456 TRIBES OF THE UPPER MISSOURI [eth. ann. 46 



elusion of others. Should an Indian wound a deer and not follow, 

 and another pursue and kill it. the former would have no right to 

 either skin or meat, having relinquished that right by abandoning 

 the wounded animal. But should he be following and arrive where 

 the other has killed it. the hide and half the meat would be Ms share. 

 As a general rule he who draws the first blood of the animal is en- 

 titled to the hide. This is often difficult to settle when large buf- 

 falo surrounds are made on horseback with the bow and arrow. 

 Several hundreds of animals are slain in the course of an hour or 

 so, and some have the arrows of different Indians in them. Each 

 Indian, by his own mark, knows his arrow, but the matter of dis- 

 pute is whose arrow struck first? Therefore who is entitled to the 

 hide ? 



All that prevents this from being often the cause of serious quar- 

 rels is that in large hunts a sufficient number or more is generally 

 killed than they can or do skin, and in smaller hunts the same con- 

 fusion does not occur. A wounded animal is also mostly pursued 

 until killed, and others usually pass by those that are stopped or 

 have arrows sticking into them. With regard to the meat all In- 

 dians are liberal. In a large camp at least one-third of the men 

 have no horses that they can catch. There are also a good many 

 old, infirm widows, etc., all of whom must be fed. Every one who 

 can, men and women, turn out and follow the horsemen to the hunt ; 

 and, even while the hunt is going on at a distance, commence cut- 

 ting up the first buffalo they come to. The hide is taken off, and 

 laid aside with the arrow found in it. The tongue and four of the 

 choicest pieces are laid on the hide. This is the portion of him who 

 killed it ; and the rest, which is the greater part of the animal, is 

 divided among those who skin it. This operation is going on with 

 numbers of buffalo at the same time, and by this division of labor 

 the hunters and all are ready to pack home their hides and meat 

 nearly as soon as the hunt is finished. In this way the hunters get 

 as many hides and as much meat as they can pack, and those who 

 have not killed, as much meat as they want. Whatever hides are re- 

 maining are given away to those who have no horses to hunt with, 

 and other poor people, and all are satisfied and provided for. The 

 soldiers' lodge and others in camp who have remained to guard the 

 property in the absence of the greater body of people are each sup- 

 plied with meat by those who have been at the hunt. Feasting is 

 then commenced, and kept up day and night until meat has become 

 scarce, when another hunt follows. This method of hunting is con- 

 tinued until they have hides and meat enough. 



