The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-05
A HALFBRoTRER, BRUTN
4 RELATION THE PIEoAN INDIANS
ARE GLAD TO RECOGNIZE.

drawled Bill. as the half-breed llmped slowly
over to the fireplace to light his pine. ''how's
yer leg today"
Sore. varro sore" Antoine replied. I'm
no sleep tall las night: jss' roll m toss all
time"
1t was several days after the fight with the
bears at the entrance ~ their den, as related
In THE Sun not long ago. Antoine had been
laid up ever since. and the other Two hunters
had done little more than skin the three bears
and bring In their hides and grease. The
weather continued bitterly cold. and they
were glad TO stay inside and keep the broad
f~ireDlace well filed with cottonwood chunks.
The blow one OF the grizzlies had given An
tome had lacerated his thigh and lee and had
proved to be rather q serious wound. and IL i'm
proved slowly. In spite Of the simple ~appllca-
lions and poultices with which the hunters
had treated II.
"A wound made by an animal" said Tom.
either with its teeth or claws, 10 slow to heal.
/ was once bitten by a beaver right here in
the thumb. and for weeks afterward I had no
use OF that hand and arm"
True" said Antoine. "varre true. I'm
know q h'womans he was bit by skunk; in
three days he was die. Heap poison In teeth
an claws"
There was silence for q time. broken only by
the sputtering wood and the roaring OF the
blaze UP the chimney. Bill was awkwardly
sewing q patch on an old pair OF trousers. The
others watched him while they smoked.
How like the human form q bears carcass
Is" said Tom dreamily. Il couldn help no.
ticing 1t again when We skinned those the
other day. Cut off the head. and the rest is
almost exactly like a man"
"H'm!" Antoine exclaimed. Strengthening
himself up. "Mebby you don't know bear is
mans bali brother. No.. white mans don't
know such tinRs, But h'injun know. Oh.
he's know many tinRs white: mans don't.
White mans he's ride over prairie. he's 20 t'ro
woods. he's climb mountain. he's see nothing
but the buff. tho h'elks or the deers. and how
best shoot hims. H'injun he's different. He's
hunt good as white mans. but he's know more.
He's hear the birds talk. he's understand what
amin ais say. Long time ago my:mother he's
tell me story about bear; how he is smart and
take pity on poor.hiniun. Mebby you like to
bear it2 Yes2 Well. l tell you. but l know you
laugh and say Antoine dam fool. White mans
never believe nothing.
We'll. III tell you. long time ago some my
mothers people. what you call PieGans. he's
60 TO war. One OF him is name O'-nis-tai-yi.
Ancisn' Buffalo Cali. l dunno name the others.
Each mans.he's take one wife and leave rest to
homo. They cross the Missouri and go far
south to the land Of the Crow. the Snake and
what you call him. the Cheyenne. They was
start early in the spring. and when berries
get rire. suppose July. they no come back yet.
By'm'by leaves begin to fall: still no come
back. Then the relations and the other wives
they say: Sure. the enemy he's kill them ALL
and they Is cut their hair. and some of him his
fingers and mourn. But they was not dead.
The men was steal lots horses from the Chey-
enne the h'womans make It two nice lodges.
and they was Just camp about in the noun
- - ln.n a. -A~l Lt-,A ALA 100 q A1t--
more horses all the time from the Crow or
mebby the Snake. Lots difrern' kinds h'injun
down in that country.
Now along late in summer what you call
August mebby. some Of the damn Pieds Noira.
what you call Blackfeet-he's Just the same
kind OF people as Piegans. talk all the same. |
always good friends-he's go to war. too. way
down In Yellowstone country. He's find Crow
camp on Tongue River. but can't get into it.
Crow he's herd his horses in daytime. tie 'em
up nights. And he's stay up all night. too:
build big fires and watch he's horses. Long
time the Blackfeet say IN the brush and
watch Crow camp. but every night his big fires
and people walk about. Then he's say: No
use to stop here. Some kind OF war party
came here before us and steal Crow horse. so
he is watch 'em good now So he's come back |
cross Yellowstone. and go along foot the noun
tains. One oIv he's find camp place where
two lodges been. Ashes not cold; big trail of
horses going north. All around camp lots Of
hair: helix hair. deer hair. antelope hair; also.
some buffalo ribs been used to scrape hair or
skins. Then Blackfeet he's say: Sure. here's
some River people'-wha you call Nez PercGs-
his camp. No prairie peoples take hair Off
skin with rib bone. Crow. Snake. Cheyenne. |
PieGan. he's always use chipper-li;e hoe. you
know. But Blackfeets make big mistake:
this was the Plegan camp. the war party OF
Ancien' Buffalo Calf and his friends. He's
h'womans didn't have no clippers. so he's use
buffalo ribs all same as Nez Perc6s. Well. the
Blackfeet he's say: Only two lodges. but lots
horses; we will follow his trail So they go on
careful, and next day see little thin smoke in
cotton wood grove close by little creek. Then
the chief he's tell four men to sneak up close
to the camp and try to ind out what kinds
people they be and how many mems.
'By'm'by the four mems come back and say
they can't get close to the camp: trees too far
apart: no bush to hide in. Only two lodges. |
tant be many men. Then the B.ackfeet go al
together close as they can. guns already. and
make the big war cry: the mems rush out of
the lodges and two are shot. Inside a h'wo-
man screams: Hahn kim oket'" tOh. pity takel. |
and then the Blackfeet chief he's holler out.
on. what q mistakes we have made. We have
killed orr relations Everybody feels very
bab' IN SAhS Sabb 'uli anu ilo I
partner who have been killed. and carry them
into the lodge. and lay them nicely on their
beds and their h'womans cry varre much. But
they can't stay there: the horses are brought
In. the door Of the lodge is piled full OF wood.
and then everybody mounts and they start
north for home.
"Ancien' Buffalo Calf was not killed: the
bullet smash some he's ribs. and he faint.
By'm'by he wake up and look around. There's
his dead partner on other bed place. all COW
cred up: everybody else gone. Well. he
thinks. I'm So!n' die. too: can't move, most
froze. no grub. Pretty soon he hear some
thing walk outside. something varre heavy.
for he feel tho ground shake. IL come to tho
pull wood way and look in. 1t was big
grizzly bear; most SO big as buffalo COW. The
bear com In. look all around. and then walk
over to the man. smell OF him. and begin to
his wound. Then the man think sure he
eat me now. and he faint again. By'm'by
he wake up. most froZe. The bear was gone.