Untitled - Smithsonian Institution

32 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 99
Those who were standing by the fire outside all of a sudden saw a
purple fire up in the air; it went toward a house; after a few minutes
it rose up again, and came back, and dropped on the house of the
sick person; as soon as the fire fell inside, the person died. This fire
was a tsiktli'.
II. Once a man was very ill, caused by witchcraft. Two friends of
his decided to fast and drink the medicine by which they could see
witches.^^ The seventh day they hid themselves outside the house.
They heard the witch coming,^^ and he alighted in the yard, and there
took his human shape and walked toward the house. These two men
had a gim with them, loaded for the purpose of killing a witch; ^^ they
fired and hit him, but instead of blood, fire spouted forth from the
wound. The witch disappeared.
III. About 25 or 26 years ago ^^ T. (pi. 10, c; see p. Ill) was ill.
His friends were summoned to guard against witchcraft, as he ^^ had
found out that he was iU by ayc'liGO-'ci .^*^
yo-'no^Ga^le-'oi^^ examined by putting tobacco on the fire, but he
found out that the witch was stronger than he, as the tobacco sparkled
like a star, but no burst was heard. The next day he tried again,
but again he found that the witch was stronger than he. So he in-
structed all the attendants as well as the patient to fast and to drink
the medicine by which you can see witches. He himself did the same.
At night he told the attendants to stay inside; he took a burning
branch from the fire and went out.
Outside, he saw a man standing near the chimney; he was intently
gazing at T. through the waU. Climbing Bear could see him because
he had drunk the medicine. He passed near by the man, and
as he passed him, touched the witch with his burning switch. When
he looked back the witch had disappeared.
Now, since the witch had been recognized, he was sure to die
within four or seven days. T. told W., from whom I have the account,
that the witch was J. B. of a near-by settlement. And sure enough,
the third day after the event here related, J. B. died. T. recovered.
Powerful though witches are, they evidently believe in obtaining
the greatest results with the smallest exertions, and that is why they
make it a point to attack individuals that are feeble and decrepit,
as they know that these will far more readily faU a prey to their
activities than would the more healthy and robust individuals of
" Vide supra.
18 In the shape of some bird.
" Cf. p. 31.
18 This was told me in the spring of 1927.
18 T. being a medicine man could discover this for himself.
20 Cf. p. 33.
21 Climbing Bear, now deceased; O.'s husband, Del.'s father, W. and Og.'s
half-brother.