This dance was held on the north side of Salt fork of the Arkansas (_Ätäntaí P'a_, "Salt river") at a small creek, probably Elm creek, a considerable distance below upper Mule creek (_Ädóä P'a_) in Oklahoma. A Kiowa named K`ayä´ñte, "Falls-over-a-bank," owned a sacred _ä´poto_, or two-pronged stick of _ä`gótä_, or chinaberry wood about four feet long, trimmed with wild sage, which had been given him by his uncle Kóñabíñate or Kóñate, "Black-tripe." It was his medicine, which he carried publicly only in the sun dance, and no one else had such a stick. He carried it on this occasion, keeping time to the dance with it, and at the end of the ceremony planted it, with the fork down, inside the medicine lodge as a sacrifice. On returning to the place next year the Kiowa found that it had been reversed by someone and had taken root and put forth green leaves. This was the more remarkable, as it had previously been stripped of its bark. The news of the phenomenon spread through the tribe and confirmed the previous impression concerning the mysterious powers of the _ä´poto_. Ten years later, on the occasion of the treaty of Medicine Lodge, the Kiowa visited the spot and found that the rod had grown into a tree and was still alive. It is just possible that K`ayä´ñte, who is still living, could explain the matter. After this dance two war parties started out, one against the _Pä´sûñko_ (_Paseños_, Mexicans of El Paso), and another, consisting principally of Comanche under the chief Mäwi, against the Sauk and Fox tribes, who had so badly punished them three years before. They met the Sauk northeast of the scene of the former battle and had an engagement in which several of the Sauk were killed. Gaápiatañ was one of this party. No mention of these expeditions occurs in the official reports. [Illustration: FIG. 121--Summer 1857--Forked-stick-sprouting sun dance.]