Oct., 1903. Arapaho Traditions — Dorsey and Kroeber. 181 



85. — Light- Stone. 



There was a tipi in which there were six brothers and a sister. One 

 day the oldest brother told the others that he would take a trip to an- 

 other camp-circle. So he started off toward a creek, which had plent)- 

 of timber. To his surprise, he came across a tipi well tanned, caused 

 by smoke. He went into the tipi. "Well, my dear grandchild, where 

 are you going? Be seated," said an old woman, who was lying on her 

 bed with her back to the fire. "I am going to the camp-circle, grand- 

 mother," said the young man. "The camp-circle is not far off, so you 

 have plenty of time to reach it. It is right in an open place. Just be 

 contented and take a good rest," said the old woman. The young man 

 then took a good seat, awaiting for something good to come from the 

 old woman. 



"My dear grandchild, will you come and tramp on my back? I 

 have a terrible pain along my spinal column ; I could not sleep last 

 night, on account of the pain ; it would go to both of my shoulder- 

 blades and then to my lower ribs," said the old woman. So this young 

 man got up and walked on this old woman's back slowly. "Oh ! that 

 feels good ! It gives me much relief. Will you please tramp further 

 down toward the lower part of my ribs, and then you will have fin- 

 ished," said the old woman. So the young man did. All at once he 

 had his foot upon something sharp (the last rib), which was raised up- 

 right, like a real spike, killing him instantly. 



The old woman got the axe and some tipi pins and staked him to 

 the ground by his hands and feet. She then took the pipe and tobacco 

 and smoked. After she had burned the tobacco out in the pipe, she 

 cleaned out the ash and placed it upon his eyes, mouth, and breast. 

 (When the young man had arrived at the tipi, he saw human skeletons 

 lying around the tipi.) 



The next morning, knowing that there would be another young 

 man coming along, she made a fire outside. She then lay down by the 

 side of the fire. By and by there came a young man who had seen a 

 smoky atmosphere in the timber where this old woman lived, and he 

 was about to push on by the tipi, "Well, my dear grandchild, where are 

 you going to, this time of. day?" said the old woman. "1 am going to 

 the other camp-circle. My oldest brother went on a. visit and has not 

 yet returned. I want to find him ; besides, I want to see the people," 

 said the yoiing man. "Well, my dear grandchild, a young man has 

 just come from there and he said that there were plenty of games at 

 the camp-circle, such as the big-wheel, running-wheel, medicine-wheel. 



