The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-25
TALES OF A PIEGAN CHIEF.
TRUE PICTURES or FORMER LIFE
AMONG n PRAIRIE INDIINS.
Their Customs Hefore They Abandoned the
war TraII-Doubie ttunser's First Raid, aud
ITIu Single Combat with n eros Sentre CHIEF
-nnnth nr HIs Chnin. HenNI nrtnat.

KIpP, Mont. April 14.-Thc people among
whom IL is NY fortune 10 reside are Pigeons.
one OF the tribes of the once powerful Black
feet. With the disappearance OF the butfaIo
they abandoned The old nomadic life and the
war trail for the ways OF peace. and although
this happened only a few years ago-less than
nfteen-theT are to-day a prosperous and Indus
triOus people, owning hne ranches and immense
herds OF sleek Jeet cattle. But the memory nj
those happy times when they wandered 10 ana
fro from one part OF their vast hunting ground
TO another Is very deaF to them: the old men
love 10 recount the exploits OF their younger
days. So. when | saddled up my horse after
dinner and rode up to Double Runners place.
! had no doubt OF getting from him a history
Of his adventure.
In the old times Double Runner tAhk-o-tn
Mak-anl was the war chief of his tribe. Tor
he had fought more battles and killed more enc
mics tLan any one else, but he has long ceased
70 take any active part in the management OF
tribal affairs. leaving that 20 younger men.
He Is now nearly 90 years of age, but does not
show Il. Very tall, considerably over six feet.
biF frame is as slnewy and erect US ever, and
there 10 very little gray " his thick black hair.
He has n Singularly frank and open coLnte-
nance. large, honest eyes. and there lie nothing
fierce or savage looking about him. His people
call. him tho generous one the gentle one"
lIOunQ the Olu mhn OUT At the U i tulhE
o lot Of big calves he had separated from their
mothers. and after he had finished we went TO
the house. a neat, clean structure OF three
rooms, comfortably furnished. We tat up by
the stove. for the day was chilly. and after
the pipe hai been lighted | asked him to tell
me a. story Of the old times. Tho old man
smoked for a few moments. and then said:
II was only n boy when / first went to war.
NY people were camped on the North Elk
River IRed Deer River, Canada. a tributary
OF the Saskatchewan. and 1 Joined a party go
ing south to war against tae Crows. There
were about forty Of us to start, and We were TO
leave after sundown, on foot. In the after
noon my uncle had q sweat house made. and
with others l went into 1t and prayed. My
uncle prayed.for US, too. He called on the sun
10 help US; he prayed the animals to lend US
their DO Wer. 90 that we could be alert to see
danger and bravo TO meet 1t. lie said he would
pray for us eyery day while we were gone: he
would 20 through the camp every evening and
call out our names so the people would all
pray for us. My mother had made me six
pairs of strong moccasins. which she put In a
little -bag.along with an awl and sinew. and
some nice penn nican. She cried when she
gave it tonne and said she would never see
her boy again. and when we started she was
sitting out back Of the lodge mourning. 1t
made me .fcel'very sad to hear her crying. and
I felt like backing.out. AL night. as-we rrav-
elled along l kept thinking OF her. and. my heart
was heavy.
1--WE travelled most of the way during the
night, and rested and slept in the daytime,
hiding in tho thick timber or brush along the
streams, or lying ON top of some high butte
whore we could see a long way. Something
happened one day near Arrow Creek. 1t was
very strange. We were on tip of a high butte.
some were asleep and some were looking over
the country trying to discover the enemy. 1t
was q very still day. Close to US. all around,
and as far "a We could see the country was
covered with buffalo. Here and there bulls
were paving the dust, and II rose above them
high into the air like smoke from q lodge on a
cold. still morning. All at once there was a
loud report which fairly shook the butte: the
buffalo and antel ope rushed here and there
my sleeping comrades awoke and jumped to
their feet. reaching for their bows. We were all
scared. Every one was asking at once what
made the noise. and where It came from. but
no one could tell. There wasn't O cloud in the
sky. SO 1t could not have been thunder: there
were no whites In all that country. so 1t could
not have been cannon. Our partisan got out
the sacred medicine and we prayed. and made
some sacri6 ;es to the sun. Some of the men
were sure the big noise was a warning to us to
turn back. and a few did leave us that night
and take the trail home. The most of us. how.
ever. had strong faith in our partisan; he was
Q great warrior, and had a powerful medicine,
30 we stayed with him.
II caa't remember now how long It took us
to get to the Yellowstone lin the Blackfool
language. Po.nokahis-si- SAX Talk Riyerl
but it must have been twenty days or more
There was a trail not far back from the river
which the people of that country used wher
travelling up and down. We saw that those
who had passed on 1t last were going up. SO we
the camp until We reached the loot Of the
mountains. several days travel from where
hy ali that night, and it was nearly morninG
when we heard dogs barking, SO we went VI
fiab Z e n,Sa wooded woe could 5iil ~. and tf hid od Mse On d az,
stream far below US. Some were hidden II
the brush. but we could see the smoke coming
from them. and thought there were about 300
big bands Of horses grazing about. We no
close to the lodges of their owners. These. o
course. were tie best ones; the racers ant
bnnalo runners and were the Kind We hae
During the Day our partisan planned fol
to take any risk. he said, could get all the com
mon ones they wanled out on the fiat from
wanted any Of them. so Eo divided US up n int
four parties. TO go into the camp from four diff
wb st' horses oses'i Re wanted ate s he " as as to- eaG Grlv Dne then e@
to a point hack of tho buns waere we were al
went slowly to tho foot Of The hill lila and waite'
until far into the night. The moon was shin
ing. and when at last we were pre- ty sure tn
people were all asleep we moved slowly int,
the camp. You know in those times every maj
had q tuk-ka la chuml. Mine was a boy of m.
own age. named Heavy Breast. lie was no
90 tall nor SO strong as I was. but he was yer,
how he was killed. During The day he and
had been planning what we should do whe
we struck the camp: so now as we neared tn
lodges We left the Others. striking OF "A little L
the left of them; we came to the camp an
moved slowly along. The moon was shining
but everything seemed dim and shadowy.
1T Is easy TO meet the enemy in battle whe1
the sun is shining. Everything is plain; every
thing Is open; you can see just what TO do. wher
20 go. how to act. But In the night as yu'
creep among their lodges 1t IL different; 20
hear the people snoring in their bed: any me
ment some one may come out, see YOU, an
alarm the whole camp. You look closely a
every dark object and place. fearing that peopl
are watching your every move. You CONSTANT
expect to feel an arrow pierce Sour ribs. Heav
Breast whispered to me:
Are you afraid?'-
Yes / answered.
But we will 20 on?'
I'VE will 20 on
"Now VIC came 10 n big lodge; five horse