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7 
7 
THE STORY OF WABASKAHA. 397 
NOTES. 
This story refers to events which occurred about a hundred years ago. Two 
Crows, the grandson of one of the characters, is now over fifty years of age. 
393, 1. Ta"wa"-ni, Village-stream. The Omahas call two streams by this name, 
because they camped near them. The Ta™wa?-ni of this story, Omaha Creek, is one 
of their old camping-grounds, according to Half-a-Day, the tribal historian. 
393, 1. ga¢i. These were the Republican Pawnees whom the Omahas call Zizika- 
aki¢isi” (Joseph La Fléche), or Zizika-dkisi (Sanssouci). They may be a Turkey gens. 
393, 11. nikagahi igaq¢a™ aka, ete. This custom was observed by the Pawnees, 
Omahas, and Ponkas. Even if foes ate with them, they became relations, whom it was 
wrong to kill. A mouthful of food, a drink of water, or a whiff from a pipe, sufficed 
to establish the relationship. 
394, 2. Sanssouci adds: neje-ni ¢ataiki¢ai, “he was caused to drink urine,” which 
was mixed with the beans. 
394, 4. oni‘ai. This should be ond‘ai, from ¢a‘a, to fail in eating or drinking all. 
396, 2. de¢a"ba-biama. Seven is a sacred number in the Omaha and Ponka gen- 
tile system, and it is the number of the original gentes of the Dakotas. See references 
to this in the other historical papers in this volume. 
_ TRANSLATION, 
The Omahas dwelt on Omaha Creek. It happened that a war-party of Pawnees 
carried off some of their horses. The owner of the horses took three men and followed 
their trail. The man who went following them was named Wabaskaha. Having de- 
parted, they arrived at the Republican River, which the Pawnees call Ki¢a¢uda. The 
Pawnees dwelt there in villages, to which they had taken the stolen horses. It was dur- 
ing the spring. Having arrived there, they entered a lodge. Some of the Pawnees 
wished to kill the Omahas, but the rest did not wish to kill them. The chief whose 
lodge they had entered did not speak at all. As he thought, “If they wish to kill them, 
they will surely kill them,” he did not speak at all. At length the chief’s wife went 
for water. When she brought it back, she gave the water to the Omahas. Taking 
pieces of dried buffalo meat, the woman made them put them in their mouths, as she 
wished them to live. When they had eaten, the chief said as follows: “‘Come, cease 
ye and go outside. As she wished them to live, she caused them to eat.” Every one 
of them went out and homeward. And the Pawnees were continually inviting the 
Omahas to feasts. One man, a very brave Pawnee, invited the Omahas to a feast. And 
he invited them to eat from dishes which were very large and filled very full of beans 
alone. The Pawnee hadaclub. Said he, “If you swallow the food, I will kill you with 
that; and if you fail to eat all, I will kill you with that.” At length they swallowed 
it; they were satiated, yet they swallowed it. He did not kill any one. ‘Hnough. 
You have swallowed it,” said he. On the morrow the Pawnees talked with the Oma- 
has: “Friends, though you have come hither for your horses, you shall not take them 
back with you. You can come for them in the early fall. And in the fall you must 
bring us some powder when you come.” And Wabaskaha said, ‘‘ Yes, I will do that.” 
