﻿224 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TEIBE 
  [flTH. 
  ANN. 
  27 
  

  

  It 
  was 
  a 
  memorable 
  day. 
  The 
  harvest 
  was 
  ended, 
  and 
  tall 
  sheafs 
  

   of 
  wheat 
  cast 
  their 
  shadows 
  over 
  the 
  stubble 
  fields 
  that 
  were 
  once 
  

   covered 
  with 
  buffalo 
  grass. 
  The 
  past 
  was 
  irrevocably 
  crone. 
  The 
  

   old 
  man 
  had 
  consented 
  to 
  speak 
  but 
  not 
  without 
  misgivings 
  until 
  

   his 
  former 
  principal 
  chief 
  said 
  that 
  he 
  would 
  "cheerfully 
  accept 
  for 
  

   himself 
  any 
  penalty 
  that 
  might 
  follow 
  the 
  revealing 
  of 
  these 
  sacred 
  

   traditions," 
  an 
  act 
  formerly 
  held 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  profanation 
  and 
  punish- 
  

   able 
  by 
  the 
  supernatural. 
  While 
  the 
  old 
  chief 
  talked 
  he 
  continually 
  

   tapped 
  the 
  floor 
  with 
  a 
  little 
  stick 
  he 
  held 
  in 
  his 
  hand, 
  marking 
  with 
  

   it 
  the 
  rhythm 
  peculiar 
  to 
  the 
  drumming 
  of 
  a 
  man 
  who 
  is 
  invoking 
  

   the 
  unseen 
  powers 
  during 
  the 
  performance 
  of 
  certain 
  rites. 
  His 
  

   eyes 
  were 
  cast 
  down, 
  his 
  speech 
  was 
  deliberate, 
  and 
  his 
  voice 
  low, 
  as 
  

   if 
  speaking 
  to 
  himself 
  alone. 
  The 
  scene 
  in 
  that 
  little 
  room 
  where 
  

   sat 
  the 
  four 
  actors 
  in 
  this 
  human 
  drama 
  was 
  solemn, 
  as 
  at 
  the 
  obse- 
  

   quies 
  of 
  a 
  past 
  once 
  so 
  full 
  of 
  human 
  activity 
  and 
  hope. 
  The 
  fear 
  

   inspired 
  by 
  the 
  Pole 
  was 
  strengthened 
  in 
  its 
  passing 
  away, 
  for 
  by 
  a 
  

   singular 
  coincidence 
  the 
  touch 
  of 
  fatal 
  disease 
  fell 
  upon 
  Joseph 
  

   La 
  Flesche 
  almost 
  at 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  this 
  interview, 
  which 
  lasted 
  three 
  

   days, 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  fortnight 
  he 
  lay 
  dead 
  in 
  the 
  very 
  room 
  in 
  which 
  had 
  

   been 
  revealed 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Legend 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  Pole. 
  

  

  The 
  Sacred 
  Pole 
  (pi. 
  38 
  and 
  fig. 
  51) 
  is 
  of 
  cotton 
  wood, 
  2 
  \ 
  m. 
  in 
  length, 
  

   and 
  bears 
  marks 
  of 
  great 
  age. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  subjected 
  to 
  manipulation; 
  

   the 
  bark 
  has 
  been 
  removed, 
  and 
  the 
  pole 
  shaved 
  and 
  shaped 
  at 
  both 
  

   ends, 
  the 
  top, 
  or 
  "head," 
  rounded 
  into 
  a 
  cone-shaped 
  knob, 
  and 
  the 
  

   lower 
  end 
  trimmed 
  to 
  a 
  dull 
  point. 
  Its 
  circumference 
  near 
  the 
  head 
  

   is 
  15 
  cm. 
  2 
  mm. 
  The 
  circumference 
  increases 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  to 
  19 
  cm. 
  

   and 
  diminishes 
  toward 
  the 
  foot 
  to 
  14 
  cm. 
  6 
  mm. 
  To 
  the 
  lower 
  end 
  is 
  

   fastened 
  by 
  strips 
  of 
  tanned 
  hide 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  harder 
  wood, 
  probably 
  

   ash, 
  55 
  cm. 
  2\ 
  mm. 
  in 
  length, 
  rounded 
  at 
  the 
  top, 
  with 
  a 
  groove 
  cut 
  

   to 
  prevent 
  the 
  straps 
  from 
  slipping, 
  and 
  with 
  the 
  lower 
  end 
  sharpened 
  

   so 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  easily 
  driven 
  into 
  the 
  ground. 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  crack 
  in 
  the 
  

   Pole 
  extending 
  several 
  centimeters 
  above 
  this 
  foot 
  piece, 
  which 
  has 
  

   probably 
  given 
  rise 
  to 
  a 
  modern 
  idea 
  that 
  the 
  piece 
  was 
  added 
  to 
  

   strengthen 
  or 
  mend 
  the 
  Pole 
  when 
  it 
  bail 
  become 
  worn 
  with 
  long 
  

   usage. 
  But 
  the 
  Pole 
  itself 
  shows 
  no 
  indication 
  of 
  ever 
  having 
  been 
  

   in 
  the 
  ground; 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  decay 
  apparent, 
  as 
  is 
  shown 
  on 
  the 
  foot 
  

   piece, 
  the 
  flattened 
  top 
  of 
  which 
  proves 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  driven 
  into 
  the 
  

   ground. 
  Moreover, 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  this 
  piece 
  of 
  wood 
  is 
  zhi'be, 
  " 
  leg; 
  " 
  as 
  

   the 
  Pole 
  itself 
  represents 
  a 
  man 
  and 
  as 
  the 
  name 
  zhi'be 
  is 
  not 
  applied 
  

   to 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  wood 
  spliced 
  on 
  to 
  lengthen 
  a 
  pole, 
  it 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  

   this 
  foot 
  or 
  leg 
  was 
  originally 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  Pole. 
  

  

  Upon 
  this 
  zhi'be 
  the 
  Pole 
  rested; 
  it 
  was 
  never 
  placed 
  upright 
  but 
  

   inclined 
  forward 
  at 
  an 
  angle 
  of 
  about 
  45°, 
  being 
  held 
  in 
  position 
  by 
  

   a 
  stick 
  tied 
  to 
  it 
  1 
  m. 
  46 
  cm. 
  from 
  the 
  "head." 
  The 
  native 
  name 
  of 
  

   this 
  support 
  is 
  i'mo 
  n 
  gthe, 
  meaning 
  a 
  staff 
  such 
  as 
  old 
  men 
  lean 
  upon. 
  

  

  