I22 TRADITIONS OF THE ARIKARA, 
_ 
it all over yourself. Then take this paint and put it in the water 
and after putting this skin over your thead, place this paint, mixed in 
water, on your head, so that you will look like a scalped-man. This 
war-club you shall take. This root you shall put into your mouth, 
so that you can run swiftly. When you have killed an enemy and 
taken his scalp, brifig that scalp to us.” The young man took the 
things and went home. The next morning, the people found a war- 
club hanging over the young man’s head, and the young man was 
lying upon his bed. 
Many days after this there was a cry in the camp, “The enemy is 
coming to take the village!”’ The young man sent all the people out 
of his lodge, and told them to tell the people not to be in a certain path- 
way that he had to go through, for he wanted to go that way. The 
young man took up some coals from the fireplace and placed them 
west of the fireplace. On these he placed the sage, and let the smoke 
pass over his body. He took the white clay and put it all over his 
body. Then he twisted his hair, put the skin over his head, then took 
the red paint and put it in water. He dipped his hands into the water 
and put it on top of his head. He took the war-club and ran out of the 
lodge, and some of the people were scared when they saw him, for he 
looked like a man that had just been scalped. He ran to where the 
battle was going on, and the people saw him on the west side of the 
battlefield. He ran towards the enemy and killed one. He went 
around his own people, and went on the west side again and attacked 
the enemy, killing another one with his war-club. He scattered the 
enemy, because he looked so fierce on account of the blood which was 
dripping from his head. As soon as the enemy retreated and his 
people ran after them, he went back to his lodge, took the skin off from 
his head, put some medicine upon the fire and smoked all over his 
body. He then went to a creek and washed. He came back into his 
own lodge, and by this time the people had returned. The scalp 
which he had taken he put upon a long pole and placed it outside 
of the lodge. In the night he disappeared, for he went to the place 
where he had received his power. 
The people did not know who he was, but after several battles 
they found out. They also learned that he had great powers. He 
became a great man through attacking the enemy, for he had power 
to go out on the war-path and bring home many scalps. They were 
not really scalps, but were pieces of scalps which he had made himself. 
He would not be a chief, but became a great medicine-man. 
