The song seemed to come from a big cotton-wood tree near the trail leading down to the water.  As she looked closely at this tree she saw a queer stone jammed in a fork where the tree was split, and with it a few hairs from a buffalo which had rubbed against the tree.  The woman was frightened and dared not pass the tree.  Soon the singing stopped and the I-nis’kim said to the woman, “Take me to your lodge, and when it is dark call in the people and teach them the song you have just heard.  Pray, too, that you may not starve, and that the buffalo may come back.  Do this, and when day comes your hearts will be glad.”

The woman went on and got the water, and when she came back she took the stone and gave it to her husband, telling him about the song and what the stone had said.

As soon as it was dark, the man called the chiefs and old men to his lodge, and his wife taught them the song that she had heard.  They prayed too, as the stone had said should be done.  Before long they heard far off a noise coming.  It was the tramp of a great herd of buffalo.  Then they knew that the stone was powerful, and since that time the people have taken care of it and have prayed to it.

HOW THE THUNDER PIPE CAME

You have heard the Thunder, for he is everywhere.  He roars in the mountains, and far out on the prairie is heard his crashing.  He strikes the high rocks, and they fall to pieces; a tree, and it is broken in slivers; the people, and they die.  He is bad.  He does not like the high cliff, the standing tree, or living man.  He likes to strike and crush them to the ground.  Of all things he is the most powerful.  He cannot be resisted.  But I have not told you the worst thing about him.  Sometimes he takes away women.

Long ago, almost in the beginning, a man and his wife were sitting in their lodge when Thunder came and struck them.  The man was not killed.  At first he lay as if dead, but after a time he lived again, and, standing up, looked about him.  He did not see his wife.

“Oh,” he thought, “she has gone to get wood or water,” and he sat down again.  But when night came he went out of the lodge and asked the people about her.  No one had seen her.  He looked all through the camp, but could not find her.  Then he knew that the Thunder had taken her away, and he went out on the hills and mourned.  All night he sat there, trying to think what he might do to get back his wife.

When morning came he rose and wandered away, and whenever he met any of the animals he asked if they could tell him where the Thunder lived.  The animals laughed, and most of them would not answer.

The Wolf said to him, “Do you think that we would look for the home of the only one we fear?  He is our only danger.  From all other enemies we can run away, but from him no one can run.  He strikes and there we lie.  Turn back; go home.  Do not look for the place of that dreadful one.”