Читать книгу My People the Sioux - Luther Standing Bear - Страница 8

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Now I was beginning to consider myself as a big boy, and naturally did not run to my mother with every little thing. When we children were not playing together, I spent my time looking for game or fishing. One day my mother went to see her mother, who lived some little distance from us. My mother belonged to the Swift Bear band. When night came and she did not return for supper, I did not cry. Some other women came to our tipi, and they were very good to me. My father thought Mother would soon return.

Some days afterward, one of my uncles of the Swift Bear band saw me playing, and beckoned me to come to him. He took me to my mother. What a wonderful feeling it was again to be with my own mother. She combed my hair, gave moccasins to me, and also some nice things to eat. And I was really happy to be petted. She never mentioned to me about going back to my father, and, in fact, never thought of returning.

One day, when I was playing outside, my father called for me. I went home with him, and he gave me a horse and all the things necessary to make a man of me. When I went inside the tipi, the two women were still there, and they both called me ‘son.’

These two women were the two wives of my father. They were sisters. We all lived in the same tipi, and they were both very good to me. But when their own children came, there was a difference.

In this day, such an arrangement would make it very hard for the children, but in my time it made life better for me. There were more relations to look after me. My father’s parents had both passed to the Great Beyond. But my own mother yet had both her parents, and so did my stepmothers. So I had four grandparents, and they were all good to me. It was the duty of the grandmothers of the tribe to look after the children. When my brothers and sisters went over to see their grandmother and I went along, she did not have things as nice for me as for her own daughter’s children.

When I visited my mother’s mother, she made nice things for me, and that made up for what I lost from the others. My own mother had two sisters, and they each had two children. My mother had one daughter before she married my father, and the girl lived with her. I now had two homes—one at my father’s and one with Mother. When I would go to visit Mother, her sister’s children, and my own sister and I would call on my grandmother. We called all ‘brothers and sisters.’ The term ‘cousin’ was not used.

Grandmother had as many bladder skins tanned as there were children. These skins were used in the place of paper bags, and she always kept them clean and put away until we visited her. On such occasions Grandmother would make some ‘wasna’ for us. There was not as much grease added as in that made for the older people. Grandmother would add a little sugar and choke-cherries for us children.

When it was all made, she would fill the little bladder bags and give one to each of us. We ran and played and ate our hash from these bags, as white children of to-day eat candy. After we had emptied the bags, we returned them. We enjoyed our stay, as we had plenty to eat. Grandfather had a big place, and it made him very happy to have all the children with him. He was a very industrious old man. His name was ‘Wo-wa-se,’ or ‘Labor.’ This name really suited him, as he was always busy. Grandfather was a very good man, and he liked my father. So as there was no trouble between my parents, I went back and forth at will.

We were now safely settled for the winter in the Black Hills, and we began to prepare things for our winter games.

When our people killed a buffalo, all of the animal was utilized in some manner; nothing was wasted. The skins were used as covers for our beds; the horns for cups and spoons, and, if any of the horns were left, they were used in our games.

The whole side of the buffalo was roasted. After all the meat had been cleaned from the bones, my father took six of the ribs and placed them together. He then split a piece of cherry wood and put the ends of the bones between the pieces of wood. The whole affair was then laced together with rawhide rope on both ends of the bones. On top of these bones, Father fastened a buffalo head, with rawhide ropes. Then he made a string of rawhide which was fastened to the front of the contrivance to pull it with. This was my rib sleigh or ‘can-wo-slo-han.’ After sliding down in the snow a few times, these bones would become smoother than most of the steel runners on the sleds of to-day. We could use them in winter on the snow, and in the summer for sliding down the grassy slopes. The ribs, or runners, never became rusty, and if we moved camp we did not have to pack our sleds along. Where there were more buffalo, there were plenty more ribs to make other sleds with.

