The narrative structure of this robe organizes the sixty-four figures into combinations of twenty-two episodes of combat. Most groupings show two warriors near each other with the hero hitting his enemy using a bow, spear, club or gun. There are twenty men on horseback, but many are on foot because horses were not plentiful in 1805. The battles on this robe show the Sioux and Arikara against the Mandan and Hidatsa.

Picture 1 shows a Hidatsa (hair tied in a bun) holding a red shield while astride a buckskin horse. He strikes an Arikara (with long hair) using his war club and bow.

Picture 2 shows dotted lines connecting a warrior on a roan horse striking a sash wearer who has a muzzleloader and powder horn.  His second victim is a warrior holding a bow and quiver. He also counts coup on a warrior shown with a single, long braid. Each figure drawn is identifiable by his shield, weaponry or horse.

Picture 3 illustrates an Arikara warrior with a bear shield connected by a dotted line to an adversary. The Arikara points his gun at the adversary indicating that he is counting coup. Nearby another Arikara warrior holding a quirt and on a paint horse counts coup with a flintlock on an enemy (five eagle feathers in his hair).