166 TRADITIONS OF THE ARIKARA. 
was afraid. At last one brave man came forward who dared to go in. 
He looked all around and found the man from the cross under some 
blankets upon the altar. He called to the others. They all came in and 
saw the ghost lying there. They gathered the bones and bundled 
them up in an old basket, then threw them away. After this had passed, 
the party that had gone on a buffalo hunt returned with lots of dried 
meat. Of course, the people who stayed were very glad to see them 
again. The happenings and results were told to them. 
¢3. HOW A SIOUX WOMAN’S SCALP WAS SACRIFICED.* 
In the fall there were five or six of us who went on the war-path. 
We came to the Pine Ridge Agency, and there hid, close to where the 
Sioux got their water. Two women came down to the spring to get 
water. We all ran towards the women. The women ran. One young 
man caught up with one woman, grabbed at her hair, took his knife, 
and took the scalp off from the right side of the woman’s head. The 
woman ran into the camp. 
We returned to our leader and gave the scalp to him. The leader 
then said, “We must hurry home.” We walked all day and all night, 
and another day and night. The next day we found the thick timber, 
and there we lay down to rest. When we woke up, the leader took 
the fat off from the scalp. He then called one of the men. He then 
cut the fat, making it into five pieces. Facing the east, he placed four 
of the five pieces in his hand—one on each corner of his palm—and 
the fifth piece he placed in the center of the palm. He then took the 
pieces, one at a time, beginning with the one on the southeast corner, 
then the southwest corner, then the northwest corner, then the north- 
east corner, and placed them in a similar position upon the ground, 
which was to show that the scalp was to be offered to the gods. We 
then went home. 
We gave the scalp to one of the high priests, who held the scalp 
ceremony. At this ceremony we used the fire-sticks to make the fire 
for burning this scalp. The scalp was burned. After the burning of 
the scalp the people turned out, passing their holy bundles and medi- 
cine bags over the smoke. The priest stood to the west of the burning 
scalp and recited a ritual, calling on the gods. The young men and 
children who wanted their names changed gave presents to the priests, 
who changed their names for them. 
*Told by Sitting-Bear. 
