EADIN] . THE MEDICINE DANCE 375 



to sit, that way I remained sitting. As many Indians as were gath- 

 ered in the lodge, all of them, I failed to notice. Not once did I, by 

 chance, permit my glance to wander from side to side. I was doing 

 everything exactly as I was told. The shaman liked it. 



Whenever thereafter a medicine dance was given I attended it. 

 Whenever I went in at night I remained there until it was all over, 

 not going out once. And during the day ceremony not once did I 

 permit my glance to wander outside. Never did I permit myself to 

 lie down from fatigue ; nor did I permit my glances to wander outside, 

 because there was much noise there, or because some people were 

 doing funny things. Not even within the lodge did I glance. Indeed, 

 I never allowed my glances to wander in any direction. All the holy 

 things I was told to do, I did. This is a holy ceremony, and I was 

 bashful ua its presence. 



If at any time any of my leaders in the medicine dance wished to 

 give the ceremony I would stay in his house together with those who 

 had been invited. I would do all the work for him, sing the medicine 

 dance songs, etc. All the different things he was supposed to do, aU 

 that I would do for him. 



When his wife cooked, I carried the water for her, I made the fire, 

 and helped her with the dishes. All the work she liked to have done 

 in the house, I did for her. 



All the clothes I possessed I gave to him. Money I gave to him, 

 and the food he needed I procured for him. Whenever he gave a 

 feast, in addition to what he cooked, I would put a special pail of 

 food on the fire for liim. When he ate it he was thankful. 



"My son, what do you think I possess, that you are doing all this 

 for me?" But I continued; and when I killed a medium-sized buck 

 I made a feast in his honor, and all the clothing he needed, I gave 

 him. Then I also gave him a costly repeating rifle, the one I used in 

 hunting. All these things I offered him. Then I gave him an 

 eagle, so that he could make a medicine pouch out of it. Money I 

 also gave him, and gourds. Thus I acted, feasting him and offering 

 him gifts all the time. I worked for him all the time. 



One day he said to me, "^y son, you have been treating me very 

 well. Even my own brothers never treated me the way you have 

 been doing. I thank you. All my relations hate you, but don't pay 

 any attention to them. You are from a different family and I am 

 teaching you various things ( that belong to them) , they say. They 

 want me to stop instructing you. My father left the medicine dance 

 for me to take care of. I am in complete control of it. Not one of 

 these people, my kindred, has ever done anything for me in their 

 lives. My ancestors said that you are my relative for what you have 

 done. I can not teach my relatives the details of this ceremony, as 

 I would have done had they acted correctly. My knowledge of this 

 ceremony belongs to you, for you have paid for it. My remote 



