100 GHOST GAMBLE- SIOUX. 



the same time in unison. Several may sing- the same song and at the same 

 time, but each begins and finishes when he or she may wish. Often for 

 weeks, or even months, after the decease of a dear friend, a living one, 

 usually a woman, will sit by her house and sing or cry by the hour ; and 

 they also sing for a short time when they visit the grave or meet an 

 esteemed friend whom they have not seen since the decease. At the fu- 

 neral both men and women sing. No. Ill have heard more frequently 

 some time after the funeral, and No. 12 at the time of the funeral, by the 

 Twanas. (For song see p. 251.) The words are simply an exclamation of 

 grief, as our word ' alas ' ; but they also have other words which they use, 

 and sometimes they use merely the syllable la. Often the notes are sung 

 in this order, and sometimes not, but in some order the notes do and la, and 

 occasionally mi, are sung." 



GAMES. 



It is not proposed to describe under this heading examples of those 

 athletic and gymnastic performances following the death of a person which 

 have been described by Lafitau, but simply to call attention to a practice 

 as a secondary or adjunct part of the funeral l-ites, which consists in gam- 

 bling for the possession of the property of the defunct. Dr. Charles E. 

 McChesney, U. S. A., who for some time was stationed among the Wah- 

 peton and Sisseton Sioux, furnishes a detailed and interesting account of 

 what is called the " ghost gamble." This is played with marked wild- 

 plum stones. So far as ascertained it is peculiar to the Sioux. 



"After the death of a wealthy Indian the near relatives take charge of 

 the effects, and at a stated time — usually at the time of the first feast held 

 over the bundle containing the lock of hair — they are divided into many 

 small piles, so as to give all the Indians invited to play an opportunity to 

 win something One Indian is selectecf to represent the ghost, and he 

 plays against all the others, who are not required to stake anything on the 

 result, but simply invited to take part in the ceremon)^, which is usually 

 held in the lodge of the dead person, in which is contained the bundle 

 inclosing 1 the lock of hair. In cases where the ghost himself is not wealth v 

 the stakes are furnished by his rich friends, should he have any. The 

 players are called in one at a time, and play singly against the ghost's 



