Oct., 1903. Arapaho Traditions — Dorsey and Kroeber. 35 



had become of the daughter. An inquiry was made in the camp-circle, 

 to see who had eloped with the girl, but without any success. So 

 this husband invited different societies (the Kit-Fox, Star, Club-Board, 

 Thunder-bird and Lime-Crazy), and counted the membership of each 

 organization and found that every member was at home. The people 

 in the camp-circle took pity on him and even sent couriers to the other 

 five distant camp-circles. The couriers came back and reported that 

 nobody had come in with the girl. 



That made the husband grieve, and so one day he went to the 

 distant high hill to mourn over the mysterious disappearance of his 

 wife. "I cannot stay by myself ; I shall go out, in spite of the beasts 

 and hunger; for I think too much of my wife," said the husband (i. e., 

 the husband at the first camp-circle). This young man was seen all 

 day on the top of the hill, weeping, because he loved his young wife. 

 "I wish I could learn what has happened to my wife! If I could only 

 see her face again I would be happy. Wouldn't it be fine to see 

 her coming to me now in usual looks and to hear her sweet voice? I 

 don't care if I starve to death, for I love her dearly," said the husband. 

 He was on top of the hill for days and nights, without much to eat. 

 Of course he became very poor in body. 



This husband cried much near a gopher's hill, that the animals 

 might sympathize with him. (When the sweat-lodge is erected the 

 inside is scraped and the dirt placed in the form of a monument in 

 front of the sweat-lodge.) One day this young man was weeping so 

 bitterly that the gopher came running under ground and got behind 

 him. "What are you weeping about? What is the matter or trouble 

 with you?" said the animal. This man weeping felt different when 

 this animal spoke to him. He turned around and saw Gopher peeping 

 out of his hole, and Gopher told him that there was a way to get his wife 

 back. "Now you may go back to the camp-circle and get four arrows, 

 good ones, from somebody, and have them painted, two red and the 

 other two black." So without hesitation the man went away, rejoicing, 

 because he was told that the steer had eloped with his wife. 



This young man got to the camp and searched for the very best 

 looking arrows. He finally got to the tipi and procured four nice 

 looking specimens, which he at once painted, two red and two black. 

 "Now, young man, there is but one direct trail to them. I want you 

 to look carefully and note carefully what I do. From this hole (gopher 

 hill), I shall start, and you shall erect these four painted arrows in a line, 

 at a reasonable distance," said the gopher. 



So this young man staked these arrows out in a straight line and 



