May, 1903. The Arapaho Sun Dance — Dorsey. 69 



It was now about sundown, and within a short time there were 

 gathered within the lodge, Hdwkan, Hocheni, WanakSyl (Row-of- 

 Lodges), Wdaksenna, Kanathekahade, and many other important 

 participants of the ceremony, both male and female. Fresh fuel was 

 now added to the fire by some of the older warriors, each in turn tell- 

 ing his war story before placing the wood upon the fire. 



Wanakayl, Kanathekahade, and Waatannak now made some 

 alterations in the buffalo robe, making it ready for use later in the 

 ceremony. 



CAPTURE OF A BUFFALO, 1902. 



In the performance of 1902, the ceremonial capture of the buffalo 

 took place just before sundown, also on this the evening of the second 

 day of the Rabbit-tipi. On account ot the scarcity of buffalo robes 

 in the camp, and on account of the feeling on the part of the priests 

 that there should be no substitute for the buffalo robe, for reasons 

 already given, considerable difficulty was experienced in securing a 

 robe which would answer the purpose. As a matter of fact, the 

 priests were finally obliged to resort to two halves of robes, which up 

 to this time, had been used as leanback coverings. These were 

 fastened together along the median edge by means of buckskin thongs. 



As the time approached for the capture, Nishnat^yana took the 

 robe, together with two forked poles about six feet in height, and a 

 straight pole about eight feet in length, and proceeded to a spot about 

 half-way between the eastern opening of the camp-circle and the 

 Rabbit-tipi. There he placed the uprights in position and in their 

 forks the cross-bar, over which he threw the robe, the head facing the 

 south. (See Plate XIV.) 



The aged warrior, Heich^biwa, was then placed upon a pony, and 

 a gun was given him. He started in the direction of the buffalo, 

 imitating the movements of spying out an enemy. Having approached 

 it, he charged upon it, then stopped (see Plate XV.), shot it, and went 

 through the movement of scalping it. Nishnat^yana then rode back 

 to the Rabbit-tipi, where he was met by Chief Ndwaht. Taking the 

 pony by the bridle, Chief Ndwaht related a war story, lifted the robe 

 from the horse, and put it upon the ground, the head facing west. 



A live coal was brought in from the lodge by Nishnateyana, 

 together with a bag of spruce leaves. The coal was placed in front 

 of the robe, and upon it a pinch of leaves. Watangaa and Nishnate- 

 yana, with both hands, picked up the robe by the middle of the back 

 and carried it in a sinuous motion over the rising incense. The head 

 of the robe was allowed to rest for a moment upon the pile of earth 



