OCR Text |
Show MALLHRT.] C0RBU8IER WINTER COUNTS, 1896- 1688. 139 signed to the winter corresponding with that of 1833-' 34. All of them represent stars as having four points. 1834-' 35.- No. I. Tbey were at war with the Oheyennes. The Cheyenne is the one with the stripes on his arm. No. II. They fought with the Gheyennes. The stripes on the arm are for Cheyenne as before. White- Cow- Killer calls it " Cheyennes- came- andone- killed winter." 1835-' 36.- No. I. They killed a very fat buffalo bull: No. II. They killed a very fat buffalo bull. White- Cow- Killer calls it u Two warriors- killed winter." 1836-' 37.- No. I. The Dakotas and the Pawnees fought on the ice on the North Platte Eiver. The former were on the north side, the right-hand fide in the figure, the latter on the south side, the left in the figure. Horsemen and footmen on the right are opposed to footmen on the left. Both sides have guns and bows, as shown by the bullet- marks and the arrows. The red marks are for blood- stains on the ice. No. II. They fought the Pawnees across the ice on the North Platte. The man on the left is a Pawnee. White- Cow- Killer calls it " Fight- on- ice winter." 1837-' 38.- No. I. Paints- His- Cheeks Bed and his family, who were camping by themselves, were killed by Pawnees. No. II. Paints- His- Face- Red, a Dakota, was killed in his tipi by the Pawnees. White- Cow- Killer calls it " Five- Fingersdied winter." 1838-' 39.- No. I. Spotted- Horse carried the pipe around and took the war path against the Pawnees, to avenge the death of his uncle, Paints- His- Cheeks- Red. No. II. Crazy- Dog, a Dakota, carried the pipe around and took the war path. The waved or spiral lines denote crazy. White- Cow- Killer says, " Paints- his- Chin's- lodge all- killed winter." When a warrior desires to make up a war party he visits his friends and offers them a filled pipe as an invitation to follow him, and those who are willing to go accept the invitation by lighting and smoking it Any man whose courage has been proved may become the leader of a war party. • Among the Arapahos the would- be leader does not invite any one to accompany him, but publicly announces his intention of going to war. He fixes the day for his departure and states where he will camp the first night, naming some place not far off. The morning on which he starts, and before leaving the village, he invokes the aid of the sun, his guardian by day, and often, to propitiate him, secretly vows to undergo penance, or offer a sacrifice on his return. He rides off alone, carrying his bare pipe in his hand, with the bowl carefully tied to the stem to prevent it from slipping off. If the bowl should at any time accidentally fall to the ground, he considers it an evil omen, and immediately returns to the village, and nothing could induce him to proceed, as he thinks that only misfortune would attend him if he did. Some- |