One of the games we played was called ‘hu-ta-na-cu-te.’ There is no word or name in English for this game, but it was played somewhat on the order of the white man’s game of ‘hockey’ on the ice, only instead of hitting, we threw. Our game was made from the end of a buffalo rib. This bone was about six inches long. One end was shaved down to a round point, somewhat resembling the letter ‘U.’ The other end was squared off, and the marrow cleaned out. Two small round sticks were inserted at an angle, and a wedge put between them. Then two feathers were put on the ends of these two sticks, and we were all ready for our fun.

Sometimes the snow would be falling fast when we were getting ready to play this game. I was one of the lucky boys to own a knife of my own. This acted as a sort of magnet to draw the other boys to me. They would all sit around in our tipi waiting for a chance to use my knife to whittle at a bone. The boys were all good to me.

In our country it grew very cold. The snow would freeze very hard after it fell, making the surface as smooth as glass. After the snow had frozen hard, we would start to play the ‘hu-ta-na-cu-te’ game. We would take opposing sides, and each side tried in every way to get the advantage over the other. Sometimes the game would be played against a bank to see if the boys could go over the top.

The ‘hu-ta-na-cu-te’ would be held in the right hand, between the thumb and second finger. The first finger would be placed between the two feathers over the plug. Standing in a row, we boys would throw this on the ice or snow full force. If thrown right, and if it landed on the flat side of the point, it would go a long distance. Some of the more expert players could even make it go away up in the air.

Occasionally the feathers would not get placed just right on the ‘hu-ta-na-cu-te,’ and it would not fly straight. Then the feathers must be adjusted until it would. Some of us became very expert in this game, and could throw it a great distance. The one who could throw farthest was the winner. On clear days we played this game dressed in breech-cloth and moccasins only. In those days we did not have the white man’s shirt and stockings; but we did not feel the cold, as the game was very exciting and the exercise kept us warm.

We had another game called ‘pte-hes-te.’ This was made from the tip end of a buffalo horn. We would shine the horn nicely and cut off about three or four inches. A long stick was placed in the open end and wedged in all around to hold the stick as near the center as possible. Only one stick was used in this game. Feathers were split and wrapped on the stick with sinew, much the same as we made our arrows, only we used two bunches. When the feathers were dyed bright colors, they looked very pretty, and helped guide the instrument. The ‘pte-hes-te’ was held in the right hand by the stick, and swung back and forth over the shoulder and then thrown down along the icy ground. It would go fast and much farther than an arrow. We had to be very careful to have these made straight, as they were much heavier than the ‘hu-ta-na-cu-te,’ and if they hit you, they might kill.

We also had another game called ‘can-wa-ki-ya-pi,’ a sort of top game. It was made from the limb of a tree, tapered to a point. We had little whips made from a stick, with a strip of buckskin for a lash. We spun the top between the fingers and whipped it to keep it in motion. In all natural wood you will find a heart right in the center. My father drove a piece of bone that was very sharp into the heart of my top for a peg. When all the boys were playing ‘can-wa-ki-ya-pi,’ or top game, it was interesting to hear the tops spin and sing.

Perhaps you will wonder what the girls did. Among Indians, girls and boys play different games, and are always separated from each other. I think that is one reason why our girls grew up to be very nice young women.

The first girls’ game I shall mention was called ‘pa-slo-han-pi.’ This was made from the end of a buffalo or elk horn, much the same as the ‘pte-hes-ta,’ which the boys played.

The handle of the ‘pa-slo-han-pi’ was quite long, and there were no feathers attached. With the first finger of the right hand on the tip end of the stick, the girl threw the ‘pa-slo-han-pi’ from over the shoulder, much the same way a girl throws a stone, only it would glide when it struck the ice. The one who threw farthest was declared the winner. Some of the girls were very skillful at the game.

Another game was ‘i-ca-slo-he,’ a sort of game of marbles, but it was played in the winter on the ice. The girls would offer a prize for the winner. Probably you will wonder where we got our marbles. In this world of ours the One above, who has always provided for His children, helped us, in our amusements as well as in our daily work. On our reservation we found very nice round stones. If any of the boys found round stones, they would give them to their mother, to be presented to some girl.

