404 THE WINNEBAGO TRIBE [eth. anx. 37 



Earthmaker forbids lis to commit sins. When this was over they 

 sang again. 



After midnight, every once in a while (I heard) someone cry. In 

 some cases they would go up to the leader and talk with him. He 

 would stand up and pray with them. They told me what they were 

 saying. They said that they were asking (people) to pray for them, 

 as they were sorry for their sins and that they might be prevented 

 from committing them again. That is what they were saying. 

 They cried very loudly. I was rather frightened. (I noticed also) 

 that when I closed my eyes and sat still, I began to see strange 

 things. I did not get sleepy in the least. Thus the light (of morn- 

 ing) came upon me. In the morning, as the sun rose, they stopped. 

 They all got up and prayed to Earthmaker (God) and then they 

 stopped. 



During the daytime I did not get sleepy in the least. My actions 

 were a little different (from my usual ones). Then they said, "To- 

 night they are going to have another meeting. Let us go over. 

 They say that is the best (thing) to do and thus you can learn it 

 (the ceremony) right away. It is said that their spirits wander 

 over aU the earth and the heavens also. All this you will leam and 

 see," they said. "At times they die and remain dead all night and 

 all day. When in this condition they sometimes see Earthmaker 

 (God), it is said." One would also be able to see where the bad spirit 

 lived, it was said. 



So we went there again. I doubted all this. I thought that what 

 they were saying was untrue. However, I went along anyhow. 

 When we got there, I had already eaten some peyote, for I had taken 

 tliree during the day. Now near the peyote meeting an (Indian) 

 feast was being given and I went there instiead. When I reached the 

 place, I saw a long lodge. The noise was terrific. They were beating 

 an enormous drum. The sound almost raised me in the air, so 

 (pleasurably) loud did it sound to me. Not so (pleasurable) had 

 things appeared at those affairs (peyote meetings) that I had lately 

 been attending. There I danced all night and I fhrted with the 

 women. About day I left and when I got back the peyote meeting 

 was still going on. When I got back they told me to sit down at a 

 certain place. They treated me very kindly. There I again ate 

 peyote. I heard that they were going to have another meeting near 

 by on the evening of the same day. We continued eating peyote the 

 whole day at the place where we were staying. We were staying at 

 the house of one of my relatives. Some of the boys there taught me 

 a few songs. "Say, when you learn how to sing, you will be the best 

 singer, for you are a good singer as it is. You have a good voice," 

 they said to me. I thought so myself. 



