i82 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. V. 



ball-and-stick game, and surely your brother cannot have come back 

 50 soon as that. Just stop here for a good rest. The camp-circle is not 

 far. Look yonder ; where that peak stands ; right below it is the camp- 

 circle. When you get a little distance from here you will see it plainly. 

 Will you please come and tramp on my spinal column and then you 

 can go on your journey," said the old woman. So this young man 

 stepped on this old woman's back. "Oh ! That feels good, I wish you 

 would step a little further down, and that will do," said the old woman. 

 So he stepped a little further down, along the painful side, to the last 

 rib, and he dropped dead instantly. The old woman then dragged him 

 into her lodge and pinned him inside. She then filled the pipe with 

 tobacco and smoked. She cleaned out the ash and placed it on his eyes, 

 mouth and breast. 



The next morning, when the brothers did not return, another 

 brother said that he would go in search of them. So he started off and 

 got to a divide and saw the smoky atmosphere along the creek, which 

 had plenty of timber. Finally he came to the creek bottom and saw 

 a tipi by itself, which was well tanned. As he was about to pass the 

 tipi, this old woman, who was lying up to the fire outside, warming 

 her back, saw him. "Well, my dear grandchild, where are you going 

 to this time of day?" "Well, grandmother, I am going to the other 

 camp-circle, in search of my brothers, who have been absent for some 

 time. I am worried about their absence," said the young man. "Well, 

 my grandchild, you have plenty of time to reach it ; it is not far away. 

 Just seat yourself and rest for a while," said the old woman. So he 

 took a seat, and to his surprise he saw human bones lying around. 

 ■"Will you please come over and tramp on my spinal column ; T was 

 working hard the other day, and it pains me terribly, grandchild," said 

 the old woman. So this young man tramped on her body. "Please 

 go down a little further, and it will relieve me, perhaps," said the old 

 woman. This young man got his foot upon the spike, which was the 

 last rib. He dropped dead and the old woman dragged him into the 

 tipi and staked him to the ground by the hands and feet, the head 

 facing toward the wall. The old woman smoked the pipe and placed 

 the waste on the eyes, mouth and on the breast. 



The next morning the sister spoke to her brother, telling him to 

 travel without stopping much on the way. "I am getting uneasy about 

 my brothers, and you are to be careful, and if you should be delayed 

 on the road, get away quickly," said the sister. "All right," said the 

 young man. 



