth. A breastplate composed of the leg bones of deer covered his breast. About his neck was a necklace of bear claws. His moccasins were of buffalo hide, beautifully decorated with porcupine quills and colored grass. Over his arm he carried a magnificent robe of the grizzly bear.
"White Otter, you have come to my lodge—it is good," said Curly Horse. "These great warriors have come here to meet you. Many moons have passed since you came here before. My people have talked about you. They wanted you to come back. Now I will tell you that we feel good because you have come here."
"I have listened to the words of the great chief, Curly Horse," replied White Otter. "They make me feel good. I will keep them in my heart. The Minneconjoux are my brothers. When my brothers call, I come. My brother Sun Bird called me. I am here. I am going with my brothers to fight the Blackfeet. We will bring back many ponies."
As White Otter ceased speaking Curly Horse glanced at Rain Crow and the famous medicine man stepped forward to greet the Ogalala.
Rain Crow appeared older and less robust than his chief, but he, too, was of striking appearance. His face was seamed and scarred, and his hair was streaked with gray. His eyes, however, flashed with the fire of youth. He wore a large wolfskin cap decorated with a great pair of buffalo horns. His face was painted with white clay. His hair was divided into two braids bound with otter skin. His buckskin shirt and breeches were decorated with mysterious medicine symbols. About his neck was a necklace of sacred charms or tokens, each believed to possess some strange power which would aid him in overcoming the Evil Spirits, and preserve him from the attacks of his foes. In his right hand he carried the sacred medicine pipe. Over his left arm was a handsome robe of wolfskins.
"White Otter, Curly Horse has spoken," said Rain Crow. "Now I will give you some words. I feel good when I see you here. You are a young man, but you are a great chief. I believe you will do something big when you meet the boastful Blackfeet. White Otter, you say that Sun Bird and Little Raven are your brothers. It is good. I will make you my son. My son, the lodge of Rain Crow is open for you. I have spoken."
"Rain Crow, you are a great Medicine Person," replied White Otter. "You have done some big things. I have heard my people talk about you. It is true that Sun Bird and Little Raven are my brothers. You have called me your son. It is a great thing. I feel good about it. I will tell my people about it. It will make them feel big. My father, I will bring you some ponies from the Blackfeet camp. I have finished."
Many other noted warriors made speeches praising the ability and courage of the young Ogalala, and welcoming him to the Minneconjoux camp. When the ceremony was finally concluded Sun Bird escorted White Otter to the lodge of Rain Crow.
"Now I will tell you how the Blackfeet ran off all those ponies," Sun Bird said, when they were alone.
"Yes, tell me about it," urged White Otter.
"We were dancing the Buffalo Dance," said Sun Bird. "My father was singing the Medicine Songs. The people were sitting near the fire. The fast war ponies were tied near the lodges, but many good hunting ponies were out on the plain. We left them there because our scouts did not see any signs of enemies. Only a few boys were watching those ponies. Well, while the people were dancing and singing we heard a great noise. There were many shouts. Then we heard many ponies running. Pretty soon a boy rode into the village. He was shouting, 'The Blackfeet! The Blackfeet! They have run off the ponies!' Then we jumped upon the war ponies, and were going out to chase the Blackfeet, but Curly Horse held us back. 'Wait!' shouted Curly Horse. 'Perhaps it is a trick. Perhaps a great war party is about to rush into the camp. We will watch, and see what comes of it.' We knew that those were good words, and we waited to guard the camp. Well, no one came. Then we knew that the Blackfeet had gone away with the ponies. When it got light one of the boys came back. His pony fell down and died when he came into the village. He rode a long ways to get away from the Blackfeet. The other boy did not come back. The Blackfeet must have carried him away."
"Who is he?" inquired White Otter.
"He is Dancing Rabbit," Sun Bird told him.
"His father was Lame Wolf. He was killed by our enemies, the Crows. His mother fell into the water, and was carried away by the fierce Water Monsters. Old Spotted Face is his grandfather. He feels very bad about this thing."
"I know Spotted Face," said White Otter. "He is a great man. We must try to help him."
"Perhaps we will find Dancing Rabbit in the Blackfeet camp," replied Sun Bird.
The day had already ended, and as the evening shadows fell upon the camp the Minneconjoux began preparations for the great war dance. A large fire was lighted in the center of the village, and the entire tribe assembled to honor the men who were going to fight the Blackfeet. The warriors who had enlisted in the war party marched noisily about the camp, singing their war songs, and shouting boastful threats against their foes. As they finally approached the council fire they were greeted with wild yells of approval from the great company who awaited them. Then all subsided into respectful silence as Curly Horse and the principal chiefs of the tribe walked solemnly into the council circle.
After the chief and his escort had taken positions, the warriors lined up before him and waited for him to address them. He looked upon them with pride and affection. Most of them were young men in the prime of their youth, and their bold, flashing eyes and fearless faces proclaimed their courage. They were led by Sun Bird who had organized the war party. He called White Otter to stand beside him, and the Minneconjoux murmured approval of the honor.
"My brothers, I see that you are ready for war," said Curly Horse. "You are going to fight the Blackfeet. It is good. They are our enemies. They have carried off many of our ponies. You must bring them back. You must also bring some good Blackfeet ponies. Perhaps you will find Dancing Rabbit in the Blackfeet camp. Then you must carry him away. Spotted Face is waiting for him. I will not tell you how to fight. You are Dacotahs. It is enough. Now I will ask Rain Crow to give you some words."
