32 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 99 



Those who were standing by the fire outside all of a sudden saw a 

 purple fire up in the air; it went toward a house; after a few minutes 

 it rose up again, and came back, and dropped on the house of the 

 sick person; as soon as the fire fell inside, the person died. This fire 

 was a tsiktli'. 



II. Once a man was very ill, caused by witchcraft. Two friends of 

 his decided to fast and drink the medicine by which they could see 

 witches.^^ The seventh day they hid themselves outside the house. 

 They heard the witch coming,^^ and he alighted in the yard, and there 

 took his human shape and walked toward the house. These two men 

 had a gim with them, loaded for the purpose of killing a witch; ^^ they 

 fired and hit him, but instead of blood, fire spouted forth from the 

 wound. The witch disappeared. 



III. About 25 or 26 years ago ^^ T. (pi. 10, c; see p. Ill) was ill. 

 His friends were summoned to guard against witchcraft, as he ^^ had 

 found out that he was iU by ayc'liGO-'ci .^*^ 



yo-'no^Ga^le-'oi^^ examined by putting tobacco on the fire, but he 

 found out that the witch was stronger than he, as the tobacco sparkled 

 like a star, but no burst was heard. The next day he tried again, 

 but again he found that the witch was stronger than he. So he in- 

 structed all the attendants as well as the patient to fast and to drink 

 the medicine by which you can see witches. He himself did the same. 

 At night he told the attendants to stay inside; he took a burning 

 branch from the fire and went out. 



Outside, he saw a man standing near the chimney; he was intently 

 gazing at T. through the waU. Climbing Bear could see him be- 

 cause he had drunk the medicine. He passed near by the man, and 

 as he passed him, touched the witch with his burning switch. When 

 he looked back the witch had disappeared. 



Now, since the witch had been recognized, he was sure to die 

 within four or seven days. T. told W., from whom I have the account, 

 that the witch was J. B. of a near-by settlement. And sure enough, 

 the third day after the event here related, J. B. died. T. recovered. 



Powerful though witches are, they evidently believe in obtaining 

 the greatest results with the smallest exertions, and that is why they 

 make it a point to attack individuals that are feeble and decrepit, 

 as they know that these will far more readily faU a prey to their 

 activities than would the more healthy and robust individuals of 



" Vide supra. 



18 In the shape of some bird. 



" Cf. p. 31. 



18 This was told me in the spring of 1927. 



18 T. being a medicine man could discover this for himself. 



20 Cf. p. 33. 



21 Climbing Bear, now deceased; O.'s husband, Del.'s father, W. and Og.'s 

 half-brother. 



