Bowers] HIDATSA SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL ORGANIZATION 365 



I had been worshiping the eagles and other gods that I saw in my dreams and 

 had given many feasts to my father's gods. So I prayed to my gods, saying, "I 

 have worshiped you and fed you and shown you every respect. Now my 'son' 

 has come to me. I want him to be lucky when he goes out to kill buffaloes. If 

 the enemy attacks, I want him always to be on the safe side." 



When I finished praying, I lit the pipe and smoked it, pointing it in all four 

 directions and to all of my gods. Then I returned the pipe to him. This time 

 Smells was with us and I said to him, "You have more powers than I have and 

 you should pick out the best corn balls and articles." 



He took out the best ones, for he knew all of the rules. After he finished 

 selecting them. Hard Horn said that he was glad. He thought he would be lucky 

 and that there would be plenty of buffaloes for all the people. 



As Smells left, he said to me, "I will be back again and teach you the rules." 



He came back later and said, "These objects are holy but I will explain the 

 rules to you so you will not have bad luck. This pipe is holy; we use it when we 

 put up the sweat lodge. I have this pipe that I got from Dry Squash but I will 

 let you use it. I will lend you this ferret hide. When Hard Horn puts on the 

 sweat ceremony, he should return it to me." 



I said, "You bring the pipe, for I want to learn to use the pipe and to sing the 

 songs." 



Smells went back to his lodge. While he was away, I looked for some tobacco 

 and calicoes. When he came in, I spread out the calicoes on the floor and he put 

 the pipe and small ferret hide down. He was happy when he saw the blankets, 

 calicoes, and roast corn before him for that was his pay for helping me. He 

 said, "You will need some red paint." 



There was plenty, for my father always kept much on hand. He had many 

 bundle rites that required it. Smells took some and painted the pipe, praying 

 and talking to the pipe and ferret skin as he painted. He asked me to hold out 

 my hand. He was chewing the black root that came from Two Men. He spit 

 some in my hand, telling me to rub it all over my body, and I did. He did the 

 same. Then he sang the song. The ferret was about worn out with no hair on 

 it. He gave me the pipe and ferret, instructing me to paint them as he had. 

 Then I put them back on the robes again. The pipe was a wooden one like in 

 my father's Waterbuster Skull bundle. 



When he had finished singing the songs and painting the pipe and hide, he 

 called for roasted corn. I took some with dry meat, setting it before him. He 

 selected a few pieces and said to the pipe and ferret, "I want you to eat. I 

 always took good care of you. Now I am going to give you to Wolf Chief to give 

 to his son. Hard Horn. I do not want to have any bad luck." Then turning 

 to me he said, "I am well paid for this. Wrap the pipe and skin with a nice 

 calico or hide and put it away for your son." Then he ate the rest of the food. 



Before Smells left, he directed me to look for one feather from under the left 

 side of the wing of the eagle and called the sleep feather, one on the left side of 

 the claw, a white feather on the tail, and a fourth one from the head. I was to 

 save these feathers and take good care of them. I was to make 12 "bird sticks" 

 and paint them red, representing the eagle's 12 tail feathers and also the 12 

 sticks for the moccasin game. 



Smells said that I could tell my son to take these sticks when he went to war 

 and paint them while saying, "I am painting you and I do not want to be killed." 



Then there were the buUsnake, turtle, and otter to go into the bundle to repre- 

 sent the Missouri River and Two Men who were the great doctors. He asked me 

 to look for all these and I did. I found them but before I even touched them, I 



