May, 1905. The Cheyenne — Dorsey. 83 



a pipe to Wolf-Face, which he accepted, thus signifying his wiUing- 

 ness to act as spy on the following morning. 



Selecting the Site of the Lodge. 



Just at sundown Big-Baby, who owns the rite by purchase, 

 walked to the center of the camp-circle, and after examining the 

 ground, selected a level spot which he considered suitable for the 

 lodge. At the center of this place he set on end a few sticks and placed 

 on top of them a bunch of grass. This marked the site of the center- 

 pole of the great lodge. 



THE THIRD DAY. 



This is one of the most important days of the ceremony, and 

 is crowded with events from early morning until long after mid- 

 night. It includes the secret rites in the Lone-tipi, such as the 

 preparation of the objects which later in the day are to be placed 

 in the fork of the center-pole of the Sun Dance lodge, or which on 

 the following morning are to form part of the altar of that lodge. 

 The public performances are the counting of coup by the spy and 

 others on the object representing the site of the center-pole, the 

 securing of the raw material to be used either within the Lone-tipi 

 or to form part of the altar of the Sun Dance lodge to be built on the 

 next day. The warrior societies are busy during the day bringing 

 in poles to be used in the construction of the Sun Dance lodge, which 

 they partially construct. Then follows the formal and stately pro- 

 cession of priests from the Lone-tipi to the Sun Dance lodge, where 

 the poles are painted, the center-fork is erected, and the lodge is 

 completed. Then follows the dedication of the lodge by the chiefs. 

 Later in the evening there is a rehearsal, or the so-called "hand 

 and arm" drill, which serves as the formal introduction of those 

 who are to dance in the lodge. Then follows the highly significant 

 performance of the Chief Priest and the Lodge-maker's wife, during 

 which time the sacred song is sung four times, followed by the formal 

 beginning of the dance proper, which lasts until daylight. 



As a matter of fact, the rites which, even with haste on the part 

 of the priests, fill this day to overflowing, occupied, in 1903, two 

 entire days. This was due in part to the fact that certain raw mate- 

 rial had not been provided on the day preceding and in part to the 

 fact that there was a disinclination to hurry, owing to the great heat. 

 In the following description of events which properly belonged to 

 this dav, the acts of the two davs are enumerated in the order of 



