“Oh, Great Chief,” said Deerfoot, “all that Blind Dog has told you is true. I sent him from the herd and I ran the ponies off into the night. I made the wound that you see on my head. We had no raiders in our camp tonight. Blind Dog has just taught me the true meaning of loyalty to my tribe.
“The fact that he was placed under guard and was to be punished made little difference to him. But when he discovered that my plan was to hurt more than him and me, he spoke out for what he believed was the truth. Yes, I had hoped to force our tribe into war. I hoped that I might be honored for bravery in war, even though I would sacrifice the honor and friendship of my boyhood companion, Blind Dog, and many of our braves might be killed in useless fighting. To make myself once again a man in Blind Dog’s sight, let me repeat his words. ‘I am ashamed of what I have done.’ Let the council punish me so that I will not forget again the sacredness of truth and friendship and loyalty to my tribe.”
The incident around which this story is woven was told to the author by Sam Carpin, trapper, hunter, and former member of the Butte, Montana, Police Force.
THE CANOE RACE
Long Bow for many moons had been the champion of the canoe racers in the Ottawa village and had accepted every challenge that had ever come his way.
From the time he was a young boy he had spent many hours upon the waters of the great lake practicing his canoeing until he felt there wasn’t another boy in the tribe that could come at all close to beating him in a fair race.
Soon the great hunt was upon them, and the warriors gathered their weapons and headed north to hunt the elusive deer. Whenever they went off on these hunts Black Rock, a short husky young warrior, always could be seen as the constant companion of Long Bow.
As the hunting party trotted along the woodland trail getting farther and farther from the village, Black Rock and Long Bow would hold conversation in sentences with very few words.
“I think we will have a good hunt, Long Bow.”