loo Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol, IV. 



drummers four times, whereupon he tossed it in among them, when 

 they beat upon it violently with sticks. The singers, having been 

 joined by a large number of men, now surrounded the drum and began 

 to sing. This continued for a short time, whereupon the crowd dis- 

 persed for the night. This time marks the beginning of the second 

 period of fasting for the Lodge-Maker and his wife and the three 

 days* period for the nine men who now take an active part in the 

 ceremony. 



THE BEGINNING OF THE DANCE, 1902. 



On arriving at the center of the circle, at about eleven o'clock in 

 the evening, the priests at once carried into the lodge the buffalo skull 

 and other sacred paraphernalia which had been lying outside and west 

 of the lodge since the abandonment of the Rabbit-tipi. This was 

 placed on the ground about half-way between the western wall of the 

 lodge and the center-pole. Back of them, and extending nearly half- 

 way around the western half of the lodge, were the men who were now 

 to begin to fast. In the southeast corner of the lodge was a large 

 drum, and about it was a number of the members of the Dog-soldier 

 society. Half-way between the center-pole and the eastern opening 

 of the lodge the fire was kindled. At the base of the center-pole and 

 leaning against it was the digging-stick to be used on the following 

 day for the sods, the cedar tree, and the bales of blankets and other 

 goods belonging to the Lodge-Maker, which since they had come into 

 his possession had been kept near the Rabbit-tipi during the day- 

 time, and inside the Rabbit-tipi at night. 



THE RAWHIDE INCENSED. 



Immediately after the building of a fire, a war story was told by 

 one of the chiefs. Then Niwaat sat down in front of the buffalo skull, 

 while in a semicircular line around the skull, were Nden, Waatanakashi, 

 Yahiise, Watangaa, Nishchanakati, Hocheni, Hawkan, Watanah, 

 Chanitoe, Debithe, Nishnat^yana, Baihoh, and other minor priests. 

 Niwaat held in his hands the straight-pipe. A live coal was placed in 

 front of Niwaat. One of the priests gave to Niwaat a pinch of cedar- 

 leaves. All being ready, Hdwkan prayed. 



No sooner had he closed his prayer than a large crowd of people 

 suddenly appeared and gathered just on the outside of the lodge. It 

 was now midnight. Hdwkan began shaking the rattle, while Wdtanah 

 began beating the Badger-pack with the pipe-stem. Again the sacred 

 song was sung to the accompaniment of the beating of time on the 

 part of these two priests, while Niwaat, holding the incense between 



