“Then the head-chief would reply: ‘In the morning we shall break camp; it is too late to-day. Tell the people to bring in their horses from the hills and to picket them close to their lodges; we shall start at the rising of the sun.’” THE SOCIETY OF MOSQUITOES “This society was formed many years ago by an Indian who hunted in a place where there were great numbers of mosquitoes. They came in swarms and bit him all over; he lay on the ground and lost all feeling; he heard strange voices singing: “‘Mosquitoes, mosquitoes, get together, get together. Mosquitoes, get together, Our friend is nearly dead.’ “And then he saw mosquitoes beginning to dance. Some were red and others yellow. They had claws attached to their wrists and long plumes hanging from their hair. They sat in a circle and sang; they jumped up and down, springing this way and that, always dancing in the direction of the sun. He heard a voice say: “‘Brother, because you were generous and let us drink freely from your body, we give you our society of mosquitoes; we make you the leader.’ “Then that man came safely home and started the Society of Mosquitoes. Its members wore buffalo robes with the hair side out. Some painted themselves red and others yellow, with stripes across nose and eyes. They wore plumes in their hair and eagle claws attached to their wrists to represent the bills of mosquitoes. “When the mosquito society gave their dance, they sat in a circle around the drummers; the leader was at the head, with yellow mosquitoes on both sides. After each song, they held down their heads and made a buzzing noise in imitation of mosquitoes. After repeating this dance four times, they scattered and went through the camp. Any person they met, they scratched with their eagle-claws, and said: ‘Now I shall take blood from you.’ “Any one who resisted or tried to run away, they caught and scratched hard. But those who offered themselves freely, and invited them to take their fill, they did not hurt. Because, if a mosquito is left alone, its bite does no harm.” THE SOCIETY OF KIT FOXES “This was one of the oldest of all our societies. It was started by an Indian named Elk Tongue, who dreamed about a kit fox. It invited him into its den. And there he saw the chief of the foxes with many foxes seated around him. Before he left their den, the fox chief said: “‘When you return to your tribe, take a foxskin for your medicine; wear it always on your back and my power will go with you. Form a Society of Kit Foxes. Gather together some young men and show them how to dress and to dance. Tell them, if they do these things and never kill any foxes, they will have benefit. But it will be bad luck for them to harm a fox.’