38 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. V. 



The steer, who stole the woman, was in the lead, running across the 

 lines just like a war chief. When he heard the news, he was grateful, 

 for he wanted to punish the party. Finally, the whole herd surrounded 

 the grove to make an attack. This steer selected the very best young 

 bulls, to make the first charge against the tree. Each was successful 

 in the third attempt, but at the fourth time they broke their horns. 

 This man had bows and arrows, and everything. The animals made 

 a rush at the tree and he would shoot at them. Of course, these ani- 

 mals would break the splinters off the tree and make it fall. When 

 it fell, it rested against another one, making another protection for 

 the man and woman. Day after day the buffalo would hook the tree 

 that the man and woman were on, but when they made it fall it would 

 rest on the next one. This happened until they were on the last tree, 

 and the buffalo were hot at it. Toward evening, one-half the tree 

 trunk was hooked off. 



Gopher, anxious to know if the party had reached their home 

 safely, went out, running under the ground, and reached the place 

 surrounded by the immense herd ; he saw the fallen trees and also 

 noticed only one tree standing, where this man and woman were for 

 safety.. The buffalo aimed to go for the tree in the morning, but 

 Gopher had reached the scene. During the night, Gopher made his 

 way to the bottom of the tree, and made a hole, big enough for the 

 man and woman. He then climbed the tree and told the man and 

 woman to come down, for the buffalo were heated, and that there was 

 no show for them. So they came down slowly and followed after the 

 Gopher into the hole at the foot of the only standing tree. When 

 these people had gone in, this Gopher closed the hole solid, so that 

 the buffalo could not notice it or smell it. The Gopher, with the 

 woman and man, again traveled under ground to make another escape 

 during the night. Just about the. time the morning star (the cross) 

 arose, the party had reached the main camp-circle. 



Gopher threw up these people, man and wife, out of the ground 

 just as the sun was rising. The animal closed its hole, such as we 

 generally see early in the morning. Thus, the woman was brought 

 back in spite of the hard positions she had been in. The man had 

 also had the same experience toward the last, but now they were both 

 happy. A general good feeling prevailed among the people when the 

 couple arrived, for there had been much mystery about them. 



Some time afterward, this woman gave out word that she had 

 brought good tidings for the people, i. e., the foundation upon which 

 we must live. " In the tribe, there were old men and women, but they 



