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13 - Mika`pi- Red Old Man · Blackfeet Native American Stories

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  Speaker 1: Chapter thirteen of black Feet in the Stories. This is
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  Speaker 1: a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: For more information, art a volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
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  Speaker 1: Recording by M. C Y. Black Feet in the Stories
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  Speaker 1: by George B. Grenell, Chapter thirteen, me Cappy Red Old Man.
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  Speaker 1: In Montana, running into the Missouri River from the south,
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  Speaker 1: is a little stream that the black Feet call it
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  Speaker 1: fell on them once, long long ago, while a number
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  Speaker 1: of women were digging in a bank near the stream
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  Speaker 1: for the red earth that they used as paint. The
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  Speaker 1: bank gave way and fell on them, bearing and killing them.
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  Speaker 1: The white people called this Armel's Creek. It was on
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  Speaker 1: this stream, near the mountains that the Pagans were camped
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  Speaker 1: when Me Capi went to war. This was long ago.
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  Speaker 1: Early in the morning, a herd of buffalo had been
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  Speaker 1: seen fear eating on the slopes of the mountains, and
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  Speaker 1: some hunters went out to kill them. Traveling carefully up
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  Speaker 1: the ravines and keeping out of sight of the herd,
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  Speaker 1: they came close to them, near enough to shoot their arrows,
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  Speaker 1: and they began to kill fat cows. But while they
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  Speaker 1: were doing this, a war party of snakes that had
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  Speaker 1: been hidden on the mountain side attacked them, and the
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  Speaker 1: Pagans began to run back toward their camp. One of them,
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  Speaker 1: called fox Eye, was a brave man and shouted to
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  Speaker 1: the others to stop and wait, saying, let us fight
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  Speaker 1: these people. These snakes are not brave. We can drive
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  Speaker 1: them back. But the other pigans would not listen to him.
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  Speaker 1: They made excuse, saying, we have no shields, our war
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  Speaker 1: medicine is not here. There are many of them, why
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  Speaker 1: should we stop here to die? They ran on to
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  Speaker 1: the camp, but fox Eye would not run. Hiding behind
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  Speaker 1: a rock, he prepared to fight. But as he was
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  Speaker 1: looking for some enemy to shoot at, holding his arrow
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  Speaker 1: on the string, a snake had crept up on the
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  Speaker 1: bank above him. The pigan heard the twang of the
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  Speaker 1: bow string and the long, fine arrow passed through his body.
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  Speaker 1: His bow and arrow dropped from his hands, and he
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  Speaker 1: fell forward dead. Now too late, the warriors came rushing
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  Speaker 1: out from the pig and camp to help him, but
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  Speaker 1: the snakes copied their enemy, scattered up the mountain and
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  Speaker 1: soon were hidden in the timber. Fox Eye had two
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  Speaker 1: wives and their father and mother, and all their near
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  Speaker 1: relations were dead. All fox Eye's relations had died. So
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  Speaker 1: it happened that these poor widows had no one to
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  Speaker 1: help them, no one to take vengeance for the killing
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  Speaker 1: of their husband. All day long, and often far into
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  Speaker 1: the night, these two sat on a nearby hill and wailed,
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  Speaker 1: and their mourning was said. There was a young man
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  Speaker 1: named me Cappi. Every morning when he awoke, he heard
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  Speaker 1: the morning of these poor wiedles, and all through the
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  Speaker 1: day he could not forget their sorrow. He pitied them.
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  Speaker 1: One day he sent his mother to them to tell
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  Speaker 1: them that he wished to speak with them. When they
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  Speaker 1: had come to the lodge, they entered and sat down
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  Speaker 1: close by the doorway and covered their heads listen, said me,
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  Speaker 1: copy For days and nights I have heard your morning,
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  Speaker 1: and I do have mourned. Your husband was my clothes friend,
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  Speaker 1: and now he is dead, and no relations are left
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  Speaker 1: to avenge him. So now I say to you, I
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  Speaker 1: will take the load from your hearts. I will go
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  Speaker 1: to war and kill enemies and take sculpse, and when
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  Speaker 1: I return they shall be yours. I will wipe away
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  Speaker 1: your tears, and we shall be glad that Fox's eyes arranged.
