Then the speaker rises and talks to them, and the Mĭsiʹngʷ‛ who has been seen about the camp from time to time, is in the Big House listening to his words. “When you hunt,” says the speaker, “think of nothing but luck to kill deer.” As he speaks he goes to the west fire and throws into it, six times, an offering of native tobacco; then to the east fire, where he sacrifices six more pinches of the sacred herb—twelve in all. While sacrificing tobacco, he prays to the Mĭsiʹngʷ‛ to drive the deer up, so that the hunters can kill them. As he drops the last tobacco into the flames, he says, “If you kill a deer right away, bring it in tonight; if not, bring in all you kill day after tomorrow.” What tobacco is left is given to the chief hunter with the words, “When you camp tonight, burn this and ask Mĭsinghâliʹkŭn to let you kill deer.” The reader will remember that Mĭsinghâliʹkŭn, in whose image the Mĭsiʹngʷ‛ is carved, is supposed to have control over the deer, and in fact over all wild animals. All the hunters that are in the habit of chewing tobacco are now given some for this purpose. When they file out and mount their horses, the Mĭsiʹngʷ‛ follows them and sees them off. After the hunters have disappeared, the people call the Mĭsiʹngʷ‛ back into the Big House and coax him to dance, while two men volunteer to sing for him. PRAYER FOR THE HUNTERS The following evening six men are appointed and given a yard of wampum to divide among them, to go out close to the forked game-pole east of the Big House, intended for the carcasses of the deer, and “pray” there twelve times. The meaning of this, of course, is that they sound the prayer word “_Ho-o-o!_” which is evidently to help the hunters. This night also a yard of wampum is unstrung and scattered on the ground just west of the east fire, and this the attendants must pick up, crying “_Ho-o-o!_” as they do so. For doing this, which is called “picking berries,” they are supposed to keep what wampum they pick up. RETURN OF THE HUNTERS If the hunters are lucky and kill a deer the first day, they send one man back with it. As he approaches he fires a gun as a signal of his coming, at which the singers run into the Big House and begin to sing and beat the drum. Then everyone is happy. In any case the hunters all return on the third day. If they have killed deer, they shoot their guns; if not, they come in very quietly. When the shots are heard, the singers hasten to their places, and, beating the drum, sing a song that is used only on such occasions. Then when the hunters arrive, they feast, and their leader announces the names of those lucky enough to kill a deer. The carcasses are skinned and hung on the deer pole (shown in frontispiece), east of the Big House, and are used in the feasts at the close of every night’s meeting until the gathering disbands. NEW FIRE