Oct., 1903. Arapaho. Traditions — Dorsey and Kroeber. 281 



looking object jump into the timber out of sight. "Well, daughter, I 

 paw a strange object going from the door to the timber, after we heard 

 the voice at the door. It is something wonderiul, and I think we had 

 better be getting away from it," said he to his daughter. * Well, my 

 father, then we must get away soon," said the daughter. So she 

 stopped her quill work and made four pairs of moccasins, which she 

 placed at four different spots inside the tipi ; two pairs under the cover 

 of the bed at the back of the tipi, and the two other pairs at the sides of 

 the tipi, against the wall. 



The father and mother prepared for escape. They did not disturb 

 the animal which had been left outside, which was a male" elk, but that 

 day they started off to get away, the father and mother going ahead, 

 followed b}^ their daughter. 



Again there came this strange object to the door in the 

 night, saying, "I have brought you the burden," dropping it 

 at the door. After seeing the male elk outside, untouched, he 

 said to them, "You can't get away from me ; there is no possible chance 

 of escape for any of you." Then the strange object tossed around the 

 tipi, buzzing against it, but attracted no attention. So it started off, 

 rolling along the trail, but it had got but a short distance when one 

 pair of moccasins cried like a person behind it. So it returned to the 

 lipi, jumped inside, but found nobody there. "You can't get away 

 from me, my food," said the strange object. Then it started off again on 

 the trail after the family. Now another pair of moccasins cried after 

 the object, which caused it to return to the tipi, where it tossed from 

 side to side, finding nobody there. Then it started off again, rolling 

 fast, but it got just so far from the tipi, when another pair of mocca- 

 sins cried after it like a person, which caused it to return to the tipi. 

 It tossed around inside of the tipi, but found nobody, so it started off 

 again after the family. 



The father, mother and daughter had now reached a hill and 

 looked back to see if they were perfectly safe. They saw a skull roll- 

 ing after them, which frightened them. Then the daughter said, "I 

 wish there was something to obstruct its passage !" and sure enough 

 there was a thick patch of thistles behind. The daughter kept looking 

 back to watch the skull. It would toss around from place to place, 

 until it finally passed through the thicket. The daughter, seeing it 

 come on after them, ran again. The father and mother had reached 

 the hill, when, they, too, saw the skull coming. The daughter said, 

 "I wish there was something to obstruct its path!" and there was 

 thick timber behind her. After she reached the hill she stopped to 



