242 Field Columbian Museum — ^Anthropology, Vol. V. 



grandchild, I think that your mother is around, for I smell her foot- 

 prints," hooted Big Owl. "Oh, no, she didn't come," said Little Owl, 

 sitting close to the fire. "Well, then, you had better go over there and 

 skin the animal," said Big Owl. "Yes, I will go over directly," said 

 Little Owl, poking the fire. "But, grandfather, I do not want these 

 arrow sticks disturbed. I have therii nicely laid at even distances, and if 

 you should come in and touch or move one of them out of shape I am 

 going to kill you,'" said Little Owl. "But grandchild, I think that your 

 mother is here, for I do smell her body," said Big Owl. "Oh, no, she 

 didn't come." said Little Owl, flying away to the beef. In a short 

 time Little Owl returned with the beef. "Say, grandchild, I want you 

 to go out and kill some beef to-day. When you go out, go to that hill 

 and you will find a nice bunch of buflfalo. After you have found one, 

 hold your bag open toward the animal and it will go in without trouble," 

 said Big Owl. ''All right, I shall go over there pretty soon. But I want to 

 tell you that I don't want my arrows disturbed to-day,"' said Little Owl, 

 placing feathers, already prepared, against the heads of the arrows. 

 "Now, you see these arrow sticks, nicely trimmed and the feathers 

 placed along the sides of them? If you come in and get one feather 

 out of place, I shall kill you," said Little Owl. "Yes, I think, grand- 

 child, your mother is here, for I do smell her body," said Big Owl. 

 "Oh, no, she didn't come," said Little Owl, flying away to the hill. 



Running down the ravine he saw a bunch of buffalo grazing on 

 grass, and slowly advanced to the fattest one. After killing it he held 

 the bag wide open and the bufifalo entered it. Placing it on his back 

 he walked in with the whole beef. The woman was still under the ar- 

 rows and covering. Big Owl showed Little Owl how to kill animals 

 and to bring them in, at the same time anxious to find out if the woman 

 was inside. "Say. dear grandchild, I want you to go again and kill 

 about five buffalo and bring them in," said Big Owl. "All right, I will 

 go over and kill them, but I want to tell you that you mu-st not bother 

 these arrows," said Little Owl. He had already fastened the feathers to 

 the notched end of the arrows, and he laid them in a row at an even 

 distance apart. "Now if you should come in and get one out of place 

 I shall kill you," said Little Owl, flying away in search of buffalo again. 

 Big Owl was in the top of the tipi (tree) when in conversation. "Oh, 

 dear, grandchild, I am pretty sure your mother is here, for I do smell 

 the footprints," said Big Owl. "Oh, no, she is not here," said the boy 

 before leaving the tipi. 



Running down the ravine and over another divide, this boy saw 

 a small herd on the open range, shot and killed five of them. Opening 



