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CONTEST BETWEEN BEAR AND BULL SOCIETIES. 173 
came into the lodge. He was told to go outside and wash himself and 
to take a sharp stick and get all the dirt out of his toenails and finger- 
nails; then, after washing, he was to roll in the dust, then come into 
the lodge. After entering the lodge the Buffalo family took their drum 
and began to sing sacred songs, while the leading Buffalo man took 
his medicines and placed some of them upon hot coals that were brought 
by the errand ‘man. The Buffalo man, who wore the buffalo scalp, was 
told to pass this smoke all over his body. Then medicines were put 
upon his body, and paint—even the scalp of the buffalo with the horns 
was passed through the smoke and medicines were put upon it. The 
singing continued, so that when they were through with the painting 
and putting upon the Buffalo of the medicine, a certain one was sent 
to the Bear family to say that all was ready. While the Buffalo people 
were carrying on their singing the Bear family were also carrying on 
their medicine preparations. 
The Bear and the Buffalo family now went out of the lodge, each 
carrying their drums, their rattles, and all their medicines. The Bear 
family sat on the north side in an open place. The Buffalo sat on the 
south. Each family now sang its medicine song. Then the Bear man 
came forth with a bear robe over his body, growling and acting the 
part of a Bear. The Buffalo man went forth with a buffalo scalp upon 
his head. The Buffalo man rolled on the ground, shaking himself, so 
that the buffalo scalp stuck on to the head of the man, although it was 
not fastened on his head, causing him to act the part of a real Buffalo. 
The people could see the Bear when it stood up, and that the Bear man 
had made the tusks come out of his mouth. The Bear family had put 
on the greatest medicine that they had, and so had all the Buffalo 
family. While the Bear was sitting around trying to get a chance at 
the Buffalo, the Buffalo seemed to have been the quicker, for it ran up 
to the Bear and hooked it before it could turn around. Again and 
again it hooked the Bear, until the Bear man was killed. 
The Bear people took their man into the lodge, and the Buffalo 
people also returned into their lodge. It was announced through the 
lodge of the Bears that the young man was killed for all time, and 
that the Bear family did not get mad about it, for it was his own fault, 
as he had wanted to challenge the Buffalo man. The young man was 
buried. Ever after that, when the people were holding their medicine- 
lodge and performing their mysteries, the chiefs of the animals in 
the lodge never challenged one another while the performances were 
going on. 
