THE HUNTER 99 



primitive pony hunters of prehistoric France. 

 It seems, too, that those hairy aborigines who 

 spht pony bones for marrow may possibly have 

 known the daintiest dish of Red Indian 

 cookery, Crow entrail, more poHtely known as 

 Absaroka Sausage. 



In savage tribes there is a rule that a man of 

 the Smith sept may not marr}'- among the 

 Smiths, but seeks his bride among the Browns 

 or Robinsons. But the septs are usual!}' 

 called after some animal, so that for Smith we 

 may read Pony, for Brown we may read Eagle, 

 for Robinson say Wolf. Moreover, the chil- 

 dren play a game of two sides in which Master 

 Wolf impersonates a wolf with cries and 

 dances, and if the rival side laughs they pay 

 forfeit. So Miss Pony plays at pony, and 

 Master Eagle plays at being an Eagle. Out of 

 this game perhaps comes a play of the grown- 

 ups ; in which I have seen a candidate for the 

 secret societ}^ of the Healers impersonate his 

 tribal Bear or Beaver before the Doctors of the 

 order who admitted himi to their circle. This 

 play may be the origin of a mystic rite known 

 as Calhng the Game. For certain Doctors can 

 wear a wolf skin, and give so beautiful an 

 imitation of a wolf that all the deer and bison 

 are deceived. His job is to excite their 



