376 THE ORIGIN OF MEDICINE CEREMONIES OR POWER. 
part of the village to learn the game. The sticks were carried by men, 
while the ring was carried by his granddaughter, for the ring was now 
a granddaughter to all men, and ‘should be spoken of as such. The 
people went out with the man to the west side of the village, where they 
found a place where there was only buffalo-grass. 
They sat down, the man filled his pipe, and after smoking to the sun, 
the moon, and the stars, he went to the ground and gave whiffs of smoke 
to the ground; then to the ring and the sticks. He then dumped the 
ashes—a little on the center of the ring and a little on each of the sticks, 
where the heads were supposed to be. ‘‘Now, my friends, the sticks 
were given me from above; we shall play. The crowd must divide into 
two parties, so that we will be in pairs; so that when two throw the ring 
at the sticks, the other two will be there to take them and pierce the ring 
with the sticks. We shall count one hundred and twenty, or as many 
as ten fingers and ten toes on six persons. If you ring at the head, you 
count three persons. If you ring at the hands or legs, you count two 
persons. If you ring at the horn it will count six persons, and you will 
win. Weshall have two sticks—one long one and the other short. The 
short one will count one person if it reaches the bead. If it does not 
touch the bead it will count just the hands. The long stick will count 
ten if it reaches the bead. If it reaches just the ring it will count five. 
There are other measures that will be added afterwards. Now we play, 
and the side which loses must bring wood and kindle fire and boil the 
meat; the other side will offer a piece of heart and tongue of the buffalo 
to the gods in the heavens and to the buffalo.” 
The playing wascommenced with great rejoicing, and when one side 
lost, wood was brought, fire kindled, and meat put in the kettle and set 
on the fire. When the meat was all cooked the man took a piece of heart 
and tongue and offered it to the sun, moon, and stars. He then took 
some fat and rubbed it on the sticks and ring, and then upon himself. The 
sticks and ring were then taken home and tied to a pole, which was stuck 
in the ground. 
That night the man had another vision. The same being came to 
him and said: ‘‘Now you have seen the game, I am now to give you 
another ring. This ring you will get from acalf. You must be by your- 
self and you must pray to Tirawa, for it will be not from Tirawa, but to 
remind you that he gave you the buffalo, the sticks, and everything that 
you have. On this ring you must put a blue bead, which will represent 
Tirawa. The ring-will represent the earth. The white bead you must 
carry onthe war-path. In doctoring, you will use no herbs or roots if the 
sick person has played the sticks. Go straight to where they are playing, 
