610 TRIBES OF THE UPPER MISSOURI [BTH. ANN. « 



other kind of meat, ate the whole. After she had feasted, the man 

 said, " You have eaten your heloved husband, the snake, and now you 

 shall follow him." He rose up and cut her head off at one stroke of 

 his sharp ax. A storm arose, the wind blew, the thunder rolled, and 

 the man disappeared in a whirlwind of dust and was caught up in 

 the air. The children, much frightened at all this, ran out of the 

 lodge over the prairie, never ceasing their speed until they were at 

 some distance. 



On stopping to rest themselves they looked back and beheld the 

 Head of their mother rolling after them, calling on them to stop. 54 



This frightened them more and they continued their flight. The 

 Head rolling after them was now very near and the children were 

 very tired. The boy threw his knife behind him and immediately 

 the prairie was bristling with knives, through which the Head on 

 endeavoring to pass was cut in a dreadful manner, and stopped in 

 its course. The children continued their way. A fox came to where 

 the Head lay, and the Head said, " My friend, I am in want of a hus- 

 band, will you marry me?" "You are too ugly," replied the fox 

 and disappeared into his hole. The Head followed the fox, who 

 being afraid of it, when he arrived at the end of the burrow com- 

 menced digging farther in great haste, the Head still following and 

 calling on the fox to stop. But the animal dug very fast, and 

 finding he could not escape from the Head in this way came out to 

 the surface of the earth near where the children were. The Head 

 also came out and, perceiving them, rolled after them, coaxing them 

 to stop, but they ran forward until they arrived at the top of a hill. 

 The little girl said, " My brother, I am tired, throw something else 

 behind you, the Head is close upon us." He threw his awl and up 

 rose innumerable awls on the prairie which, pointing toward the 

 Head, formed a barrier which it could not pass. The children con- 

 tinued their flight. A badger appeared alongside of the Head. 

 The Head said to it, " My fine fellow, I wish jto marry you. Will 

 you be my husband ? " " Your face is too ugly and bloody for me," 

 said the badger, and disappeared in his hole. 



The Head followed the badger, who like the fox continued digging 

 underneath the ground, making a road underneath the awls in 

 the direction the children were, going, so that the Head came out 

 again to where they were seated resting themselves. On seeing it 

 they again ran forward, the Head after them calling on them to stop, 

 but they were afraid. Again did the little girl get tired and ask 

 her brother to save them by throwing something behind him. He 

 threw his tinder or spunk, and immediately the prairie took fire, 

 spreading out behind them, burning the Head to a cinder, leaving 



H The Whirlwind that took up her husband. 



