March, 1905. The Cheyenne — Dorsey. 39 



the Cheyenne seemed to be awakened. They became strong in 

 mind but weak in body, for now they had no game to subsist on. 

 They lived on dried meat and mushrooms, which sustained them 

 for a long time. 



16.— THE ORIGIN OF THE BUFFALO AND OF CORN. 



When the Cheyenne were still in the north they camped in a 

 large circle. At the entrance of the camp-circle there was a deep 

 spring of water rapidly flowing from out the hillside. They camped 

 near this spring so that they might get their water easily. One bright 

 day they were playing the game of ring and javelin in the center 

 of the circle. The game consisted of a hoop painted red and black 

 all over, and four throwing sticks which were to be thrown at the 

 hoop when it was rolled. Two of the sticks were painted red, and 

 two were painted black. The sticks were three or four feet long, 

 and were tied together in pairs. The hoop was rolled along the ground, 

 and as it rolled the red or the black sticks were thrown at it, and the 

 contestants won accordingly as the black or red portion of the ring 

 fell upon the black or red sticks as it stopped. The owner of the 

 stick which matched the color of that portion of the ring that fell on 

 it won. There was a large crowd of Cheyenne gathered in the middle 

 of the camp, watching the game. As the players contested there came 

 from the south side of the camp-circle a certain young man to witness 

 the game. He stood outside of the crowd to look on. He wore a 

 buffalo robe with the hair side turned out, his body was painted 

 yellow, and a yellow painted eagle breath-feather stuck up on top 

 of his head. Soon there came from the north side of the camp-circle 

 another young man to see the game, and he was dressed exactly 

 like the man who came from the south side. He also stood outside 

 of the crowd, and opposite the first man, to view the game. When 

 they saw each other they went inside the crowd and met face to face 

 and asked each other questions. They were unacquainted with 

 each other, and were surprised when they saw that they were dressed 

 alike. The crowd stopped playing the game, and steod around to 

 hear what the two young men said. The man from the south said 

 to the man from the north, "My friend, you are imitating my manner 

 of dress. Why do you do it?" Then the man from the north said, 

 "Why do you imitate my manner of dress?" A last each told the 

 other the reason for his manner of dress on that day. Each claimed 

 to have entered the spring that flowed out from the hillside at the 

 entrance to the camp-circle, where he had been instructed to dress 



