IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 4 / o /. 'm fA (/. 1.0 I.I 11.25 " i:a lllllio M 2.2 111= 1-4 il.6 V] ^^ "c^l 9. ."-^ ^^ / <9 / /A ^hf^% ^^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions Institut canadien de microreproductions historiques 1980 Technical Notes / Notes techniques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Physical features of this copy which may alter any of the images in the reproduction are checked below. L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Certains d6fauts susceptibles de nuire d la qualitd de la reproduction sont notds ci-dessous. D Coloured covers/ Couvertures de couleur D Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur D D Coloured maps/ Cartes gdographiques en couleur Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages ddcolordes, tachetdes ou piqudes D D Coloured plates/ Planches en couleur Show through/ Transparence D Tight binding (may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin)/ Reliure serr6 (peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intdrieure) D Pages damaged/ Pages endommag^es E Additional comments/ Commentaires suppl6mentaires The printing on the tissues is in red ink, Bibliographic Notes / Notes bibiiographiques n Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible Bound with other material/ Reli^ avec d'autres documents D Pagination incorrect/ Erreurs de pagination Pages missing/ Des pages manquent D Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque D Maps missing/ Des cartes gSographiques manquent n Plates missing/ Des planches manquent Additional comments/ Commentaires suppl^mentaires The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, comptA tenu de la condition et de la nettetd de rexemplaire film6, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol —^(meaning CONTINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. The original copy was borrowed from, and filmed with, the kind consent of the following institution: National Library of Canada Un des symboles suivants apparaltra sur la der- nidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole —*- signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbote V signifie "FIN". L'exemplaire filmd fut reproduit grdce d la gdndrositd de I'dtablissement prdteur suivant : Bibliothdque nationale du Canada Maps or plates too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper Inft hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes ou les planches trop grandes pour dtre reproduites en un seul cliche sont filmdes d partir de Tangle supdrieure gauche, de gauche d droite et de haut en bds, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Le diagramme suivant illustre la m^thode : 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 How THE Buffalo Lost His Crown HOW THE BUFFALO LOST HIS CROWN With Illustrations by Charles M. Russell .:dc-*..i!t.ifc.ai£. The Cowboy Artist ,w.;iK,ai£,aii!& i SI 1 'I ' i M 2^7039 Copyright, 1894, by John R Bticom FOREST AND STRIAM PUBL1»MIN0 CO- WINT. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Page. An Evening with Old Nis-sii kai-yo, 1 j The Bone Game, (5 Old Man Sending Courier, )9 The Great Game for the Rulership of the World, 23 " From this day forth," 27 " Thou Shalt Live on the Flesh of the Buffalo," 3J Portrait of Charles M. Russell, 39 .; LD Nis-su kai-yo, the celebrated orator of the Blackfeet nation, told me this story several years ago. He was already an old man— a veritable Nestor among these children of the plain. During his boyhood his people had held sway over a vast domain extending from the Yellowstone to the Saskatchawan, and from the Rocky Mountains far to the Eastward ; but before he had passed his prime their fortunes had begun to recede before the pitiless advance of another race, and he lived to see them driven gradually Northward and then Westward further and further towards the great rocky barrier, until, as he expressed it, they were forced " to lean against the moun- tains." Nis-su kai-yo fully realized the extent of the disasters that had come upon his people, but he seldom spoke of them in the presence of white men. The great battles and the famous buffalo hunts, in which, as a young warrior and hunter, he had taken an honorable part, were the themes he loved to dwell upon. He was familiar also with the folk lore of his people and often, while sitting at my camp-fire of an autumn evening, he told me these quaint tales of the ancient time. It is impossible to reproduce them, for they were related in Nis-su kai-yo's matchless maaner, in the silence of the night, and in a part of the world where all these things happened. 