MICHELSON. ] ORIGIN OF THE WHITE BUFFALO DANCE. 129 
The eaters began eating. Again they thought intently. ‘Why, 
we are all living with the manitou all the time,” the Indians thought. 
Then it is said they feared very much to be thinking about some 
thing. They were thinking nothing but good righteous thoughts. 
They were even afraid to drop (any crumbs) while eating; they were 
afraid to drop (any crumbs of the food which was given in) the gens 
festival. They ate it up very carefully. The drum was beaten 
during this time. 
After singing he gave a dance. The dancers felt very humble. 
They were thereby made to think very seriously. Then after they 
had danced three times, “Now you must stop to eat, ceremonial 
attendants. Whatever you each shall choose you shall eat, wherever 
you please. As soon as you have eaten you will begin serving (food) 
to our friends. And then if you have (any food) left; you must give 
out invitations,” he told his ceremonial attendants. 
The ceremonial attendants ate only a short time. After eating 
they began dishing out (food), serving it to the dancers. They 
dished it out quietly. After they had served it, “That is all, you 
for whom we are acting as ceremonial attendants,” said one of the 
attendants to him. 
He began making a speech, and it is said it lasted a long while. 
Those who were to eat were sitting there for a long time. They 
even feared to spit then. Later on, indeed, ‘‘ Now, eat! men and you 
women,” he said to them; and they began eating. The gens festival 
had a very good effect on them; this is a fact. 
Then it is said the singers sang more lively. The songs had a good 
effect on them. 
After singing he told those who were aiding him in singing: “These 
songs you are to call ‘the eating songs,’ for then our friends are 
eating. These must always be used at this time. These songs, well- 
a-day, remember them carefully. And also this: these dance-songs we 
will use for the last time. You must give dances always only four 
times. You must always continue doing this even whenever I shall 
cease to live as a mortal. After we are old then we must urge our 
sons very strongly to think very seriously of them. So we are to 
tell them. We must not think of them ‘let it happen to him, what- 
ever it may be.’ This is the only way,” he told them. 
“Now, we shall give a dance; come now, our leader,” he told the 
leaders. Then it is said they began to form in line. He gave a 
dancing song. It is said everybody danced. All of them danced. 
The bellies of some after they danced were not filled. 
