The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-02

now about the first battle ! was in, when l
counted q coup.
One Of Heavy Breasts brothers went
Ventres and was killed. When the others
returned and brought the news Heavy
Breast came to me and said:
XVII We are feeling very poor. MY
mother IS crying. day and might; MY old
rather is sitting in his lodge and a heavy
load is on his heart. What say you now?
snail we lift that load? Shall we dry my
mother's tears?'
Il told them I would be ready in the morn
ing, and when daylight came we saddled up
our best horses, took a little sank of penn
mican and dried berries, and started off.
FOR TWO lays our people had been moving
from the Bear Paw mountains northward
toward the hills with a gap Cypress hills.
and the evening of the day we left they
expected to camp at the foot of them.
Heavy Breast and | struck off toward the
eastern end of these hills, and, by good
look, Just at dusk. We saw a camp down
by a little stream that flows northeast
from the buttes. The fight in which Heavy
Breasts brother had been killed took place
on Milk river, near a butte we called the
Bulls Head. We We're not sure that the
camp ahead of us was Gros Ventres, al
though they had had plenty of time to
ed out to kill a eros VeHtre or two that we
might take their scalps to the mourners
and thus tighten their hearts. But now We
were undecided, These people before, us
might be Assinaboines or Crees. They had
large bands of horses, and we felt like a k
ing some OF them. The sun went down,
and then, after a while, the old woman
Ghe moon) arose. Then said Heavy Breast:
= Listen: l am going to pray to her, We
will leave it to her just what we shall do.
Pity US, old woman! pity us, red light of
night! You made the night and are ruler
of the darkness Not long ago you saw my
brother killed. You know why we are here,
and we pray you to guide us right. We are
now going into the camp below us: We
leave IT to you what shall happen If you
think best you will have the people sleep
soundly, and we only take their horses and
ride away. But if it will be better for us
To 10ht then Lot 1GL no HiGGnNaTp6 and
when they come rushing out we will try to
take some scalps, and bear them to our
mourning people
I'VE went into the camp; we did not go
very carefully; we Wake about here and
there, trying to choose the best horses, and
leading out those we found to where our
saddle animals were tied. Our bows were
strung and ready; we half hoped we could
be seen. But no, the people slept soundly.
We already had tWenty horses; we got ten
more, and then mounted and drove towards
nome. When we got in sight of our camp
we began TO sing, and the people all rushed
out to greet us. When they learned how
near we had found the enemies place,
every one got on his best horse and pre-
pared for a battle, for we We're sure. our
trail would be followed.
FIGHT WITH A eros VENTRE.
About noon we saw them coming. and
rode out to meet them. They had haulted
on a broad level piece of prairie and drawn
up in a long line, and as we approached a
man on a big strong pinto horse rode out
and challenged any one of us to fight him.
He carried no weapons but his spear and
shield, and wore a beautiful suit of ermine
wal clothes, a bonnet of bulls horns and
streaming feathers. They were eros Ven
tres. We recognized the man who was chal-
leging US, for we had once been friendly
with these people. He was Meateater, the
head chief. / shouted out to my people
that was, going to meet him, and Heavy
Breast, said that he had the best right to
the hight, for they had killed his brother.
l spoke first, i said, this is my fight. I
am also the biggest and strongest
Then told some of my people to hold
and trying to get at the eros Ventre. All
the time | was thinking what arms l should
use, and having decided I threw down my
bow, and arrows, taking only my gun. and
my knife in its sheath. As soon as l rode
out in front Of my people the eros Ventre
chief started his horse with a yell, and rode
straight at me for a way, and then circled
off to the right, his object being to draw
my fire from the side on which / was least
able to shoot straight. But, of course. he
dared not circle too near our line and |
circled inside of him, and watching my
chance put a bullet in his horses shoulder,
and down he went, while nay people cheered
and called ON me to take courage.
"When the horse fell. Meateater struck
the ground standing, and, shaking his spear
at me, shouted and made signs for me to
leave my horse and attack him on foot. So
| jumped off, my people calling out to me
10 reload my gun. but IAlS L ulun [ 90. l
made up my mind to kill that man with his
own weapon if | could, and grasping my
gun like a club | made at him. IS | APP
preached the chief he began to sing and
dance about, iabbing the air with his spear.
He was avery powerful man, and although
| did my best, l could not wrench the Weap-
on out of his hands. How it all would have
turned out | do not know. but both the
eros Ventres and my people could stand
still no longer, and came charging down at
us. In a minute the air was full of arrows.
InOSG who mad guns were SnOOtin2. and
there was fighting all around us. But Meat
eater and l never looked up or away. We
kept, each one of us, trying to gain posses
sion of the spear, when suddenly a bullet
grazed past us, breaking one of my fingers
let so Of the spear and ran, but | overlook
him. thrust the spear into his ribs and down
he went. Then l was glad. l shouted again
and again. / speared the man I'm the belly,
then in the ribs, and every time the weapon
went into him he Topped like a jack rabbit
shot in the head. Then after a little he
and bonnet. When / had finished | looked
up, and far away / saw his followers flying
over the prairie, pursued by my people;
around about me seven men were lying,
dead and dying. / went and looked at them;
five were eros Ventres, two Piegans."
The great stone pipe had long since ne gone
lighted it again and DREAMY smoked while
! was fixing up my notes. When | had
finished and taken a few Whitfs from the
pipe, he continued;
DEATH OF HEAVY BREAST.
II will tell you now how ne-tuk-ka Heavy
Breast was killed. 1 always feel sad when
/ think of this, for / think / was partly to
blame. l should have been more wise and
cautious. This, too, happened at the Hills
With a Gap, where we have fought more
battles than at any other place. The
Piegans thought a great deal of that place.
1t was a splendid buffalo range; there were
elk, deer and sheep in the hills; there was
plenty of water and wood. The Gros Ven
tres, the Assinaboines, the Crees and other
tribes liked to hunt there, too, and, al
though when they went, they generally had
TO fight US, or our relations. the Bloods or
Blackfeet, they would keep going. although
they always got the worst of it. One spring
we thought We would go there for lodge
making time. We would nave no trouble in
killing all the cows we wanted close to the
camp, and there We're fine groves where the
women could cut new lodge poles.
The sun vas getting low one evening as
we reached the foot of the hills and camped
on a little stream, which came down out of
the gap While the lodges were being put up
Heavy Breast and ] took our BOWS and arr
rows. mounted fresh horses, and started up
through the gap, thinking to kill an elk or
deer. A few others had already gone up in
that direction, and just as we neared the
top of the pass one of them came back
'Assinaboines!' he shouted. as he flew
past us. Look! | am wounded.
I'VE looked and saw an arrow sticking
deep into his shoulder. We went on to the
top of the pass, and, looking down over the
north side, saw a camp of people, They
were already alarmed and were tearing
down their lodges, packing their horses,
hurrying to get away. Some distance this
led down to it through the pass, we could
see a number OF men, all on foot except