The Way of an Indian | Page 5

a chief who well knew how to make war, and
with a medicine-man whose war-medicine was strong; but no war-party
was going then and youth has no time to waste in waiting. Still, he did
not fear pursuit.
Thus the two human wolves sat around the snapping sticks, eating their

dried buffalo meat.
"To-morrow, Red Arrow, we will make the war-medicine. I must find a
gray spider, which I am to kill, and then if my medicine says go on, I
am not afraid, for it came direct from the Good God, who told me I
should live to wear white hair."
"Yes," replied Red Arrow, "we will make the medicine. We do not
know the mysteries of the great war-medicine, but I feel sure that my
own is strong to protect me. I shall talk to a wolf. We shall find a big
gray wolf, and if as we stand still on the plain he circles us completely
around, we can go on, and the Gray Horned Thunder-Being and the
Great Pipe-Bearing Wolf will march on our either side. But if the wolf
does not circle us, I do not know what to do. Old Bear-Walks-at-Right,
who is the strongest war-medicine-maker in the Chis-chis-chash, says
that when the Gray Horned Thunder-Being goes with a war-party, they
are sure of counting their enemies' scalps, but when the Pipe-Bearing
Wolf also goes, the enemy cannot strike back, and the Wolf goes only
with the people of our clan."
Thus the young men talked to each other, and the demons of the night
joined in their conversation from among the tree-tops, but got no nearer
because the fire shot words of warning up to them, and the hearts of the
boys were strong to watch the contest and bear it bravely.
With the first coming of light they started on--seeking the gray spider
and the gray wolf. After much searching through the rotting branches
of the fallen trees, White Otter was heard calling to Red Arrow: "Come!
Here is the gray spider, and as I kill him, if he contains blood I shall go
on, but if he does not contain blood my medicine says there is great
danger, and we must not go on."
Over the spider stooped the two seekers of truth, while White Otter got
the spider on the body of the log, where he crushed it with his bow. The
globular insect burst into a splash of blood, and the young savage threw
back his shoulders with a haughty grunt, saying, "My medicine is
strong--we shall go to the middle of the Absaroke village," and Red
Arrow gave his muttered assent.

"Now we must find a wolf," continued Red Arrow, and they betook
themselves through the pines to the open plains, White Otter following
him but a step in rear.
In that day wolves were not hard to find in the buffalo country, as they
swarmed around the herds and they had no enemies. Red Arrow
arrogated to himself the privilege of selecting the wolf. Scanning the
expanse, it was not long before their sharp eyes detected ravens
hovering over a depression in the plain, but the birds did not swoop
down. They knew that there was a carcass there and wolves, otherwise
the birds would not hover, but drop down. Quickly they made their way
to the place, and as they came in range they saw the body of a
half-eaten buffalo surrounded by a dozen wolves. The wolves betook
themselves slowly off, with many wistful looks behind, but one in
particular, more lately arrived at the feast, lingered in the rear.
Selecting this one, Red Arrow called: "O gray wolf of my clan, answer
me this question. White Otter and I are going to the Absa-roke for
scalps--shall we have fortune, or is the Absaroke medicine too strong?"
The wolf began to circle as Red Arrow approached it and the buffalo
carcass. Slowly it trotted off to his left hand, whereat the anxious
warrior followed slowly.
"Tell me, pretty wolf, shall White Otter's and my scalps be danced by
the Absaroke? Do the enemy see us coming now--do they feel our
presence?" And the wolf trotted around still to the left.
"Come, brother. Red Arrow is of your clan. Warn me, if I must go
back." And as the Indian turned, yet striding after the beast, it
continued to go away from him, but kept an anxious eye on the dead
buffalo meanwhile.
"Do not be afraid, gray wolf; I would not raise my arm to strike. See, I
have laid my bow on the ground. Tell me not to fear the Absaroke, gray
wolf, and I promise to kill a fat buffalo-cow for you when we meet
again."

The wolf had nearly completed his circle by this time,