May, 1903. The Arapaho Sun Dance — Dorsey. 211 



he, standing impatiently. So he walked off slowly and carefully, u.ntil 

 he stepped on a sand-bar, then to the water, throwing himself into it. 

 Instead of being annoyed with the skull, he enjoyed himself, as he 

 floated down the river. 



Farther down there was a large company of young women bath- 

 ing and enjoying themselves in playing bear on the sand-bar, and play- 

 ing leap-frog into deep water. One of the young girls, looking up the 

 river, saw an elk skull floating conspicuously, and told her companions 

 about it. The young women got out of the water and stood viewing 

 it with amazement. One of them, a mischievous one, went and 

 brought over with her a rawhide rope and lassoed the skull. To the 

 surprise of all, the skull had an attachment of a human body, with 

 white skin. 



Finally the women dragged the man with an elk skull on to the 

 dry sand-bar and viewed it carefully. Another mischievous girl 

 brought a stone club and said, "Oh, partners, let us crack the skull 

 wide open and see whose it is!" "All right," said they in one voice, 

 and standing together. "Please strike in the center, and be caretul 

 not to hit me," said Nih'a"(pa", inside the skull, as he lay on the sand- 

 bar. Then the girl took the stone club and struck the center of the 

 forehead and broke it into two pieces. "Thank you, sister. Surely 

 you are very kind and courteous," said he, as he got up from the 

 sand-bar. 



He continued thus, "Well, sisters, since I am quite tired and 

 sleepy, I would like to have you sit down on this sand-bar and allow 

 me to lay my head on your laps. Then I want you to louse me," said 

 he, smiling pleasantly at them. "All right, we are willing to do that, 

 since we are at leisure. Come over and lay your head on our laps," 

 said they, sitting in a semicircular row. "Thank you, dear sisters, I 

 shall be refreshed to continue my journey, " said he, scratching his 

 head and gaping as he walked toward them. He then laid his head 

 gently but timidly on their laps. "Be free with us, just lay your head 

 solidly, and we can search better," said they, touching each other 

 secretly on their sides. "Oh, my dear brother, you have many nits, 

 and they are quite fresh. Brother, here is a fat one, you take it and 

 crush it. My dear brother, you have quite young ones, and fat. 

 Yes, they crack very nicely," said they, as they went through his 

 hair with their fingers. Sometimes they cracked the sand, to make 

 him feel good, and finally he went soundly to sleep. 



After Nih*a"9a" had gone to sleep, these women (cockle-burrs) 

 collected so thickly and tightly on his head that his entire face was 

 drawn and quite painful. When he awoke he found himself alone and 



