Oct., 1903. Arapaho Traditions — Dorsey and Kroeber. 273 



stopping to make the stranger's acquaintance, she went on, and soon 

 reached another camp-circle, and inquired again for Spitting-Horn- Shell ; 

 but he was at anotlier camp farther up. Again she went on her journey 

 and reached the fourth camp-circle and made a search for the young 

 man by inquiry, but people told her that he was not in the camp. With- 

 out unnecessary delay, she started out again and finally reached a 

 camp-circle along the river and inquired at once for the young man, 

 Spitting-Horn-Shell, of the first young man she met. 



There was at this time great preparation for the Sun-aance cere- 

 mony, in which this young man, Spitting-Horn-Shell, was to partici- 

 pate. 



When Split-Rump (a little bird) heard that the beautiful girl was 

 coming to marry Spitting-Horn-Shell, he went out and met this girl 

 as she came into camp. "Say, young man, tell me where I can find a 

 young man named Spitting-Horn-Shell, and I shall be obliged to you,'' 

 said the woman. 'Well, I am the identical young man whom you are 

 looking for," said Split-Rump. "Oh ! Your appearance does not an- 

 swer the description of Spitting-Horn-Shell ; besides you are too short 

 and have a rather dark complexion." "Yes, I am the man noted for 

 beauty, and for some curious qualities," said Split-Rump. "Well, let 

 me see you spit out the horn-shells," said the woman. So this young 

 man Split-Rump spit out cut-bone shells before her. "Now look, 

 whether I am or not the man," said he. After a few words between 

 them she decided to go with him to his own mother's tipi. He took her 

 to his parents as a wife. They spent the night at the lodge of the 

 old folks. 



The Sun-dance lodge was fully put up, and the men were now inside, 

 ready to dance. This Split-Rump was to take part also. In the morn- 

 ing of the first day. Spitting-Horn-Shell was spitting out horn shells on 

 the ground ; women and children would pick up the shells. Split-Rump 

 was standing by the door inside and spit out cut-bone shells and the 

 children picked them up. The chiefs did not like Split-Rump, as they 

 considered him a disturbing element, for the people wanted to look at 

 this beautiful young man who spit the shells on the ground. So they 

 ordered Split-Rump to quit dancing, and they laid his body flat before 

 this beautiful young man to dance on. (This Spitting-Horn-Shell 

 danced on the backside of this little bird, because it was soft. The 

 constant dancing made the rump split.) Night came on and Split- 

 Rump went home. Split-Rump instructed his own mother to watch 

 his wife closely every day. "I want you to keep yourself here while I 

 am away," said Split-Rump to his wife. 



