318 THE ORIGIN OF MEDICINE CEREMONIES OR POWER. 
mony that I want to perform, but I want a lodge first. I want three 
things to be placed there when the lodge is done—the skull in the east 
on the north of the entrance, a sun crane in the south, and a large crane in 
the west.’’ The medicine-men were glad to hear what the boy said. 
After the ceremony the boy’s relatives went to work and gathered 
poles and forks, and the lodge was putup. A buffalo skull was brought 
out and placed at the northeast entrance. In the south was placed a sun 
crane; and the young man himself placed the large crane at the west. 
This crane had soft downy feathers upon the top of its head, but it also 
had feathers standing on its head like deer horns. The people called this 
particular ceremony the ‘‘ Elk dance.’’ They saw many wonderful things 
performed bythe boy. After the boy had finished his tricks the ceremony 
was ended. He did not allow any others to perform any sleight-of-hand. 
The lodge was never inhabited until the boy died. Then the birds and 
skull were removed. 
88. PROUD BOY AND THE ANIMAL MEDICINE," 
The Kitkehahki were to have a great bundle ceremony known as 
‘‘Karipiro.”’ This ceremony was the greatest of all and lasted four days. 
The people invited the Chaui and the Pitahauirat. These two bands 
were far away, so that runners had to be sent out for them. When all 
the people had gathered together it was time to go after the tree that 
formed the center pole of the ceremonial lodge. The priests opened the 
sacred bundles and sang the rituals explaining why they were to get 
the tree. When the priests came to that part of the ritual that spoke 
of the tree, the people—men, women, and children—arose and started for 
the timber, which was about four miles away. 
Among the boys who went out for the tree was one who was called 
Proud-Boy. At that time he was not proud. Among the girls was one 
whose father was one of the leading men from the Pitahauirat. The 
boy noticed the girl, but the girl did not notice him. When they neared 
the timber, young warriors were sent through the timber to find a suitable 
tree. They came back with news that the enemy was in the timber. 
Then an old warrior was selected to go and defend the tree. This man 
sneaked through the timber and sat in a position to pounce upon the 
enemy when he approached. The people on horseback rode into the 
43%: Told by Overtaker, a Pitahauirat who is one of the owners of the Buffalo cere- 
mony. It is possible that there are certain Comanche elements in this story, as 
the narrator formerly lived among the Wichita where he came in contact with the 
Comanche. The story in the main, however, is purely Pitahauirat. Apart from 
the explanation offered in the story, it teaches that a man should not steal the wife 
of another man. 
