438 SIGN LANGUAGE AMONG NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. 
the edge or the knuckles forward. The latter is now the almost uni- 
versal usage among the same tribes from which he is supposed to have 
taken his list of signs, and indicates the thrust of a knife more decisively 
than if the fist were moved with the edge in advance. The actual em- 
ployment of arrow, gun, or club in taking life, is, however, often speci- 
fied by appropriate gesture. 
Smite the sinister palm earthward with the dexter fist sharply, in sign 
of “going down”; or strike out with the dexter fist toward the ground, 
meaning to “shut down”; or pass the dexter under the left forefinger, 
meaning to “go under.” (Burton.) 
Right hand cast down. (Macgowan.) 
Hold the right fist, palm down, knnekles forward, and make a thrust 
forward and downward. (Arapaho 
II; Cheyenne V; Dakota VI, VII, 2 
VII; Hidatsal; Ponka ll; Arikara Ae 
I; Pani l.) Fig. 268. a 
Right hand clinched, thumb lying a 
along the finger tips, elevated to near the shoulder, 
strike downward and out vaguely in the direction of 
the object to be killed. The abstract sign for killis sim- 
ply to clinch the right hand in the manner described and 
strike itdownand out from theright side. (Cheyenne II.) 
Fic. 268. 
Close the right hand, extending the forefinger alone; 
point toward the breast, then throw from you forward, bringing the hand 
toward the ground. (Ojibwa V; Omaha I.) 
Both hands clinched, with the thumbs resting against the middle joints 
of the forefingers, hold the left transversely in front of and as high as the 
breast, then push the right, palm down, quickly over and down in front 
of the left. (Absaroka 1; Shoshoni and Banak I.) “To force under— 
literally.” 
With the dexter fist carried to the front of the body at the right side, 
strike downward and outward several times, with back of hand upward, 
thumb*toward the left, several times. (Dakota I.) “Strike down.” 
With the first and second joints of the fingers of the right hand bent, 
end of thumb against the middle of the index, palm downward, move 
the hand energetically forward and downward from a footin front of the 
right breast. Striking with a stone—man’s first weapon. (Dakota IV.) 
The left hand, thumb up, back forward, not very rigidly extended, is 
held before the chest and struck in the palm with the outer edge of the 
