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When an enemy approached a town suddenly, the war chief, with a loud voice called the warriors to to arms. But when the people of the town lived so scattering as not to be able to hear his voice, he raised the war whoop. This was immediately caught by all the warriors who heard it, and reached in every part of the town. Each warrior on raising the war
whoop started for the plan of rendezvous, i.e. the house of the war chief, who, on their arrival, immediately blew? the war trumpet, and pitched? battle.
But suppose another nation sent a challenge to the great warrior, or made a declaration of war, the news of this coming to the great war chief, he consulted his assistant and
seven counsellors, and on receiving their approbation for the war, returned answer that he would meet the enemy at such a time; and immediately dispatched his runner to the rightest chief; and he again his; and thus runners were on the wing, night and day till the whole nation was informed.
Each war chief on receiving the message, and starting his runner to the next town, called his men with a loud voice, or by raising the war whoop, and almost instantly all were on the march to the great warrior. On arriving at head quarters, all came under the general direction of the great warrior, who addressed them to the following effect, " I see you all here, you have turned your feet towards the darkness. But it is not because I wished it. If we conquor our enemies, it will be because God fights for us, and if we return in safety, it will be God who will preserve us. Therefore put your trust in God. The light is his and he can make it light about you." Each war chief had th men of his own town, generally from fifty to a hundred, under his immediate control. The national war flag was hoisted, and the war dance commenced as follows. Seven men from the first company (counsellors probably) stepped forward towards the fire,
when, the leader laid his war club down before them, and they all commenced the war song. The first verse is "Yo wi hi,hi yo wi ye, four times repeated. After they had sung one verse, another man (probably the speaker for the company) also cane forward, - took up the war club, and marched back and forth with it, while the seven raised the war whoop. And so on through all the six verses of the song.
This ceremony was performed successively by seven men out of each company. This being done, the a ti ge yo hi, or war dance commenced. In this each had his principal weapon