47 



Bread. 



Coiiibiiie sigus for Flour and Fire. (Arapaho I.) 



Both liauds iu trout of body, fists, backs obliquely downward, push up 

 and down several times as though kneading the dough, and then at a 

 higher elevation both hands, one above the other about 8 inches, hori- 

 zontal, left hand below, back downward (X) right hand above, back 

 upward ( W) change the positions of the hands (IV taking the place occu- 

 pied by X) two or three times. {Dakota I.) '• From the packing and 

 shaping of the loaf." 



The right hand being about a foot in front of the chest, opened and 

 relaxed, pointing obliquely forward toward the left, quickly throw the 

 left hand, palm downward, and lay it across the right, then rapidly separ- 

 ate the hands, and turning the palm of the left upward and the right 

 downward, lay the right across the left. Repeat this maneuver several 

 times. {Dakota IV.) " Forming a piece of dough into a cake or loaf." 



Hard ; crackers, &c. 



After making the first part of the above sign, carry the left hand iu 

 front of the left breast with fingers extended, joined, flat, hoiizontal 

 ends of fingers forward, and the edge of the right hand with fingers 

 extended is drawn across the palm of the left at proper distances cross- 

 wise. {Dakota I.) 



Break. 



Both hands brought one above the other around to front of body, 

 closed as though grasping small stick, and suddenly turned iu o])posite 

 directions to imitate breaking. {Cheyenne I.) 



Tlie extended forefinger of both hands (J 1) meeting at their tips iu 

 front of body, palms inward, and then separate the fingers by an outward 

 movement as though breaking anything in two. {Dakota I.) "From 

 the breaking of a twig." 



The fists being near together, directed forward and backs upward, 

 turn the outer sides downward as if breaking a stick. {Dakota IV.) 



With both hands placed side bj' side, thumbs touching, throw them 

 outward and downward as if breaking a stick. {Dakota VI, VII.) 



Both fists (backs upward, knuckles forward, thumbs one or two inches 

 apart) are held at a common level six or more inches in front of the 

 chest, then simultaneously the forearms are semi-rotated so as to bring 

 the thumbs uppermost. Other methods of breaking have other signs 

 to represent them. {Mandan and Hidatsa I.) 



The arms are uniformly flexed and the hands in type-position (B) 

 approximated before the body. The hands are thus palms downwards. 



