Oct., 1903. Arapaho Traditions — Dorsey and Kroeber. 243 



his bag and pointing it toward them, they entered into the bag. Packing 

 it on his back he walked off with it to the tipi. Entering the tipi he 

 found the arrows all right. "Say, grandchild, I am pretty sure that 

 your mother is here, for I do smell her breath," said Big Owl. "Oh, 

 "no, she is not here," said Little Owl. "Well, then, dear grandchild, I 

 want you to go out and kill ten buffalo. Be sure and bring them," said 

 Big Owl. "All right, 1 will go over right away, but listen to me, I want 

 you not to bother these arrows." The arrows were not quite finished.. 

 "See, they are all lying at an even distance apart. If you should come in 

 and move one by accident, I shall kill you surely," said the boy. "Well, 

 here, boy, I smell your mother distinctly. I am quite positive that she 

 is inside, and comes to take you away," said Big Owl. "Say, if you 

 don't believe me. I want to show this to you." The boy took up the 

 stone club that was inside and stood close to the entrance. "Be sure 

 and not bother these arrows during my absence," said he. So Little 

 Owl flew away in search of buffalo. 



After locating the animals he ran down along the deep ravine into 

 a bush and squatted, then shot and killed ten of them. This time, he 

 took pains to skin them. After getting through with five he came 

 home. "Well, old man, you are here," said the little boy. "Say, grand- 

 father, I wish you would go out and skin the rest of the beeves before it 

 gets late," said Little Owl. So Big Owl flew away to the beeves. 



This time the w^oman got up and told her boy to get ready, that she 

 wanted to make her escape. "Say, mother, my grandfather is power- 

 ful and very cunning. If we should start now he will surely overtake 

 us, for you hear he is coming home," said the little boy. Big Owl 

 hooted tt a short distance away and the woman went back under the 

 cover. "My dear grandchild, I didn't skin one because it was getting 

 late, besides I smell your mother distinctly," said Big Owl. "Oh, pshaw. 

 I tell you that she is not here !" Don't you see I am too busy inside to 

 notice anything outside," said Little Owl. Big Owl was then quiet for 

 a while. "Say, grandfather, you had better go back and finish that beef 

 before dark," said the boy, with commanding voice. "All rigTit, but I 

 smell your mother," said Big Owl, flying away. 



"Well, mother, he is gone now," said the boy with fear. So the 

 mother got up from the cover and brushed herself a little. Untying, her 

 bundle she took out two pairs of men's moccasins and placed one pair 

 at the entrance, outside. "Now, dear child, I want you to keep up with 

 me. We will try and escape from him. He is a ghost, but you are a 

 human child. You are my child by birth. I took great pains to come 

 after you, so you must follow." said the woman, stepping on the first 