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  Speaker 1: When the people heard that my copy was going to war.
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  Speaker 1: Many young men wished to join him, but we refused.
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  Speaker 1: I shall go alone, he said so, when he had
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  Speaker 1: taken a medicine sweat and had asked the priest to
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  Speaker 1: pray for him in his absence, he left the camp
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  Speaker 1: one evening, just as it was growing dark. It is
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  Speaker 1: only the foolish warrior who travels in the day. The
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  Speaker 1: wise one knows that war parties may be out, or
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  Speaker 1: that some camp water sitting on a hill may see
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  Speaker 1: him far off and may try to kill him. Mikapy
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  Speaker 1: was not one of these foolish persons. He was brave
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  Speaker 1: and cautious, and he had powerful helpers. Some have said
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  Speaker 1: that he was helped by the ghosts. When he started
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  Speaker 1: to war against the snakes. He traveled in low places,
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  Speaker 1: and at sunrise he climbed some hill near by and
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  Speaker 1: looked carefully over the country in all directions, And during
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  Speaker 1: all the long day he lay there and watched, sleeping often,
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  Speaker 1: but only for a short time. When Micapi had come
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  Speaker 1: to the great place of falling water, he began to
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  Speaker 1: rain hard, and looking about for a place to sleep,
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  Speaker 1: he saw a hole in the rocks and crept in
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  Speaker 1: and lay down at the farther end. The rain did
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  Speaker 1: not stop, and when it grew dark, he could not
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  Speaker 1: travel because of the darkness in the storm, so he
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  Speaker 1: lay down to sleep again. But before he had fallen
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  Speaker 1: int sleep, he heard something at the mouth of the cave,
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  Speaker 1: and then something creeping toward him. Then soon something touched
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  Speaker 1: his breast and he put out his hand and felt
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  Speaker 1: a person. Then he sat up. Mikapi stretched out his
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  Speaker 1: hand and put his palm on the person's breast and
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  Speaker 1: moved his hand quickly from side to side, and then
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  Speaker 1: touched the person with the point of his finger, which
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  Speaker 1: in sign language means who are you. The stranger took
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  Speaker 1: Mikapy's hand and made him feel of his own right hand.
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  Speaker 1: The thumb and fingers were closed except the forefinger, which
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  Speaker 1: was extended. When Micapi's hand was on the stranger's hand,
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  Speaker 1: the person moved his hand forward with a zigzag motion,
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  Speaker 1: meaning snake. Mikapi was glad he had come to him
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  Speaker 1: one of the tribe he was seeking, yet he thought
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  Speaker 1: it better to wait for a time before fighting him.
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  Speaker 1: So when in signs the snake asked me copy who
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  Speaker 1: he was, he replied by making the sign of paddling
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  Speaker 1: a canoe that he was a river person, for he
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  Speaker 1: knew that the snakes and the river people or Pendoray
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  Speaker 1: were at peace. Then the two lay down for the night,
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  Speaker 1: but Mikapi did not sleep through the long night. He
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  Speaker 1: watched for the first light so that he might kill
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  Speaker 1: his enemy, And just at daybreak, Micapy, without noise, strung
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  Speaker 1: his bow, fitted an arrow to the string, and sent
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  Speaker 1: the thing shaft through his enemy's heart. The snake had
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  Speaker 1: roze up and fell back dead. Micappi scalped him, took
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  Speaker 1: his bow and arrows and his bundle of moccasins, and
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  Speaker 1: went out of the cave and looked all about. Daylight
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  Speaker 1: had come, but no one was in sight. Perhaps like himself,
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  Speaker 1: the snake had gone to war alone. Mikapi did not
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  Speaker 1: forget to be careful, because he had been thought in it.
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  Speaker 1: He traveled only a did away, and then hid himself
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  Speaker 1: and waited for night before going on. After drinking from
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  Speaker 1: the river, he ate and climbing up on a high
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  Speaker 1: rock wall, he slept. He dreamed that he fought with
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  Speaker 1: strange people and was wounded. He felt law trickling from
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  Speaker 1: his wound, and when he awoke he knew that he
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  Speaker 1: had been warned to turn back. Other signs were bad.
