122 An account of the War Customs of the Osages. [February, 



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After this each mourner or war captain gives to his principal 



kettle-bearer a horse, which the ser\'ant sells to the man who will 

 give the most food for it. The food is brought in and cooked by 

 the adult kettle-bearers. The women are invited to a feast, but 

 the men eat none of the food. Each woman brings a bowl of 

 flour, coffee, etc. The kettle-bearers run to meet them, take the 

 food and place it in a heap. At the end of the feast the empty 

 bowls are handed to their owners. The food brought by the 

 women is cooked and the men have their feast. Should the sup- 

 ply be insufficient another horse is sold for food, the women are 

 invited to another fea.st, and they give more food in return for the 



Fig. 5. — Dance around the Village. 



men to cat. The dance is continued througii the day, till about 

 half an hour before sunset. 



Then they dance the U-dhu'-ta wa-tsi'" or circle dance, in which 

 the Chec/.hoo men dance from the west to the north, thence to 

 the east and south, and round to the west again. The men on 

 the other siile go in the ojiposite direction. In this dance the 

 first standard-bearer on the liafika side tells one of his exploits 

 in a song, as he dances. He is followed by the leading Chce- 

 zhoo standard-bearer. The principal I lanka standanl-bearer sings 

 and dances again, and is followed, as before, by tiie first Chee- 

 zhoo standard-bearer. So the two sing and dance in turn till 

 they have sung about twelve songs, A whoop is made and the 

 men march a short distance to perform the dance called the bra- 



