76 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. V. 



wife. For some time he didn't eat his meat, but looked very sad. Finally 

 he told his wife that he was anxious to go out on the war-path, but he 

 could not go alone. "I would be too glad if I could have a companion, 

 like the others," said he, taking a few bites of food. "What do you 

 want to do? Tell us!" said the wife. "Well, I saw a party of young 

 men passing through with their mothers-in-law, all fixed up in war- 

 like appearance. There were several parties, going in all directions," 

 said Nih'a"ga''. 'T would like to take my mother-in-law along, if it is 

 possible, said he. "Well, eat your food, I will ask her, and let you 

 know if she can do it or not," said his wife. 



So this wife went wut and told her mother that her husband "had 

 seen a war-party of young men with their mothers-in-law ; that he 

 wanted to know if she would consent to go with him. "Well, if that 

 is the case, it is not a hard thing to do, simply to go along as company 

 to wait lon him. Tell him that I can go along any time," said the 

 mother-in-law. "She said that she is willing to go," said his wife to 

 him. ''You may then tell her to get ready, for I want to catch up with 

 the rest of the crowd, before they get too far off," said Nih'a"Qa'^. So 

 they started oft", leaving the daughter behind. They traveled for 

 miles, and it was late in the afternioon that Nih'a^'qa'' stopped and said 

 to his mother-in-law, walking behind her, "Let us climb this high hill, 

 and see if there is any sign of them ahead of us. You may take the 

 lead, fix yourself up lightly, and tie your dress higher so that you can 

 ascend more easily, and I will follow you and shall watch for any danger 

 behind," said Nih'a"Qa°. So the mother-in-law climbed the high hill, 

 using a stick for a cane. "Hold your dress higher and walk faster ! 

 ' I think that the enemy is following us," said Nih^a°ga°. He was look- 

 ing at her fat legs and in course of time, while she was climbing fast, 

 he saw her privates, which made him laugh secretly. After they had 

 reached the top of the hill he told her that the pursuing party, the 

 enemy, had disappeared and that they were safe. for the night. The 

 mother-in-law believed whatever he said, and she was more handsome 

 than ever to him. While they were resting he sang a song, beating his 

 bow with an arnow, saying, "There was a dark spot, I saw," meaning 

 her privates. "My mother-in-law, don't feel hurt by the words, for T 

 am singing about those people. I saw them behind us. It is the way 

 that the war-party of young men do and they have all kinds of songs 

 to stir their feelings and rouse their ambitions. Say, mother-in-law, 

 I think that we have to turn around and go back, for we cannot see 

 them. We might get lost. I see that we cannot overtake them. So 

 it is best for us to go back now, and we will go as far as we can to-day," 



