Murder in most tribes was settled by property atonement, or by the assumption by the guilty one of the victim’s duties, and when once settled the matter could never again be reopened. No controversy was ever permitted, and to terminate it there were three methods: 1. When controversy arises in relation to ownership, the property is usually destroyed by the clan or by the tribal authorities. This is one reason why property is found buried with Amerinds. By thus disposing of it all controversy is avoided. Or the property may be completely abandoned by all concerned, as in the case mentioned by Powell, where a war party of Sioux surprised and killed a squad of sleeping soldiers at the first volley. “Their arms, blankets, and other property were untouched because the attacking party being large, it could not be decided by whose bullets the soldiers were slain.” 2. If two persons come to blows, it is, unless serious injury be done, considered a final settlement. Appeal to authority is thereby forever barred in that matter. 3. Establishment of a day or festival once a month, usually once a year, beyond which crimes do not pass. Marriage is by what is called legal appointment. In this way controversy over the women of a tribe is largely avoided, for little is left to personal choice. But kinship groups allowed to intermarry do not remain stationary in numbers, hence, one set of men may have many wives to choose from, another few, which, says Powell, leads to modification of the principle and three additional forms of marriage are the result, by elopement, by capture, and by duel. That is, if a pair elope and can evade their pursuers till the day limiting controversy has passed, they are safe from molestation. We once met an interesting example of this class in the Uinta Valley, Utah, and with our boats put the runaways across Green River, thus obliterating their trail, though at the time we did not so well understand the situation. A group of men who have but a limited class to choose wives from sometimes combine to capture for one of their number a wife from some other group within their own tribe. A fight is often the result, but without weapons. A second battle for the same woman at that time is not permitted.[345] Or one man, if he feel strong enough, may deprive some other fellow in his own tribe of his wife. In southern Utah, Tom came to our camp one night weeping bitterly, and when I could get at his statement it was to the effect that someone had deprived him of his wife. Our men were indignant and wished to proceed forthwith to the Amerind camp and compel the thief to restore the wife to Tom, but they finally decided to abandon him to the established customs of his people. [Illustration: CRUCIFORM STONE TOMB, OAXACA This tomb, recently discovered and excavated by Saville, is one of the remarkable monuments of Amerindian antiquity. It lies five miles east of Mitla and one thousand feet above it on the spur of a mountain.