Abstracts — Dorsey and Kroeber. 455 



107. — The Red-Speckled Horse. 



Man has herd of ponies. Wife goes after stock in evening and has red- 

 speckled horse staked out with best horses. Red-speckled horse and wife are in 

 love and have intercourse every time she drives herd out. She becomes back- 

 ward in attending to stock. One morning husband asks wife to get up and turn 

 stock loose and drive them to grass. She does so, riding gentlest mare. In 

 evening husband asks her to bring herd in for night. When trying to catch red- 

 speckled horse it neighs like a stallion. She stakes it and prettiest horses near 

 tipi. Next morning husband again tells wife to drive out the herd, which she 

 does, not returning until toward noon. She excuses- herself by saying she had 

 stopped on hill to watch herd. In evening husband sends her again to bring in 

 herd. On return husband tells her to stake red-speckled horse first near tipi. 

 It again neighs when she goes near it, kicks ground and throws up its tail. Next 

 day same things occur. Husband smiles and aids wife in catching horse. Fol- 

 lowing morning wife takes herd to range. Husband suspects wife and follows 

 her. He sees red-speckled horse with her. When she dismounts it rounds up 

 whole herd and drives woman in midst. She stoops down arid horse covers her. 

 Herd scatters and wife walks off home. Husband goes back quickly. Wife 

 finds him in bed and tells him to get up. He refuses and tells her what he has 

 seen. Husband goes after herd himself in afternoon. Red-speckled horse whin- 

 nies but seeing it is not wife stands still and grazes. He drives herd home. 

 Wife comes with lariat. When she has loop ready for red-speckled horse it 

 runs up whinnying. In tipi husband talks to wife of her crime and becomes 

 furious against horse. At sunset husband goes out with bow and two arrows. 

 Horse begins whinnying at him, thinking he is wife. He shoots horse in heart, 

 it vomits, staggers and falls dead. In morning husband tells wife to drive herd 

 to range before breakfast. She goes out of tipi and finds all horses gone but 

 dead one. Husband goes to see. Returns to wife and asks her to forgive him. 

 She blames him for killing horse, who had thought of way to have different 

 colored horses in herd. Husband asks wife to go and ask horse to bring herd 

 back. Wife goes out and tells horse his partner wants him to go after herd. 

 She goes out again and says husband acted without thought. Horse moves his 

 limbs. Wife goes third time to horse and says his partner wishes his sympa- 

 thy. Horse moves about and breathes. Wife goes again and says partner 

 wishes horse to get up and show its power. Horse gets up and shakes itself. 

 Husband goes out, then hears horse whinnying four times and whole herd just 

 then gets back. He hugs and kisses horse and then attends to stock. Husband 

 tells wife he would like white horse, with black ears, small black eyes and black 

 .spot at root of tail. She tells him to bring her mare, which she mounts, telling 

 husband to watch small ravine until she comes back. She starts off with red- 

 speckled horse. He watches spot eagerly and at last wife appears, followed by 

 red-speckled horse and new black-eared horse. When they come to tipi husband 

 hugs and kisses wife and congratulates her for her good deeds, etc. He mounts 

 new horse and rides it around camp-circle. Next morning husband tells wife 

 he would like horse of whitish color, with bay specks all over body, and golden 

 mane and tafil. Wife goes away on mare with red-speckled horse as before and 

 returns with new horse, such as he desired. Following day husband obtains 

 light dappled-gray horse in same way as before. Next morning he wishes for 



