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Updated: May 7, 2025
Among the Bloods there were frequent sun-dances where many braves were made and much firewater drunk with consequent blood-letting. Red Crow deprecated these occurrences, but confessed his powerlessness to prevent the flow of either firewater or of blood.
Then he turned away to glance at the lurid reflection in the sky. Presently his eyes came back to her face. "It's them," he said, indicating the reflected fires. "And what are they?" Rosebud's voice was quietly commanding. The irresponsible girl had gone from the woman talking now. "Sun-dances. They're doin' it at night to cover their tracks. The Injuns are gettin' wise." "You mean?"
The Sun River, a few miles above this cataract, was a medicine or sacred river in the tribal days, and it was in this region of gleaming streams and thundering waterfalls that the once famous Sun-dances were held. There was a barbarous splendor about these Sun-dances. The tribes gathered for the festival in the long, bright days of the year.
Into this wonder-land of waterfalls, sun-dances, and legends, our young explorers came, now paddling in their airy canoe, now bearing the canoe on their backs around the falls. Mr. Mann's white face was a surprise to the native tribes that they met on the way, but Benjamin's brightness and friendly ways made the journey of both easy. They came to the Black Eagle Falls.
The hand of the missionary here was upon the helm of government and the spirit of the missionary was the spirit of the tribe. "Any trouble?" enquired the Inspector. "We have a great many visitors these days," said the missionary. "And some of our young men don't like hunger, and the offer of a full feast makes sweet music in their ears." "Any sun-dances?" "No, no, the sun-dances are all past.
It's jest personal, 'tween him an' me." The other laughed cheerfully. "Couldn't be better," he exclaimed. "I'd sooner it depended on you than on the government." Seth let the tribute pass. "We must locate them Sun-dances," he said. "Yes. We've got troops enough to stop them." "Troops? pshaw!" Seth rose. Parker understood his last remark.
The presence of troops had long since been discussed between them. The visitor moved toward the door, and the Agent went to his desk. At the door Seth turned as some thought occurred to him. "Guess I'd not report anything yet. Not till the Sun-dances are located. I'll git around some." He slipped into his fur coat and turned up the storm collar. Parker nodded.
At last Seth spoke with the air of a man who has just finished reviewing matters of importance in his mind. "We've taken in the well in fixin' that corral." "Good. We've got no well here." "No." "I was over at Pine Ridge to-day." "That's what your sister said." "I went for two reasons. Jim Crow has smelt out preparations for Sun-dances. We can't locate where they are going to be held, or when.
I don't wonder they thought the rough life more fascinating than kings and courts. I'd like to have seen sun-dances and maiden-tests; I'd like to have eaten food strange enough to be picturesque, and to have found new streams and traced them to their sources, and to have come unexpectedly on new lakes, like amethysts. It's as much fun to discover as to invent.
But I say it is wise, though not brave, to live in the tepee. It is so easy. Your braves have their squaws always with them. They grow fat till their sides shake. They no longer care to hunt. Why should they? Many papooses come, and they grow up like their fathers. There are no Sun-Dances to make braves, because none want to be braves.
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