nd then he attacked us. The horse on which I was
seated leaped very far four times, and had gone off, throwing me
suddenly. When the buffalo bull had come very close, he wheeled around
and departed. So I failed to shoot at him before he went. I reached
home just as my mother was scolding my father about me. When the horse
reached home with the bridle sticking to it, she knew that I had been
thrown. My father said nothing at all, but sat laughing. Addressing
me, he said, "Did you kill the buffalo bull?" And I did not speak.

FOOTNOTE:

[G] The author, Frank La Fleche, an Omaha Indian, was about twelve
years old when this occurred.

BIRD OMENS

_Sioux_

When whippoorwills sing together at night, "_Hohin, hohin,_" one says
in reply, "No." If the birds stop talking at once, then the person
will die soon. But if the birds continue talking, then the man will
live a long time.

The gray screech owl foretells cold weather. When the night is to be
very cold, then the owl cries out; it sounds just as if a person's
teeth chattered. When the owl cries out, all people wrap themselves in
their thickest robes; and they put plenty of wood on the fires.

The Ski-bi-bi-la is a small gray bird, with a black head, and spotted
on the breast. It lives in the woods, and it answers a person who
calls to it. When this bird says, "Has it returned?" people are glad.
They know that spring is near. When a boy hears the bird ask this
question, he runs to his mother; she tells him he must answer, "No; it
has not yet returned."

When the people first hear the cry of the nighthawk in the spring,
they begin to talk of hunting buffalo. This is because when the hawk
returns, the buffaloes have become fat again and the birds bring the
news.

THE BIRD CHIEF

_Omaha_

All the birds were called together. To them was said, "Whichever one
of you can fly farthest into the sky shall be chief."

All the birds flew to a great height. But Wren got under the thick
feathers of Eagle and sat there as Eagle flew. When all the birds
became wing-tired, they flew down again; but Eagle flew still higher.
When Eagle had gone as far as he could, Wren flew still higher.

When all the birds reached the ground, Eagle alone returned, after a
great while. Behold! Wren only was absent. So they awaited him. At
last he returned. Eagle had too highly been thinking of himself, being
sure of being made chief; and behold! Wren was made chief.

SO