678 Mourning and War Customs of the Kansas. [July, 
bags. The war captain had a tobacco pouch of skunk skin. — 
When he smoked he was ever praying, “O Wakanda! I wisha 
Pani Loup to die !” 
The war captain made one of the qlets‘age carry the sacred 
bag before the ceremony of “ waqpelé gaxe” was performed. On 
this occasion there were six kettle-carriers instead of four. When 
the qlet s‘age carried the sacred bag two of the kettle-carriers 
carried a bundle of sticks apiece, which they laid down on the 
road, one end of each bundle pointing towards the land of the 
enemy. Four of the kettle carriers remained still. The next 
morning all the warriors went to the spot; they drew a circle 
around the bundles and set up one stick within, which they at- 
tacked as if it were a Pani. This might cause, in their opinion, 
the death of real foes. Members of the Lu, or Thunder gens, 
could not take part in this ceremony, but were obliged to keep in 
the rear. The following prayers were said during the wapgqele 
gaxe, according to Nixiidje-yifige: “I wish to pass along the 
road to the foe! O Wakanda! I promise you a blanket if I suc- 
ceed!” This was said facing the east. Turning to the west the 
following prayer was made: “O Wakanda! I promise you a 
feast if I succeed !” 
On the return from war, during the scalp dance which followed, 
the wife of the war captain held the scalp and the war pipe as 
she danced. ‘ 
U’ce-gu"ya, an aged man of the Black bear gens, told the fol- 
lowing: In former days when a man lost a child he cried for it, 
_ and became a war captain. Two persons built him a small lodge ~ 
and filled a small kettle with corn. When the corn was boiled, 
which was about dark, the captain gave a little of it away, but 
he ate none. He fasted because he wished to kill an Indian. 
The warriors departed the next day. The kettle-carriers took 
corn, meat, moccasins, small kettles and spoons. During the 
“waqpele gaxe” the following petitions were made. “ I wish to 
kill a Pani! I wish to bring back horses! I wish to pull down a 
_ foe! I promise you a calico shirt! I promise you a robe! I will 
_ also give you a blanket, O Wakanda, if you let me come home 
after killing a Pani!” 
___ War Dances.—There are two dances before going to war, the 
aka” watci” and the Wacdbe watci”. The former may be 
ced at any season. It is designed to increase the warlike spirit 
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