Oct., 1903. Arapaho Traditions — Dorsey and Kroeber. 45 



was very rough, for it consisted of different materials. ' It was really a 

 shelter lodge. This woman gathered firewood in case there should 

 come a snow-storm, and by placing it around the tipi it answered for a 

 good wind-break. This man was very busy making the arrows for 

 days, until at last he had them all made, such as we have nowadays, 

 for buffalo. He also made a good solid bow. The wife had plenty 

 of berries for her children and some rabbit meat on hand, besides a big 

 supply of forks, poles and firewood. 



"Now, dear wife. I am going to take a good nap for a rest, 

 and if there should be a stranger's voice outside, don't get frightened. 

 I want you to be brave while I am sleeping. Don't call me, for help, 

 if you do get scared. Be sure and control yourself well, and be cour- 

 ageous," said he. So he tied the hundred arrows to the bow and leaned 

 it up against his lean-back and went to sleep for a good rest. During 

 all the time that he was asleep the buffalo cow was revealing something 

 to him. Just about the time he saw everything in his dream and under- 

 stood the gift from the animal, this wife heard a big noise at a distance, 

 and it was about daylight. The noise was approaching their lodge. 

 The woman heard very distinctly the footsteps of animals on the snow 

 near the tent. She remembered what her husband had commanded, 

 so she kept silent. The temptation was so strong to look out that she 

 went to the door quietly and opened it just a little, and right by the 

 door, about four feet away, was the buffalo. Had she wanted to, she 

 could have touched the animal. She looked beyond' this standing buf- 

 falo and saw an immense herd in front of their tent. She then awoke 

 her husband quietly and told him that the buffalo were standing outside 

 within four feet of the door. The husband got out of his bed and took 

 his bow and arrows, went to the door, opened it and shot the buffalo at 

 the heart, and it started vomiting. The animal fell dead a short distance 

 from their lodge. Then he shot at the other buffalo until he had used 

 up the one hundred arrows. Every time he shot an arrow he killed a 

 buffalo. '*Let the other buffalo retreat and stand far enough from 

 here" (about four or five miles), said he. The herd retreated and 

 went to grazing just far enough away for him to see. "Now, my dear 

 wife, look out and see our future dependence. We have been pitied 

 by somebody," said he. So this man went to work skinning the beef, 

 while his wife carried it to their shelter. He worked at this day after 

 day, as also did his wife, with the meat, she slicing it and placing it on 

 the poles to dry. Sometimes the man got sleepy from skinning and 

 lay down by the beef and slept for rest ; then, on awaking, he would go 

 to skinning again. His wife and children were working at and helping 



