263 



on it, after which the right hand is di'opped downward. {Dakota I.) 

 " Putting a lariat around the pole and making it secure. Securing the 

 horse." 



Time. 



The seasons, corresponding with our divisions of winter, spring, sum- 

 mer, and autumn, ai'e denoted by their appropriate signs — Winter, by 

 Cold or l§iiow; S2)riiu/, by the Spriiiiiiiig' up of (he C^rass; 

 Sin)i7)ier, by Lioiig' Ciirass, the Time t'iierries are Ripe, etc.; 



and Autumn, by the Falling' of the Ijeavew. Hi>ur of the day 

 is ap])roximately denoted by the Position of the Sun. A Month 

 (one moon) is also denoted bj' its appropriate sign. Days and nights 

 can also be so denoted. {Dakota I.) 



Deaf-mute natural sif/n. — No general sign. A dai/ is indicated bj- 

 moving the forefinger across the sky ; parts of the day by portions of 

 this movement; days numbered by sleeps, that is, by inclining the head 

 on the hand repeatedly; moo/i, by the index-finger of the right hand 

 applied to that of the left, as for the time when the hands of the clock 

 meet and both jioiiit to the hour twelve. {Ballard.) 



Future. 



The arms are flexed and hands brought together in front of body as 

 in type-po.sitiou CW). The hands are made to move in wave-like mo- 

 tion up and down together and from side to side. {Oto I.) "Floating 

 on the tide of time." 



Count off fingers, then shut all the fingers of both hands several 

 times, and touch the hair and tent. {Apache III.) "^lany years; 

 when I am old (white-haired)." 



Deaf-mute natural sign. — To denote a future time, the sign is made by 

 putting the hand on the cheek with the head slightly inclined, meaning 

 days, and counting on the fingers to denote how many. There is no 

 specific sign to distinguish the past from the future. {Ballard.) 



Long. 



Place the hands close together and then move them slowly asunder, 

 so slowly that they seem as if they would never complete the gesture. 

 {Cheyenne sign. Report of Lieut. J. W. Abert, loc. cit.,]). 426.) "This 

 was used in nari-ating a tradition and referring to great antiquitj- in time; 

 also applied to great, indefinite distance." 



Signs for Sleep and i^Iaiiy. {Arapaho I.) Literally, " many sleeps." 



Fingers of both hands clasped as though holding a string, left hand 

 remaining stationary, right hand drawn along the imaginary string in 

 proportion to the leugtli of time to be represented. It also means old 

 in the abstract. {Cheyenne I.) 



