f Prophecy.

The attitude of the Indian toward death, the test and background of
life, is entirely consistent with his character and philosophy. Death
has no terrors for him; he meets it with simplicity and perfect calm,
seeking only an honorable end as his last gift to his family and
descendants. Therefore he courts death in battle; on the other hand, he
would regard it as disgraceful to be killed in a private quarrel. If one
be dying at home, it is customary to carry his bed out of doors as the
end approaches, that his spirit may pass under the open sky.

Next to this, the matter that concerns him most is the parting with his
dear ones, especially if he have any little children who must be left
behind to suffer want. His family affections are strong, and he
grieves intensely for the lost, even though he has unbounded faith in a
spiritual companionship.

The outward signs of mourning for the dead are far more spontaneous and
convincing than is the correct and well-ordered black of civilization.
Both men and women among us loosen their hair and cut it according to
the degree of relationship or of devotion. Consistent with the idea of
sacrificing all personal beauty and adornment, they trim off likewise
from the dress its fringes and ornaments, perhaps cut it short, or cut
the robe or blanket in two. The men blacken their faces, and widows
or bereaved parents sometimes gash their arms and legs till they are
covered with blood. Giving themselves up wholly to their grief, they are
no longer concerned about any earthly possession, and often give away
all that they have to the first comers, even to their beds and their
home. Finally, the wailing for the dead is continued night and day to
the point of utter voicelessness; a musical, weird, and heart-piercing
sound, which has been compared to the "keening" of the Celtic mourner.

The old-time burial of the Plains Indians was upon a scaffold of poles,
or a platform among the boughs of a tree--their only means of placing
the body out of reach of wild beasts, as they had no implements with
which to dig a suitable grave. It was prepared by dressing in the finest
clothes, together with some personal possessions and ornaments, wrapped
in several robes, and finally in a secure covering of raw-hide. As a
special mark of respect, the body of a young woman or a warrior was
sometimes laid out in state in a new teepee, with the usual household
articles and even with a dish of food left