Before speaking, Rain Crow drew an ember from the fire and lighted the sacred medicine pipe. Then he puffed the smoke toward the heavens, toward the earth, and toward each of the four winds. He kept up a weird, high-pitched chant, and tossed small handfuls of dried sweet grass into the flames. It was evident that he was asking success for the war party, and the Minneconjoux watched him with grave interest. When he had completed the ceremony, he stood some time staring fixedly at the stars. Then he addressed the war company.
"My friends, you have seen me smoke the great Medicine Pipe," he said. "It is good. It will help you. I have asked Wakantunka, the Great Mystery, to make you strong. I have asked the Good Spirits to help you. I have asked the Bad Spirits to do you no harm. I believe everything will be good. I believe you will overcome the Blackfeet. Listen, my friends, I hear the noise of many ponies running. Yes, yes, those are Sioux ponies. Yes, I hear some Blackfeet ponies. They are running toward the Minneconjoux camp. I see these brave young men riding behind them."
His prophecy roused the Minneconjoux. Men, women and children united their voices in the war cry of the Dacotahs. It rang through the camp, and echoed off across the plain as a challenge to their foes. Rain Crow laughed, and shook his clenched hand toward the north.
"Hi, you Blackfeet people, do you hear that noise?" he cried, excitedly. "Pretty soon you will know what it means. Then you will shake, and cry like young deer when they hear the wolf cry."
His words again threw the people into a frenzy of excitement. The war cry again rang out across the plain, and before the sound had died away the warriors had assembled for the war dance. They formed a large circle about the fire, and stood awaiting the word from Sun Bird, their leader. A number of aged men had come forward with the war drums, and taken places near the dancers. A hush fell upon the vast assemblage, as the Minneconjoux watched eagerly for the interesting spectacle to begin.
Then Sun Bird raised his voice in the familiar strains of the great war song, and the dance began. Keeping time with the solemn, rhythmical throbbing of the war drums, the dancers moved slowly about the fire chanting the boastful words of the war song, and flourishing their weapons. They had not circled many times about the fire, however, before they cast off restraint, and flung themselves into ecstasies of the dance with wild abandon. The war song was forgotten, as the dancers began to shout their boasts and threats against the powerful foes in the north. Each moment added to their excitement, and as the war drums throbbed in shorter, quicker beats, the dancers quickened their steps to hold the rhythm. Although each held his place in the circle, they had abandoned all attempt to dance in unison, and each man was interpreting the spirit of the dance to suit himself. All, however, kept time to the beats of the war drums, and the droning chants of the aged musicians. As quick and sinewy as mountain cats, the young warriors pranced about the fire in a frenzy of enthusiasm. Each tried to surpass his fellows in the mad antics of the dance, and their maneuvers brought yells of approval from the fascinated onlookers. At one moment the dancers would stoop near the ground, and dance forward with short, mincing steps, shading their eyes with their hands, as if searching for the trail of their foes. Then they would suddenly spring upright and announce their success with a piercing whoop. A moment afterward they would leap forward with war club raised to deliver the fatal stroke. Then they would begin a wild dance about the fallen foe. Some of the older warriors carried their coupsticks with the trophies won on former war expeditions. As they danced they shook these priceless possessions before the envious eyes of their tribesmen. Sometimes one of those dancers would drive his coupstick in the ground while he and several companions danced wildly about it, rushing up to touch it and reciting some great achievement as they did so. Then all would suddenly stand transfixed in their places while they raised their faces toward the stars, and united their voices in the piercing Dacotah war cry.
The spectacle was weird and fascinating. The grotesque contortions of the dancers in the lurid glare of the fire, the fierce expression on their faces, the solemn throbbing of the war drums, the picturesque assemblage of spectators, the dim, ghostly outlines of the lodges in the shadows, the gaunt, wolf-like dogs skulking along the edge of the camp, made a striking impression on the memory.
White Otter, as a famous war chief of the Ogalalas, was entitled to stand with Curly Horse and the prominent men of the tribe. He declined the honor, however, and took his place in the circle of dancers. The Minneconjoux watched him with approving eyes as he threw himself into the spirit of the dance. When the ceremony was finally brought to an end toward daylight, Curly Horse called the Ogalala to his lodge.
"White Otter, you are a great warrior," said Curly Horse. "A great warrior must have a good horse. The Pawnees have killed your war pony. It is true that you have taken a good pony from those boastful people. Well, you are a Dacotah, and you must ride a Dacotah pony. I am going to give you one of my fastest ponies to ride to the Blackfeet camp. I have spoken."
"Curly Horse, you have done a big thing," White Otter replied, gratefully. "You are a great chief, and I know that you have the fastest ponies. Yes, I will ride your pony to the Blackfeet camp."
"It is good," declared Curly Horse.
When White Otter told Sun Bird of the gift which he had received from Curly Horse, Sun Bird beamed with pleasure. He believed that there were few, if any, ponies in the entire Dacotah nation which possessed the speed and endurance of those owned by the great Minneconjoux chief.
"Perhaps when you ride that horse you will leave me far behind," Sun Bird said, banteringly.
"Well, my brother, if I get to the Blackfeet camp ahead of you I will leave some Blackfeet for you to kill," laughed White Otter.