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  Speaker 1: He saw an eagle rising, carrying a snake which dropped
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  Speaker 1: from its claws. The setting sun, too was painted a
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  Speaker 1: sure warning that danger was near. In spite of all
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  Speaker 1: these things, Micapi determined to go on. He thought of
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  Speaker 1: the poor widow's morning. He thought of welcome of the
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  Speaker 1: people if he should return with scalps. He thought also
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  Speaker 1: of two young sisters whom he wished to marry. If
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  Speaker 1: he could return with proof of brave deeds, they would
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  Speaker 1: think well of them. Micappi traveled onward. The sun had
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  Speaker 1: already disappeared behind the sharp pointed, dark peaks at the mountains.
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  Speaker 1: It was nearly night. As the light grew dim, the
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  Speaker 1: far stretching prairie began to be hidden by stream in
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  Speaker 1: a valley where grew large and small trees were the
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  Speaker 1: largest of the great camp for a long distance. Up
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  Speaker 1: and down the river rose the smokes of many fires
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  Speaker 1: and hell overlooking the valleys. At a person alone, His
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  Speaker 1: robes was drawn close about him, and he sat there
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  Speaker 1: without moving, looking down on the valley and out on
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  Speaker 1: the prairie above it. Perhaps he was watching for enemies
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  Speaker 1: perhaps he was praying. Creeping through the grass behind this person,
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  Speaker 1: something was slowly drawing near to him. There was no noise,
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  Speaker 1: The wacher heard nothing. Still he sat there, looking out
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  Speaker 1: over the prairie and turning his head neither to the
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  Speaker 1: right nor to the left. This thing behind him kept
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  Speaker 1: creeping closer, and presently was so near he could touch
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  Speaker 1: the man. Perhaps then there was some little rustle on
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  Speaker 1: the grass, and the water turned his head. It was
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  Speaker 1: too late. A strong arm around his neck bent his
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  Speaker 1: head back, and hand covered his mouth. A long stone
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  Speaker 1: knife was thrust into his breast, and he died in silence.
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  Speaker 1: The fading light had kept people in the camp from
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  Speaker 1: seeing what had happened. The man who had used a
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  Speaker 1: knife scalped his enemy and slowly hid by the grass,
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  Speaker 1: crept down the hill that he had just ascended, and
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  Speaker 1: when he reached the cover of a low place, Micapi
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  Speaker 1: rose to his feet and crept away. He had another
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  Speaker 1: snake scalp tied to his belt. His heart was glad,
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  Speaker 1: but he was not satisfied. Several nights had passed since
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  Speaker 1: the signs warned him to turn back, but notwithstanding the warnings,
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  Speaker 1: he had succeeded. Perhaps his success had made him too confident.
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  Speaker 1: He longed for more of it. One more scalp I
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  Speaker 1: shall take, he said, and then I will return to
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  Speaker 1: the people. He climbed far up the mountain side and
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  Speaker 1: hid among the pines and slept. But when they came
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  Speaker 1: he awoke and crept out to a point where he
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  Speaker 1: could see the camp. He saw the smoke rising as
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  Speaker 1: the women kindled their morning fires. He saw the people
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  Speaker 1: going about through the camp, and then presently he saw
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  Speaker 1: many people rush up on the hill where he had
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  Speaker 1: left the dead enemy. He could not hear their angry cries,
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  Speaker 1: nor their mourningful, but he knew how badly they felt,
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  Speaker 1: and he sang a song, for he was happy once more.
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  Speaker 1: The sun had disappeared behind the mountains, and as darkness grew,
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  Speaker 1: Micapi came down from where he had been hiding and
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  Speaker 1: carefully approached the camp. Now was a time of danger.
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  Speaker 1: Now watchers might be hidden anywhere, looking for the approach
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  Speaker 1: of enemies, ready to raise a cry to warn the camp.
