144 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. V. 



The women, feeling conscientious, went back to the tipi and in- 

 formed the men that they had seen a strange looking animal at the 

 river. The men were then smoking the pipe waiting for the meal at 

 noon, but this time the women got them all to the river, to see what the 

 animal was and to find out if it had gone clear out of sight. The men 

 reached the river and spied the ridge caused by the monster sinking into 

 the sand-bar. After the men had questioned among themselves, they 

 concluded it was the Hiintcabiit (water monster). A good many were 

 afraid to wade in the water to see the spot, but three of them ventured 

 and waded toward the ripple. Reaching the ridge they stood gazing at 

 it carefully. They informed the others that it was the water monster 

 which was ^een by the women, that it had turned to stone and that its 

 back was visible. 



These men, although much criticised for their behavior toward 

 the powerful monster, got around it and began digging out the body. 

 Finally they removed the stones and pebbles from all the sides and took 

 hold of him and carried him to the dry land. 



The chiefs and head men told the criers (old men) to tell the peo- 

 ple that the Hiintcabiit was caught and taken out of the riyer and placed 

 on dry land ; that those who wished to pay respect and to make an 

 offering to it should come at once, so that the monster would not get 

 mad. The news of the capture of the monster circulated up and down 

 the river among the Indians. 



Knowing that the monster is a sacred beast, and a good to the na- 

 tion, they at once procured necessary presents, such as bunches of eagle 

 feathers for his headdress, half-moon shells for his headdress, red 

 flannel, black cloth, white flannel, and bright colored pieces of calico. 

 The people came to this monster with the above material and bowed 

 down to him, tying the various 'articles on his head and body. This 

 monster was adorned so heavily that very little of its body was seen. 



One day an Indian named Little-Shield, who does not believe the 

 medicine-men and their gods, accidentally ran across this petrified mon- 

 ster, lying on the ground clothed with various garments. "Well! 

 Well ! This will not do. This animal is not a god, for its appearance 

 differs from that of a god. This is where all the feathers, calico and 

 wampum go to ! People need these things. It is all foolishness to give 

 such precious gifts to this ugly looking beast," said he. ' He rode up in 

 front of this petrified monster and pulled out his gun and shot him in 

 the forehead. "What a funny looking god these people have! and I 

 don't see any sacredness about him," said he. He dismounted from 

 his pony and'took the best things away from the monster and rode away. 



