THE WIFE WHO RETURNED FROM SPIRIT LAND. 127 
many presents of buffalo robes and all her dresses. They covered the 
place with grass and then with sod, so that the grave formed a little mound. 
The people went on a buffalo hunt and killed many buffalo. While 
they were camped at one place they heard that certain warriors who 
had gone out were returning with many ponies. Among them was the 
young man. It was noised through the village that the young man had 
captured most of the ponies and had more than any other man. When 
he arrived at his father’s lodge he sat down, and his mother began to tell 
him the news of the village. The mother, however, forgot to tell the 
young man that a certain girl had died. The next day she began to 
talk again and to tell the boy the news of the people, and she said: ‘‘ My 
son, I forgot to tell you that a certain girl died in the village and was 
buried.”’ The young man put his head down and the mother saw that 
he was sad. 
_ The day before, the young man had mounted one of his best horses 
and rode around the place where the people dipped up their water from 
the creek. He did not see the girl, and so when he was told that a girl 
had died he knew that it was the one he liked. The young man lifted 
up his head and said: ‘‘ Mother, fold up some dried meat for me and give 
me a new pair of moccasins.’’ When he put on his moccasins he told 
his mother that he was going off again and that she must not worry about 
him, as he would return. The young man started towards the village. 
As soon as he started he began to cry and he cried all the way. When 
night overtook him he stood upon a high hill and cried. When he was 
tired he lay down and slept. He came into the country where the girl’s 
grave was and there he cried again. He walked up the high hill on 
which was the grave and stood there several days and cried. 
When night came he made up his mind that it would be better for 
him to go into the village and stay there over night. He thought that 
some of the people might be in the village and that they would give him 
something to eat. When he came near the village he noticed that there 
was one lodge where smoke was coming out from the opening at the top. 
He went to the lodge. He peeped in and saw a young woman sitting 
upon the ground facing west,so that he could not see her face. He kept 
looking in and he saw many buffalo robes and other things that the 
people had placed in the grave for the girl. After a while the young 
woman said: ‘‘You have been standing there a long time. Come 
into the lodge, but do not come near me. Sit down near the en- 
trance.’’ The young man seated himself near the entrance and she let 
him stay. The boy was thin and hungry, for he had had nothing to eat 
for many days. He sat there all night and the next day and all of the 
