Blackfeet Tales of Glacier National ParkSchultz, James Willard
History
Blackfeet Tales of Glacier National Park
Schultz, James Willard
Glacier National Park (Mont.); Indians of North America -- Folklore; Siksika Indians -- Folklore
"And this time the chief did not give him a short answer. He thought
over the offer for a long time. He knew that it would be a terrible
thing to betray his Blackfoot friend, but the temptation was great.
His women were getting old. He wanted that beautiful girl. And at
last he gave way to the temptation: 'It shall be as you wish,' he told
the man. 'All is arranged for to-morrow; we go with the hunters on a
big buffalo hunt, and there will be no chance for you to do what you
want to do. Come the day after to-morrow and I will help you--if you
need my help--to kill the Blackfoot.'
"Very early the next morning the hunters started out after buffalo,
One Horn taking with him one of his women to help in the butchering
and packing in of the meat. They were no sooner gone than one of the
Crow chief's women hurried to One Horn's lodge and told his other
woman all about the plan to kill him. She told it because she was
jealous; she did not want her man to take another wife!
"So it was that, when One Horn came home that evening, this wife ran
to him and embraced and kissed him as though she would never let him
out of her arms. This strong showing of love was unusual with her, and
he asked her the cause for it.
"'Because to-morrow you are to die, and sister and I are to become
slaves. See now what you have done by coming to try to make peace with
these Crows!' And she told him all about the plot to end his life.
"But One Horn just laughed: 'Wipe away your tears and take courage,'
he told her. 'These Crows will not kill me, a bear medicine man, and a
chief. They cannot kill me. I will show you to-morrow something that
will surprise you!'
"That night he kept his favorite war horse picketed close to his
lodge, and the next morning he carefully dressed himself in his
beautiful war clothes, painted himself and his horse, took his bow and
arrows, his shield and spear, and rode into the center of the big
camp, and called upon the Crow chief to come out. He did come out,
also dressed for battle, and One Horn cried out to him, at the same
time making signs, so that he would be sure to understand, 'Your plot
is discovered. So you and that River Crow are going to kill me. Where
is he? Call him. I want to fight you both. I am a bear. I fight like a
bear. Come! Hurry! Let us fight. Ha! I am going to fight my true
friend, the chief of the Mountain Crows, he who smoked and ate with
me, he who was going to join me in making a lasting peace between our
two tribes. Come! Let us fight! Shall it be on horseback or afoot? I
give you the choice.'
"The Crow chief gave him no answer. Some of the people, looking on,
were beginning to show their anger and shame at his betrayal of a
friend. He turned and went back into his lodge, and would not come out
again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account