The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1898-09-21


the chase, feasts were called out here
and there, and the camp was filed
with song and laughter. Among the
younger people dances and games of
chance were in order, while the older
ones smoked and told stories of war,
the chase, or recounted the wonderful
doings of the gods. Every evening
the head men of the tribe, the noted
warriors, medicine men and sages
gathered in Pe-nuk-wi-im's lodge, and
l was always interested in listening to
their tales, and so was Archie, so long
as the story was of the chase or war;
But when they talked of religion, of
the power and greatness of their gods,
Archie would become impatient, for,
like all the halfbreeds of French de-
scent, he was a strict Catholic, and
had no faith in their heather ways.
1t was amusing to hear him argue
with them as to the relative strength
of their gods and his, and cannot say
that he ever got the better of the ar
gument. One evening Archie. with
great pains and detail told about Dan
iel in the lions den, and when he had
finished a tall, brawny warrior re-
marked that the beasts had probably
just eaten hearty meal and were too
lazy to move.
81 myself" he said, "single handed
and with only knife, once crawled
into bears den 1 found. 1 prayed
to the Sun to aid me, and when I saw
the bears 1 stabbed with all my might.
There were three in the den, and 1
killed them ALL That's more than
your man did, for by your own account
it would seem he was afraid to fight. I"
Very early one morning it was re-
ported that large herd of buffalo
were feeding on high table land
three or four miles east of the camp.
The camp crier was soon abroad,
shouting out the news, aud the war;
riors, aroused from their sleep, came
tumbling out of the lodges in haste
for their horses. One of the strictest
rules for the government Of the people
was that regarding the buffalo hunt
ing, Thinking life was dependent on
supply of these animals, which were
their food, clothing and shelter,
hunter might go by himself to hunt
deer, elk or other small game, but
when buffalo was discovered no one
was allowed to hunt them alone, un-
der penalty of confscation and de-
struction of his property, and even
death. Sharp lookouts were always
watching for herd, and when one
was seen the camp crier spread the
news. The hunters assembled at the
chiefs lodge, and when all were ready
they started out together, under the
leadership of some chief, and thus
had an equal chance.
1t was not half an hour after the
alarm had been given before the war
riors, mounted on their fleet ponies,
were assembled about us. Saddles
had been discarded, and even cloth
ing, many of the men wearing only
the breechclout and moccasins. Most
of them were armed with rifles, but
some carried bows and arrows, which
at close quarters were almost as rapid
and effective as guns. 1t was grand
sight to see these 1.-THE and sinewy
men move off at the signal Of their
leader. The impatient horses strained
at their bits and curvetted from side
to side, and their riders, erect and
sat them as if horses and
riders were one. No sooner were the
men gone than the women began to
string out after them, mounted on
their gentler ponies, and boys went
with them driving strings of pack ami
mails which were to bring back the
meat and hides. BY this time the
chiefs wives had prepared our morn
ing meal, and after eating borrowed
q horse from the old chief and rode
out toward the scene of the hunt. 1
was much too late to join in the chase.
By the time I reached the plateau on
which the buffalo had been discovered,
the herd had been run and the sur
vivors were gone, but the sagebush
plain was thickly dotted with the huge
forms of the slain to the number of
several hundred, and now the hunters.
the women and the boys were busy
skinning them and cutting up the
meat. Here and there a couple OF
men were quarreling over the owner
ship Of fat COW, which both claimed
to have shot. But these disputes were
seldom serious, and generally ended
in division OF the meat. In the old
days, when the bow and arrow was
the only weapon used these quarrels
seldom occurred, for each Indian had
O mark on his shafts.
Many of the hunters, havingpointed
out to their women the animals they
had killed, now began to ride slowly
toward home. They had done their
share Of the work. They were very
happy over their success, aud nearly
every one who passed called out that
he would send a tongue over to the
chiefs lodge for me. Not little in
terested in Watching the women cut
up the buffalo, although had seen
them at such work many times, rode
out along the line of chase, which ex-
tended several miles. The women
were in very good humor, too, that
aud laughed and ioked with
each other while they worked, There
is nothing 80 conducive TO content
ment as a goodly store Of provisions.
As rode among them they turned
their witticisms on me, and 1 cannot
say that 1 got the better of these eD-
counters.
While 1 was joking with them we
were startled by hearing heavy firing