The girls would first put some brush on the ice to be used as a seat. Then they would choose sides. The good players always tried to remain together, so they could win the prize. The girls sat opposite each other, choosing the distance before the game started. Each side had a small piece of wood in front of them, which they called ‘un-pa-pi.’ The first side to play took all the marbles on their side. Then the leader threw them all, one at a time. If she knocked the block of wood away from in front of the others, they threw over their prize. If the prize happened to be a string of beads, and it caught the block of wood, then they won it back. But the other side had to try to win it by hitting their block of wood. Sometimes a string of beads would go back and forth several times. When one side lost their prize, then they started with the marbles again. Occasionally the small boys, bent on mischief, would slide over the ice and catch the beads and run away with them, whereupon the girls would chase us to recover the beads.

The ‘ta-si-ha’ is a game played by the young ladies, although occasionally the young men tried their hand at it. This was for those who were in what the whites would call the ‘junior age,’ and it was played on winter evenings.

This game was made from the ankle bones of the deer. After the bones had all been cleaned, they were strung on a buckskin string, with the narrow end down. At the narrow end a tassel of little stones, tied together, was hung. After the Indians began to get beads they made this tassel from them. There were about eight of these bones used in the game, each of which fitted into the wide end of the other. At the other end of the buckskin string was fastened the long bone of an eagle’s wing. Nowadays they use a piece of steel wire.

If the young women were playing among themselves, they would choose sides; but if the young men were to take part, they would take the opposing side. They held the eagle wing-bone in the right hand and the tassel in the left. Then they would swing the string of bones out in front of them. If they succeeded in catching the first bone, they played again. If a miss was made, they passed the ‘ta-si-ha’ to the next one in line. If the player caught the bone ten times in succession, it counted for one win. After catching the first bone ten times, they would start on the second, third, fourth, etc., until they caught the entire ten. Then they would catch the tassel, which would be called one game.

The players would always try to get the best of the opposing side. Sometimes they would play with one hand held behind them. At other times they would hold the ‘ta-si-ha’ in the left hand. It was great fun to watch this game. Some of the young men were so bashful they would cover their faces, not caring if they won or lost. All they desired was to be near the girl they loved. Some of these young men would have their fingers covered with German silver rings which they wanted the girls to see—much the same as the white youth who wears a diamond wants to ‘show it off.’

Our people believed that all work and no play was not good for any one. So the older people had a game called ‘hanpa-pe-cunpi.’ It was also known as the ‘moccasin’ or ‘hand game.’ It was played somewhat after the manner of ‘button, button, who’s got the button?’ But our play was more dignified. It required two men who were very skillful in concealing a small stick in the hand. There were two small sticks used, each about two inches long, and tied in the center with a string of dyed buckskin, some colored red and others blue, to represent the different sides playing against each other. In the center, between the players, were ten long sticks. These were used to ‘keep tally’ on. One man took charge of the score.

One whole band would play against another. When we would hear the men of our band talk about going over to another band to play the ‘hand game,’ we would get quite excited, and long for the day when we were grown up so we could play this game. Every one in camp would then get busy, looking around for something to be put up as a prize. There were blankets, otter skins, buffalo robes, moccasins—in fact, anything they could afford to donate.

After the sun had set and the shadows began to fall, our band would be ready to start. The men would go first, then the women, while we children stayed in the rear. Everybody would start to sing about the hand game, to let the other band know our band was coming, and it also served as a sort of challenge. The largest tipi was quickly cleared, all the beds being taken to another tipi. Indian perfume was then put all around, which filled the tipi with a delightful odor.

The players also were perfumed. They would enter first and take their places in the center of the tipi on one side. The women arranged themselves behind, and we children hung back in the rear of the women.

