Evening star., 1896-12-19
A CHRISTMAS STORY
BY THE SIOUX CHIEF. BLUE HORSE
OWNER"

VAIN ID ioCdttU Oh Inc Suts thift XIV uiet, q
tributary Of the White Clay. near Pine
Ridge agency. The walls are built of cedar
logs. hewed to eight inches square. The
roof is constructed of the same material,
being slabs of cedar split to about six
inches in width, and covered with sod. The
arc hitectural pan is octagonal with an
aperture in the center of the roof for the
exit of smoke; the hearth is of fire clay
and suitable for culinary purposes. The
walls are adorned with Indian ornaments,
implements of war, and a large assort-
ment of herbs for medicinal purposes.
The occupants on this night are the old
chief and wife, his son and daughter-in-
law. his daughter Lola IA returned gradu-
ate OF an eastern school, a younger son
by the name of Mato and a daughter ten
years of age. Fire of barkless cotton
wood is burning briskly on the hearth.
Blue Horse Owner was the first to speak,
and began by saying: my daughter Lola,
nave you arranged everything in accord
ance With the ancient customs OF the
SIOUX? Lola answered: "Yes, father, yod
are seated on the great medicine robe, en-
blen attic of wisdom and strength; mother
on the bear robe, ready to protect her
young my Oldest brother on the mountain
non skin, as symbol of bravery; my little
brother on the great wolfskin robe; Corn
Leaf on the silver fox and myself on the
otter, where none but the pure dare sit.
ioUr medicine pipe is your right, to-
pacco sack on the left and fire east of YOU"
The chief said: You have spoken we'll"
Ifen. drawing his mink skin robe tighter
about his shoulders. he reached for his
pipe with the right hand, the tobacco with
medicire pipe. When II was lighted, he
raE.ed the pipe to perpendicular position,
Say1rg, Great Spirit, have pity on e;"then
turning to the west. he said, Kind wind,
of.o oly.s
Gentle rain, come plenteously;" to the
south, where the shadow maker lives,
warm sIrshine. come bounteously;" then
downward, saying. Kind Mother Earth,
lshes deer and antelope. to all of you this
nikht l offer my humble thanks"
Then addressing the family, he said: "It
Is now twenty-five winters since the cpl
sooe Whlcn l am now going to relate oc-
cured. Three hundred lodges of the Sioux
le1t our agency, which was situated one
gay travel toward the rising sun from
Fort F Laramie. We crossed the Shell river
Flatte r1ver) early one morning near the
mouth Of Horse creek, and proceeded to
Wnere Pawnee creek joins the Tallow
!South Platte) river. Here the village was
formed. and the rules and customs govern
ing buffalo hunts were adhered to Dog
solc1ers We're stationed on prominent points
surrounding the village to prevent a s,,1-
qen attack from our enemies, the Utes and
PaWnees, and to stop any of our youne
men who might prowl out of the village in
search OF game, ard by firing of guns. or
otherwise. disturb the buffalo herd, which
We judged from various signs must be in
the vicinity. "
After the evening meal was over. the
council lodge was erected. within which
congregated all of the head men of the
pano: and, after the usual smoke of peace
nad been taken, 1t was agreed to send oui
at dawn ten of our most trustworthy Young
braves for the purpose Of locating the bur.
IaIo. FOR three nights the council sat to
receive the report of the young men, but
yet no herd had been discovered. so the
council broke up rather discouraged.
mat ntght, after returning to my lodge,
concluded to start early the following
morning In search of the herd myself;
therefore. at dawn of day / had my favor
lite horse, WabluSka. saddled and a good
selection of the best war arrows and nv
bunalo bow placed in the quiver 1 fol-
lowed up the Tallow river until about the
time when the shadow is shortest. Until
then mad not seen any indcat ation of game
out Whlie meditating on the i'll luck and
threatening hunger Of my people. Wabuska
gave frightened snort and on looking
round for cause. could see nothing that
lnulcated the presence of Utes or PaWnees
While censuring the horse, and urging
MIN forward. l discovered a fresh buffalo
trali. ana on close scrutiny came to the
conclusion that 1t indicated male and
one OF unusual size. Taking his trail up a
grassy ravine. which was easily followed,
on account of a quarter arrow length OF
ceed more than an arrow shot distance to q
sharp point or bend in the ravine, when, to
my surprise. there stood a medicine bull
which neither l nor any of my Young no.
quaintanceS had ever beheld. Young and
old well knew the venerable tradition that
whomsoever killed a medicine bull within
three suns would be either dead. a warrior
or a chief. l was younger and braver than
| am tonight, and it was but a short in
terval until my bow was strung and Sc
lected arrow quivered on it's errand, and,
as the bull was making its first leap for
rum the arrow was planted deep to the
feathers in his body, having entered be-
tween his ribs, a little behind the shoulder
blade.
He made but few leaps. and then the
noble animal fell, and with a few lowing,
groaning SOUNDS. worthy of his race was
soon dead. My first thought was to return
to camp and report the event, for / knew
many a winter had passed since the like
had occurred in the Sioux nation and if l
could but bring the holy robe to the vii
lage, surely the council would pronounce
me the head chief this very night. l dis
mounted and turned Wabluska loose. The
horse was used to Craze about while his
rider butchered the common buffalo, but on
this occasion he started on a trot up the
ravine showing fear of the dead animal
Il am not ashamed tonight to admit that
the sight of the magnificent animal caused
me to shudder. The inner hairs Of the buff
falo were fine and nearly white. intermin-
gled with q long, black. silver-tipped coat.
did not take long to rid the monster of his
hide. and then to roll up the robe suitably
for carrying on the horse. But Wabluska
was not anywhere to be seen. North of the
place of butchering there was a knoll, and
from there l discovered him grazing quite
a distance further up the ravine. but as l
tried to approach him he kept going on,
further and further. till l was nearly ex-
hausted; and. to make matters worse, /
could see that there was approaching from
the north what We used to call buffalo
killer called by white men "A blizzard.
Il made one final effort to catch my
horse but without avail. Despairingly /
turned my course toward camp, but none
too soon, for the storm came with a roar;
binding whirling, waving pillows of snow
seemingly bent on smothering all living be-
ings. l was soon 'dazed but l drifted with
the storm, hoping to find some spot where
] might be sheltered from the storms fear
full onslaught. Walking and drifting on
ward for a time, fell across what at first
/ thought to be large boulder. but which
turned out to be the body of the medicine
bull.
"My first thought was of the holy robe
which had rolled carefully for packing
/ soon discovered it, unfolded it and placed
1t over my shoulders and body, hair inward.
l found it to be great protection from the
awful blast, and when I crouched in the
shelter of the great body soon discovered
that the animal heat had not all departed.