42 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. V. 



13. — Origin of the Buffalo Lodge and the Sacred Bundle. 



In the camp a man and wife with several children had but one 

 pony to use. This pony had a big lump on. one ankle and had a very 

 sore back. One day, the entire camp-circle broke up for a hunt. This 

 poor man didn't know what to do about his property, consisting of 

 bedding, cooking utensils and small parfleches. The people soon started 

 off, driving the ponies packed with poles, parfleches, bags, bedding, etc. 

 This poor, man and wife caught their pony to carry the burden. They 

 made a travois of poles, which were tied to the saddle, and a netted 

 platform of willows across the poles behind the pony. On this platform 

 they placed their children with a scanty supply of food. The wife got 

 on the pony and the husband was obliged to walk. The people had 

 gone over the hill, when these folks started. They seemed to be satis- 

 fied after starting, but were so far behind that they didn't know the 

 course of the moving camp. 



Night came on when they had reached a running creek at the foot 

 of a high mountain. The scenery at the head of this creek was very 

 beautiful, and the water in this creek was very sweet, because the snow 

 was sjill on the tops of the mountains. "Well, my wife, our pony can'it 

 go much farther; we shall have to camp for the night. I think that I 

 can get some game to-morrow, for there are fresh tracks along the 

 creek. Then, while I am out, you can go into the woods for rabbits 

 and go along the sides of the mountains for eating-berries. If you want 

 to remain in here the rest of the season I shall try to get our subsistence. 

 You know that if people had had some mercy upon us they would have 

 given us assistance, but they simply left us," said the husband. So they 

 pitched their tipi by the creek. 



In the morning the man went out early in search of game. He 

 saw antelope and deer, but they ran away before he could get within 

 range of them. He went back to his tipi- and told his wife about the 

 game. The woman remained at home closely that morning. What 

 they had at home they had divided equally among themselves to satisfy 

 their hunger. The wife was a good woman and was willing to do what 

 the husband thought best. "Well, wife, I see nothing ahead for our 

 benefit except that we make our permanent camp here. We can't under 

 any circumstances make headway with our pony," said the husband 

 to his wife. "All right," said the wife. They then turned their pony 

 loose to graze along the bottoms of the creek. This man would climb 

 the hills and mountains occasionally to look for game. The wife was 



