THE LIGHTNING’S MEDICINE CEREMONY. 275 
the two errand men. The other two cottonwood trees were cut, and 
two other men were selected to carry them. Willows were cut, and the 
other men, according to their places in the lodge, carried them. The two 
errand men were placed in the lead; then followed the willow men; then, 
last of all, came the two men with the cottonwood trees. The man then 
headed the procession. As they neared the village the man began to 
wave his eagle wing and shout and grunt. Every time he shouted and 
grunted the men fell to their knees. This was to show the people that 
each man had power in his stomach that was being taken from him. The 
man also did this to find out to what animal clan the men belonged; 
for the only time the people could tell what clan the men belonged to was 
when they were wounded, for then they would imitate the animal of the 
clan to which they belonged. 
When they came to the lodge they stopped in front of it, and a song 
_about entering the lodge was sung. The march was resumed and they 
went four times around in a circle, then entered the lodge. As they 
went in great noises went up, for as they circled around the fireplace 
each man imitated his kind of animal. Four times they went around the 
fireplace, then the two errand men stopped, one on the north side and 
the other on the south side of the entrance. The others went to their 
places under the willows. The other two men stopped west of the lodge. 
At the altar sat only the four singers; the rest of the space was filled 
with willows which were so arranged inside the lodge that each animal 
group had a booth or lodge of its own. Then the men went out after 
their animal skins, medicine, and paints. Meat was served to the differ- 
ent men, and preparation was made for the rubbing which belongs to 
the powers of the stone and symbolizes several thunderings at one time. 
The next day each man was told to go out upon the hills to mourn, sleep, 
or do anything, then eat wild sage and take a swim; then rub the wild 
sage over his body. They were neither to go home nor to touch a woman. 
This new lodge of the medicine-man had not yet the cedar tree. On 
the next day, when all the men got together, they sang, and in the night 
the owner sang. At daylight the owner arose and called the other men 
to follow him, as many as wished to gowithhim. They went far into the 
country and came to some cedars. Those who followed were told to 
remain at a distance. The owner went alone, while the other men sat down 
and waited. After a time they thought they heard many cubs and they 
were about to run when they heard the man coming with the tree. He 
did not let anyone go, for he wished to keep secret the way he got the cedar 
tree. When the cedar tree was brought to the village there was great 
rejoicing. The cedar tree stood on the south side of the lodge where the 
