RADiN] RELIGION 307 



ask of me I wHl always take it into consideration. If they ask for 

 war or if they ask for life, remember that I have been given control 

 of these tilings." Thus spoke the buffalo-ghost. There he received 

 all the things with which he was blessed. 



In the course of his life he made use of all his blessings. His first 

 victory occurred when he went on the warpath for the first time- 

 He had joined a war party and a fight occurred toward the evening 

 of the same day. As he was walking along he suddenly saw a gun 

 directed against liim at close range. He jumped right and left and 

 in that way escaped being shot. Then the enemy tried to capture 

 the one who had been blessed by the buffalo, holding him tightly by 

 the arm. But he struck the enemy twice against an object and tore 

 his stomach open. Then he walked away. As he was going he 

 thought to himself, "Why did I not kiU him outright?" So he went 

 back with the intention of doing this, but as he approached the man 

 the latter directed a gun against him. Thinking, however, that it 

 was not loaded, he did not dodge, and he was shot. His breast was 

 filled w^th shot and he was killed. But he did not remain dead long. 

 He soon came to consciousness and sat up, uttering sounds like a 

 buffalo. 



Then he remembered that a buffalo ghost had blessed him. He had 

 indeed said to him, " When you are about to fight do not forget me." 

 He remembered this, so he exerted his power. All the blood that 

 was in his stomach he vomited forth and felt better. Just then one 

 of his relatives came along and asked him, ' ' How have you been getting 

 along?" and he answered, "I have killed one. There lies his body. 

 Take his scalp for me." "All right," said his relative, and did what 

 he had been told, and brought it to him, saying, "Here it is." A 

 horse was there also, and this the relative likewise led away and 

 started back to (the camp). When he met the war leader, the latter 

 asked him, "How have you been making out?" He answered, "I 

 give you these trophies," and handed the leader the scalp and the 

 horse. "Ah, it is good," he said, and put a wampum belt on him. 

 Then the war leader sang a song and started to run, and the buffalo- 

 blessed one reminded himself of his blessing and went back also. 

 He was all shot to pieces. But he did not die, for he had been 

 blessed with power, so how could he die ? The buffalo ghost he had 

 seen with flattened bullets in his belt had fulfilled his promise, and 

 the wampum belt that he had seen in his fasting had now become true. 



He went to many wars after this, but he was never harmed. He 

 doctored many people and caused them to have more life. After 

 a while he made a war bundle consisting of a flute that he had con- 

 structed himself, a buffalo tail, and a buffalo head. Then he made 

 offerings to them. Tliese many things he made sacred. Since then 

 buffalo feasts have been given. 



