THE ORIGIN OF THE ARIKARA. 29 
Mouse led the people through the darkness, and led them out from 
the thick timber. The people who were left in the timber turned to 
Owls. 
The people went out of the timber and again there was trouble, 
for there was an earthquake. The land opened, and took some people 
into the ground. It left a deep chasm, so that the people were not 
able to move on. The Bear went to the chasm and made steps on 
each side, so that the people went down and climbed up on the other 
side. 
Now they traveled west. Again there was trouble. Thick timber 
was in the way. The Mouse called on the gods. A Whirlwind came 
and made a pathway through the timber. The Whirlwind did not 
hurt the people, although it was mad, for the powers had not called on it 
for help. 
Now they went on until they came to muddy water, in what is 
known as “Pawnee” country. Here they found many things to wear 
and to eat. The first bow was then made. The long-nosed Mouse 
died and the people skinned it, leaving the skull in the skin. The Bear 
then died, and its skull was also taken from it. So also with the Mole, 
the Badger, and the Fox. These were wrapped up in a bundle and 
when the Pawnee invited them to attend the bundle ceremony they went 
and received their ceremony. Mother-Corn and also a ceremony were 
given to them. All the bundles received their rituals, each being differ- 
ent from the others. 
While they had their village here the Arikara dressed the ear of 
corn as a woman. They went down to the River and threw it in, the 
old men singing, “Mother, you are going to the island in the big water, 
where we came out. Find out for us what we are to do, and how we 
are to live. Come back to us and tell us how it was that we came 
here.” The corn drifted down the stream and disappeared. 
Many years afterwards the Arikara were living on the Muddy 
(Missouri) River, when, in the fall, there came a strange woman into 
the lodge where they were having a bundle ceremony. The people 
took no notice of the woman. ‘The woman left the lodge and went 
to another lodge and took her seat under the bundle. The people in 
this lodge fed her, but they did not notice her any more than to feed 
her, as they would feed any other woman. She left and went to 
another bundle lodge, always taking her seat under the bundle. She 
went to all the bundles, but none of the people noticed her. She went 
to the last bundle, and as she entered, the people noticed her as a 
strange woman. 
