I i8 An accon7it of the War Customs of the Osages. [February, 



wa'-kdhe, whom we may style lieutenants {though that is hardly 

 the translation). These men drop their blankets and wear noth- 

 ing but their breech-cloths as they stand in a row with their 

 mourners. The old men who made the bags select a herald for 

 each mourner out of any gens. These stand next to the lieuten- 

 ants. Each lieutenant and herald receives a war pipe. The 

 Cheezhoo herald receives in his left hand a knife with the han- 

 dle painted red. The Hanka herald receives in his right hand a 

 hatchet with the handle reddened. 



Then the Haiika mourner {^B) is brought to the front, and is 

 told to select the best men on the Cheezhoo side for standard 

 bearers. He chooses one (A), leading him to the front, the latter 

 crying as he goes. To the latter is handed a standard with seven 

 feathers by Cheezhoo's teacher. It is received in the left hand 

 and the man performs a war dance according to his own desire or 

 cu.stom, and then he takes his seat. Then the Cheezhoo mourner 

 is called to the front, being told to select the best man from the 

 Hanka side for standard-bearers. The first that he chooses (/) is 

 taken to the front, crying as he goes. Hanka's teacher hands 

 him the other standard with seven feathers, which is received in 

 the right hand. He dances, and sits down. Hanka's mourner 

 selects a man from the opposite side {F) to carry the standard 

 with six feathers ; and Cheezhoo's mourner chooses a Haiika 

 man (A^) for a similar office. When the Hanka mourner selects 

 the third man on the Cheezhoo side {G), the latter takes the stand- 

 ard from E, dances, and returns it to its holder. So when the 

 Cheezhoo mourner selects the third man on the Hanka side (A), 

 the latter takes the standard from /, dances, ami returns it. The 

 fourth standard-bearer on the Cheezhoo side (//) takes the stand- 

 ard from /% dances, and returns it. And the fourth man on the 

 Hanka side {M) takes the standard from /v', to whom he returns 

 it after dancing. 



Then the lieutenants are painted with charcoal. Before this is 

 done, the IMack bear people make a fire outside the war tent, 

 placing on it a (juantity of small willows which will soon burn. 

 When these are charred, they are broken in small pieces and 

 placed in pans, with a little water in each. V.\c\\ lieutenant on 

 the Cheezhoo side dips his hands into a pan, rubs them together, 

 and then with his left palm he rubs his face, beginning at the 

 right ear, and going down the cheek, across the mouth and left 



