BADiN) RELIGION 293 



above far down to his camp. That far it would reach. "Only thus, 

 Wegi'ceka, can you see me. What you ask of me (to see me face to 

 face) I can not grant you. But, nevertheless, you may tell (your 

 fellowmen) that you saw me." Thus he spoke to him. He did not 

 bless him with war powers. Only with life did he bless him. 



Then Wegi'ceka tried to draw a picture of the flash of light extend- 

 ing from the heavens to his camp, just as he had seen it, upon a cane. 

 To that cane he sacrificed. The descendants of Wegi'ceka are using 

 cane even to the present day. 



ACCOUNT OF J.'S FASTING 



When I reached the age of puberty my father called me aside and 

 told me to fast. He told me that it was his fervent wish that I should 

 begui to fast, so that I might become holy and invincible and invul- 

 nerable in war. I would become like one of those Wiimebagoes of 

 whom stories are told. In future generations the people would speak 

 of me often. For these reasons he wished me to fast. He assured 

 me that if I fasted I would really be holy and that nothing on this 

 earth would be able to harm me. I would also live a very long life, 

 he told me. I would be able to treat the sick and cui-e them. That 

 holy I would be, he told me. If I acted in this way, my father told 

 me, no person would dare to make fun of me and they would always 

 be careful of the manner in which they addressed me, both because 

 they respected me and because they were afraid of incurring my 

 enmity. For these reasons my father counseled me to fast and to 

 continue fasting from the late fall until spring. Dm-ing that time I 

 should fast without stopping. In the spring, however, I was to 

 stop, because man}' bad spirits are about at that tune and they might 

 deceive me. If he thought that I was not dohag enough fasting he 

 would urge me on with words, saying, ' ' My son, fast, because if you 

 receive knowledge of anything (i. e., if you have been blessed repeat- 

 edly), notlung will be able to harm you. You will live long; and I 

 want you to live long." In this way my father used to speak to me 

 and in this way he used to plead with me in a piteous manner. "Re- 

 member," he used to sa^- to me repeatedly, "that if you do not fast 

 none of the spirits will bless you." 



There was a hill near our place called the Place-where-they-keep- 

 weapons. This lull was very high and it looked steep and rocky. 

 It must have been a very holy place. There m}' father had lived 

 (when he was blessed by the spirits). Within this hill lived the 

 spirits that we call Those-who-cry-like-babies." These spmts were 

 supposed to have arrows and bows. There were supposed to be 

 twenty of them in this hUl. My father had control of these spirits. 



6 Tliese spirits are the same as those geiieraUy known as the Herok'a, or Those-without-horns. 