After our players were all seated, the other band would come in and seat themselves. They took the same formation on the other side of the tipi. One of the old warriors held the two sticks, and when every one was seated, and all was quiet, he recounted his deeds in war. After he had finished, he would hand the sticks to two men of one side who he judged were able to uphold the honor of their band. The opposing side selected one man to act as ‘guesser’ for their band. He would take his seat directly in front of the two players.

The game would begin with singing, the players slapping their hands together and hitting the ground, then putting their hands behind their backs and going through all sorts of motions to deceive the guesser. These motions were kept up all through the singing. As the song came near to the end, the guesser had to tell in which hand both players held the little piece of wood. If he pointed to the left hand, it meant that he had concluded the wood was in their left hands; and the same for the right hands. If the guesser put his hand right in front of him, with the thumb pointing one way and the finger the other, it meant that the players held the wood in the two outside hands. If he pointed straight out, it meant they held the wood in the center hands.

If the guesser made a mistake, the players received two of the long sticks for their side. If he guessed right on one of the players, it gave the players’ side only one stick, while the player who fooled the guesser played alone. He had to be very careful after that, because it was much easier where the guesser had only one man to watch.

Sometimes a young woman or a young man would get up and commence to dance for the purpose of distracting attention of the guesser. It was very hard to keep the mind on both players when the dancers’ bells were ringing. If the guesser missed on the man who was playing alone, it gave the players’ side another stick, and both men played together again.

As soon as the guesser had caught both men correctly, they handed over their little sticks to the other band, and the same tactics were repeated. The important thing was to keep the long sticks away from the opposing band, and, if the guesser did not prove to be very skillful, he was replaced by some one else.

When one side had won about eight of the ten long sticks and were playing again, the excitement would be great. But if the guesser could beat the two men on the first call, they had to hand over the small sticks to the other party. The two long sticks remained in the center, and were yet to be won.

It might happen that the opposite side might begin to have better luck, and might win the two sticks in the center. Then, if they won again, they would begin to take the sticks from the other band.

When one side had won the ten sticks, it counted as one game. The best two out of three games was the way it was usually played. After the game was over, the losing side would set up a big feast for the victors, besides giving all the prizes.

The band which won would then go home, singing and rejoicing on the way. Then they waited for the losers to ‘stage a come-back.’ If they did not do this, then the winning band would go to another tipi to play the game, and try to win once more. My father was chosen many times to act as guesser for his band, and he was very skillful at it.

In those days it was great fun to attend a game of ‘han-pa-pe-cunpi’ with the whole family. The men would play it away into the night, with every one watching very intently. When we children grew sleepy, we lay down and went to sleep.

If the men wanted to smoke, but one pipe was used, and this was passed between the men. No drinks were served which took away the senses of our men and women, so no one grew boisterous. We had no bad words in our language, so none were used. Truly, our sleep was a healthful one.

I have spoken of the ‘i-ca-slo-he’ or marble game for the young women, but there was a marble game for the small boys also. It was an indoor game, to be played on cold winter nights when a fire was built. We would find some round stones and get the bark of a tree, or a smooth, flat piece of stone. If we could find neither bark nor flat stone, we would use our hand or forearm. This we held at an angle. We would pull some ashes out of the fire and mark trenches through the piles. Then we would start our marbles down grade, and the marble which went over the greatest number of trenches won the game. While we all worked very hard to make our marbles go farthest, there was no cheating, but the game was played fairly.

Another winter game, to be played out of doors, was the ‘i-pa-ho-tun-pi,’ or popgun game. In the olden times the popgun was made quite short, from ash or any wood that had a big heart. A hole was drilled through the heart of the wood. Perhaps you will wonder how this was done, inasmuch as we had no drills or wire at that time. It certainly did require some patience. The worker would take a thin stick and burn it on the end until it was red, when he would press it into the heart of the ash stick. This was repeated over and over again, and required considerable time before the hole was drilled through.

