570 TKIBES OF THE UPPER MISSOURI [eth. ass. 4g 



upon the ground, each with her stake before her. One then gathers 

 up the sticks and throws them clown forcibly on the end, which makes 

 them rebound and whirl around. When they fall, the number of 

 the throw is counted as herein stated. Each throws in turn against 

 all others, and if the whole of the marked sides, or all the fair sides 

 of the sticks are.turned up. she is entitled to a successive throw. The 

 game is 40, and they count by small sticks as in the preceding. In 

 fine weather many of these gambling circles can be seen outside their 

 lodges spending the whole day at it instead of attending to their 

 household affairs. Some men prohibit their wives from gambling, 

 but these take the advantage of their husband's absence to play. 

 Most of the women will gamble off everything they possess, even to 

 the dresses of their children, and the passion appears to be as deeply 

 rooted in them as in the men. They are frequently thrashed by their 

 husbands for their losses and occasionally have quarrels among them- 

 selves as to the results of the game. 



Another game is played by the boys and young men which con- 

 sists of planting an arrow in the snow or ground and each throwing 

 other arrows at it until struck, and he who strikes the planted arrow 

 is winner of all the arrows then on the ground. 



Death and Its Consequences 



When a warrior dies the body is straightened and dressed in full 

 war dress, as for battle, the face being painted red. It is then 

 wrapped up in a blanket, w T hich is again enveloped in scarlet cloth, 

 or his flag, if he has one ; then his bow, quiver, sword, gun, powder 

 horn, battle ax, war club, tomahawk, knife, and his medicine or 

 charm are laid alongside and the whole baled with the body in his 

 buffalo robe, being the one on which his coups on his enemies are 

 painted. The last covering is the raw hide of a buffalo, hair inside, 

 which incloses all, and is strapped up tightly by strong cords passed 

 through holes cut around the edge of the skin, the whole presenting 

 the form of a large oblong bale. All this is done by some old men, 

 often some of the divining men, though not those who attended him 

 while sick; and the persons who pay this attention to the corpse 

 know they will be well paid by the relatives of the deceased, as it 

 is the greatest honor one Indian can confer on another and is a 

 claim on the patronage of the relatives during their life. Before 

 enshrouding the body some one of the persons who officiate cuts off 

 a lock of the dead man's hair, which he retains a year. At the end 

 of that time the nearest relatives of the deceased buy the hair from 

 him at a very high price in horses, blankets, etc. This is another 

 long ceremony and should be described, but our limits do not 

 admit of it. 



