THE GAMBLER AND THE GAMING STICKS. 18q 
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watch and I shall move.’”’ Something moved. The buffalo had turned 
into a playing stick, without ceremony, for it was to be the gambler’s 
stick. The boy picked up the stick and went to another set of bones. 
Again he cried, and some one spoke to him and said: ‘‘Go over 
yonder, for there are bones of a young woman buffalo who had just 
learned to be after buffalo bulls. She can run and beat all the other 
buffalo women.”” The boy went to the skeleton of a young female calf, 
and cried and cried. He did not hear anything, so he threw the sticks 
_ infront of the skeleton and then a female voice said: ‘‘I will help you, but 
the bulls must come and turn me into aring.’’ The boy cried the harder 
and sang: ‘‘Help me, my grandfathers. Give me a ring to go with 
these sticks, so that I can beat the bad man who is killing people and 
eating them.”’ All at once there was a rush of buffalo bulls where the 
boy stood. The buffalo stamped and bellowed, some saying: ‘‘I have 
-her; I ran my stick into her; I caught her with my legs.’’ Others said 
something else. The female buffalo spoke and said: ‘‘This is the way I 
shall run to your stick, my boy.”’ Now the female buffalo ran and turned 
intoaring. The ring rolled and fell on the black stick and was on the 
top piece of the stick. ‘‘Nawa,’’ said the boy. (I thank you, my grand- 
fathers.) Then the old bull said: ‘‘My boy, you can not see us, but our 
spirits will be with you. You see many strings on the sticks. They 
are many buffalo. Now take the sticks, put the ring on the black stick, 
and hang them up in the lodge on the north side. Play first with the 
gambler’s sticks. He shall just about beat you, but just as he throws 
his last stick you shall shoot his stick with your stick, and his stick shall 
break. Then you shall use these sticks that we give you. Now go!” 
The boy went home and put the sticks upon the side of the lodge 
where he was told to hang them up. The next morning was the time to 
play. The boy told the people to stay outside and sweep out the lodge 
clean, and that no one should remain inside. The people went out and 
the lodge was swept and the mats placed in order. Then the people 
started out to the place where the man and boy were to play the sticks. 
The gambler was already out with his sticks. The people divided and 
some were on one side and some on the other. The witch woman was 
at one end and already had a quirt made of bone, for she intended to hit 
the boy on the head with it and kill him. Then the boy arose and sang: 
Yonder, from yonder I came, 
You challenged me to play. 
From yonder I came, 
Now rise, stand, play, 
For you are the gambler. 
From yonder I came. 