When the gun was finished, we had to get the ammunition. Sometimes we used the root of the fox medicine plant. We would peel off the outside bark and chew the inside until the sap was all gone, when it became quite a hard ball. A small ball was first inserted in the barrel of the gun, and allowed to roll down to the end until we could feel it. Then we put in a larger one. This left a small air space between the two balls. With a stick which would just fit into the gun barrel, we would push. This would shoot the ‘bullet’ out with some force, and it made quite a noise.

All through the winter we enjoyed ourselves, but soon the melting of the snow would warn us that spring was coming, and that it was time for new games. The big boys would be overhauling their bows and arrows, and then we knew it was time for the ‘bow game.’ They gathered a big pile of brush and stacked it hard against a bank. Then the boys would line up for the play. One arrow was shot into the brush-pile, leaving the feathers sticking out. This was the goal. The player stood his bow on the ground, with his hand resting on the top. The bowstring faced the brush-pile. The side of an arrow was hit against the bowstring, and the string, being taut, caused the arrow to spring back, and it would stick in the bush. The arrow that had its feathers nearest the original arrow in the brush won the game. This game was for the big boys only, and, as each contestant had his arrows painted so he would know them, it was not hard to locate them.

The singing of the meadowlarks would presently draw our attention away from the bow game, and we would start off to hunt these birds. The larks in our State, at that time, talked the Sioux language—at least, we inferred that they did; but in California, where I now live, it is impossible to understand them. Perhaps they are getting too civilized. In our country, we little fellows thought these birds were our enemies, because they would say things to us that we did not care to hear. They would call out a boy’s name, and say that ‘his mamma wanted him,’ or some other objectionable expression in bird talk. So we did not like to have these birds come near us. Those early songsters were wise birds, and sometimes we would hunt all day and get nothing. We used blunt arrows in hunting birds, but when out after rabbits, we took our wooden-pointed arrows. These were not given to us until we were considered able to handle them right. Off we would start, and presently strike the fresh trail of a rabbit. As soon as we killed one, we would have a feast. We carried no matches, but we knew how to make a fire by rubbing two sticks together. We would roast the rabbit and have a fine time. After we had enough of it, we would go home, tired but happy.

Perhaps some of the boys would suggest that we go fishing, and off we would start—minus pole, line, sinker, or hook. All we carried was our bows and arrows. Do you wonder how we got any fish with bows and arrows? The first thing we did was to catch our ponies. We would pull a few black hairs from the tail. These we tied about two lengths long and wound a few of them together. This was our fish-line. We carried along a bit of buffalo meat if there was any. When we came to the river or brook, we got a long branch of the willow tree and tied the hair-line to it. The piece of meat we would tie to the end of the line with sinew. This combination made a very good pole, line, and bait. The bait was thrown into the stream, and soon the fish would be attracted by the meat. Soon a big fish would come along and swallow the bait, and he was quickly jerked out of the water.

The boys who did not own a pony from which to get hair for a line had another method of fishing. They took the branch of a willow switch and made a loop on one end with sinew or braiding. They would lower this into the water, and, when a big fish tried to pass through it, he was soon landed on the bank. Occasionally the boys would shoot the fish with the bow and arrow, using an arrow with extra long shanks. In those days it did not take long to get enough fish for a feast, and we roasted or boiled them—that is, if we could find a can. If we caught more than we could eat, we carried the fish home on a ‘stringer’ made of a small branch. In those days the fish were good to eat. Nowadays I cannot eat fish at all.

One of the games we played was called ‘pa-slo-han-pi.’ It had the same name as a girls’ game, but was played differently. The ‘pa-slo-han-pi’ was a long stick, six or seven feet in length, made from a willow tree. In the early spring, the thin bark of the willow peels very easily. A straight thin piece of the bark was cut off. This was repeated until the stick was clear of the bark. Then we took these thin pieces and wound them about the stick in various designs. We next made a fire and piled brush on. When this began to smoke, we held these long sticks in until all the raw part of the branch had a yellow tinge, caused by the smoke. Then we unwrapped the bark, and the stick was marked very prettily, with yellow and white. Occasionally some of the boys would make their designs black by burning the stick with a different wood. We would make six or eight of these sticks before we started to play the game.

