250 THE ORIGIN OF MEDICINE CEREMONIES OR POWER. 
had feasted with the chief, he went to the old man’s lodge again, and 
there sat and talked about the mysteries of the medicine-men. The old 
man became very sleepy. The young man told him to go to bed, for he 
was going home. 
The young man left the old man’s lodge and went directly to the 
creek. It was winter and the creek was frozen. The young man took a 
long pole down to the creek and he broke the ice that had frozen that night. 
The young man took out the little animal he had, dipped it in the water, 
and saw the water stir. After a while he went up to the round place 
where the ice was broken, and in the edge of it lay this little animal, with 
a piece of liverinits mouth. It was towards morning. He saw blood on 
the ice everywhere, and on the water where the ice was broken he saw 
pieces of entrails from the old man. The boy took up the animal and 
went home. The wife of the old man arose and made a fire, cooked break- 
fast, and went to the bedside of the old man to tell him that his friend 
was missing. The old man did not move nor talk, and his head was 
covered with his buffalo robe. The old woman went and uncovered him 
and found that he was dead. His stomach was drawn in. The old 
woman gave a loud scream, and told the other people in the lodge 
that the old man was dead. Some of the people did not know how he 
came by his death, but the chief suspected the young man. The Skidi 
took the old man and buried him, burying with him all his medicine-bags 
and other things, and everybody was glad to get rid of him. The young 
man went home and slept, and when he waked up there were several peo- 
ple in his lodge who told him that his friend had been killed; that some- 
body had bewitched him; but the young man said nothing. 
The medicine-men met in their lodge. The young man went in, 
took a seat among them, and danced with them. The people liked his 
dance. They met in their lodge again to do sleight-of-hand. The 
young man went in, was given a seat, did some sleight-of-hand that was 
better than any that the other old medicine-men were doing, and so at 
last he was acknowledged the leading medicine-man. This particular 
dance was known as Kurapira, Medicine-Child dance. 
About this time the Potawatami Indians were visiting the Pawnee. 
They looked on at their sleight-of-hand performances. They were 
awed by the mysterious doings of this young man. The sleight-of- 
hand performances were over, the Potawatami had been entertained, 
presents of robes and other things were given them, and they were ready 
to go home. Before they started, one of the Potawatami turned and 
said, ‘‘Make us a visit, and bring that young man with you; we want 
very much to see him and get acquainted with him.’’ A year went by and 
