TWENTY YEARS IN THE ROCKIES. 149 



sweat lodge was full of patients most of the time. I saw 

 five braves strip and enter the lodge, which was made of 

 willow switches, stuck in the ground far enough apart to 

 form a small room, the tips of the switches being brought 

 over at the top and tied. 



During the curing process the tent was entirely covered 

 with skins and blankets. A hole in the center of the room 

 held a number of small stones that were heated red hot, and 

 around these the naked patients ranged themselves ; then 

 an old squaw named Two Belly, after making various kinds 

 of gestures toward the sun, poured a pailful of water upon 

 the stones. The room being very close, the steam arose in 

 such great volumes as to shake the slight structure. 



The squaw then commenced warbling the medicine-song 

 song, the patients joining with a low, guttural "Hay a hay, 

 hay a," that was kept up as long as they could endure the 

 steam. At a signal given from the outside, the squaw threw 

 open the door, when the patients rushed out and leaped into 

 the river, where they splashed and kicked until tired out, 

 when they came to camp, wrapped themselves in blankets, 

 and lay down to sleep. 



The squaw insisted upon my going in with the Indians ; 

 "Heap good !" she said ; but I told her that although it might 

 be good for an Indian, it was not for a white man, and that 

 I would rather peep in from the outside. They had great 

 faith in the sweating process, with much reverence for the 

 medicine-lodge and the medicine-man. 



I had a long talk with Crazy Head, and he told me 

 about some of their customs and beliefs. When they are 

 going to fight an enemy,, a warrior, mounted upon the finest 

 war-horse belonging to the tribe horse and rider bedecked 

 with skins, beads and feathers, and painted in war-colors is 

 sent through the village, to call the braves together. They 



