HOW THE PAWNEE GOT THE EAGLE DANCE. 397 
boy how bad the man had been for dropping him into the den. They 
told him that in time he was to help to kill the man for what he had done. 
For some time afterwards the boy was told to try to fly out of the 
den. He flew up and out of the den, but the other Eagles remained 
with him to watch over him and see that he did not go back to the people. 
In the evening the Eagles, together with the Eagle-Boy, came back to 
the den. For several months the boy flew out, but was always watched 
by the other Eagles. After a while the Eagle boy went off by himself and 
always brought in a badger or a prairie dog, or sometimes he would 
bring fish which he had taken from the creeks. These things he placed 
before the old Eagles. The boy found out that the old Eagles were very 
fond of fish and he would bring more for them. One day the boy 
Eagle went out and brought in a small-sized deer. When the old Eagles 
saw that the boy brought the deer into the den, they knew that he was 
now strong. 
In the night when all the Eagles were gathered together in the den, 
the old Eagle said: “It is now time for this young Eagle to return to 
his people. We have given him powers which we possess, and he must go 
among his people and be good tothem. But before he goes to his people 
I wish to be satisfied, for I want to eat of the man who brought this boy 
and threw him into our den.”” The Eagles all screamed and said: ‘‘Our 
father has spoken well. We will goand bring thisman, so that the Eagles 
may eat of him and then our father shall also eat of the man. Our 
brother here knows his uncle. He will take us to where he is and we 
will catch him and bring him to thisden.”’ That night it was planned to 
go and catch the man and bring him into the den. 
The next morning, just as the sun was about to come up, the Eagles 
began to fly out from the den. They joined the Eagle-Boy up in the sky 
When they had all left the den the Eagles could be seen flying in the sky. 
After all had come together they flew to the east where the people had 
made their village. The Eagles flew up high into the sky, so that the 
people could not see them. The Eagles flew over the village, and there 
on the south side of the village the men were playing with sticks. There 
on the south side sat the man who had stolen the boy. His robe was 
covered with eagle feathers, and the boy knew him at once. The Eagles 
flew around once or twice overhead where the man sat. Then the Eagle 
boy flew down and all the Eagles swooped down with him. The men 
who were playing sticks saw the Eagles fly down toward the man in 
a funnel-shaped line, and when they saw that the Eagles took hold of 
the man and lifted him up from the ground they knew that something 
was wrong. The men ran from the gambling grounds into the village. 
