DAKOTA MYTHS. O09 
Now when they had gone a long way—they went very fast—behold, there came, 
following them, the one who called himself the Great Spirit. And he said, “ You bad 
rascals, stop; you shall not live; whither will you go in such a small country as 
this?” Saying this he came toward them, when they were much frightened. And 
again he said, “ You are bad rascals, stop; you shall not live.” And indeed it 
seemed as if they should not live. 
Then the horse said, “Take the egg you have and throw it rearward.” And he 
did so, whereupon the whole breadth of the country became a sea, so that he who 
followed them came to a standstill, and said, ‘‘ Alas, my horse, have mercy on me 
and take me to the other side; if you do I will value you very much.” And the horse 
replied, “Ah, I am not willing to do that.” But he continued to urge him; where- 
upon he threw himself above the water, and so that, when he came to the middle, he 
went down and both were drowned. By this means the boy passed safely on. 
So it was they came to the dwellings of a people and remained there. But from 
behind they came to attack, and fought with them; but the boy turned his head 
around, and his head was covered with gold, the horse also that he sat upon was 
golden, and those who came against them, he caused to be thrown off, and only a few 
remained when he left them. Again, when they returned to the attack he destroyed 
them all. And so the boy was much thought of by the people. 
Now, my friends, why did the boy do these things? He wanted to live some- 
where, and he desired to take refuge in the bosom! of the Great Spirit, perhaps, and 
so he sought him. When he had found him, then the Bad Spirit sought to make him 
(the Great Spirit) eat them up. So he fled—again he desired to live, perhaps, and 
fled. But they followed him, so that he again fought with them and killed them all, 
it seems. It appears that he did not do this of lis own purpose. It seems as if no 
one was chargeable with it, and no one was to be Dlamed for it. But they wanted 
the head (hill) of gold, perhaps, and so they did it. I think that this is like Sitting 
Bull. 

'Tkpi generally means belly, abdomen. Sometimes it may mean the thorae also; but that is more 
properly called ‘“‘maku.” So says the author in his Dakota Dictionary, p 195.—s. 0. D. 
