406 THE WINNEBAGO TKIBE Iktii. ann. 37 



The fact that he (my brother-in-law) told me that I understood 

 pleased me, and I felt good when daylight came. (As a matter of 

 fact) I had not received any knowledge. 



After that I would attend meetings every once in a while, and I 

 looked around for a woman whom I might marry permanently. 

 Before long that was the only thing I thought of when I attended the 

 meetings. 



On one occasion we were to have a meeting of men and I went to 

 the meeting with a woman, with whom I thought of going around the 

 next day. That was (the only) reason I went with her. When we 

 arrived, the one who was to lead asked me to sit near him. There he 

 placed me. He urged me to eat a lot of peyote, so I did. The leaders 

 (of the ceremony) always place the regalia in front of themselves; 

 they also had a peyote placed there. The leader placed a very small 

 one in front of himself this time. "Why does he have a very small 

 one there?" I thought to myself. I did not think much about it. 



It was now late at night and I had eaten a lot of peyote and felt 

 rather tired. I suffered considerably. After a while I looked at the 

 peyote and there stood an eagle with outspread \vings. It was as 

 beautiful a sight as one could behold. Each of the feathers seemed 

 to have a mark. The eagle stood looking at me. I looked around 

 thinking that perhaps there was something the matter with my sight. 

 Then I looked again and it was really there. I then looked in a 

 different direction and it disappeared. Only the small peyote 

 remained. I looked around at the other people but they all had their 

 heads bowed and were singing. I was very much surprised. 



Some time after this (I saw) a lion lying in the same place (where I 

 had seen the eagle) . I watched it very closely. It was alive and look- 

 ing at me. I looked at it very closely, and when I turned my eyes 

 away just the least httle bit it disappeared. "I suppose they all know 

 this and I am just beginning to know of it," I thought. Then I saw 

 a small person (at the same place). He wore blue clothes and a 

 shining brunmed cap. He had on a soldier's uniform. He was sit- 

 ting on the arm of the person who was drumming, and he looked at 

 every one. He was a little man, perfect (in all proportions) . Finally 

 I lost sight of him. I was very much surprised indeed. I sat very 

 quietly. "This is what it is," I thought, "this is what they all 

 probably see and I am just beginning to find out." 



Then I prayed to Earthmaker (God) : "This, j-our ceremony, let me 

 hereafter perform." 



As I looked again, I saw a flag. I looked more carefully and (I 

 saw) the house full of flags. They had the most beautiful marks on 

 them. In the middle (of the room) there was a very large flag and 

 it was a live one; it was moving. In the doorway there was another 



