2260 THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE WICHITA. 
‘when he had gone out on the war-path and had returned with scalps 
and captives, he had it in mind during the dance that followed, to 
watch for the wild animal and protect his people, but as the dance was 
going on some one was carried away; that he had made up his mind to 
move into this village where he was, that he might send out a war- 
party and somehow protect the people from being carried off; that he 
thought this thing should never occur again, but on his return from 
the war-path, bringing scalps and captives, and the dance beginning 
on the night after his arrival, he was present in the dance and some one 
was carried off again, the same as in the former village; that he had 
made up his mind that he would go and look for the wild animal; that 
he had cut the two poles, marked them with a burnt stick, and was going 
to make the women and beast guess, when he should capture it, what 
the poles were for; that the woman who should guess correctly should 
have him for her husband; that if the beast should fail to guess aright 
he would kill it, cut off its front feet and hang them at the top of the 
poles.” The girl then went to the guessing place. When her sisters saw 
her coming they attempted to keep her away, for they were sure she 
could not guess what the poles were for. But the girl went into the 
crowd and waited her turn. The three girls failed to guess aright. 
They then tried to coax their sister to return home with them. Finally, 
the girl’s turn came. As she went up to the guessing place she found 
Not-know-who-you-are lying on his bed. She called the man’s name, 
Not-know-who-you-are, and said: “As you are here and have put up 
your poles before the women that they may make their guesses as to 
the meaning of the poles, and as the one who shall guess correctly 
their meaning shall become your wife, I have come to guess. The 
marks on these poles have nothing to do with the poles. When you 
were in your former village the people sent out war-parties that re- 
turned home with scalps and captives; they had dances late at night, 
and while they were singing and dancing they were interrupted by 
crying, for some animal carried some one off. Finally, you thought by 
going on the war-path yourself and returning with scalps and captives 
and having dances, you might do better than the others had done, but 
when you had your dances the animal carried a person off the same 
as before. You then thought that you might find out about the animal 
by moving to this village. You moved to this village,.sent out a war- 
party, which returned with many scalps and captives; had scalp dances 
and victory dances; but while the dances were going on late at night 
your dancing was interrupted the same as before. You then deter- 
mined to follow up the tracks of the beast. You cut two poles, marked 
