1884] A?i account of the War Customs of the sages. 



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or not; and the whole scalp is his. When they turn back, 

 they hasten homeward. Before they reach home, the scalp and 

 other trophies are fastened to a pole, charged on and shot at four 

 times. 



When the warriors get near the village, they use charcoal for 

 painting their faces and the scalp. The young kettle-bearers 

 make this charcoal, using willow if they can find any. Then fol- 

 low the ceremonies accompanying the cutting off the under skin 

 of the scalp. The captain stands facing the east, and if he is a 

 member of a gens on the Cheezhoo or left side of the tribe, he holds 

 a knife in his left hand. If he belongs to a gens on the Hanka 

 .side, he holds the knife in his other hand. Holding the scalp in 



Fig. 9. — Showing how the scalp is prepared for the pole. 



one hand, with the other he places the blade across it, with the 

 point towards the south. (Fig. 9.) Then he turns it with the 

 point toward the east. Next, with the blade resting on the scalp, the 

 point to the south, he moves the knife backward and forward four 

 times, cutting deeper into the scalp on each occasion. Then he 

 makes four similar cuts, but with the point to the east. After 

 this, the flat part of the blade being on the scalp, its edge is put 

 against one of the four corners made b}' the previous incisions 

 { I, 2, 3 and 4), beginning with No. i . He cuts under each corner 

 four times, singing a sacred song each time that he changes the 

 position of the knife. All of the under skin is cut loose by this 

 time, and is thrown away. The scalp is stretched and fastened to 

 a bow, which is bent and formed into a hoop. This hoop is tied 



