When Buffalo Ran eBook

George Bird Grinnell
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 97 pages of information about When Buffalo Ran.

When Buffalo Ran eBook

George Bird Grinnell
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 97 pages of information about When Buffalo Ran.
said, “Now do you hold the pipe,” and Sun’s Road held it while the old man took his hands away, and he said:  “Sun’s Road, pass your hands all down the stem and over the pipe, and then rub your hands over your face and head, and over your arms and body and legs.  Then hand me the pipe.”  Sun’s Road did as he was bade.  Then the old man put his hand on the buffalo chip and said to Sun’s Road, “Did you see bulls?”

And Sun’s Road answered, “I saw them.”

The old man pulled in the chip a little way toward himself.

“Did you see cows?”

“I saw them.”

The chief moved the chip a little further toward himself.

“Did you see two-year-olds?”

“I saw them.”

Standing Water moved the chip a little further toward himself.

“Did you see yearlings?”

“I saw them.”

“Did you see small calves?”

“I saw them.”

After each answer the chip was moved nearer the chief, and when all the questions had been answered it was close to his body.  Then Standing Water lifted up his hands toward the sky and thanked He amma wihio for all his goodness to the people.

Standing Water cleaned out the pipe, emptied the ashes on the chip in four piles and left them there.  He put his pipe in its sheath and said to the people:  “Now, let none of you people go around toward the left and pass in front of this chip—­between it and the camp.  Back off and all go around behind it, on the side toward the buffalo.  If you should pass in front of it that might make the buffalo all go away.”  All the people went around it, as they had been told to do.

The chiefs mounted and all rode up on the ridge and all saw the buffalo.  The chiefs said:  “Now here we will divide into two parties; let half go to the right and half to the left.  The chiefs will go straight down from here.  Let one party go around below the buffalo, and the other party on the upper side.  When you get to your places let all make the charge at the same time.”

Sun’s Road watched where his girl was riding, and when he saw that she went to the right he went that way too, and she saw him on his fine horse.  They charged down on the buffalo and he rode close to a fat cow and killed it.

The people killed plenty of buffalo and took much meat back to the camp and ate, and all were happy.

A day or two afterward someone who was out saw the buffalo quite close and coming toward the river.  They went out and chased them and again killed plenty.  Two or three days later the buffalo began to come down to the river and then to cross the river and to feed in the hills about the camp.  The people stayed in this camp for a long time and killed many buffalo and made plenty of robes.

My Marriage.

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
When Buffalo Ran from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.