Oct., 1903. Arapaho Traditions — Dorsey and Kroeber. 83 



I am very sick and I know it is impossible for me to get well. So 

 when I die I want you to marry whosoever comes to you folks on the 

 way back to the camp-circle, or whosoever helps you at the camp, — 

 anybody that may be friendly to you. You and your mother will have 

 contentions and trials after I have left you. If I should leave you no 

 advice, daughter, I should not do my duty as a father. The man will 

 look after your ponies, and supply the food for you.'' The daughter 

 was sad on account of her father's sickness, but decided to obey him. 



Then the father called to his wife, and said : "Come in here, old 

 woman, I want you to know my wishes concerning my daughter. Un- 

 derstand, old woman, that when I die, I want my daughter to marry 

 whosoever comes along on your way back to the camp-circle, or at the 

 camp, so that he can look after the ponies and supply food for you," 

 said the husband. 



"What do you think of it, mother?" said the daughter. "Well, 

 since he is your only father and loves you dearly, I think that what 

 he advises is just. We shall have to carry out his wishes for our future 

 welfare," said the old woman. "I have told my daughter how I want 

 to be placed in the tree. When you have done, make your journey 

 that day as far as you can. At the end of four days you may come 

 back to see me, for the last time. Then you can go on in search of the 

 camp-circle," said the father. 



He was now sinking very fast, and his wife also watched him. 

 She would rub his face, feet and parts of his body to keep up his spirit 

 and courage, but he continued to get worse. 



One day he partly closed his eyes, watching at the same time his 

 daughter and wife by the bedside. When it was plain that they could 

 not help him to recover his senses, they decided that he was dead, 

 because he had closed his eyes. They began crying over him. Then 

 they carried him to a tree and cut poles long enough for his body to 

 rest on, which they placed on straight limbs of the tree. They then 

 took the netted platform of the travois and put it on top of these poles, 

 making a sort of bed for him. They spread his robes and clothing, 

 placing his bow-case, quiver and knife, on the bed. They threw a 

 rawhide rope up around the big limb and then tied it to his body. In 

 this way he was drawn up to the top of the bed, and wrapped as he had 

 requested, very loosely. 



The mother and daughter at once began to weep very bitterly, but 

 left the burial place right away, as the father had directed, and when 

 they had reached their tipi they at once broke camp and journeyed 

 till sunset. 



