The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1936-02-28
BY GLENDOLN DAMON WAGNER
A HUNDRED years ago the Crow

ny ULENDOL1N M WAONEh
A HUNDRED years ago the Crow
"A sarokees, a branch Of the Gros
ventres tribe, and were supposed to
have come from the Dakota plains.
At this time they were recognized
as the aristoctrats of the red-skinned
race. OF splendid physique, strong
and vigorous, they were a fine, proud.
Chief Pretty Eagle relates in "Blan-
kets and Moccasins," chat for many
SHOWS the Absarokees, known to the
palefaces as the Crows have pos
sessed all this valley extending from
the Big Horn mountains and the
Pryors down to the Acheta Casha
Asia, which the white man calls the
Yellowstone river"
querable people, proud of their health,
strength and their wealth; vast buff
falo-freckled plains and many horses,
which no raiding tribe had succeeded
in taking from them. And they felt a
naive pride in the luxuriance of their
hair. It is said that 100 years ago, at
the time Of the tribes pinnacle of
braids hung almost to the ground. No
other tribe boasted such thick, long
braids as theirs. Out of this race Of
stalwart men 100 super-men were Sc
lected who excelled all others in
strength and courage. These selected
men served the tribe much as the
Majesty. They were the West Point Of
ficers of the Crows, a military reserve
whose duty 1t was to guard the lodges
of the tribe and act quickly in an emer-
gency. For their camp they selected
a point on the high butte overlooking
the present site of Billings and all the
vy01 ~ <L~ vl114xrN~~ ~r~-a;~
ence come to be known later as Sac.
rifice Cliff" On this strategic point
from whence they could detect any
encroachment of raiding enemy and
send swift riders down to warn their
people or signal with fire-and-blanket
signals, the warriors lived many years,
alert, strong, happy: ,
n of their band went weak like q
squaw. When he walked his strong
limbs gave away under him. And over
his face and body were queer, red
blotches as though he had painted for
a war dance. His skin was hot to the
touch. Quickly the well ones built q
sweat lodge and placed him within the
his body was wet with p~erspiration,
they plunged him into the icy waters
of the Echeta Casha, but to no avail.
Neither were the chants Of the medi-
cine men of any avail. Presently the
sick died and his body, surrounded
by all the possessions he might desire
to take with him or his journey across
the Slippery Log, was bound by raw
hide thongs to q pine tree, fringing the
butte. Then, with terrible rapidity as
days passed, the odd, red marks ap-
peared on the face Of another war
rior, and another, and strong bodies
went weak and burned and were racked
with pain. And each wa carried into
the sweat lodge and plunged into the
waters of the Echeta Casha, and then
was borne, shivering, burning, onto his
bed of buffalo robes in his tepee, where
he sought aid of his strong medicine,
while medicine men beat tom toms and
danced and filled the air with their
chants. But day after day the Great
Spirit called to first n Of His weak
ened children and then another to
cross over into the Happy Hunting
ground, and day after day the strong
ones, cold fear at their hearts, carried
the bodies, so oddly marked with red
blotches, down to the pine grove and
bound them to branches.
Many years later while DR.. w. A.
Allen, now of Billings, was scouting
with his party along the Yellowstone
river, mapping out q trail for a mail
stage route, they CHANGED to make