war should be made upon the crows to extermination; that their nests

were to be destroyed and all eggs broken. The war of extermination was

to continue until not a crow remained, except the youngest found was to

be brought to him alive.



For a week the war on the crows continued. Thousands of dead crows were

brought in daily, and at the end of the week not a bird of that species

could be seen in the neighborhood. Those that escaped the deadly arrow

of the warriors, flew away, never to return to those parts again.



At the end of the war made upon the crows, there was brought to the

Chief's tepee the youngest found. Indeed, so young was the bird that it

was only the great medicine of the Chief that kept him alive until he

could hop about and find his own food. The Chief spent most of his time

in his lodge teaching the young crow to understand and talk the language

of the tribe. After the crow had mastered this, the Chief then taught

him the languages of the neighboring tribes. When the crow had mastered

these different languages the chief would send him on long journeys to

ascertain the location of the camps of the different enemies.



When the crow would find a large Indian camp he would alight and hop

about, pretending to be picking up scraps, but really keeping his ears

open for anything he might hear. He would hang around all day, and at

night when they would all gather in the large council tent (which always

stood in the center of the village) to determine upon their next raid,

and plan for a horse stealing trip, Mr. Crow was always nearby to hear

all their plans discussed. He would then fly away to his master (the

Chief) and tell him all that he had learned.



The Chief would then send a band of his warriors to lie in ambush for

the raiding party, and, as the enemy would not suspect anything they

would go blindly into the pitfall of death thus set for them. Thus the

crow was the scout of this chief, whose reputation as a Wakan (Holy man)

soon reached all of the different tribes. The Chief's warriors would

intercept, ambush and annihilate every war party headed for his camp.



So, finally learning that they could not make war on this chief's people

unbeknown to them, they gave up making war on this particular band. When

meat was running low in the camp this chief would send the crow out to

look for buffalo. When he discovered a herd he would return and report

to his master; then the chief would order out the hunters and they

would return laden with meat. Thus the crow kept the camp all the time

informed of everything that would be of benefit to them.



One day the crow disappeared, over which there was great grief among the

tribe. A week had passed away, when Mr. Crow reappeared. There was

great rejoicing upon his return, but the crow was downcast and would not

speak, but sat with a drooping head perched at the top of the chief's

tepee, and refused all food that was offered to him.



In vain did the chief try to get the crow to tell him the cause of his

silence and seeming grief. The crow would not speak until the chief

said: "Well, I will take a few of my warriors and go out and try to

ascertain what has happened to cause you to act as you do."



Upon hearing this, the crow said: "Don't go. I dreaded to tell you what

I know to be a fact, as I have heard it from some great medicine men.

I was traveling over the mountains west of here, when I spied three old

men sitting at the top of the highest peak. I very cautiously dropped

down behind a rock and listened to their talk. I heard your name

mentioned by one of them, then your brother's name was mentioned. Then

the third, who was the oldest, said: 'in three days from today the

lightning will kill those two brothers whom all the nations fear.'"



Upon hearing what the crow stated the tribe became grief stricken. On

the morning of the third day the chief ordered a nice tepee placed upon

the highest point, far enough away from the village, so that the peals

of thunder would not alarm the babies of the camp.



A great feast was given, and after the feasting was over there came in

six young maidens leading the war horses of the two brothers. The horses

were painted and decorated as if for a charge on the enemy. One maiden

walked ahead of the chief's horse bearing in her hands the bow and

arrows of the great warrior. Next came two maidens, one on either side

of the prancing war steed, each holding a rein. Behind the chief's horse

came the fourth maiden. Like the first, she bore in her hands the bow

and arrows of the chief's brother. Then the fifth and sixth maidens

each holding a rein, walked on either side of the prancing horse of

the chief's brother. They advanced and circled the large gathering and

finally stopped directly in front of the two brothers, who immediately

arose and taking their bows and arrows vaulted lightly upon their war

steeds, and singing their death song, galloped off amid a great cry of

grief from the people who loved them most dearly.



Heading straight for the tepee that had been placed upon the highest

point, adjacent to the village, they soon arrived at their destination

and, dismounting from their horses, turned, waved their hands to their

band, and disappeared within the tepee. Scarcely had they entered the

lodge when the rumblings of distant thunder could be heard. Nearer, and

nearer, came the sound, until at last the storm overspread the locality

in all its fury. Flash upon flash of lightning burst forth from the

heavens. Deafening peals of thunder followed each flash. Finally, one

flash brighter than any of the others, one peal more deafening than

those preceding it, and the storm had passed.



Sadly the warriors gathered together, mounted their horses and slowly

rode to the tepee on the high point. Arriving there they looked inside

the lodge and saw the two brothers lying cold and still in death, each

holding the lariat of his favorite war horse. The horses also lay dead

side by side in front of the tent. (From this came the custom of killing

the favorite horse of a dead warrior at the burial of the owner).



As the Indians sadly left the hill to return home, they heard a noise at

the top of the tepee, and looking up they saw the crow sitting on one

of the splintered tepee poles. He was crying most pitifully, and as they

rode off he flew up high in the air and his pitiful "caw" became fainter

and fainter till at last they heard it no more. And from that day, the

story goes, no crow ever goes near the village of that band of Indians.