52 THE OSAGE TRIBE. [eth. anx. 39 



35. My grandfather, 



36. Amidst the winds that precede the storm, 



37. Moves always, they said, 



38. Guarding the acts over which hang the penalties. 



39. Verily, at that time and place, it has been said, in this house, 



40. My grandfather, 



41. Even though the divisions of the days have passed, 



42. Forgets not the acts that have been performed, he is a person 



who forgets not. 



43. Verily, he is a person to whom nothing is hidden, 



44. As he moves amidst the winds, guarding the acts over which 



hang the penalties. 



Notice of Initiation Ceremony. 



After a laj)se of time, when the candidate has fully prepared him- 

 self for the degree, he calls his Sho'-ka whom he sends to the Xo'-ka 

 and his assistant to give them notice that he is ready to proceed 

 with the initiatory ceremony. The two men go to the candidate's 

 house to examine the amount of food supplies he had provided as 

 well as the cjuality and the number of goods he had collected to be 

 used as fees. When the Xo'-ka and his assistant have satisfied 

 themselves that there is an adequate amount of provisions to be 

 distributed to the No"'-ho"-zhi"-ga during the ceremony, and that 

 there is a sufficient amount of goods to be given to the heads of the 

 gentes who will take part, they set a day for the initiatory ceremony. 

 The Sho'-ka is then sent to give formal notice to the No'^'-ho^-zhi^-ga 

 to attend the initiation. This notice is called the U'-thu-po U-tha-ge, 

 Notice to Come and Participate. As on every ceremonial occasion, 

 the Sho'-ka thus sent goes from house to house to deliver his message, 

 carrying in his hand a little pipe as the credential of his office. Only 

 those of the No^'-ho^-zhi^-ga who have taken this or the Ni'-ki-e 

 degree of the tribal rites respond to the call. This fonnal notice is 

 equivalent to a coimuand that cannot be ignored when given to 

 members of a gens having a passive or an active part in the ceremony. 

 A good representation of such gentes is always desired because of 

 the symbolic character of the group. 



At the appointed time for the initiation the No'''-ho"-zhi''-ga gather 

 at the village of the candidate where some of them camp and others 

 are entertained at the homes of relatives or friends. Before the 

 ceremonies begin, which occupy from three to four days, as well as 

 at the intennissions, there is much feasting and visiting between the 

 inhabitants of the candidate's village and the families who have 

 come from a distance to attend the ceremonies. 



b 



