Oct., 1903. Arapaho Traditions — Dorsey and Kroeber. 315 



the ground with the stick and in secret thoughts, "Here ! Take this ; 

 it is the clotted blood that I found on the trail, and I wish you would 

 boil it for soup." "You may go out and run over to your sister's tipi 

 and tell her that I failed to overtake the wounded animal. It is quite 

 possible that the wound is not fatal and furthermore, the trail became 

 quite dim," said he to his son. So the little boy got up and went out, 

 running to his sister's tipi, which was well lighted and perfumed with 

 beef, and standing outside in front of the door, peeped in and said : 

 "Oh, sister! My father has returned and reports that he failed to 

 overtake the wounded animal. He thinks that the wound is not fatal, 

 lor the trail became dim." Of course the son-in-law heard the little 

 boy distinctly, but didn't care to talk to him. 



In the mean time, the poor old woman had reached for a bucket 

 filled with good water, having cleaned the bucket, and had hung it over 

 the fire from the leaning stick. She then placed this clotted blood into 

 the vessel and shortly afterwards there came a voice, or cry of a young 

 baby. Before the other couple could hear the cry of this baby, she 

 grabbed the bucket and emptied it, and to be sure, there was a nice, 

 healthy looking girl, well formed and charming. 



This old woman then said: "Oh, my dear little daughter, Blood- 

 Clot-Girl, don't cry ! I am so glad to have you !" So this old woman then 

 wrapped the baby with remnants of buffalo hides. (These remnants 

 are those cut from certain hides, used in various rituals, and sewed 

 together, making a complete robe. This robe is called "beksaw," "be- 

 loved son.") "You must be obedient to us. We are poor and needy, 

 but we some day shall be well-to-do people. I want you to be sober and 

 thoughtful with us. Content yourself with our present mode of living, 

 and we can be happier all around." The little boy, too, was growing, 

 and obtaining lessons every day. 



In the morning the son-in-law again went out for more game, plac- 

 ing the same restrictions on his wife. Shortly after he had gone, the' 

 father then turned to Blocd-Clot-Girl, and said in plain voice with ex- 

 pressions of faith : "Say, dear little daughter, I wish you would run 

 out and tell your lister that I send you over for a favor. And tell her 

 that since her husband is gone, to give you a small piece of dried ten- 

 derloin for me to roast, that I can have it beaten fine." So Blood-Clot- 

 Girl, now quite a girl, went out and peeped into the son-in-law's tipi, 

 and in a somewhat manly voice (in order to deceive), said: "Oh, 

 sister ! I am here again on an errand. Since your husband is gone, 

 my father requests that you take pity this time and let me have a small 

 piece of dried tenderloin for him to roast. Just a wee bit will do." 



