66 TRADITIONS OF THE ARIKARA. 
had mercy on me.” While he was looking all over the animal he heard 
a voice. He looked up, and who was there but the two chiefs—Red- 
Bear and Black-Bear. 
Red-Bear gave an angry grunt and struck the boy in the face. 
“Who are you and how did you find this elk? I never expected to 
find such a worthless burnt-belly looking fellow as you.” Pulling his 
arrows out of his quiver, he said, “My father will be glad to have you 
for his meal,’ and he shot two arrows through the boy. He dragged 
him out on the ice to a large air-hole and said, as he dropped him, 
“Father, I have done as you bid me.” 
In this stream there lived a big White-Bear in a lodge. The young 
cub heard something drop outside the lodge. He told his father. The 
old one said, “Go out and see what it is.’ The cub saw poor Burnt- 
Hands in his ragged clothing and with wounds. The cub felt pretty 
_bad for the boy and told his father about him. The father told the 
cub to bring the boy in. “What a poor boy you are!” said White- 
Bear. “I know who you are, and how you were treated. I never 
expected to eat a man from Red-Bear’s tribe. I commanded him to feed 
me on anenemy. I will have great mercy on you. From now on you 
shall be my son. You shall treat Red-Bear just as he has treated you. 
I will enjoy his flesh. I will endow you with all the power I have. 
I will teach you all, and you shall go back and do as I say.” White- 
Bear and Burnt-Hands then sat down and began the bear ceremony, 
Burnt-Hands learning everything and receiving his bundle of medicine 
and other things. He was then shown the way out by the cub. 
Burnt-Hands went on to his grandmother’s little home. When 
he arrived there he called his grandmother to kindle the fire, as he 
had come. Before this, when the boys found out that Burnt-Hands’ 
grandmother was worrying, they would come in, saying, “Grand- 
mother, I have come home,” just to tease her. The old woman thought 
the boys were teasing her now when Burnt-Hands called. She gave 
a pitiful cry, saying, “You boys ought to feel satisfied with your teas- 
ing now.” “Oh, no, Grandmother! I am hhere! I was lost on the 
chase. Following up an elk I strayed off to a place I knew nothing 
about. I could not find my way home, so I stayed all night.” His 
grandmother arose. When she had kindled the fire there sat her boy. 
She rejoiced, for she was glad her boy was alive. 
Nobody in the whole village knew what had happened to Burnt- 
Hands except Black-Bear, who had witnessed what Red-Bear did. He 
did not like what Red-Bear had done, but he did not say anything. 
One day the scouts, on picket duty, saw a large herd of buffalo. 
The chiefs were notified. They gave notice that everybody should 
