Adventure Magazine Cover — page 139: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

White of the Sioux girls. One of these young men was wise and good, his heart was brave and strong; the other was foolish. The latter said: “Here is a beautiful young girl on the prairie alone. Let us overpower her and enjoy her.” The young man of sense objected, saying: “No. That would be wrong. This is a holy or medicine-woman.” They were as yet some little distance from her, she having attracted their atten- tion by singing; so after making signs to her she approached and knowing the conversa- tion that had passed between the young men, said— “T am alone and in your power.’ In spite of the protests of his companion, the foolish young man, crazed _by his passion, seized and forced her to the ground, when a great mist, or fog, suddenly arose, en- veloped them, spreading over the prairie, the air being filled with terrible and hissing sounds. As suddenly as it came, the fog lifted, and seemed to take With it numberless rattle- snakes, disclosing to the wise young man, » the woman standing near him and, between her and himself, the ghastly bones of his comrade whose flesh had been entirely con- sumed by the rattlesnakes. The woman then told him: “You are wise, brave, and good. I have taken pity on you and your people. This young man was wicked; so he has suffered the fruit of his own misdeeds. Go and tell your people that I know they are poor; but that I will take pity on them.”’ The young man returned to the Sioux, and told what he had seen and heard, where- upon a large lodge was pitched in the center of the camp, and the beautiful young woman having followed him, she was met a short distance away, by the medicine-men and carried in on a buffalo robe. It was noticed that when she was first seen, and while being carried on the blanket, she held a pipe high in the air, with the bowl pointed toward the sun. Meanwhile a, large fire was built in the teepee. Circle after circle of men, women and children formed outside, and a great circle of fires was also made azound the lodge, every one Buffalo gazing at the beautiful woman who present- ly said to them: “T have taken pity on you. I have brought you four things that will be good for you, tobacco, red robe, white shield, and war bonnet of eagles feathers.” Handing them to the medicine-men, and turning to the chief, she said, placing the pipe in his hands— “T have also brought you this sacred pipe, which will tell you by its increased weight, when buffalo are near and plenty.” She then gave the people much good advice; to light the pipe, point its stem toward the earth, their grandmother, that it hold them good and strong; to the four corners, that no harsh winds, physical, or of trouble or distress, blow against them; and to the sun, their grandfather, that they may have light to see their way clearly, so as to avoid danger and death. Concluding, she mysteriously vanished from sight. This beautiful woman was a white buffalo, who took that shape to give them the pipe that even today, when the whites have almost destroyed the buffalo, has yet great power to help us find them. The first use the Sioux made of it was to carry it in a large circle. Nothing could pass the magic line made by its passage. Seven of the Crow tribe, happening to be within the circle, were killed with the ‘‘rest of the game.” An unconcious irony, appre- ciated only by those who know the con- tempt of the Sioux for the Crows and Black- feet. An ear from one of these Crows was cut off and glued to the stem of the pipe, where it is today. It is the Great Medicine pipe of the Sioux, and has been handed down for generations from father to son, and now Elk Head, of the Sans Arcs, at Standing Rock Agency, is the medicine chief and keeper of it. white man, and but few Indians are allowed to see it, for it is kept carefully wrapped up and guarded. When game was scarce, we would go to the Tetonwan, and together we would dance the ceremony of the White Buffalo, as I have told it to you, and we would soon have plenty. This, Ta Sunka, my brother, is all I know of it. Ihave spoken, Eomichooks No- 133 (Ee)