304 CALENDAR HISTORY OF THE KIOWA [eth.anx. 17 



■who was shot tlirouoh the body. The Kiowa succeeded in making 

 their escape, probably helping themselves to some of the Mexican 

 horses, and carried with them their wounded comrade until they reached 

 a noted spring, perhaps on the edge of the Staked plain, known as 

 Pail/oi) tdrdep, " Sunmountain spring," from its circular shape and its 

 situation on the top of a mountain. By this time Konate's wounds 

 were in such condition that it seemed only a (juestion of a few hours 

 when he would die. Finding themselves unable to carry him in his 

 helpless condition across the desolate plains, his friends reluctantly de- 

 cided to leave him to his fate. I'lacing him within reach of the water, 

 they raised over him an arbor of branches to shield him from the sun, 

 and rode away, intending on reaching home to send back a party, in 

 accordance with their custom, to bring back his bones for burial. 



Deserted by his companions, his wounds putrefying under the hot 

 sun, Konate lay stretched out by the spring silently awaiting the end. 

 The sun went down and day faded into night, when far off on the hill- 

 side he heard the cry of a wolf; the wounded man roused himself from 

 his stupor and listened; again he heard the cry of the wolf, but this 

 time from another direction and evidently near; despair seized him as 

 he realized that the coyotes had scented their prey and were gathering 

 to the feast, and now he heard the patter of the light feet and the snif- 

 fing of the animal as a wolf prowled around him ; but instead of spring- 

 ing upon the helpless man and tearing him in pieces, the wolf came up 

 and gently licked his wounds, then quietly lay down beside him. 



Now he heard another sound in the distance, the ts6 dnl-tcin, or eagle- 

 bone whistle of the sun dance; it approached, and he heard the song of 

 the 1; (ido, and at last the spirit of the faime stood before him and said: 

 " I pity you, and shall not let you die, but you shall see your home and 

 friends again." The taime then sent a heavy rain to clear out his 

 wounds and afterward talked long with him, giving him instructions 

 for a new shield and conferring upon him mysterious powers of medi- 

 cine, of which the proof and emblem should be the ii'pofo staff, which 

 he instructed him to make after his return. Then the spirit left him, 

 saying, "Help is near." The Kiowa insist that all this was not a 

 dream or vision, but an actual waking occurrence; but of course most 

 of it was the delirium of fever. 



As his comrades proceeded on their way, they met six Comanche 

 warriors on their way to Mexico, to whom they told the story of their 

 encounter, also that they would find Konate's dead body at the si>ring, 

 and asked them to cover it from the wolves. Then they parted, the 

 Kiowa continuing on to the northward, while the Comanche proceeded 

 toward the spring, where they intended to camp for the night. On 

 arriving, they were astonished to find Konate alive and in somewhat 

 better condition than when his comrades had left him. Seeing that 

 there was a chance of saving his life, the Comanche washed his wounds 

 and fed him ; nest morning they put him upon one of their extra horses, 



