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Show 332 AUTOBIOGRAPHY 0~' " You are not dead, then, as we have believed?" "No," I said; "I have been wandering a long while, and have only just returned." " We all mourned you," she continued, " many moons ago~ and we all mourn you now every day. We believed that the enemy had killed you." "No," I said, "I escaped. I have now brought home a large drove of beautiful spotted horses, and if you will do as I wish you, you shall have your choice of the whole drove, and you will become a medicine woman also." "I will do what you wish me," she replied. "Well, I want you, when you get up in the morning, to request the village to refrain from crying fo.r one sun. Tell them that you dreamed that I came home riding a large and spotted horse, having the other four men with me; that we had nearly three hundred of the most beautiful horses you ever saw, and that we rode with large wolf-skins spread on our horses' backs, mine being as white as the drifted snow." She agreed to do all as I had bidden her; I then left her lodge; but, before quitting the village, I called in at my father's lodge. All was still around, and, entering on tip-toe, I reached down the medicine shield, . which no one but his wife or eldest son is privileged to handle, and, opening it, I took out all his medicine tobacco, carrying it back to the camp with me, and then replaced the shield upon its peg. I then returned to our camp, and enjoyed a good s111oke with my companions, our spirits waxing elate at the surprise we had in store. Early the next morning, the woman, true to her word, narrated her dream to the astonished inhabitants, with whatever additions her own fancy suggest- JAMES P. BECKWOUR'fH. 333 ed. My father and mother listened attentively to her revelation; and, before she had got through with her narrative, she had quite a numerous auditory. We were watching the occurrence from the brow of the hill ; and, knowing she would have to rehearse her vision several times before it was generally known throughout the village, we did not hurry to show ourselves. My father and mother, having heard her through, turned and entered their lodge. Suddenly the medicine shield caught my mother's eye-it had evidently been moved. My father took it down and opened it -the tobacco was gone. This opened the " old gentleman's" eyes. " It is well," he said ; " my son lives ! " and he believed the substance of the dream as fervently as the prophetess who uttered it. The bystanders, seeing his medicine so strong, and he beginning to sing and dance, they all joined in, until the noise of their revelry reached us on our distant em- Inence. Now was our time. We mounted our caparisoned steeds, and, forming ourselves in procession, we commenced our grand entree, singing and shouting at the top of our voices. Our tones are heard, and the villagers gaze around in surprise. "Hark!" they exclaimed; "look yonder! there are five men mounted on large spotted steeds. Who are they?" All was hushed as the grave in the village, each striving to catch the sound of our distant strains. The five horsemen disappeared as if by magic, and reappeared driving a large drove of horses before them of all colors. The horsemen again pause on the summit. " Hark ! listen ! they sing ·again ! Who can they be?" Not a soul yet stirred from the village. We drove • |
