"He is indeed speaking of abandoning his name! He is indeed speaking (as he stands) of having the name, He-fears-not-a-Pawnee-when-he-sees-him. Ye deities on either side (i. e., darkness and the ground), I tell you and send it to you that you may hear it, halloo! O Thunder, even you who are moving in a bad humor, I tell you and send it to you that you may hear it, halloo! O ye big rocks that move, I tell you and send it to you that ye may hear it, halloo! O ye big hills that move, I tell you and send it to you that ye may hear it, halloo! O ye big trees that move, I tell you and send it to you that ye may hear it, halloo! O all ye big worms that move (i. e., O ye snakes that are in a bad humor, ye who move), I tell you and send it to you that ye may hear it, halloo! All ye small animals, I tell you and send it to you that ye may hear it, halloo! O ye large birds that move, I tell you and send it to you that you may hear it, halloo!" To this address was added some of the following promises, all of which were not used for the same person: "Watí¢ídanbadíqti win´ nan´pěqti tan´ wégaq¢ `í¢ě tan á¢a!—He speaks as he stands of striking down one in the very midst of the ranks of the foe, who shall stand in great fear of him!" "Watí¢ uhañ´geqti tě´di win´ wégaq¢ `í¢ě tan á¢a!—He is speaking of striking down one at the very end of the ranks of the foe." "Watí¢e ukan´ska ídanbadiqti win´ wégaq¢ `í¢ě tan á¢a!—He is speaking of striking down one in the very middle of the enemy's ranks, having gone directly towards him." "Watí¢e uhañ´gadiqti win t'éwaki¢ `í¢ě tan á¢a!—He is speaking of slaying one at the very end of the enemy's ranks!" "Gazan´adiqti win ú ¢iñgé u¢an´ `í¢ě tan á¢a!—He is speaking of taking hold of one without a wound right in the midst of the foe (i. e., when surrounded by them)!"
§ 206. Behavior of those who stay at home.—The old men who stay at home occasionally act as criers, day and night. They go among the lodges, and also to the bluffs, where they exhort the absent warriors, somewhat after this manner: "Do your best. You have gone traveling (i. e., on the war path) because you are a man. You are walking over a land over which it is very desirable for one to walk. Lie (when you die) in whatever place you may wish to lie. Be sure to lie with your face towards the foe!" They do not keep this up all the time, nor do they always make such exhortations.
§ 207. The women, too, address the distant warriors. The following is a song referring to Hebadi-jan, of the [K]anze gens:
"Wa-na´-q¢in-ă! Á-¢a-`an´ ¢á-¢in-cé-in-te [T]í-nu-há, ¢a-an´-¢a can´ ¢a-¢in-cé. He-bá-di-jan´, Cá-an-jiñ´-ga kú¢ě a¢in gí-ă!"
Hasten! What are you doing that you remain away so long? Elder brother, now, at length, you have left him behind. O Hebadi-jan! be returning quickly with a young Dakota!
La Flèche and Two Crows never heard this song; but they do not dispute its correctness. It was told the writer by [P]a¢in-nanpajĭ.
§ 208. Report of scouts.—When the scouts return and report having found the enemy, stating also how they are encamped, if the party is a large one, the sacred bags are opened by the principal captains, with the mouth of each bag towards the enemy, as stated in § [198].
[P]a¢in-nanpajĭ says that they then give the scalp-yell, and each one repeats what he has promised to do on meeting the enemy; but this is disputed by La Flèche and Two Crows.
§ 209. Capture of horses.—Two men who are active go to steal horses from the enemy. This departure is called "ʇí-gaqá a¢ai," they have gone to get the better of (those in) the lodges (of the enemy), and is explained by "waman´¢an a¢aí," they have gone to steal. The two men may go together or may separate and try to steal horses at whatever places they can find any. Should these followers fail, two of the officers must make an attempt. These officers may be either the captains or the lieutenants. Sometimes a youth steals off from the warriors, and tries to capture a horse. The policemen try to prevent this, as the youth might alarm the foe. No matter who captures the horses, he must deliver them to the two principal captains. If many horses have been captured, the men take them to a safe distance, and then they are distributed among the members of the party. He who captured the horses is always the first to receive one from the captains. Each of the (principal) captains has his special followers, who are obliged to bring to him all the horses which they capture. And the captain, in like manner, shares his booty with his followers. Thus, when [P]a¢in-nanpajĭ captured horses from the Dakotas, when he was one of the captains, he distributed eight horses among his own followers. (See p. 442, Part I, Vol. VI, Contributions to N. A. Ethnology.) When he recovered the horses from the enemy, the warriors thanked him, saying that on account of his act they would not be compelled to make their feet sore from walking home. When but few horses have been taken, only the elder men receive them; but when many have been captured, all of the party share alike.
§ 210. Preparations for attacking the enemy.—Before the attack is made, it is usually the custom for scouts to make a thorough survey of the enemy's camp. So, when Two Crows led his party against the Yanktons, in 1854, and had discovered the proximity of the foe, he first sent one of the lieutenants, [P]a¢in-nanpajĭ, to count the lodges. On his return, another lieutenant, Sĭn´de-xan´xan, was sent by Two Crows, for the purpose of learning if the enemy were sleeping. The latter having reported, Two Crows himself, being one of the captains, went with Sĭnde-xan´xan, to make a final examination. Having ascertained the location of the sleepers, they returned to their party, and began the attack at midnight. When [T]ahé-jiñga and Níku¢íb¢an had led a small party against the Pawnee Loups, they sent back a messenger to the Omaha camp, and when four scouts were sent from the camp, Wabaskaha, who was one of the small war party, deceived them, saying that the Cheyennes were in the camp near at hand. Then many of the Omahas joined the small party changing it into a nudanhin-ʇañga. This was after the death of the chief Black Bird, in the early part of this century. When the main body of the Omahas had joined the others, they proceeded without delay to surprise the camp of the Pawnees. Having arrived just at the outside of the village, they crawled towards it in perfect silence, going by twenties, each one holding the hand of the man next to him. The captain, Niku¢ib¢an, or Gianhabi, had a sacred bag, which he opened (four times, said Big Elk) with its mouth towards the foe, that the wind might waft the magic influence of the bag to the lodges, and make the sleepers forget their weapons and their warlike spirit (denied by La Flèche and Two Crows). He also had a war-club with an iron point, which he used as a sacred thing, waving it four times toward the foe. When they were very near the lodges, but while it was yet dark, one of the attacking party pulled his bow with all his might, sending an arrow very far. But the arrow could not be seen. They continued drawing nearer and nearer, exhorting one another, but speaking in whispers. At last it was daylight, which is the usual time for making the attack, as people are supposed to be sound asleep. Then Niku¢ib¢an pulled his bow, and sent an arrow, which could be seen. He waved the sacred bag four times, and gave the attacking cry of the leader (the wa`in´ban) once, whereupon all of his party gave the scalp-yell (ug¢á`a`a), and began the fight by shooting at the lodges. (See § [193].)