92 . Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. V. 



"Our son might finally make up his mind to wander off ; let us 

 order his sisters to search for their support, and then they can be con- 

 tented elsewhere," said the parents. So they decided to put away their 

 daughters and keep the only sen ; they thought best to do this, in order 

 to preserve moral feeling in the family and a proper respect for their 

 son. 



''All you girls get ready, pack your bags with your moccasins, 

 dried meat, etc., and go and support yourselves. Go to suit yourselves! 

 My son will stay with us, and it is our idea that you all remain away 

 from him, rather than be with him at our home. He may not like our 

 home with so many sisters unmarried," said the father and mother. 

 So the sisters had to obey and soon packed up their bags with neces- 

 saries. In the morning the girls loaded the burdens and started off 

 somewhere for a place to live. Days and nights they traveled in search 

 of an abiding place, until they came to the foot of a mountain. 



At the foot of this mountain was the head of a running creek. It 

 had plenty of timber and good clear water. The valleys of its sides 

 were broad and fertile. There was plenty of game and birds of 

 various species, the noise of which in the woods along the deep ravines 

 and sides of high mountains was like the blowing of bone whistles, 

 the musical echoes of the animals and birds. The scenery was beau- 

 tiful to the eyes of the seven sisters. These sisters walked down the 

 creek and reached a bend which was attractive to them on account of a 

 hill covered with timber and rocks. This hill was pointed and faced 

 toward the creek. They went to this hill and found that at the foot 

 of it was an opening (cave), and they decided to make it their abiding 

 place. 



So they went in and made themselves beds around the circular 

 space inside. It was like a tipi to them, for it was pointed above and 

 the entrance was like that of the door of a tipi. The oldest made her 

 bed in the center at the rear, and the others made theirs according to 

 age, the youngest sister being at the door. 



These sisters spent some time at the cave and one morning early 

 the oldest sister went to look out and saw a herd of buffalo just coming 

 to water on the other side of the creek. "Oh, sister ! Come out and look 

 at the buffalo over yonder," said she to her next younger sister. The 

 sister got up and went out and looked for the buffalo. The moment 

 she took a glance at them several of the buffalo fell dead. Then they 

 went to them and skinned them for their hides and meat. When they 

 had brought in the hides they rolled them up and sat down on them 

 and commanded them to be painted and quilled as seemed best. When 



