The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-05

and stalks silently about absorbed "a
thoughts which are evidently ~ the deep
est nature. The old men tell him or the
hardships be must undergo before ne can
become enlighted sufficiently 10 know
what 10 take for his medicine.
The .-medas'' give him formulas and
prayers that he must constantly repeal
while ne - Tasting. He Is tOll just row
to seclude himself from human society
and just what privatiOns he must undergo
He silently sneaks away 10 the mountains
or 20 other isolated places and then lot
Gays he VIII tarry, neither eating, drinking
np- sleeping. until such time as MS amulet
Is revaled 10 him He constantly repeal4
prayers and gradually works nimseli INTO
a state of ecstasy. suddenly his eyes are
opened and he finds his amulet.
As the philosophy OF the red man ceI-
tiers on Those Above" all the influences
that surround him come from the spirits
He realizes that there are two sets OF
spirits who are constantly al variance
with each other over him-the good Splits
who direct all things favorable, ana tne
bad spirits, who get him into trouble he
realizes that he Is utterly helpless IN tne
contest that Is waged between the spirits
His sole concern Is to ascertain Whicn sci
of spirits Is in the asCendancyi nence ne
resorts 10 divination-
There is nothing in nature that does
not indicate to him the presence OF the
spirits. The flight of birds, the falling
OF a leaf the trail of a snake, the ac-
tiOn of animals. the howl OF a Wot or
the boot Of an owl all nave dlsunct
meanings. If party Of Indians wish 10
start on hunt or on the tran or an
enemy they must first consult ne signs
and OmenS, and often long conten-
plated expedition will be postponed or
perhaps permanently abandoned because
Of some sign that is believed 10 De 1atai
to the enterprise.
Once he knows the amulet's secret in
gredlent an Indian is prepared 10 study
the secrets of the spirits. He practices
divination for himself and family. Some
important event is about 10 transplre ana
he wishes to know what VIII be the re-
Il cate oh inc
collecting variOus-colOred earths, ashes
of different plants, bones Of certain AMI
mails or reptiles, and such other things
as fancy dictates. These ne places IN
shallow pan or other vessel, and with
them a portion of his individual medi-
cine. He stirs the mixture with sacred
stick and heats the mass over IRE
From the resultant colOrs or some de-
veloped popularity he derives a sign
which he considers infallible and which
shows him whether the good or bad
spirits are in the ascendancy. II the
medicine is good, portions are tied up
in little buckskin bags and hung TO the
hair of the Indian and the members OF
his family. to the name and tail OF his
horse, and to different articles OF house
hold goods and implements Of chase or
war should the mixture result IN a Iall-
ure or in bad medicine the whole is care
fully buried outside of the camp, and the
project is abandoned.
No red man can be benefited by an
others medicine. No Indian ever COW
eted any other Indians medicine, and no
Indian ever attempted TO examine the
medicine of a dead enemy.
Tribal medicine Is mysterious as indi-
vidual medicine. 1t is not worshipped,
but is looked upon as the abiding place
of the spirits who are friendly to the
tribe. The tribal medicine is in charge
of the head chief. who sees that the
sacred receptacle is properly guarded
against PROCLAMATION at the hands of out
siders.
When a war is on. the media of the tribe
takes charge of the fetch and carries 1t
and incanations, and through its infiu-
ence he hopes TO propitiate the tribe and
overcome the influence OF the bad spirits,
who are in league with the enemy
Probably the greatest medicine chief
ever known to the Indians of the plains
was Medicine Arrow. He was cheyenne
warrior who fairly electrified his tribes
men and their enemies by the Wonderi VI
daring he displayed and the immunity
from danger which attended all his ex-
plOits. Once he announced that his good
fortune was due to a medicine arrow
which he made. He was at once elevated
to the position of chief media, and then
initiated several of the other medas
into the mystery of arrow making.
A number of these arrows were made
under most awful solemnities, and each
media was sworn with the most dreadful
oath known to the tribe never TO reveal
the process by which the wonderful ar
rows were made When a sufficient num-
Der were made the bundle was wrapped
in skins and tightly tied. 1t was then de-
posted in q small box or trunk made Of
rawhide This bundle became the medi-
cine of the Cheyennes.
Some years ago a band of Pawnees made
a raid upon the Cheyenne village, where
the sacred bundle was deposited, and car
ried it away. Immediately CONSERVATION
regned. Medicine Arrow was then at the
acme of his power and influence. He re-
fused to make another bundle, but in
sisted that the tribe must recover its
medicine or be doomed TO destruction. It
was impracticable to enter into a war with
1aa Ipeavr hot ri KSrn % =
superior in the number of fighting men,
so negotiations were entered into, and the
sacred bundle was finally redeemed by
the payment Of 800 ponies.