172 



Roth hands flat and extended, finders slightly separated then place 

 the tiiiitjers of the I'ight hand between the fingers of the left as far as 

 the second joints, so that the fingers of one hand protrude about an 

 inch beyond those of the opposite; the wrist must be held about six 

 inelies apart. {Eaiowal; Co7n(tnchelll; ApncheU; Wichita II.) "Out- 

 line of Indian lodge and crossing of tent-poles above the covering." 



Place tiie tips of tlie spread fingers of Itoth hands against one au- 

 otlier, pointing upward before tlie body, leaving a s]»ace of from four to 

 six inclies l)etween the wrists. {rai-Ute I.) "Represents tlie boughs 

 and branches used in the construction of a Pai-Ute wik-i-ui)." 



Place the tips of tlie two tlat hands together before the body, leaving 

 a space of about six inches between the wrists. {Ttc I.) "Outline of 

 the shape of the lodge." 



Coining out of a. 



Same as the sign for Liodji'e, Entering a, only the fingers of the right 

 hand point oblicpiely upward after passing under the left hand. { Dnkoia 

 I.) "Coining out from under cover." 



Entering a. 



The left hand is held with the back u >ward, and the right hand also 

 with the back up is passed in a curvilinear direction down under the 

 other side of it. The left hand here represents the low door of the skin 

 lodge and tlie right the man stooping to pass in. (Loiu/.) 



Pass the tiat right hand in short curves under tlie left, which is held 

 a short distance forward. {Wied.) 1 have described the same sign. It 

 is not necessary to pass the hand more than once. By saying curves, he 

 seems to imply many passes. If the hand is passed more than once it 

 means repetition of the act. ( MaHheirs.) The conception is of the stoop- 

 ing to pass through the low entrance, which is often covered by a flap of 

 skin, sometimes stretched on a frame, and which must be shoved aside, 

 and tlie subsequent rising when the entrance has been accomplished. 

 In the same tribes now, if the intention is to speak of a person entering 

 the gesturer's own lodge, the right hand is passed under the left and 

 toward the body, near which the left hand is held; if of a person enter- 

 ing the lodge of another, the left hand is held further trom the body and 

 the right is passed under it and outward. In both cases l)Oth hands are 

 slightly curved and compressed. 



A gliding movement of the extended hand, fingers joined, backs up, 

 downward, then ascending, indicative of the stooping and resumiition 

 of the uiiright position in entering the same. (Arapaho I.) 



(1.) Sign for Liodge, the left hand being still in position used in mak- 

 ing sign for I^odge ; (2) forefinger and thumb of right hand brought 



