156 TIIK MKNOMINI INDIANS [eth.ann. 14 



Finally, the day was sel when this contest of strength and power 

 should be decided, and the niitii' v built a long medicine wigwam, or 

 liiitii'wiko'inik, extending cast and west. The mita" and his friends 

 weir the first to arrive, and, entering the wigwam, the chief mita" 

 marched in the eastern door and seated bis companions at the northern 



side. 



The wa'beno was the last to arrive, but he was accompanied by his 

 prophet, followed by the Akui'kika v — "he who draws out arrows" — and 

 following the latter came the rest of the wa'beno'ak, friends of the 

 wa'beno contestant. The mita'wok were all painted with red paint 

 from the chin up to the top of the forehead, whereas the wa'beno'ak 

 had their faces covered with red paint from the line of the nostrils 

 downward to the breast. 



When the wa'beno entered the eastern door. at the head of the pro- 

 cession of his friends, he held before him a wa'beno drum, tapping it 

 and singing, and each time he struck it there issued tiny, magic arrows, 

 which were directed toward the mita'wok. To ward off these fatal 

 missiles the mitii'wok held out the palms of their hands. The wa'beno 

 walked around the interior of the mita'wikdmik several times, going 

 westward on the northern side and returning on the side opposite. 

 Finally, the wa'beno'ak seated themselves, when the mita" began to 

 drum, saying to the wa'beno. " You challenged me to a contest of skill 

 and power; now go to work and do your best.'' To this the wa'beno 

 replied, " No, you challenged me; you began the trouble; now begin 

 your work." The mita" then arose and said to the people on the oiil 

 side, who were at each end of the wigwam, "My friends, go away 

 from the opening of the wigwam, and stand at the sides; you might 

 become the victims of evil ma'nidos by standing in the way." So the 

 people hurried away from the openings at the eastern and western 

 ends of the wigwam, and took places on the northern and southern 

 sides, where they could watch the contest. 



The wa'beno, who took his place at the western end of the wigwam, 

 placed his drum before his breast, and said to the mitii' v : "Now, come 

 and try your power; I shall not resist your attempts, but will show 

 you that any power you may possess and direct at me will fail when it 

 reaches my drum, for nothing can penetrate it. - ' The mita" then went 

 to the eastern end of the wigwam, and grasping his medicine sack held 

 it as if holding a gun when charging; then he slowly danced forward 

 toward (he wa'beno, with the bag directed at his breast, and sang the 

 words ho', ho', ho', ho', in imitation of the sound made by the Bear 

 ina'nido. He next advanced to within a short distance of the wa'beno, 

 when the mita" thrust the bag forward, shooting from it his magic 

 kona'pamik, consisting of a bear's claw, which crushed through the 

 drum and into the wn'bcno's breast, striking him senseless. 



The wa'beno lay outstretched on the ground. The prophet, the first 

 of the wa'beuo's companions, came forward, and, placing his linger 