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  Speaker 1: Each bush or clump of ry grass or wheel thicket
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  Speaker 1: might hide an enemy. Very slowly looking and listening, Micappy
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  Speaker 1: crept around the outskirts of the camp. He made no noise,
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  Speaker 1: He did not show himself. Presently he heard some one
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  Speaker 1: clear his throat, and then a cough, and a little
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  Speaker 1: bush moved. Here was a watcher. Could he kill him
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  Speaker 1: and get away? He sat and waited to see what
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  Speaker 1: would happen. But he knew where his enemy was, but
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  Speaker 1: the enemy knew nothing of him. The great moon rose
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  Speaker 1: over the stern prairie and climbed high and began to
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  Speaker 1: travel across the sky. Seven persons swung around and pointing downward.
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  Speaker 1: It was about the middle of the night. At length,
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  Speaker 1: the purse in the bush grew tired of watching. He
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  Speaker 1: thought nobenemy could be near, and he rose and stretched
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  Speaker 1: out his arms and yawned. But even as he stood,
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  Speaker 1: an arrow pierced him through beneath the arms. He gave
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  Speaker 1: a loud cry and tried to run, but another arrow
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  Speaker 1: struck him and he fell. And now from out the
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  Speaker 1: camp rushed the warriors toward the sound. But even as
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  Speaker 1: they came, Micappi had taken the scalp from his enemy
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  Speaker 1: and started to run away into the darkness. The moon
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  Speaker 1: was bright, and close behind him were the snakes. He
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  Speaker 1: heard arrows flying by him, and presently one passed through
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  Speaker 1: his arm. He pulled it out and threw it from him.
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  Speaker 1: Another struck his leg, and he fell, and a great
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  Speaker 1: shout arose from the snakes. Now their enemy was down,
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  Speaker 1: and revenge for the two lives lately taken was certain.
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  Speaker 1: But Mecappy's helpers were not far off. He was at
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  Speaker 1: the very verge of the high cut wall overhanging the
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  Speaker 1: river that Micappi fell, and even as the snakes shouted,
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  Speaker 1: he rode over the brink into the dark rushing water below.
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  Speaker 1: The snakes ran along the edge of the river, looking
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  Speaker 1: into the water with bent bows, watching for the enemy's
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  Speaker 1: head or body to appear, but they saw nothing. Carefully
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  Speaker 1: they looked along the shores and sand bars, they did
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  Speaker 1: not find him. Micappi had sunk deep in the water.
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  Speaker 1: The sweet current carried him along, and when he rose
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  Speaker 1: to the surface he was beyond his enemies. For some
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  Speaker 1: time he floated on, but the arrow and his leg
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  Speaker 1: pained him, and at last he crept out on a
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  Speaker 1: sand bar. He managed to draw the arrow from his leg, and,
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  Speaker 1: finding at the edge of the bar a dry log,
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  Speaker 1: he rolled it into the water, and, keeping his hand
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  Speaker 1: on it, drifted down the river with the current. Cold
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  Speaker 1: and stiff from his wounds. He crept out on the
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  Speaker 1: bank and lay down in the warm sunshine. Soon he
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  Speaker 1: fell asleep. When he awoke, the sun was in the
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  Speaker 1: middle of the sky. His legs, wag and worm were
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  Speaker 1: sullen and paint him. Yet he started to go home,
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  Speaker 1: and four time struggled onward. But at last, tired and discouraged,
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  Speaker 1: he sat down. Ah, he said to himself, too were
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  Speaker 1: the signs? How crazy I was to go against them?
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  Speaker 1: Now my bravery has been useless. For here I must
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  Speaker 1: stop and die. The widows will still mourn, and who
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  Speaker 1: will care for my father and mother their old age?
