66 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. V. 



Whik he was sitting, he took stones around him and placed them 

 on the edge of his robe to keep the Httle ones from getting out. 

 When he looked around the little ones would try to get out. He saw 

 them moving under his robe. He held his robe very tight at the top to 

 prevent them from jumping out. After he had done this he got up 

 slowly, holding his robe, and carefully keeping the little ones inside. 

 "Now I have you dead children," he said, beating all around the cen- 

 ter of the robe to kill the little ones. Wherever he saw a place mov- 

 ing, he would rub it and strike it. After all motion had ceased under 

 the robe, he tdok it by the center and lifted it. There were no little 

 ones (jack-rabbits), but the whole surface was well rubbed with 

 excrement. "Oh ! I am fooled by them, making my robe ugly and 

 dirty," said he, discontentedly, and starting off again. 



On his way he came to a stone on the ground. "Well, partner, 

 I am glad to see you. You may have this rob?," he said, throwing it 

 to the stlone. "I know that you are in need of a blanket to protect 

 yourself from the cold weather. You are here in a pitiful condition, 

 bare, and no one to help you. Take and keep that robe, will you?" 

 said he to the stone. He started off, and there came a wind from the 

 stone. ' "Well ! Something smells good ! I must go back and see 

 what it is," he said. So he returned to the stone and found that it liad 

 on a quilled buffalo robe, well perfumed with sweet grass and sweet 

 leaves. "Say, partner, I did not give you my robe, I just loaned it 

 to' you," he said, taking it from the stone. But on starting off, the 

 robe began to stick to him, and it became obnoxious ; so he returned it, 

 besmeared, to the stone, saying, "Take this robe back, partner; you 

 need it more than I djo." Thus he treated the stone for the third time. 



Walking away from the stone it was perfectly calm, but after 

 going quite a good way there came a strong wind from the stone. 

 "Well! Something smells very delicious!" said Niha'^ga^, locking 

 around in the direction from which the wind cam<J. He saw the stone 

 plainly with that beautiful robe, and it smelled so sweet to him. He 

 turned around and went back and took the buffalo robe away from the 

 stone, saying,. "This robe does not belong to you; it is mine. When 

 I saw you without comfort I took pity on you and loaned it to you." 

 So, without courtesy to the stone, and attentive to the beautiful robe, 

 he went off with it, feeling happy and great in power. 



While he proceeded he heard a loud noise behind him, and looking 

 back, saw the stone rolling after him. Being frightened he ran to seek 

 protection. He ran up steep hills and through thick timber, which 

 proved no obstacle to the stone. While he felt safe, he looked back, 