It was played somewhat on the order of the white boy’s ‘follow your leader.’ The ‘pa-slo-han-pi’ was held in the right hand, between the thumb and second finger, the tip of the first finger being on the top of the stick. When all was ready, we all stood in a line.

In the girls’ game they threw the ‘pa-slo-han-pi’ over the right shoulder, but the boys glided the stick over the moccasin, a log, or a stone. The foot was held up, and the stick shot over the moccasin by a swift throw of the hand. This made it travel a long distance, and the player who could send his stick farthest won all the other sticks. The contestants would all throw one stick apiece, then we would all run to see whose stick traveled farthest. Each player knew his own stick by the design on it.

Our women had a summer game called ‘tan-pa.’ On our reservation we had wild plum trees. The women took about seven of the seeds of the plum, and on each side burned different marks. Each mark counted for a certain amount. Then a basket was made of the flat grass that grew in the swamps near the cat-tails. These baskets were about five inches across and an inch and a half deep, and were made heavy on the bottom.

Thirty long sticks were used for chips or tally-cards. When everything was ready to start the game, the women got together and put up their prizes, as the white women do to-day when they play euchre or ‘five hundred.’

There was no limit to the amount of players in this women’s game of ‘tan-pa.’ Sometimes they chose partners, sometimes three would play together; again, each would play for herself. The prizes consisted of sinew, porcupine quills, beads, rawhide, or buckskin. Sometimes one of the women would put up a pair of moccasins. Nowadays they can go out and buy a prize for very little money; but when an Indian woman put up a prize, it meant something because of the hard work it had cost her.

When they grew tired of playing for points, they would change the game and play for pairs. The leader took the basket, with the three middle fingers on the inside, and the thumb and small finger outside. She shook the basket around to mix up the seeds, and then thumped the bottom on the ground. This would cause the seeds to jump into the air and fall. If she landed a pair of one marking, that gave her side one stick, and she played again. If the second play showed no pairs, she handed the basket over to the other side.

The grown men had a game called ‘pa-in-yan-ka-pi.’ This was a large hoop made from the wood of the ash tree, to about the size of a wagon wheel. On four points of the hoop the men cut a spot about two inches long and made designs. They covered these marks with red and yellow paint, and each of the marks counted for a certain number of points. Four sticks were used, each about four feet long, made of ash. Two of the sticks would be tied together with buckskin, about six inches from the bottom, and again about ten inches from the bottom. The upper string was shorter than the lower one, making a sort of fork, with two prongs. Two men were selected who were good runners, and each carried one of these pronged sticks. The players wore only a breech-cloth, as they wanted nothing to hamper their movements. The main object was to knock one of the hoops down with one of the sticks, on a mark corresponding with the color of the buckskin their stick was tied with.

One of the men rolled the hoop as fast as he could. Then the two runners started after it with their sticks, ready to knock it down if they got close to it. When the hoop went down, every one rushed forward to see what the mark was and to note the score. It quite resembled a football game, because the winners yelled just as the white folks do at a ball game.

Sometimes the old men who were watching the game would begin to boast about how they played the game when they were young, and how fast they could run. Then the young men would commence to tease their elders to give them an exhibition of their ability. It was an exciting moment when the old men would drop off their blankets and start. Of course they could not give very much of an exhibition, but it pleased them immensely when the younger men applauded them, and the winner felt very proud.

We had foot races for all ages of the tribe. Sometimes one whole band would race against the other for prizes. Pony races were very common, and the exercise kept us all in fine trim physically.

