The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-02-26

wrath, so hat he viii permit the
rain again to visit us. There is no
time for delay now; death is in every
tepee.'
The Sun Answers
''The people listened to his words,
which report carried far, ever to the
North Piegans, whose home is on
Belly river, and to all the South Pie
gans. Weak as they were, from lack
of food, they FASTENED to bring in
poles to build the lodges, n at the
lower end of Upper Two Medicine
lake, and the other ear where the
Midway river joins the Two Medicine.
Here, with appropriate ceremonies,
they implored their god to grant them
I relief. For five days and nights they
tasted and called upon the sun to par
don them, and tell them what to do,
until at length the answer was vOuch-
safed:
"'Send messengers to Chief Noun
tain, where you shall learn my will
"Obedient to this command, seven
men were chosen for the mission,
they being more conversant with the
ways of the Great Spirit they wor-
shipped under the form of the sun,
and at once they set out. Days of
anxious waiting passed, and then the
wise men returned to acknowledge
their failure to secure the promised
aid. They never reached the noun
tain, having been terrified by fear
some sights and sounds, they shud-
dered to relate, which made it i'm
possible to go on, and they were
forced to hasten back to the lodges.
Sixteen of the bravest warriors,
among them Iron Horse, were then
selected to make the journey, as it
l was thought their courage, fortified
5 by their number, would enable them
, to run the gauntlet of the dreadful
- things which beset their way, and
safely reach the mountain. This
= they did only to be more severely
2 tried at the journeys end. The
whole mountain was Illuminated by
constant flashes of lightning, and
t lpeals of thunder shook it as if by an
earthquake, while balls of fire shone
in the tree tops.
The Thunder Bird
when their eyes became accus-
u toned to the glare, behold! at the
summit was seen the Thunder Bird,
: clothed in garments, one side of these
Is differing from the other in color. He
e had the head of a moose, with long
Il ears, and on his shoulders were
black wings.
cat the awful sight, the warriors
fel prOstrate-all but One-IrOn
Horse. He, with the memory of his
suffering people to nerve him to
greater effort, crawled labOriously
upward through that reign of fire, to
the mountains very top, when with
timOrOus hand Outstretched, he ven
tuerd to touch the p~arti-cOlOred robe.
Eat ice the great black wings
were Outspread until they covered the
whole heavens, and as Thunder Bird
waved them, they let fall copious
showers, quickening the parched
earth; causing the grass again to
grow, and bringing back the buffalo
in countless numbers. Not at once,
however, did the grass grow and the
game return. In the interval, the
people, following the instruction of
Thunder Bird, who had nodded his
head toward the north indicating that
it was green there, went in that di-
rectiOn. Game was plentiful in that
region, and there they lived until
their own country became once more
the fair land we see it today. The
miracle of the Two Medicine lodges
Ids D6Gn preserved III In6 name OF
the lakes and the river. They are
known as the Two Medicine.
Because it was at his suggestion
the two medicine lodges were erected
and on account of his remarkable dis
play of courage on the pilgrimage to
Chief MOutain, Iron Horse was ever
after held in highest esteem BY his
tribe. Before his death, he made the
request, as reward for his interces.
sion in their behalf, that he should
be buried on the side of Rising VOL.
Mountain, from which lofty heighr
he could keep watch and ward ove1
his beloved people. In cOmpIianc,
with his wishes. there he was laid t.
rest on the mountain nearest tn,
site of the upper medicine lodge
the mountain which derived it's nam,
from its fancied resemblance to
rising wolf"
=
Chief Three Sons r~ecounted thi
ItraditiOu of his tribe wbiIa Stoudi,,