Oct., 1903. Arapaho Traditions — Dorsey and Kroeber. 227 



cided to kill the bear. So when these boys were sleeping sound, about 

 midnight, and when the bear was also asleep, a company of Dog Sol- 

 diers came along and killed her. — D. 



Told by Francis Lee. Said to have been obtained Irom the Sioux. 



. 94. — The Adulterous Bear.^ 



There was a man whose wife often wanted to sleep at the back of 

 the bed. Her husband, suspecting her, wanted her to take the front of 

 the bed towards the fire. One night he went out for a considerable 

 time and came back late very slowly and quietly. He saw that some 

 one had just put his head and half his body into the tent.' Then the 

 man walked softly up to the person to see who it was. To his surprise 

 it was a bear, as he could see by the feet. Then he went back slowly 

 and quietly and told his brother. "'Get your gun and hide yourself at 

 a short distance from the tent. I will go inside. When the bear flees, 

 shoot him." Then he went in. and when the bear fled the brother shot 

 him and wounded him, but did not kill him, and the bear escaped. 

 The husband said to his wife, "This is why you wanted to sleep toward 

 the outside. You have been guilty with the bear. Now we have found 

 you out and you shall go with him." He took the gun from his brother 

 and shot her dead. The bear reached the mountains and showed his 

 wound to the ether bears and told them of it. They became angry on 

 account of his injury. They summoned each other, and assembled, and 

 began to attack the entire camp of the people. They killed a number 

 of them. Then the people got their bows and arrows and fought them. 

 The bears had killed part of the people, but now were frightened 

 off.— K. 



95. — The Bear and the Old Men. 



Two old men were sleeping in a tent with their backs to the fire. 

 A bear came in, saw them, and taking a burning stick from the fire, 

 touched one of them on the back. "Stop your foolishness," said the 

 man who had been burned. "It must have been a spark. I did not 

 touch you," said the other. The bear was outside laughing. After a 

 time he came in again and burned the other's back. "Stop that," said 

 the old man ; "you are trying to do to me what you mistakenly think 

 1 have done to you." The other denied it ; they grew angry and took 

 up stone mauls and began to fight. The bear went off laughing.' — K. 



' Informants J. 



' Probably under the edge of the tent. 



^ For a similar idea cf. Russell, Journ. Am. Folk Lore, XI. 269 (Jicarilla Apache), and Hoffman, 

 Ann. Rep. Bur. Ethn., XIV, 213 (Menomini). 