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  Speaker 1: Pity me now, old son, help me, O, great above person,
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  Speaker 1: give me life. Something was coming through the brush near him,
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  Speaker 1: breaking the sticks as it walked. Was it the snake's
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  Speaker 1: following his trail? Me Cappy strung his bow and drew
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  Speaker 1: his arrow from the quiver. He waited, No, it was
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  Speaker 1: not a snake. It was a bear, a big, grisly bear,
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  Speaker 1: standing there looking down at me. Cappy, What is my
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  Speaker 1: brother doing here? Said the bear? Why does he pray
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  Speaker 1: for life? Look at my last said me, Cappy, swollen
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  Speaker 1: and sore, See my wounded arm I can hardly hold
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  Speaker 1: the ball. Far away is the home of my people,
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  Speaker 1: and my strength is gone. Surely here I must die,
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  Speaker 1: for I cannot walk and I have no food. Take courage,
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  Speaker 1: my brother, said the bear, keep up a strong heart,
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  Speaker 1: for I will help you, and you shall have life.
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  Speaker 1: When he has said this, he lifted me copy in
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  Speaker 1: his arms and took him to a place where there
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  Speaker 1: was thick mud. And there he took great handfuls of
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  Speaker 1: the mud and plastered it on the wounds. And while
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  Speaker 1: he was putting on the mud he sang a medicine sung.
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  Speaker 1: Then he carried me Copy to a place where there
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  Speaker 1: were many service berries, and he broke off great branches
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  Speaker 1: of the fruit and gave them to him, saying, eat,
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  Speaker 1: my brother, eat. He kept breaking off branches full of
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  Speaker 1: large ripe berries until my copy was full, and could
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  Speaker 1: it no more. Then said the bear. Now lie down
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  Speaker 1: on my back and hold tight by my head, and
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  Speaker 1: when we will go on. And when Micpi had got
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  Speaker 1: on his back and was ready, the bear started All
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  Speaker 1: through the night. He traveled on without stopping. And when
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  Speaker 1: morning came, they retted for a time and ate more berries,
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  Speaker 1: And again the bear put mud upon the man's wounds.
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  Speaker 1: In this way they traveled on until on the fourth
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  Speaker 1: day they had come close to the lodges of the Pagans,
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  Speaker 1: and the people saw them coming and wondered, get off, now,
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  Speaker 1: my brother, get off, said the bear. There is the
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  Speaker 1: camp of your people. I shall leave you. And at
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  Speaker 1: once he turned and went off up the mountain. All
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  Speaker 1: the people came out to meet me Cappy, and they
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  Speaker 1: carried him to his father's lodge. He untied the scalps
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  Speaker 1: from his belt and gave them to the poor widow, saying,
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  Speaker 1: these are the scalps of your enemies. I wipe away
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  Speaker 1: your tears. Then every one rejoiced, all me Cappy's women
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  Speaker 1: relations went through the camp, shouting out his name in
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  Speaker 1: singing songs about him, and all prepared to dance the
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  Speaker 1: dance of triumph and rejoicing. First came the widows. They
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  Speaker 1: carried the scalps tied on poles, and their faces were
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  Speaker 1: painted black. Then came the medicine men with their medicine
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  Speaker 1: pipes unwrapped, and then the bands of the all friends,
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  Speaker 1: dressed in their war costumes. Then came the old man,
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  Speaker 1: and last of all the women and children. They went
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  Speaker 1: all through the village, stopping here and there to dance.
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  Speaker 1: And Mikapi sat outside the lodge and saw all the
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  Speaker 1: people dance by him. He forgot his pain and was happy,
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  Speaker 1: And although he could not dance, he sung with them.
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  Speaker 1: Soon they made the medicine lodge, and first of all
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  Speaker 1: the warriors, Mikapi was chosen to cut the raw hide
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  Speaker 1: to bind the poles. And as he cut the strips,
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  Speaker 1: he related the coops he had counted. He told of
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  Speaker 1: the enemies he had killed, and all the people shouted
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  Speaker 1: his name, and the drummers struck the drum. The father
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  Speaker 1: of those two sisters gave them to him. He was
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  Speaker 1: glad to have such a son in law. Long lived
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  Speaker 1: me Cappy. Of all the great chiefs who have lived
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  Speaker 1: and died, he was the greatest. He did many other
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  Speaker 1: great things. It must be true, as the old man
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  Speaker 1: have said, that he was helped by the ghosts, For
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  Speaker 1: no one can do such things without help from those
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  Speaker 1: fearful and terrible persons. And of chapter thirteen,