Well-equipped students of general folk-lore will find in these tales much to interest them, and to such may be left the task of commenting on this collection.

STORIES OF ADVENTURE

THE PEACE WITH THE SNAKES

I

In those days there was a Piegan chief named Owl Bear.  He was a great chief, very brave and generous.  One night he had a dream:  he saw many dead bodies of the enemy lying about, scalped, and he knew that he must go to war.  So he called out for a feast, and after the people had eaten, he said:—­

“I had a strong dream last night.  I went to war against the Snakes, and killed many of their warriors.  So the signs are good, and I feel that I must go.  Let us have a big party now, and I will be the leader.  We will start to-morrow night.”

Then he told two old men to go out in the camp and shout the news, so that all might know.  A big party was made up.  Two hundred men, they say, went with this chief to war.  The first night they travelled only a little way, for they were not used to walking, and soon got tired.

In the morning the chief got up early and went and made a sacrifice, and when he came back to the others, some said, “Come now, tell us your dream of this night.”

“I dreamed good,” said Owl Bear.  “I had a good dream.  We will have good luck.”

But many others said they had bad dreams.  They saw blood running from their bodies.

Night came, and the party started on, travelling south, and keeping near the foot-hills; and when daylight came, they stopped in thick pine woods and built war lodges.  They put up poles as for a lodge, and covered them very thick with pine boughs, so they could build fires and cook, and no one would see the light and smoke; and they all ate some of the food they carried, and then went to sleep.

Again the chief had a good dream, but the others all had bad dreams, and some talked about turning back; but Owl Bear laughed at them, and when night came, all started on.  So they travelled for some nights, and all kept dreaming bad except the chief.  He always had good dreams.  One day after a sleep, a person again asked Owl Bear if he dreamed good.  “Yes,” he replied.  “I have again dreamed of good luck.”

“We still dream bad,” the person said, “and now some of us are going to turn back.  We will go no further, for bad luck is surely ahead.”  “Go back! go back!” said Owl Bear.  “I think you are cowards; I want no cowards with me.”  They did not speak again.  Many of them turned around, and started north, toward home.

Two more days’ travel.  Owl Bear and his warriors went on, and then another party turned back, for they still had bad dreams.  All the men now left with him were his relations.  All the others had turned back.

They travelled on, and travelled on, always having bad dreams, until they came close to the Elk River.[1] Then the oldest relation said, “Come, my chief, let us all turn back.  We still have bad dreams.  We cannot have good luck.”