9 i An Evening with Old Nis-su kai-yc \ lH" h.A , J, T '^°' ^'^'" ^'-'"'' °"= "'»'" ■^^ ^ k^d "i^hted his pipe and had moked „ or a ,l„e with true Indian impressivene..-" i, was long ago: ,he Lfab aft" r*. ^ ' '^ "" '^'■'^' °' ^" ''' ^■'""^- A' «-' he was kind ,o Im M ^.er a wh,k he began ,o .,ea. ,hem badly. He made ,hem all work for him-,he India" Matte s went on from bad to worse until one day this Great-chief-wlth-the-black-beard became very angry and wen, about killing whomsoever he met. Everybody was now very much afraid, and the Indian most of all, for almost every day some of his people were llij by Ir nd, the Chief of the Beavers, as he always did when in trouble. On reaching the Beaver vllage he found the old Chief busy at work on his new house but very glad to s!e hL 1 hey sat down and had a long talk. then J't! " ^°"r.."','lT """'' ''^^"■' "^'' *' l"*^"' •>« *«l •"" "^ ^'I- Let us '?, M ; . ''""■ " '^ ^«" '° '" "■- •» -"- -* wrongs.' a„H u\ 'r ■ T*"''' "'^ ^"^"■' '■" "^ ""' '^"' •" ""■• friends and neighbors and .e what they think about i,, for without their help we can do nothing. We hat a" had a pretty hard time of it, and we should be willing to help one another.' '3 I 4 I 1 i THE BONE GAME 'm i '^''''"y^^. ■ '*'iV'" v^ IJI^M^IS^J^' // '■/ 'J ^ ~^0 v^ m^- ■i '<«+r. " 1 "Just then the Fox happened along and they asked him what he thought ought to be done. After asking many questions, as he always did, he said he agreed with his brother, the tieaver. That settled it. " The Beaver stopped work on his new house and each went forth among his friends talking to everyone he met about the cruelties of the Great-chief-with-the-black-beard. Some advised one thing, some another, but most were in favor of holding a great council of all the animals to see what could be done to lessen their hardships. Such a thing had never been heard of, and many were afraid the Buffalo might learn of it and be more cruel than ever. But the Bear who was very wise, told them of a place in the mountains, near a lake, where they could nieet without the Buffalo knowing anything about it. So one night while the moon was sleeping in his lodge they all assembled at the lake to hold the famous council. After a long talk it was agreed that they should go to the Old Man, the father of them all, and ask him to take pity on them and to take away the power of the Buffalo, and to make some one else Chiel m his stead. " Accordingly they went to the Old Man. But when they had told him aU their troubles and what they wanted him to do for them, he only shook his head and said : 17 1 1 i' Old Man Sending Courier " * You must hold another council and select the one you would have as master over you instead of the Buffalo.' " So they returned to the lake in the mountains and sat down to counsel amongst themselves. The pipe went round many times and nearly every one made a speech, but it was no easy thing to select a Chief. Finally, hov/ever, the Indian was chosen. Then they went back to the Old Man and told him what they had done. " For a long time Napi sat still, thinking. Then he said : * My children, I am very sorry you have cause to complain of the Buffalo, for he has been your Chief since the ancient days. It would grieve me greatly to decide between him and the Indian. Know, however, that which- ever of them is the more worthy shall be the Chief. " * You and your fathers before you have been wont for countless moons to play at Hands, or the Hiding of the Bone. It is well, for by a great game with these fateful bones shall it now be determined whether the Buffalo or the Indian shall henceforth and forever rule the world. Return to your homes and prepare your medicine against the day when you shall array yourselves against your Chief.' " Soon thereafter Napi sent his courier to notify the Buffalo and all the animals to assemble at the next full moon near the meeting of the rivers. The Great Game for the Rulership of the World up^'i^^'^fr " ^"^ T?" ^ bu, h '7.'"" */ ^'^'-^l;"'-*' "■■"■-Mack-beard heard wha, had been done, he was very angry .t'HL!:V;e" '' """^' '' - -'-' *- -body e.e and e3pe..,yLe!:; "Night after nigh, the moon grew bigger and bigger, showing that the awful moment was approachmg. Nothing else wa. talked oi, and when a, last the morning of the a^"" Z arnved everybocly was at the place of meeting, awaiting with anxious lae! the begirTg of .L' great