Conservative *
with much interest among these braves.
When the Orphan heard this announce
ment he immediately determined to
join the hunt and , if possible , to secure
the white calf. He began preparations.
Many were the remarks about his dun
horse. "Do you expect to secure the
white calf and got the beautiful princess ?
, How nice she will look mounted on
your dun horse ! " and many more like
taunts.
I The poor Orphan became discouraged
and felt their thrusts keenly , but he had
no notion of giving up.
Now the dun horse , himself , took a
hand , and when they were alone he
spoke to the Orphan : "Lead me over
to yonder bank of clay by the creek
and smear my body all over with clay ;
then , when the hunt comes off , be ready
to mount with the rest. I will see that
you get the white calf , if you do ex
actly as I tell you. " You may be sure
that the Orphan was rather excited , not
only because his horse talked to him but
also because he had prospects of secur
ing the greatest prize in all the world.
He did not think of his poverty now !
He hastened to do the bidding of his
dun horse. So completely did he cover
him with the slimy , yellow clay , that
all his bare bones were hidden and he
looked like a well kept horse bedabbled
with mud. As he rode into line ready
to start for the hunt when the signal
might be given , a roar of laughter
greeted his slow , lame old horse all
covered with mud. He did not mind
this , however , for he knew he was to
capture the white buffalo calf. These
coarse jests continued as the restive
steeds impatiently awaited the signal to
start. Then all else was forgotten as
every warrior and brave urged his horse
onward to the chase. The poor Orhpan's
heart sank within him as his old dun
horse hobbled over the rough ground
and his rich companions dashed by him
until they were nearly out of sight in
advance.
Then he noticed that his dun horse
had grown wonderfully sleek and fat ,
that his speed increased and he was no
longer lame , that his silken tail
streamed far out behind and dragged the
ground. Soon he noticed that he had
attained the speed of the wind , and he
rapidly gained on his companions. His
spirits revived and he held his prancing
steed hard by the bit ; but the harder he
held the faster the dun horse seemed to
go , until he had passed even the chief ,
himself , and the herd of buffalo were in
plain view. On went the dun horse into
the very center of the herd and to the
very point where the white calf was by
its mother. Stooping as he dashed by ,
\ the Orphan caught up the white calf
r and held it before him as he continued
with the herd , killing young cows to
right and left as he went , until the hunt
was over. Then he counted his hides
and found plenty with which to make anew
now tepee for his grandmother and
plenty of meat for a whole year. He
: ouud himself mounted , not on a poor ,
lame horse , but he was riding a most
beautiful dun gelding that was the envy
of every brave in the whole tribe and
jefore him was the white calf as a pres
ent to the chief's daughter.
A new disappointment awaited him ,
however , for , when ho presented
; he white calf to the princess in
the presence of her father , the old
chief frowned.
The princess smiled sweetly as she
stroked the beautiful white calf and she
seemed very much pleased. This made
the Orphan very happy.
When he asked the chief to keep his
promise , however , the chief remarked
that he was so very poor , that he had
but one horse and that if his daughter
should marry him while he was poor
she would be obliged to walk in their
travels as his old grandmother had long
done. Of course the Orphan could now
hunt and get plenty of meat and plenty
ofskins for tepees and new robes but ,
as he had no horses , he must wait until
he should get more horses. Then , too ,
he had never been in battle and the
chief wished to see him "count koo"
( strike an enemy ) to prove he was no
coward ; then he should have his
daughter for his wife.
The Orphan knew the wisdom of this
remark , but he was very much disap
pointed and he fancied that the princess
was not well pleased with what her
father said. There was no help for it ,
however , and the Orphan went to his
grandmother's tepee in a bad humor.
Very soon the camp was in a commo
tion and the herald announced that a
large band of Sioux were near at hand
and every brave must be ready for bat
tle. The Orphan went for his beautiful
dun horse to have everything in readi
ness for the battle. This was lucky for
the Orphan. Now he would have a
chance to prove his bravery and "count
koo" on the enemy. Soon he could
claim the princess 1
As the preparation went on , the dun
horse again spoke to the Orphan :
"When the battle comes on-you must
single out the head chief , moke a dash
and "count too , " and do so four times
You will kill the four chiefs but be
ware of the fifth time ; do not try to
count koo but four times. ' "
The treacherous Sioux made ready for
the attack and at dawn the war whoop
was sounded. Every Pawnee was
ready and anxious , for had they not just
caught the white calf , and did not this
foretell the result of the battle ?
Swift as the wind the dun horse bore
the Orphan to the very center of the
enemy's rank and he struck the greai
chief from his snow-white charger anc
returned to the Pawnee ranks flushec
with victory. Once more he wheeled
and dashed into the thickest of the
fight and his victim was gathered to his
'athers. ' So for four times did the
Orphan "count koo" until every old
warrior was green with envy. But the
> attle still raged ; the enemy had not
) een put to flight , and once moro ho
; urned the head of his dun horse
toward the bloody field ; he remembered
what his dun horse had said , but four
times it seemed so easy to "count koo , "
why not once more ? A certain strength
seemed born of success and he feared
,
nothing. No sooner had he reached the
line of battle than an arrow pierced his
dun horse and he fell to earth. It was
with difficulty that the Orphan escaped
with his life ; the Sioux knew that ho
had killed their great chief and thirsted
for his blood , but they also knew that
his prowess lay in the dun horse ,
and they gathered around the horse. In
their fury they severed his prostrate
body limb from limb and scattered it
over the field of defeat before they
were compelled to fly from the victorious
Pawnees.
The battle continued over the prairie
all day , and when the Sioux had all
been killed or driven away and when
the dusk of evening hid his movements ,
the Orphan found his way to the battle
field and wept over his fallen dun horse.
He carried his head and placed it near
the body in its rightful place and each
leg hi its place , then he sat on a rook
nearby and groaned out his repentance
for disobeying his dun horse.
As he eat thus weeping he saw the
head begin to move , then the legs and
he beheld the wounds healed and a sign
of life in the prostrate beast. He
brought water from the creek and
sprinkled it on the horse.
Soon the dun horse arose and said :
"This time I have come back to you ,
but if you ever disobey mo again I will
not return but will be lost to you for
ever. Now take me over in the valley
near the creek and tie me to a bush
and see what will happen. "
You may be sure the Orphan did as
he was requested , and at daylight when
he went after his dun horse , lo ! a beau
tiful black gelding kept his dun horse
company. The Orphan mounted this
new horse and capered through the vil
lage and past the chief's lodge. He
was the envoy of every brave in the
tribe. Then he presented the black
horse to the chief's daughter.
The next morning there was a mag
nificent snow-white charger keeping his
dun horse company. The next day
there was a grey horse , and so every
morning there were beautiful horses of
different colors so long as he wished for
horses. He became the richest warrior
in all the tribe and the chief was glad
to give him the beautiful princess for a
wife. The other warriors were glad to
make him their chief when his wife's
father became old.
E. E. BLACKMAN.
Koca , Nob. , Aug. 16,1901.
NOTE. The above legend was told mo
by Capt. L. H. North , who has heard it
often in the original Pawnee tongue. I
have tried to reproduce it exactly as told
by him. E. E. B.