282 INDIANS. 



from their stronger natures or from less contact with the 

 whites, abide by their ancient faith, and each year cele- 

 brate the medicine dance in all its original rigour. 



A chief of the Arrapahoe Indians once gave me his 

 reasons for riot believing in the medicine dance. A 

 medicine chief of the Arrapahoes was an ambitious man, 

 and aspired to the temporal command of the tribe. How- 

 ever much the views of the other chiefs on the temporal 

 affairs of the tribe differed from his, it was always found 

 that the result of the medicine dance was in accord- 

 ance with and furtherance of his wishes. 



If he wanted war, the strongest warriors available 

 were selected to make the dance, and they were, besides, 

 allowed indulgences, intermissions, and resting spells. 

 The result was, of course, ' good medicine.' If he wanted 

 peace, some weak warriors were selected for the dance, 

 which was, moreover, conducted with such rigour that 

 even the strongest failed. He was rich, because he al- 

 ways selected a number either themselves rich, or the 

 sons of rich men, who were made to pay roundly for 

 being let off after falling. In other words, he used his 

 priestly office in a way to advance his temporal interests, 

 and if the ' good ' or ' bad ' god allowed him to do this 

 without punishment, the medicine dance was no test of 

 the power or wishes of either. 



However different it may be among intelligent, edu- 

 cated people, it is very certain that priestcraft is a trade 

 among the ignorant savages. 



