May, 1903. The Arapaho Sun Dance — Dorsey. 39 



Hawkan's Prayer in Rabbit-Tipi. 



"My Father, Man-Above, the Creator, the Giver-of-Food, listen! 

 Be near to us poor beings who need spiritual and bodily blessings! 

 May the people gathered in this tipi, also the people of the entire 

 camp-circle, be blest hereafter! My Grandmother, Old-Woman- 

 Night, make a good night for us! My Grandfather, Sun, may your 

 day bring good for us all ! Hear us as we pray and give thanks during 

 this ceremony, which we have learned of our fathers and of the Four- 

 Old-Men! Thy help and presence we expect." By this time it was 

 quite dark. 



THE FIREPLACE. 



Wadnibe (Grass Singing, the wife of Hawkan), and Nisah (Twins, 

 wife of Wadil), now prepared to make a fire in the center of the lodge. 

 First, Nisah made with a pipe-stem (for it contains a protective anti- 

 dote), a pass at the earth four times in four different places, near the 

 center of the lodge, forming an imaginary square. She then made 

 four passes in the center of this space. Wadnibe then went through 

 the same motions with a hoe. The latter then cleared away the grass 

 from a space about two feet square and both joined to make a slight 

 excavation in the center for the fire. The dirt, grass, and roots were 

 then placed upon a black blanket, carried outside, and deposited in 

 the form of a small mound about thirty feet away, in front of the tipi. 



THE SAGE FLOOR. 



Debithe then left the Rabbit-tipi and returned with a bundle of 

 sage. He went at once to the southeast corner of the tipi, where he 

 selected a few stems from the bundle and waved them toward the 

 southeast four times, and laid the small bunch on the ground. He 

 then went to the southwest corner, the northwest corner, and the 

 northeast corner, repeated this performance at each place, and deposited 

 a small bunch of sage. He then gave the remainder of the sage to 

 the two women, who spread it around the lodge in the form of a circle. 

 Quilts and blankets were now spread over the sage, and all present 

 sat down. 



THE FIRE, AND THE WAR STORY. 



Little-Chief, the head man of the Star society, now entered with 

 a few sticks of wood in his arm. Standing at the southeast corner, he 

 told his war story and then made a fire in the center of the tipi. 



The story of a warrior must be good and known as to its particu- 



