Oct., 1903. Arapaho Traditions^-Dorsey and Kroeber. 265 



were still standing. The white buffalo cow was in the center, sitting very 

 prominently. "Well, my friends were afraid of a man in a breastwork, 

 and I had just arrived on the scene. I asked if they haa struck him 

 yet, and thev said no. I thanked them for not striking the man. So 

 without waiting unnecessarily, I made a plunge and struck him with 

 my club," said he, shooting at the animal, but only wounding it again. 

 All -the others got up, walked around four times, licking her face. Then 

 they walked off, leaving her. Afterwards she got up slowly and fol- 

 lowed the herd. 



"Well, it is my earnest desire to kill this cow, and I have got to 

 do it," said he. So he mounted his hcrse again and went ahead of the 

 herd, which had stopped on a good range. Quite a good many were 

 lying down, while the rest were still standing, grazing on fine grass. 

 The white buffalo cow was again in the midst and was sitting on the 

 ground. "We were on the war-path when the snow was deep. Again 

 I was detailed to go out and get on some mountain to locate the enemy. 

 So I got on mv horse and started off. To my surprise and luck I ran 

 across a big camp in the river bottom. I then returned and told my 

 comrades about the enemy. We got ready and made a charge on the 

 camp. I saw a man just coming out of the tipi and made a rush at 

 him, killed him instantly, got off from my horse and took his scalp- 

 lock," said he, shooting at the cow. The herd then got up and walked 

 around the cow four times, licking the white buffalo's face as they 

 passed. Finally the whole herd walked away, leaving her in a sitting 

 position. For some distance the herd looked back to see if she would 

 get up and follow, but she was dead, in a sitting position. 



This hunter then went over to the cow, kneeled down and prayed 

 to it. After he had taken a good look at the cow's hide, he began to 

 skin it reverently. By sunset Re got through and packed his horse 

 with the hide and meat. He reached his tipi and told his wife that he 

 had killed a white buffalo cow and that she must be careful with the 

 hide. In the morning he took this sacred hide to the high priest's tipi, 

 carrying it on his back. 



This sacred hide was like that of a gray wolf and the hoofs were 

 light, its horns were white. The beef was fat and tender. 



The women scraped the sacred hide. They wore sage wreaths at 

 their wrists, waists and ankles, and on the head (as a headdress). 

 The meat or beef is not eaten. When these women had scraped the 

 meat from the hide, they threw it away. The children accidentally 

 ran to this waste beef, and while at play, roasted it for a meal. Those 

 who ate it found it tasted little different from ordinary meat. Some 



