Waterlily

One night, Rainbow hears what he believes to be a whippoorwill during dinner. He throws a bone in the direction of the sound, and it stops. He goes out to investigate and sees a Crow scout with the bone in his temple. He makes the announcement: “I have killed my enemy in a direct hit” (84), rousing the community. He wants Little Chief to “strike first coup,” which involves Little Chief touching the dead warrior with his bow, in a “vicarious honor for a vicarious deed” (85).In this way, Little Chief claims symbolic responsibility for the warrior’s death. The camp circle must leave because the war party will soon come after them when they realize their warrior is dead.

Later, Little Chief joins a war party “determined on reprisal” (87)after an enemy party infiltrates their camp, scalps three children, and steals supplies. The war party has “a complete triumph” (89)and recovers stolen items. During their expedition, the older men put Little Chief through a series of tests to prove himself. His uncle Bear Heart awards him with flutterers—“four long feathers trimmed to their naked quills and tightly bound together at the base with a cord of sinew” (91).