328 OMAHA SOCIOLOGT. 



among the combatants, who were standing very thick, and at last per- 

 ished with Lis son. 



§ 213. Return of the war-party. — On the way home the booty is di- 

 vided. t ja£i n -Da B pajI said that " They stop tor the night at a point 

 about two miles from the village," but La Fleche and Two Crows deny 

 this, saying that the warriors come into the village when they please, 

 as they are hungry and wish to see their wives and children. 



If they have brought back scalps or horses, they set the grass afire. 

 On seeing this the villagers say "Nulla"' ama' agii, eb^e'ga". Usai." — 

 I think that the warriors are coming back. They have set the grass afire. 

 < ja^i u -na n pajl said that if they have brought scalps, they put some of 

 the hair in the fire, and the smoke is black. But if they put a horse's 

 tail in the fire, the smoke is very yellow. 



La Fleche and Two Crows said that there is no difference in the mean- 

 ing of the colors of the smoke, though deje jide or red grass, siduhi, and 

 other kinds of grass, are set afire, and make different kinds of smoke. 



When guns are fired it signifies that a foe has been killed. But when 

 none are fired, and the grass is not set afire, it is a sign of an unsuccess- 

 ful expedition. 



As soon as the people bear the guns, they shout, "The warriors have 

 come back!" Then the warriors ride back and forth, moving here and 

 there among themselves in the distance. Then the old men proclaim 

 through the village what each warrior has achieved, calling him by 

 name — " This one has killed a foe!" " This one has broken off a head!" 

 " This one would not allow the others to anticipate him in seizing one of 

 the foe by che scalp-lock," etc. 



§ 214. Ordeal of the sacred bags. — When the warriors have had a rest 

 of about two days, they assemble for a dance, called the " W6watci," 

 or Scalp-dance. Before the dance, however, the successful warriors re- 

 ceive the rewards or insignia of valor from the nuda n hanga who has the 

 three wa^ixabe ^ail'ga or wastegistu. The three bags are placed in a row, 

 and all the warriors stand in a row. Each warrior having selected the 

 wa^ixabe to which he intends speaking, he makes a present to it. Then 

 the keeper of the wa^ixabe addresses him, reminding him that Wakanda 

 sees him, and that if he speaks falsely, he may not expect to stay much 

 longer on the earth. Then the young man says, " Wi n/ ake. Wakau'da 

 aka ibaha n i." — I tell the truth. Wakanda knows it. As he says this, 

 he holds up his right hand towards the sky. Theu he addresses the 

 wa<£ixabe itself, as follows: " Hau, i n e'age-ha ! edada n uwibfa tamiuke 

 ^a^ja, i^ausi'cta n -maji uwib^a ta miiike." — Ho, venerable man ! though 

 I will tell you something, 1 will not lie when I tell it to you. When 

 he says this, he lets fall a small stick which has been cut beforehand. 

 He is obliged to hold the stick up high when he drops it. Should the 

 stick fall on the sacred bag and remain there, it is a sign that he has 

 spoken the truth; but if it falls off, they believe that he has been guilty 



