dbnig] THE A.SS1NIBOIN 533 



At the foot of the same are placed two or three buffalo Heads which 

 are painted red, decked out in feathers, and new kettles with scar- 

 let cloth and other things placed before them. These are given to 

 the Buffalo Spirits. 



Another Head painted and decked very gaudily is placed in the 

 lodge of the master, who smokes and invokes it, at time;- singing the 

 Bull Song, which he accompanies with a rattle nearly all night, and 

 prophesies as to their appearance of success in the morning. A 

 man is now chosen who is to lead the buffalo within the lines, and 

 there are but few among them who can do it. When the discoverers 

 have reported buffalo to be within 8 or 10 miles of the camp, and 

 the wind is favorable, the master, after great ceremonies to the 

 Heads, and making them other sacrifices, gives notice that a throw 

 must be made, sending all the camp to take their stations behind 

 the piles of earth, lying down; he remains in camp, keeping up a 

 singing, rattling, and smoking — with invocations all the time. The 

 person who brings the buffalo mounts a horse and meets them a great 

 distance from camp. When within about 150 yards of the herd he 

 covers his body with his robe, lies along the horse's back, and imi- 

 tates the bleating of a buffalo calf. 



The whole mass immediately moves toward him. He retreats 

 toward the pen. always keeping to the windward of them, and about 

 the same distance ahead, renewing the noise of the calf whenever 

 they appear to stop. They generally follow him as fast as his horse 

 can gallop, and in this wa}' alone he conducts them within the lines 

 of the angle. Of course as soon as they are a short distance in, the 

 scent of one of the angles reaches them but it is now too late, they 

 have closed in behind. The animals now take fright and rush from 

 one line to another, but seeing people on both sides (who rise as the 

 buffalo attempt to get through) they keep straight forward. The 

 leader on horseback now makes his escape to one side, and the whole 

 herd plunges madly down the precipice, one on top of the other, 

 breaking their legs and necks in the fall. Into the pen they tumble, 

 those in front having no power to stop. They are forced on by the 

 pressure from behind and frightened by the yelling and firing of 

 the savages. When all have passed into the pen the work of 

 slaughter commences, with guns and bows firing as long as any 

 appearance of life remains. From 300 to 600 are thus thrown in at 

 one time by a small camp, and two or three days are required to 

 skin and cut them up. 



Men, women, and children now commence skinning. Each secures 

 as many hides as he can skin. The master of the park claims a 

 portion for his share, indeed all are said to belong to him, but he 

 does not take more than the rest. All the tongues, however, arc 