Now for American baseball. Remember, I say American baseball—not English. We were the only real Americans. This game makes me laugh, as so few white people had any idea we ever had such a game. First, let me relate a little incident: One time I made a bow and arrow for a little white boy. His aunt grew quite indignant that her nephew wanted to play Indian. He came to me and said his aunt did not want him to play with a bow and arrow. She wanted him to play a real American game, like baseball.

Poor little fellow! How hard it would have been for him to play the Real American baseball, because it was so different from the English (or white man’s) way of playing the game.

At the time of year when the bark of the trees was easy to peel off, a crowd of us would start out to get the second growth of the ash. Second-growth branches were always straight. It was real fun, as all ages of the tribe gathered these sticks. After getting back home, the men would build a fire and hold a stick over it until the bark started to burn. Then the bark was peeled off, which left a nice white wood. Next, the end was bent in the shape of a shepherd’s crook, and tied with a rawhide string in that position to dry and set. After the stick was dried out in this shape, the rawhide string was removed, and a piece cut off the end of the stick so that it somewhat resembled the golf sticks of the white man. The handle was just long enough for a man to be able to reach the ground and hit a ball while running. These were the bats used in the game. Each man had his own, and it was decorated to suit himself.

The ball was made from scraps of buckskin, wound together, and then covered with a piece of buckskin and sewed with sinew. These balls were very hard, and about the size of an ordinary baseball.

When the ball and bats were all ready for use, a collector went through the camp and gathered all the articles which were to be used as prizes. It was really funny to see the way in which this man laid out his prizes so they would show off to the best advantage. When he reached our side of the camp, he compared the prizes we were to give with those he already had. If an otter skin had been put up by the opposite side, then some one on our side had to be just as liberal and also donate an otter skin. When calico was donated, they measured off the amount in yards. You could not give three yards and expect nor hope to win six. Both sides had to make donations of about equal value. After the prizes were all collected, they were carried to the middle of the camp or field. The collector remained with them to watch them.

The young men who were to play were now busy painting their bodies and fixing their hair. Then they would run up and down, warming up for the game. Every one was anxious to have the game start. The children got their ponies and rode them to a place where they could watch the game. Every one but the players was on horseback, in a big circle. The camp was about a mile or so across, and one tipi at each end was chosen as goals. Any number of players could participate in this game. Sometimes there were as many as fifty men on a side, each one having a bat.

There were no foul lines. The main object was to get to the goals first; the ball was not to be touched with the hand, but must be hit with the bat or kicked.

When the players were ready, a man threw the ball up in the air, and as it came down the men on both sides tried their best to drive it toward their finishing-line. If the ball was driven to the side of the camp, it caused a scramble for all the people near by to get out of the way. We little fellows on horseback would whip up our ponies and run as fast as we could to watch the ball. The men who played this game were all fast runners, very strong and fine-looking. They wore only the breech-cloth and plain moccasins; sometimes they ran in their bare feet.

I remember one time when they were playing this game, and we were all watching them, the ball came to our side. We got out of the way as fast as our ponies could carry us, and then watched to see what would happen. Two of the best runners were after the ball, and as they came together one young man was lifted off his feet and thrown. He struck a small tipi and knocked it down, but that did not seem to worry him in the least; he got after the ball and drove it back. Such playing required all a man’s strength.

Two out of three games had to be won by one side, and then they carried all the prizes home to their camp. The greatest excitement was caused when each side had won once, and it came time for the last play. The ball would be down near the goal, with every one on that side shouting for victory. Suddenly one hit would drive the ball into the field again. There it would perhaps be met by one of the out-fielders (as you would call them). If he was an exceptionally good player, he would knock the ball over the heads of the players and into the tipi.

What shouting and singing there would be as the victors went home! When this game was played at night, it was for every one. The ball used in the night game was about three times larger than the one used in the day game. It was made of buckskin stuffed with deer hair. This made it very soft, and it would not go very far, and if one happened to get struck by it, it did not hurt very much. When we little fellows knew the night game was going to be played, we got our bats and started with all good intentions to get into the game. We would expect to hit the ball at least once; but when we would see the men coming our way, we would change our minds and run away from the ball as fast as we could.

