Oct., 1903. Arapaho Traditions — Dorsey and Kroeber. 377 



There was more excitement among the i>eople than in previous 

 years. The chief and warriors of the tribe came and greeted him for 

 his victory. After he had told his war story to the people, they dressed 

 in their best and went into the center of the camp-circle and had a big 

 scalp-dance. This dance lasted many days and nights. Those scalps 

 that Found-in-Grass had taken were fixed up nicely and attached to 

 sticks of wood. These sticks, bearing human scalps, were carried by wo- 

 men during the dancing. Thus Found-in-Grass obtained for himself an- 

 other kind of reputation among the whole tribe, and established more 

 confidence and good will among the people. He also now became a 

 chief and a warrior, and the tribe respected and obeyed him. 



For four times, he went out on the war-path alone, and returned 

 victorious. There were some joyful events each time he returned. The 

 people were well supplied with all kinds of scalps. 



There came a man to his tipi and prayed to him that the bag be 

 transferred to him. in order that he might conquer nations, too. (This 

 bag is called '"naneci, covering.") After Found-in-Grass had consid- 

 ered the matter carefully, he turned the bag over to the man (Nili'a"ga'') 

 and instructed him how to use it during the battle. 



So one day Niha^^a"^ invited the chiefs and warriors for a smoke 

 of pipe and feast. He told them that he was going out alone in search 

 of enemies, for which he was cautioned as to the use of the bladder bag. 

 There were continuous dances in the camp, in honor of Found-in- 

 Grass. In the night, Nili'a"<;a° collected- some men in the tipi and sang 

 war songs. In the morning, he went away" alone. For days and nights 

 he traveled in the wilderness, until he came to the enemy's camp. 



Seeing that the herd of ponies were far from the camp-circle, he 

 thought best to steal them. So he rounded them up and drove them 

 homeward. He was overtaken by the enemy and sought refuge behind 

 a breastwork on the hill. The enemy made a terrific charge on him, but 

 he opened the bag, and there came out of it countless numbers of war- 

 riors, all running after men, chasing and killing them, and taking scalps. 

 •Nih'a°(;a'* chased and killed some and took a few scalps. The enemy 

 was totally massacred, thus §^iving a victory to Nib'a°Qa°. The porcu- 

 pine quills (men) returned to the bag. Nih'a^qa" returned with his 

 scalps to the camp. Within a short distance from it, he gave a cry of a 

 wolf, which meant that he had conquered the enemy. 



There was a stir in the camp. Nih'a"ga° went to his tipi and in- 

 vited the chiefs and warriors to come, so that he might tell of his ad- 

 venture. The chiefs and warriors came, one by one, to hear the storv. 

 After this had happened there were scalp-dances and numerous dances 



