612 TRIBES OF THE UPPER MISSOURI [eth. ANN. 46 



not travel. The little old dog rambled through the ground where 

 the camp had been placed, discovered a piece of rotten wood afire, 

 and brought it to where the children were. He gathered other 

 branches and made them a comfortable fire, at which they warmed 

 themselves. The little boy covered his eyes with his hands and hung 

 his head, his sister cried, they were very hungry and very miserable. 

 " Look, my brother, what a fine herd of elk is near ! " the girl ex- 

 claimed as about 50 of those animals came walking toward them. 

 The boy looked at them, wishing they were dead so that they might 

 have meat, and as soon as he looked upon them they all fell dead. 

 They went to them, and, having no knife wherewith to skin them, 

 the boy wished them skinned, and in a moment they were so. He 

 now began to see the power granted him, which was to look upon and 

 wish for anything he desired. By the same means he produced the 

 elk skins dressed and made into a large lodge, far larger than any 

 of his people, which was erected, and the meat of the elk piled around 

 the lodge on scaffolds outside. In the interior was an apartment for 

 the little old dog. They were now happy. 



Day after day large herds of buffalo came near the lodge, and on 

 looking at them the boy killed them, skinned them, and placed the 

 meat on scaffolds, cut up and dried. 



When he thought he had enough he made a feast to the magpies 

 and desired one of them to take along some fat meat and fly in the 

 direction of the camp to endeavor, if possible, to overtake them. The 

 bird left and after flying some days arrived at the camp. They were 

 all starving, having had no meat for a long time. Some of the men 

 were playing ball in the middle of the camp. The magpie advanced 

 and dropped a large depouille among them and all scrambled to get 

 a share. They inquired of the bird where he got the meat, and 

 received the information, together with the news, that a great deal 

 of meat was on scaffolds, enough to feed the whole camp. The father 

 of the children was the chief; he called a council and determined on 

 going back to the large supply of food, but knew it belonged to his 

 children from the description given of them by the magpie. In due 

 time the camp arrived at the boy's lodge and placed their tents. The 

 boy sat in his lodge, his head down, and his eyes covered with his 

 hands. All the camp with his father at their head came around 

 begging him for meat. But the boy answered not a word, neither did 

 he look up. The rest had no power to take the meat, not even to 

 approach the scaffolds. The second day after their arrival his sister 

 said, " Do, my brother, come out and look what a fine camp of our 

 people are here." He went, looked, and all fell dead in* their lodges, 

 or wherever they happened to be. At this the little old dog bega#to 

 cry and besought the boy to revive his (the dog's) relations, who fell 

 with the others. " Show me them," said the boy. " They shall live." 



