Again they heard the feast shout, and he who called was the chief of the Bear society.  After they had eaten and smoked the chief said,

“What is your opinion, friend Wolf?  Shall we give our new friend a present?”

“It shall be as you say,” replied the Wolf.  “It is yours to give.”

Then spoke the Bear, saying, “There are many animals and some of them are powerful; but the bear is the strongest and greatest of all.  He fears nothing and is always ready to fight.”

Then he put on a necklace of bear claws, a band of bear fur about his head, and a belt of bear fur, and sang and danced.  When he had finished he gave the things he had worn to the man and said, “Teach the people our song and our dance, and give them this medicine.  It is powerful.”

It was very late.  The Seven Stars had come to the middle of the night, yet again they heard the feast shout from the far end of the camp.  In this lodge the men were painted with streaks of red, and their hair was all pushed to one side.  After the feast the chief said, “We are different from all others here.  We are called the Braves (M[)u]t’-s[)i]ks).  We know not fear; we are death.  Even if our enemies are as many as the grass we do not turn away, but fight and conquer.  Bows are good weapons, lances are better; but our weapon is the knife.”

Then the chief sang and danced, and afterward he gave the Wolf chief’s friend the medicine.  It was a long knife and many scalps were tied on the handle.  “This,” said he, “is for the All Friends.”

To one more lodge they were called that night and the lodge owner taught the man his song and dance, and gave him his medicine.  Then the Wolf chief and his friend went home and slept.

Early next day the Blackfeet women began to take down the lodge and to get ready to move their camp.  Many women came and made them presents of food, dried meat, pemican, and berries.  They were given so much that they could not take it all with them.  It was long before they joined the main camp, for it had moved south, looking for buffalo.

When they reached the camp, as soon as the lodge was pitched, the man called all the chiefs to come and feast with him, and told them what he had seen, and showed them the different medicines.  Then the chiefs chose certain young men to belong to the different societies, and this man taught them the songs and dances, and gave its medicine to each society.

THE FIRST MEDICINE LODGE

The chief god of the Blackfeet is the Sun.  He made the world and rules it, and to him the people pray.  One of his names is Napi—­old man; but there is another Napi who is very different from the Sun, and instead of being great, wise, and wonderful, is foolish, mean, and contemptible.  We shall hear about him further on.