Chapter 10
M. R. HARRINGTON — SACRED BUNDLES OP THE SAC AND POX INDIANS. 141
wooden bowl and the spoon with the dirty water, which he drank before he started eating, as he had been instructed, but this time the Great Manito said, “Eat all you want.” He stayed at home only two days, lying around. He could not talk to his father, or his father to him, because the old man felt sure the son was doing something great. The morn- ing of the third day he started out again, first telling his father that he was going. Then he began to sing his first song and walk about the woods crying. Finally he asked the Great Manito what he wanted him to do about the bundle. “Well, I will tell you,” was the answer. “Go to a certain plant, it is yellow, approaching it from the east; and go around it four times: then pull it up, root and all. Now go south until you come to a little hill of rock; when you get there I will tell you what to do.” He did all this and stood waiting. “Another certain plant is growing there, it is red,” he was told. “Go and do the same thing with that.” Then he waited after he had made four rounds, and the Manito told him to pull this one up also. “Now go west. When you come to the creek, stop.” When he arrived there he waited and was told to do the same to a certain black plant, pulling it up at the word. “Go straight north until you come to the head of a little branch (stream) on a hill.” Here another black plant was secured in the same way; then he went back to his camping place and built his fire. Then and there he made up his mind that the Great Manito was really sympathizing with him and giving him power. While he was sitting there thinking, squatted wrapped up in his robe, he heard a rushing sound. Then something flew under his robe — it was a hawk. Then another bird came and lit on a tree near by. It was a prairie owl, the kind that lives in the prairie dog burrows. This owl spoke to the man, and asked him if he had seen the hawk he had been chasing. “Don’t tell him,” begged the hawk beneath his blanket. “Show me that hawk, my grandson!” the owl insisted, but the hawk pleaded, “Have pity on me, and I will do the same by you!” and the man remained silent. All night
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the owl sat watching, and all night the man sat hiding the hawk. Then he said to the owl, “I have not seen the hawk, but some one passed me last night.” But the owl replied, “You have him under there. I know it, and if you will give him to me I will give you something in his place.” But when day came the owl gave it up and flew away toward his home on the prairie. Then the hawk knew that he had gone, and showed himself at last. “Which way did he go?” he asked. The man pointed, and the hawk flew up and crosswise to try to get a glimpse of the owl, and finally set off as if he had sighted him and wished to overtake him. A little later he returned, bearing the owl’s head. “I will help you this much for hiding me,” he told the man, and gave the head to him. "In war time you will strike the first, and kill the first enemy.” Then the Great Manito told the man to catch the hawk and take him along too. But when he caught the hawk, the bird died, so he left all the things he had secured hanging on a tree at his camping place, and started again on his wanderings. After traveling a while, he lay down to rest on a hill.
As he lay there he heard the Great Manito say, “I believe you are asleep,” but he answered from his heart and said, “No!” “Look out, then, toward the west,” said the Manito, “and you will see somebody coming toward you from that direction.” He looked and saw a bird-hawk, the smallest kind, coming. “Take him and go,” said the Manito. “Go on until you come to a prairie, where you will see a black wolf, which you must take with you back to your camp.” When he saw the wolf the animal was apparently enraged, and rush- ing to attack him. “How can I kill a creature like that?” PI toe ka h' said. “Grab him about the neck and carry him off,” was the reply. “He does not amount to much.” When he took hold, the wolf seemed very light, just like nothing; so he carried him back to his camp ground, and arriving here, he was told to skin the wolf and the other things that he had caught. This done, he started for home with all his things wrapped up in a bundle, and as he went along he sang his
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