288 OMAHA SOCIOLOGY. 



are pronounced very deliberately. "How many were there ?" said the 

 directors. The reply might be, " I think about forty." 



They were afraid of telling a falsehood to the directors and the keeper 

 of the sacred tent. Big Elk said that when they reported they used to 

 o-ive a good robe to the pole in the other sacred teut, but this is denied 

 by La Fleche and Two Crows. 



Alter hearing the report the directors sent the crier for the chiefs, 

 who assembled at the Wacabe tent. He also proclaimed that all the 

 young men should go thither ; so they went, and stood outside. The 

 Hailga man (the keeper of the sacred tent?) told the young men, "In 

 snch a direction there are so many buffaloes." Then the men left the 

 women in the camp, mounted their horses, and hastened towards the 

 herd. 



§ 138. Return of the scouts when the people are moving. — If the people 

 were moving along when the scouts came in sight, the four directors 

 proceeded in advance to meet the scouts, and the Inke-sabe crier ac- 

 companied them. He marched behind the directors till they met the 

 scouts, when he advanced to the front, and received the report from 

 one of the scouts, who spoke in a whisper. Then the crier whispered 

 the news to the principal director, who stood on his left, and he whis- 

 pered it to the next director, and so on. After the crier told the first 

 director, the former stepped backward several paces to the rear of the 

 four directors, and lay down with his head pointing in the direction 

 whence the scouts came. After all of the directors heard the news, 

 they smoked once, and then sent the crier to proclaim the news. The 

 scouts proceeded to their families after delivering their report to the 

 directors. The crier proclaimed thus : "(fazige te, ai afa+!" That is, 

 "They say indeed that you shall halt!" The tents were pitched im- 

 mediately, as the people knew that a herd of buffaloes had been found. 

 Then the men hastened toward the herd, each one being mounted. 



§ 139. Some of the men used to address their horses thus: "Ho, my 

 child! do your best. I shall do my best." This was not said by all. 

 Some gave medicine to their horses to make them swift. (See the 

 j.nj-i"-wasabe dance, Chapter X.) 



§ 140. Council and appointment of policemen. — As soon as they could 

 see the herd they stopped. Then the crier called certain young men by 

 name, saying, " Let us consecrate some ja or sides of buffalo meat. 

 You will take a ja for me." (See § 151.) A council was held by the 

 chiefs and directors, and having decided to surround the herd, police- 

 men were appointed. These wanace were selected from the wahehaji 

 or brave men. They had no work to do till they were near the herd. 

 Then they had to watch the people to keep them from scaring off the 

 herd by moving before the proper time. All who disobeyed them were 

 severely punished. Cadaij-ice, an aged Omaha, who is now lame and 

 palsied in one limb, was once strong and highly esteemed by his people; 

 but he violated the rules of the hunt, and all the policemen flogged him 



