400 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 194 



We tied the bird back of the lodge. Then there followed 2 poor days for trap- 

 ping. Wliile looking around, we found holes that were formerly used. We saw 

 many birds in the air and thought that this must be an old eagle trail that other 

 trappers had found. I selected an old pit and my brother cleaned it out while I 

 stayed in camp in case strange men came along. 



I said to my brother, "I will have to pay you for praying for me for I want to be 

 lucky."28 



I told my wife to pick out some fat meat and a hide to give to my brother for 

 fixing the trap. He thanked me and said that he would do the best he could. 

 He came back in the evening and said that he had it ready and that it was well 

 concealed. I thought it looked like a good location. 



Next day the wind was from the wrong direction and I decided to hunt for 

 blacktail deer. I killed one buck and a doe. I fixed some of the meat for my 

 bait, using a piece that was fat and bloody. I gave it to my brother to pray to 

 and fix as our father had taught him. I gave him one side of the ribs roasted for 

 his pay. 



He said, "I am satisfied with my pay. I am not supposed to own the whole 

 ceremony, only the part that was taught me by my father. He taught me how to 

 dig the holes and tie the bait. He taught me the songs that go with that and I 

 am going to sing one of them before we go further." 



He sang the song that he had learned and said, "Now you sing it with me" and 

 we sang, "The bait you carry on your shoulder; the bait you carry on your shoul- 

 der; the bait you carry on your shoulder; the bait you carry on your shoulder; 

 black bear is fixing his lodge. What will be the best bait to draw birds to it? 

 The best part for bait is the breast." 



Next day the wind was from the southwest. We could not go out trapping 

 when the wind was from the east. We knew the birds would be moving with the 

 westerly wind so I thought it would be all right for us to go out since our wives 

 were not afraid to stay alone. We should not stay too long here trapping eagles 

 as it was nearly time for cold weather. We went out without eating. I went 

 into my pit and pretended to be fasting and crying, but I did not let my voice out 

 loud. After a while I saw a black spot in the air. My pit was near a sharp bank. 

 Suddenly the eagle came up from below and onto the bank. My father had often 

 told me how to seize them for, should I miss, I might push the bird over and lose 

 it. I took a careful aim, pulled his legs together, scraped the feathers, and pulled 

 them out. Then I tied the bird up and went back into the hole again. 



I saw another black spot in the air. I had been told that when one comes, the 

 other will come from the same direction. It sat on my bait and I pulled it in 

 also. I pulled the feathers out and said to the eagles, "I wish I could get some 

 more and I would make a warbonnet." 



Being late, I started back to camp. Not having a rope, I tied one eagle to my 

 belt and carried the other under my arm. When I got back I saw two eagles 

 behind the lodge for my brother had caught another, a spotted eagle. 



I thought, "We are supposed to put up a big ceremony; that is why we are so 

 lucky" for I had always heard that when one pledged a ceremony, he would be 

 lucky at everji^hing he undertook while getting the things together. 



Next day the wind was not in the right direction so I said, "We should go out 

 for deer. We should go in different directions. The deer will be fat by this time." 



I killed a blacktail deer. It was fat even for this time of year. I took off all 

 the meat over the ribs in one piece for it would make good dry meat for the feast 



'* Wolf Chief, though older than his brother, had not bought Eagle Trapping rights of his father as Red 

 Basket had. 



