208 BELIEFS AND USAGES OF CHICKASAW [BTH. ANN. 44 
their members marry outside if they could prevent it. They were truthful 
people, and they knew a great deal about the weather. They could tell what 
sort of weather was to be expected when the bear hunting season arrived. 
They could tell whether it would be wet or dry, and therefore they would wait 
for dry weather before going on a hunt. 
Their beliefs were like those of other people. They thought that God was 
ruling somewhere in the universe, but they did not know where He lived. 
Some worshipped Him but others did not believe there was any God. Some did 
not care what others thought of them; some did not care how they lived. 
They loved horse races, to dance, play ball, and play the game of hide-the-bul- 
let. After a time they knew that they must give up their peculiar customs and 
habits and began to plan how they should live among others. .. . 
These people of the High Corncrib will live until the end of time. 
STORY OF THE RED SKUNK HOUSE GROUP (INKONI HOMA) 
The Red Skunk people had ways different from others. They iived in dugouts 
underground and hence seldom saw the sun rise. They fitted up these holes on 
the inside so that they were suitable as habitations, but they seldom permitted 
others to come to live with them. The underground dwellings varied in size 
in accordance with the size of the family, and they were arranged in such a 
manner that their enemies could not get at them. They lived on a low flat at 
one time, and while they were there were nearly destroyed by a flood, upon 
which the survivors moved away and lived in the mountains. 
One winter a man went off hunting. He travelled every day, camping at 
night, until he came to Smoky Mountain (ontcaba coboli). He did not know 
anything about this mountain, but camped near it intending to hunt 
for several days. He hunted morning after morning until he had 
accumulated a quantity of venison and bear meat, when he began to 
think of returning. On the very morning of his departure the mountain began 
to smoke. He started off but after a time returned to the spot he had left and 
this happened repeatedly. He continued his attempts for several days. At 
last he lay down to sleep. Before sleep came to him, however, a creature look- 
ing like a human being approached, but he did not speak to it nor did 
the strange being address him. Finally it went away. Then the dog he had 
brought along told him that if he remained there all that night he would surely 
die. He debated how he might escape from the creature he had seen which 
he already suspected was not a human being and he asked his dog what he 
should do. “If you follow my instructions implicitly, you will escape,” said the 
dog, and the man agreed to do so. Then the dog said, ‘‘ When that being comes 
back you must rise, take your bow and arrows, and shoot an arrow a great 
distance away. The being will pursue it and while he is gone get up and 
run off and be ready for him when he returns.” As the dog had said, the 
strange being presently returned. Then the man shot an arrow to a distance 
and while the creature was in pursuit of it he and the dog began to run. 
After the being had gotten the arrow, he pursued them and when he came up 
the man shot off another arrow. After he had discharged his last arrow, the 
dog said, “ Let us enter this hollow tree.” They did so and afterwards the 
dog licked at the opening with his tongue until he had licked it together. 
When the being returned he could not get in to them and presently went off, 
and next morning the dog began licking at the hole until it was again open. 
The dog and his master crawled out and started toward home, but just 
before they reached it the dog said, ‘“ Your wife will have the soup ready. 
You must let me eat some first and then you can eat.” They found it to be 
as the dog had said and the dog’s master allowed him to eat of the soup 
