FOOTNOTES:
[76] Told by Strike-Enemy.
75. THE CAPTURE OF THE ENEMY’S BOWS.[77]
In olden times the young men in a village went on the war-path. While they were gone the Sioux came down to the village and captured all their old women and children, killing many. A young man returned to the village and found out what had happened. He found his brother coming from a thickly timbered place, who told him that his father was in hiding in the timber. These three were the only ones around the village. The young man was angry. He told his father and brother that he wanted them to follow him to the Sioux. This they did.
One evening they came up with the enemy, who were in camp by a creek. The young man said, “We will attack this camp.” The three went through the timber. They saw the big campfires, mostly of their people, but there were some Sioux warriors stationed out, watching. The young man looked up at the stars, then at the trees, and at everything. Then he said to the two—his father and brother—“We must make an attack, give a big war-whoop, and make it sound as if there were many people.” So the three gave the war-whoop and attacked the camp. The oldest man, at the same time, yelled: “My people, do not run, but pick up your bows! We are here!” When they gave the war-whoop the trees all seemed to give the war-whoop—even the grass gave the war-whoop. The stars seemed to give the war-whoop. War-whoops sounded all through the timber. The birds and everything seemed to give the war-whoop. The enemy were frightened. They ran. The people stayed behind. They captured the enemy’s bows and several of their people. Then they followed the enemy. The next day they came up with them and killed a great many. The people then took the enemy’s bows and arrows and took them up on a high hill. They set them up, with one bow in the middle and all the other bows resting on it. So all the bows and arrows were set upon the high hill. The hill was known after that as “Enemy’s-Bows-Upon-a-High-Hill.”