Fools Crow: Chapter 13 Summary & Analysis

Back at camp, Red Paint traces the outline of her husband’s wound with her finger—thankfully, his injury is not serious. “Wake up, Fools Crow,” she says. He opens his eyes. He had forgotten all about the naming ceremony.

At a celebration the night before, White Man’s Dog was renamed Fools Crow—because he had tricked Bull Shield by pretending to be dead before he killed him. Fools Crow had drunk the white man’s water with the rest of the men and bragged about his kill, but now he is regretful. He didn’t trick Bull Shield, he had stumbled, but he didn’t tell the others this. 

Fools Crow notices a group of Napikwans riding toward camp, and then he sees the blue-coat seizers. They are accompanied by Joe Kipp, a half-breed who knows the Pikuni tongue. There are more than eighty of them, and one has several yellow stripes on his arms.

Joe introduces two of the men as Captain Snelling and John Gates. They tell Three Bears and the Lone Eaters that Malcolm Clark was recently killed, and that Owl Child has been identified as the murderer. He must be held accountable, and the men are searching for Owl Child and his chief, Mountain Chief. 

Fools Crow is upset by this news and wonders if Fast Horse is still riding with Owl Child’s gang. Less than a year ago Fools Crow and Fast Horse had raided the Crow to “gain honor and wealth in the traditional way,” but there is nothing honorable about the killing of Malcolm Clark.

Three Bears is upset, and he tells Joe that there are better ways to earn a living than riding with Napikwans. He says that Malcolm Clark was a bad man and he won’t cry for him, but Owl Child is bad as well. Clark had slapped Owl Child in front of this people when he caught Owl Child stealing his horses, and Owl Child had sworn revenge. Still, Three Bears refuses to help the Napikwans—who had promised rations but didn’t deliver—and he won’t tell them where to find Owl Child or Mountain Chief.