Mí-tsi was long a faithful member of the Little Fire order (Ma-ke-tsá-na-kwe), but he grew careless, neglected his sacrifices, and resigned his rank as "Keeper of the Medicines," from mere laziness. In vain his fathers warned him. He only grew hot with anger. One day Mí-tsi went up on the mesas to cut corral posts. He sat down to eat his dinner. A great black bear walked out of the thicket near at hand and leisurely approached him. Mí-tsi dropped his dinner and climbed a neighboring little dead pine tree. The bear followed him and climbed it, too. Mí-tsi began to have sad thoughts of the words of his fathers. "Alas," he cried, "pity me, my father from the West-land!" In vain he promised to be a good Ma-ke-tsá-na-kwe. Had not Pó-shai-aŋ-ki'a commanded? So the black bear seized him by the foot and pulled until Mí-tsi screamed from pain; but, cling as he would to the tree, the bear pulled him to the ground. Then he lay down on Mí-tsi and pressed the wind out of him so that he forgot. The black bear started to go; but eyed Mí-tsi. Mí-tsi kicked. Black bear came and pressed his wind out again. It hurt Mí-tsi, and he said to himself, "Oh dear me! what shall I do? The father thinks I am not punished enough." So he kept very still. Black bear started again, then stopped and looked at Mí-tsi, started and stopped again, growled and moved off, for Mí-tsi kept very still. Then the black bear went slowly away, looking at Mí-tsi all the while, until he passed a little knoll. Mí-tsi crawled away and hid under a log. Then, when he thought himself man enough, he started for Zuñi. He was long sick, for the black bear had eaten his foot. He "still lives and limps," but he is a good Ma-ke-tsá-na-kwe. Who shall say that Pó-shai-aŋ-k'ia did not command? THEIR WORSHIP. The prey gods, through their relationship to Pó-shai-aŋ-k'ia, as "Makers of the Paths of Life," are given high rank among the gods. With this belief, their fetiches are held "as in captivity" by the priests of the various medicine orders, and greatly venerated by them as mediators between themselves and the animals they represent. In this character they are exhorted with elaborate prayers, rituals, and ceremonials. Grand sacrifices of plumed and painted prayer-sticks (Téthl-na-we) are made annually by the "Prey Brother Priesthood" (Wé-ma á-pa-pa á-shi-wa-ni) of these medicine societies, and at the full moon of each month lesser sacrifices of the same kind by the male members of the "Prey gentes" (Wé-ma á-no-ti-we) of the tribe. PREY GODS OF THE HUNT. THEIR RELATION TO THE OTHERS.