I1IO TRADITIONS OF THE ARIKARA. 
him to me I will give you as many scalps (stretching out his right 
wing) as there are feathers in this wing.” But the young man would 
not turn the Rabbit loose, for the Rabbit begged him, and said, “I will 
make you a great warrior.” ‘Then the Eagle said: “Turn that thing 
loose, so I can eat it, and when I am satisfied, I will give you powers | 
that I possess. I will give you as many scalps as I have feathers on 
both wings.” But the Rabbit begged hard, and said: “No, do not 
turn me loose; he will do nothing of the kind. He will take me and 
eat me and tell you nothing of his power.” The Eagle spread out its 
wings, and said: “Now see. So many scalps will I give you.” Then 
the Eagle spread out its tail, and said: “As many feathers as are in 
my tail—as many of the enemy you shall strike, counting coup. Now 
give me that which you have there and let me eat it.” The boy said, 
“No, the Rabbit came to me, and I will take care of him.” The Eagle 
flew up and away. 
The Rabbit now crawled out of the boy’s robe and sat down by 
him. After a while he said: “My son, I am thankful to you for sav- 
ing my life. I will make you a great warrior. I will give you a war- 
club. I will give you a rabbit-skin to wear about your neck. I will 
give you paint, which you shall put upon your body, and with this 
club you will kill many enemies.” So the Rabbit gave the rabbit-skin, 
the war-club, and the medicine paints to the boy. 
The boy went down into the village in the night, hung his club — 
and rabbit-skin over the head of his bed, lay down, and went to sleep. 
The next morning, when the father woke up, he saw these things hang- 
ing up. He awakened his wife and told her to see the things that the 
son had brought back with him. They were both glad to see that the 
boy had returned. 
At this time there was a war-party starting out. The young man 
told his sisters to make him several pairs of moccasins, for he was 
going to follow up the warriors. The warriors had been gone for four 
days when the boy started to follow them. He overtook them on the 
same day. He selected himself as a scout to go on ahead and see what 
he could find in the enemy’s country. The young man found the 
enemy’s camp. He came back and told the warriors what he had 
found. He then sat down among the warriors. The leader took from 
his bundle a flint knife and stuck it in the ground in front of where 
the warriors were sitting. The leading warrior also took a spear and 
stuck it in the ground. He also stuck in the ground an arrow. “Now,” 
said he, “warriors, whosoever is going to do hard fighting will please 
rise and choose the weapon he wishes to fight with.” The young man, 
