678 THE GHOST-DANCE RELIGION [kth.ann.u 



me or inter into any kiml of conversation. I thought lie must be crazy, but never- 

 theless accompanied him to my lodge. When we had smoked, he remained a long 

 time silent, but at last began to tell me he had come with a message from the 

 prophet of the Shawneese. " Henceforth," said he, " the fire must nej er be suffered 

 to go out in your lodge. Summer and winter, day and night, in the storm, or when it 

 is calm, you must remember that the life in your body and the tire in your lodge are 

 the same and of the same date. If you suffer your tire to be extinguished, at that 

 moment your life will beat its end. You must not sillier a dog to live: you must 

 never strike either a man, a woman, a child, or a dog. The prophet himself is com- 

 ing to shake hands with you: but I have come before, that you may know what is 

 the will of the Great Spirit, communicated to us by him, and to inform you that the 

 preservation of your life, for a single moment, depends on your entire obedience. 



Ii tins time, forward we are neither to be drunk, to steal, to lie, or to go against 



our enemies. While we yield au entire obedience to these commands of the Great 

 Spirit, the Sioux, even if they come to our country, will not be aide to see us; we 

 shall be protected and made happy." I listened to all he had to say, but told him. 

 in answer, that I could not believe we should all die in case our tire went out; in 

 many instances, also, it would be difficult to avoid punisbiug our children: our dogs 

 were useful in aiding us to hunt and take animals, so that I could not believe the 

 I. real Spirit had any wish to take them from us. lie continued talking to its until 

 Luc ai night; then he lay down to sleep in my lodge. I happened to wake first in 

 tin morning, and, perceiving the tire had gone out, I called him to get up and see 

 how many of us were living and how many dead. lie was prepared lor the ridicule 

 1 attempted to throw upon his doctrine, and told me that I had not yet shaken 

 hands with the prophet. His visit had been to prepare me for this important event, 

 and to make me aware of the obligations and risks I should incur, by entering into 

 the engagement implied in taking in my hand the message of the, prophet. I did 

 mil rest entirely easy in my unbelief. The Indians, generally, received the doctrine 

 of this man with greal humility and fear. Distress and anxiety was visible in every 

 countenance. Many killed their dogs, and endeavored to practice obedience to all 

 tlic commands of this new preacher, who still remained among us. Hut. as was 

 usual with me, in any emergency of this kind, I went to the traders, firmly believing 

 that if the Deity had any communications to make to men, they would be given, in 

 the first instance, to white men. The traders ridiculed aud despised the idea of a 

 new revelation of the Divine will, and the thought, that it should be given to a poor 

 Shawnee. Thus was I confirmed in my infidelity. Nevertheless, I did not openly 

 avow my unbelief to the Indians, only I refused to kill my dogs, and showed no 

 great, degree of anxiety to comply with his other requirements. As long as I 

 remained among the Indians, I made it my business to conform, as far as appeared 

 consistent with my immediate convenience and comfort, with all their customs. 

 Many of their ideas I have adopted, but I always found among them opinions which 

 I could not hold. The Ojibbeway whom 1 have mentioned remained some time 

 among the, Indians in my neighborhood, and gained the attention of the principal 

 men BO effectually thai a time was appointed and a lodge prepared for the solemn 

 and public espousing of the doctrines of the prophet. When the people, and I 

 among them, wen- brought into the long lodge, prepared for this solemnity, we saw 

 something carefully concealed under a blanket, in figure aud dimensions bearing 

 some resemblance to the form of a man. This was accompanied by two young men, 



who, it was underst 1, attended constantly upon it, made its bed at night, as for 



a man, and slept near it. But while we remained no one went near it or raised the 

 blanket which was spread over its unknown contents. Four strings of mouldy and 

 discoloured beans wire all the remaining visible insignia of this important mission. 

 After a long harangue in which the prominent features of the new revelation were 

 stated and urged upon the attention of all. the four strings of beans, which we were 

 told were made of the flesh itself of the prophet, were carried with much solemnity 

 to cadi man in the lodge, and he was expected to take hold of each string at the 

 top, and draw them gently through his hand. This was called shaking hands with 



