250 



The Book of Woodcraft 



in the vapor bath that is so much favored by Indian 

 doctors. 



The Indians sometimes marked a spot of unusual im- 

 portance by sinking the skull of a deer or a mountain sheep 

 deep into a living tree, so that the horns hung out on each 

 side. In time the wood and bark grew over the base of 

 the horns and "medicine tree" was created. Several of 

 these trees have become of historic importance. A notable 

 example of this was the big Ramtree that by common con- 

 sent demarked the himting grounds of the Blackfeet from 

 those of the Nez Perces. It was held by these Indians in 

 religious veneration until some white vandal deliberately 

 destroyed it by way of a practical joke. 



It would be easy to record many other Indian signs; the 

 sign for the "first crow" of spring; the sign for "buffalo 

 in sight"; the sign for a "war party coming"; the sign that 

 a certain man "wants the arrows," that another man owes 

 him, and the sign that the owner of the teepee is "praying 

 and must not be disturbed." But these are things that are 

 quickly passing away and the Indians themselves are for- 

 getting them. 



