522 SIGN LANGUAGK AMONG NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. 
then let his hands recede from each other, still holding his fingers in 
the same position, asif he were letting a thread slip between them until 
his hands were two feet apart— Yow live long time, Fig. 323. Laying 
Fi, 323. 
his right hand on his breast, then extending his forefinger of the same 
hand, holding it from him at half-arm’s length, the finger pointing nearly 
upward, then moving his hand, with the finger thus extended, from side 
to side about as rapidly as a man steps in walking, each time letting 
his hand get farther from him for three or four times, then suddenly 
placing his left hand in a horizontal position with the fingers extended 
and together so that the palm was sidewise, he used the right-hand palm 
extended, fingers together, as a hatchet, and brought it down smartly, 
just missing the ends of the fingers of the left hand, Fig. 324. Then 
placing his left hand, with the thumb 
and forefinger closed, to his heart, 
he brought his right hand, fingers in 
the same position, to his left, then, as 
/ if he were holding something between 
his thumb and forefinger, he moved his 
right hand away as if he were slowly 
casting a hair from him, his left hand 
Fic. 324. remaining at his breast, and his eyes 
following hisright—T go abouta little while longer, but will be cut off shortly 
and my spirit will go away (or will die). Placing the thumbs and fore- 
fingers again in such a position as if he held a small thread between 
the thumb and forefinger of each hand, and the hands touching each 
other, he drew his hands slowly from each other, as if he were stretching 
a piece of gum-elastic; then laying his right hand on me, he extended 
the left hand in a horizontal position, fingers extended and closed, and 
brought down his right hand with fingers extended and together, so as 
to just miss the tips of the fingers of his left hand; then placing his 
left forefinger and thumb against his heart, he acted as if he took a 
hair from the forefinger and thumb of his left hand with the forefinger 
and thumb of the right, and slowly cast it from him, only letting his 
left hand remain at his breast, and let the index finger of the right hand 
point outward toward the distant horizon—A/fter a long time you die. 
When placing his left hand upon-himself and his right hand upon me, 
he extended them upward oyer his head and clasped them there— We 
then meet in heaven. Pointing upward, then to himself, then to me, he 
closed the third and little finger of his right hand, laying his thumb 
over them, then extending his first and second fingers about as far apart 
as the eyes, he brought his hand to his eyes, fingers pointing outward, 
ee 
ee eeeeneer 4 
