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However； he evidently did not want to retreat without any honors； so he
bravely jumped upon the nest and yelled：
〃I； the brave Little Wound； to…day kill the only fierce enemy！〃
Scarcely were the last words uttered when he screamed as if stabbed to
the heart。 One of his older companions shouted：
〃Dive into the water！ Run！ Dive into the water！〃 for there was a lake
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near by。 This ad… vice he obeyed。
When we had reassembled and were indulging in our mimic dance；
Little Wound was not allowed to dance。 He was considered not to be in
ex… istencehe had been killed by our enemies； the Bee tribe。 Poor little
fellow！ His swollen face was sad and ashamed as he sat on a fallen log and
watched the dance。 Although he might well have styled himself one of
the noble dead who had died for their country； yet he was not unmindful
that he had screamed； and this weakness would be apt to recur to him
many times in the future。
We had some quiet plays which we alternated with the more severe
and warlike ones。 Among them were throwing wands and snow…arrows。
In the winter we coasted much。 We had no 〃dou… ble…rippers〃 or
toboggans； but six or seven of the long ribs of a buffalo； fastened together
at the larger end； answered all practical purposes。 Some… times a strip of
bass…wood bark； four feet long and about six inches wide； was used with
considerable skill。 We stood on one end and held the other； using the
slippery inside of the bark for the out… side； and thus coasting down long
hills with re… markable speed。
The spinning of tops was one of the all…ab… sorbing winter sports。 We
made our tops heart… shaped of wood； horn or bone。 We whipped them
with a long thong of buckskin。 The handle was a stick about a foot long
and sometimes we whittled the stick to make it spoon…shaped at one end。
We played games with these topstwo to fifty boys at one time。
Each whips his top until it hums； then one takes the lead and the rest fol…
low in a sort of obstacle race。 The top must spin all the way through。
There were bars of snow over which we must pilot our top in the spoon
end of our whip； then again we would toss it in the air on to another open
spot of ice or smooth snow… crust from twenty to fifty paces away。 The
top that holds out the longest is the winner。
Sometimes we played 〃medicine dance。〃 This； to us； was almost what
〃playing church〃 is among white children； but our people seemed to think
it an act of irreverence to imitate these dances； therefore performances of
this kind were always enjoyed in secret。 We used to observe all the im…
portant ceremonies and it required something of an actor to reproduce the
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dramatic features of the dance。 The real dances occupied a day and a
night； and the program was long and varied； so that it was not easy to
execute all the details perfectly； but the Indian children are born imi…
tators。
The boys built an arbor of pine boughs in some out…of…the…way place
and at one end of it was a rude lodge。 This was the medicine lodge or
head… quarters。 All the initiates were there。 At the further end or entrance
were the door…keepers or soldiers； as we called them。 The members of
each lodge entered in a body； standing in single file and facing the
headquarters。 Each stretched out his right hand and a prayer was offered
by the leader； after which they took the places assigned to them。
When the preliminaries had been completed； our leader sounded the
big drum and we all said 〃A…ho…ho…ho！〃 as a sort of amen。 Then the
choir began their song and whenever they ended a verse； we all said again
〃A…ho…ho…ho！〃 At last they struck up the chorus and we all got upon our
feet and began to dance； by simply lifting up one foot and then the other；
with a slight swing to the body。
Each boy was representing or imitating some one of the medicine men。
We painted and decor… ated ourselves just as they did and carried bird or
squirrel skins； or occasionally live birds and chipmunks as our medicine
bags and small white shells or pebbles for medicine charms。
Then the persons to be initiated were brought in and seated； with much
ceremony； upon a blanket or buffalo robe。 Directly in front of them the
ground was levelled smooth and here we laid an old pipe filled with dried
leaves for tobacco。 Around it we placed the variously colored feathers of
the birds we had killed； and cedar and sweet… grass we burned for incense。
Finally those of us who had been selected to per… form this ceremony
stretched out our arms at full length； holding the sacred medicine bags and
aiming them at the new members。 After swinging them four times； we
shot them suddenly forward； but did not let go。 The novices then fell
forward on their faces as if dead。 Quickly a chorus was struck up and we
all joined in a lively dance around the sup… posed bodies。 The girls
covered them up with their blankets； thus burying the dead。 At last we
resurrected them with our charms and led them to their places among the
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audience。 Then came the last general dance and the final feast。
I was often selected as choir…master on these oc… casions； for I had
happened to learn many of the medicine songs and was quite an apt mimic。
My grandmother； who was a noted medicine woman of the Turtle lodge；
on hearing of these sacrilegious acts （as she called them） warned me that if
any of the medicine men should discover them； they would punish me
terribly by shriveling my limbs with slow disease。
Occasionally； we also played 〃white man。〃 Our knowledge of the pale…
face was limited； but we had learned that he brought goods whenever he
came and that our people exchanged furs for his mer… chandise。 We also
knew that his complexion was pale； that he had short hair on his head and
long hair on his face and that he wore coat； trousers； and hat； and did not
patronize blankets in the day… time。 This was the picture we had formed
of the white man。
So we painted two or three of our number with white clay and put on
them birchen hats which we sewed up for the occasion； fastened a piece of
fur to their chins for a beard and altered their cos… tumes as much as lay
within our power。 The white of the birch…bark was made to answer for
their white shirts。 Their merchandise consisted of sand for sugar； wild
beans for coffee； dried leaves for tea； pulverized earth for gun…powder；
pebbles for bullets and clear water for the dangerous 〃spirit water。〃 We
traded for these goods with skins of squirrels； rabbits and small birds。
When we played 〃hunting buffalo〃 we would send a few good runners
off on the open prairie with a supply of meat； then start a few equally swift
boys to chase them and capture the food。 Once we were engaged in this
s