The braves made ready their weapons and battle gear; their bodies were painted red and black, the plumes of the war eagle were braided into their long scalp locks, and some put on necklaces of bears' claws, and head-dresses made of panther skin, or of the shaggy and horned frontlet of the buffalo.

I unbound my frontlet, taking off the black phylactery, whose memorable sentence, written in white letters, had been visible to myself alone.