game. Neyer before had all the world been gathered together. Never before G^ mil been risked on the Hiding of the Bone. "Just as the sun was highest in the heavens the fateful game began. The Buffalo P aye ftrs, against ,e Indian and won ; then he played against the Fox and lost. The!tl Thus all day long the game went on with varying success and no one could tell who was to be Ch 1. The sun went down and the moon rose, and still it was not settled. Finally it cam ^tlas^and least of the animals, the Mouse; and lo and beholdl the game stood ,ust eTn ^s trol Het ?'uT]- "' '^"''"'"' "''"" "=-• B". hismeaicine ult T ^t Tu "" " *"' ""'' ^'"^^ '° ''*'V "■>' '^ GreatX^ ltd :TeZat t^T^ f -^"/f ^° -"" -*>V Cher ,an,e abounded everywhere. He reml b red afe ha, ta .h^ d . ' T'"^' "' and powerful. Now, however. ,he buffalo was lo"ex.ta . nd o h '"' '"''' ""' *'' "j^ittrddr::^:-:^^^ house, for h. Co-hinttrioo^Td wLfTh: , ^ fj, ^"I ''rT' '", t 'T °' 33 I The story finished we sat there for a time smoking our pipes in silence. Doubtless we were contemplating the same scene but our points of view were essentially different. My race had mastered his and had dealt hardly with him and with all the other dwellers on the plains. Few of the great brotherhood were left alive and his dear prairie land, once so full of life and happiness, had become a lonely desert. As his mind wandered back over the past, it doubtless occurred to him, as it did to me, that if the countless dead could rise again and meet in council as they had done in the long ago, they would choose the Indian and not the white man for their Chief. But what Nis-sti kai-yo thought is mere conjecture, for he sat there calm and impenetrable as became one of his race and dignity. ^^ -^. /^ - g • <• ■«■<. « 35 I ^sK^^mmtmm' NOTES. Page 5. Ni's-sii kai-yo. Four Bears. Page 7. >Vhil,,l„ ,„„„ ,,„ sl,;/.i.g in hi, l„J,,: The BlacWoot conception for ihe " dark of the moon " Page/. -rV,/,!/.,,,"/,',, /„//„,, .///,„„ „« h, BlacWoot, Napi the old man -All »nlm!r. T.t T alone lime heard and knew him, and all birds o( the air heard ind knew hm All ™ "™ »-'\°' *« Pl»'f ..nder,.„d him when he .^ke to,hem-,h. hirds, the anln^rirtt'S. '• .B^^ f„^',:'^:, si '^' 0,lnJrBlLo.^XV:i.r^^^^^ igL^rei^sttrr^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Then a man took the bones, and by skillfully moving his hands and chLging he ob ec s f om T^^^ other, sought to make it impossible for the person opposite him to decide which'hand held the marke" one Ten aC-LV^hif^^^^^^^^^ P..sant and soothing. At first a scarcely audfb.r — .likf It g^e^ st^^^^^^^^^^^^ gradua y increased m volume and reached a very high pitch, sank quickly to a low bass sound, r^T^d fe and gradually d.ed away to be again repeated. The person concealing the Ws swayed his ^dy arms and hands the gTesrei?' '"' ^"' ""' ^'""^' ^" "^""" °^ ^^^"^"' ^"^ ^^^^'^ ~"'s for the ptposTof c^^^^^^^^ quently^ L al^riiir^i^^^"""' ^^' '°"^ ^^^ "°' ^"°-" '° *^^ ^^'^^ ^ ^'^^^ «- -d conse- in the £^c^ity^:f;t:i;:'s^:;::it^ r^^e^^r-a J^e=^T^"^r^ ^^^ --' of the Old Man, never disturbs him. ^ ' ' ^'''^"' "^'^'^^^ ^'^^ instructions .17 I •j«."\"''r.l 1 ■ iV-^t.^.... CHARLES M. RUSSELL, better known as the Cow-boy Artist, was born in Saint Louis but went to Montana when a mere youth, and, being free to follow his inclinations, he was soon riding the ranges as a cow-boy. Occasion- ally of an idle hour he would entertain the "boys" by making out of such material as was at hand a very clever sketch of some incident of the day. The sports, diversions and hardships of the fron- tiersman, with which he was so familiar, were depicted with great truthfulness, although he had never received instruction in drawing or coloring. The animals of the plains enter largely into the lives of the men who ride those lonely stretches, and among the various members of this mixed population there exists a feeling of sympathy and comradery which men of urban surroundings can scarcely understand. " If you 39 would know the eagle's thoughts, you must sail the upper air." It therefore happens that few artists have sounded the keynote of this life, which, wild and rough as it may appear, is, nevertheless, full of broad sympathies. Mr. Russell is not yet very well known to the world at large, but he is doing, in his own peculiar way, a very valuable work. He is an artist by instinct and, being such an experienced plainsman, he is particularly well fitted to portray that phase of Western life which is rapidly passing away. "y^ ip -~~~^W^-