American Big-Game Hunting 



at short intervals, or bushes were stuck in 

 the ground, forming the wings of a V-shaped 

 chute, which would guide any animals run- 

 ning down the chute to its angle above the 

 piskun. When a herd of buffalo were feed- 

 ing near at hand, the people prepared for the 

 hunt, in which almost the whole camp took 

 part. It is commonly stated that the buffalo 

 were driven into the piskun by mounted 

 men, but this was not the case. They were 

 not driven, but led, and they were led by 

 an appeal to their curiosity. The man who 

 brought them was usually the possessor of 

 a "buffalo rock," a talisman which was be- 

 lieved to give him greater power to call 

 the buffalo than was had by others. The 

 previous night was spent by this man in 

 praying for success in the enterprise of the 

 morrow. The help of the Sun, Napi, and 

 all Above People was asked for, and sweet- 

 grass was burned to them. Early in the 

 morning, without eating or drinking, the 

 man started away from the camp and went 

 up on the prairie. Before he left the lodge, 

 he told his wives that they must not go 

 out, or even look out, of the lodge during his 



184 



