100 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 99 



"whether he has a vocation for it," as we might say. If the bead 

 representing the applicant moves briskly, and gives ample proofs of 

 vitality, the divination is pronoimced to be in his favor. If, on the 

 contrary, it behaves in a sluggish, lazy way, or if it does not move at 

 all, ho is dissuaded from taking up the profession. 



But lot us suppose that the professor in theology and medicine is 

 willing to coach the student, then the terms and the tiution fee are 

 discussed. Jle may tempt the vanity of Ins master by offering him 

 a new overcoat, or a gun, or a trunk, or even a sum of money. 



If the candidate comes from a settlement a few miles distant, it 

 may be necessary for him to come and board with his master; or if 

 the latter is able and willing to spare the time he may go and stay 

 with the applicant. There is no rule as to the duration of this stay; 

 it depends solel}^ on the extent of the subject matter to be covered, 

 and on how quickly the candidate masters it. 



He may merely want to know how to cure disease; or he may even 

 only intend to specialize in the cure of two or three ailments. On 

 the other hand, he may be so ambitious as to desire to know all about 

 love conjuring, hunting and fishing formulas, and even about man- 

 killing incantations and witchcraft. 



If he wants to know all this he usually leaves after 10 daj^s or a fort- 

 night and comes back for a similar peiiod now and again, until he 

 knows all his tutor can teach huTi. 



Whatever his intentions for later life and practice may be, he must 

 start out by mastering all the lore about disease, curing methods, 

 and simples. This is a preliminary course every beginner must go 

 through, even if he intends to later make his specialty in a totally 

 different field. (See p. 84.) 



But it was emphatically stressed by all informants that the very 

 last formulas taught are those 'Svith which to harm people," i. e., 

 the incantations. The medicine men are very circumspect in hand- 

 ing out this knowledge, and very few candidates attain this step 

 during the first few years of their "studies." Irascible or hot- 

 tempered individuals are barred from it, as already stated. "Before 

 they let you have that kind (i. e., incantations) they examine you, 

 and if they fmd that you are a bad character, that you 'get mad' 

 easily, that you are jealous and spiteful, they do not let you have them. 

 A bad character will use these (incantations) even if he is insulted 

 but once, whereas we (considerate old fellows) always wait three 

 times" before we would work against an enemy to kill him." (W.) 



" See p. 95. It is probable that four insults were the limit before white influ- 

 ence made itself felt. When I asked W. (the only one of my informants who 

 had had a partly white education) why it should be three times he said he thought 

 it was "because Christ had been in the gra\e three days, and Jonah was for three 

 da^-s in the fish." 



