62 Field Columbian Museum— Anthropology, Vol. V. 



he swerved aside and stopped ; but the elk all went over the cliff and 

 fell on the rocks below and were killed. . Nih'a"ga'^ laughed: "Now 

 I have enough meat. I thought I could get them easily." He climbed 

 down, took a stick, and killed all the elk that were still alive. Then he 

 dragged them away and for a long time he was busy cutting the meat. 



*Nih'a"<;a*' was just cutting out a paunch when the coyote came. 

 He gave him the paunch, and said : "Go down to t^ie stream and 

 bring up some water. I will give you some of my meat when I have 

 finished cutting." The coyote went down to the stream, sat there, and 

 immediately ate up the paunch. When he came back empty-handed, 

 , Nih'a"ga" asked: "Where is your water?" "A fish carried the paunch 

 away from me," said the coyote. "Well, I have many of them here," 

 said 'Nih'a"<;a". The coyote went down to the stream again, in order to 

 wash the paunch out and bring it back full of water ; but instead he 

 ate it again. Then it happened again. Then Nih'a"(;a'^ noticed that the 

 coyote's stomach was stretching. He said to him : 'The fish must be 

 very strong." "Yes ; they are almost as large as you," said the coyote. 

 Nih'a"ga'^ gave him another paunch, and when the coyote went off to the 

 stream, followed him and watched. He saw the coyote sit down and eat 

 the palinch. Then he went back and took a stick. The coyote came 

 and said: "'The fish took it away from me again." "Ha! the fish 

 took it away from you again !" said Nih'a^ga'*, and struck him on the 

 head. Then he dragged him off some distance and left him lying, say- 

 ing: "Lie here." At last he finished cutting his hieat and hanging it 

 up. Then he was very tired and hungry. He made a fire, cooked, and 

 ate as much as he could. Then he became sleepy and lay down. The 

 coyote was only stunned, and came to life. He howled, and thus gath- 

 ered the coyotes and wolves. They all went to where Nih^a°ga** was 

 sleeping. Nih'a°<;a", hearing a noise, said : "Go away ; I am not asleep. 

 This meat is mine. No one else shall have any." Soon aniother wolf 

 approached. Again Nih'a'^ga° called out. Again a wolf came and 

 'Nih'a"ga'^ heard him. At last he went to sleep soundly. Then a quick 

 coyote went up, touched him all over with its nose, and found that he 

 was sound asleep. TheA they all came and devoured his meat. The 

 mice and rats came and ate his hair and his robe. When Nih'a'^Qa" 

 woke up he saw what had happened. He said to himself: "What is 

 the matter with you ? You are in bad luck. You had much meat. Now 

 it is all gone." ^ — K. 



' Cf. Grinnel), Blackfoot Lodge Tales, 158. 