Sometimes the women played the game alone. One of my cousins was such a fast runner that when she got after the ball the others usually gave up the chase. She was a very tall young woman. She is now an old woman. Her name is Mrs. Black Horn, and she still resides at Pine Ridge Agency, in South Dakota.

When we were quite small, we all sat around in the evening to hear our older people talk of hunts, battles, fishing, and moving. Like the children of to-day, we tried to imitate. The old men would relate how they had sent out a certain scout and what news he brought back, and about how the hunt started. So we children wanted a buffalo-hunt all our own. We had no toys, of course, but we did not complain, but started to make some ourselves. We would get some adobe mud, work it until it was easy to model, and very soon we had a great array of horses. We used slough grass for the legs of these horses.

Sometimes we made our horses from the branches of the red willow tree. We could make four different colors. If we used the willow as it was on the tree, the horse was plain red; if we took off the first bark from the legs, it resembled stocking-legs. Peeling off the bark produced a yellow horse; or we could make spotted horses by picking at the bark here and there.

Then we would make little men from these branches also—that is, if our horses were made from the willow. If we made adobe horses, then we modeled adobe men. After the horses were all made, we would go out where the real horses were grazing and pick up dried manure chips and call these the buffalo, because they were brown.

We made little bows and arrows, and then divided into bands, like the grown folks. If we let the girls come into this game, it was more fun, as they would make little tipis from the leaves of the cottonwood tree, and fasten them together with a small twig. When the girls had plenty of these made and they were scattered around, it quite resembled a big camp.

Then we boys would make-believe send out a scout, and after he returned we would all start with our imitation horses to get the buffalo. We would play by the hour at this game of chasing the buffalo.

While we were getting the cottonwood leaves for the girls, we would sometimes break off a forked stick, and they would use this to make a doll. These dolls were not very handsome affairs, as they had no arms; but when they were wrapped in a piece of buckskin, they looked good to us Indian children.

The women could make very nice dolls from the scraps of buckskin, which they stuffed with deer hair. These were unbreakable, and when dressed looked very pretty. The girls would keep these dolls for a long time.

As the girls grew toward young womanhood, they were taught to imitate their mothers in everything. They were taught to tan buckskin and sew it together to make a tipi. They used poles from the willow tree seven or eight feet long, and these made fine tipis. However, but few of the girls could afford such a luxury, and the girls who could were very proud to show them off.

In our play the girls would usually decide where the village was to be pitched. Some of us boys had our own ponies and we would suggest having a battle and attacking the camp. This was lots of fun. Some of the girls had their dolls in little carriers, and they would run, and the boys on their side would fight us. If a boy fell off his pony while in the camp of the enemy, one of us would be brave and try to rescue him.

After the battle was over and peace reigned, if the opposite side had lost all their horses, then the boys would drag the tipi poles over to another place, and the camp would be set up again.

While this was all in play, it was just like the stories which were told to us at home. There was no roughness shown among the children, nor was any advantage taken of any one. We always ‘played fair,’ as we were taught to be fair in all things.

If any of the older people were passing, they would stop and watch us at our play. If they happened to be passing through the spot where our miniature camp of adobe horses and men was set up, they were always very careful not to break any of our playthings and spoil our fun.

Our playthings were all outside, so we did not need to put them away; in that way they did not muss up the tipi. But if a heavy rain came up in the night, our adobe toys looked very miserable the next morning. But there was plenty more adobe and lots of trees from which to manufacture more toys, and we did not cry or worry about the loss.

Ta-hu-ka-can-kle-ska, a Summer Game for Boys

Winter Game of Hu-ta-na-cu-te on Ice

Winter Game of Pte-hes-te on Ice or Frozen Ground

Pa-slo-han-pi, a Winter Game for Women on Ice or Frozen Ground

SIOUX GAMES

From drawings by the author