About the time we proceeded there was a cloud appearing and I knew that this thunder was coming to protect me. It did not rain much, but you could see the lightning once in awhile. It was very dark. I could hear the Thunder-beings saying, “Hey, hey!” In fleeing I was the leader and all the time we were fleeing the cloud was over us as though it were protecting us. We were fleeing east and the cloud was coming from the west. It seemed to others that the time was long but it seemed very short to me. Of course we were so anxious to get out in a hurry that we had left our tipis. When that cloud appeared we could hear gun shots out there and the enemies were probably shooting into the camp after surrounding it, thinking that we were in there. All at once the cloud cleared off and it was daybreak. The enemy did not find us.

The Sixth Grandfather: Black Elk's teachings given to John G. Neihardt, p. 211