FullReads

“But if we three had not broken the Medicine, the Potawatami would never have been in that battle.

“Thus it is,” said the Dog Soldier, putting his pipe in his belt and gathering his robes about him, “that wars are lost and won, not only in battle, but in the minds and the hearts of the people, and by the keeping of those things that are sacred to the people, rather than by seeking those things that are pleasing to one’s self. Do you understand this, my son?”

“I think so,” said Oliver, remembering what he had heard at school. He felt the hand of the Dog Chief on his shoulder, but when he looked up it was only the Museum attendant come to tell him it was closing time.

THE END

NOTE:

THE DOG SOLDIER’S STORY

The Cheyenne Country, at the time of this story, was south of the Pawnees, along the Taos Trail. All Plains Indians move about a great deal, so that you will not always hear of them in the same neighborhood.

You can read how the Cheyennes were saved from the Hoh by a dog, in a book by George Bird Grinnell, called the Fighting Cheyennes. There is also an account in that book of how their Medicine Bundle was taken from them by the Pawnees, and how, partly by force and partly by trickery, three of the arrows were recovered.

The Medicine Bundle of the tribe is as sacred to them as our flag is to us. It stands for something that cannot be expressed in any other way. They feel sure of victory when it goes out with them, and think that if anything is done by a member of the tribe that is contrary to the Medicine of the Tribe, the whole tribe will suffer for it. This very likely is the case with all national emblems; at any rate, it would probably be safer while our tribe is at war not to do anything contrary to what our flag stands for. All that is left of the Cheyenne Bundle is now with the remnant of the tribe in Oklahoma. The fourth arrow is still attached to the Morning Star Bundle of the Pawnees, where it may be seen each year in the spring when the Medicine of the Bundle is renewed.

This is the song the Suh-tai boy–the Suh-tai are a sub-tribe of the Cheyenne–made for his war club:–

“Hickory bough that the wind makes strong,–
I made it–
Bones of the earth, the granite stone,–
I made it–
Hide of the bull to bind them both,–
I made it–
Death to the foe who destroys our land,–
We make it!”

The line that the Suh-tai boy drew between himself and the pursuing Potawatomi was probably a line of sacred meal, or tobacco dust, drawn across the trail while saying, “Give me protection from my enemies; let none of them pass this line. Shield my heart from them. Let not my life be threatened.” Unless the enemy possesses a stronger Medicine, this makes one safe.