]-ki'a, and conversely, between the latter and men.

As further illustrative of this relationship it may not be amiss to add
that, aside from representing the wishes of men to Po-shai-a[n,]-ki'a,
by means of the spirits of the prayer plumes, which, it is supposed, the
prey gods take into his presence, and which are, as it were, memoranda
(like _quippus_) to him and other high gods of the prayers of men, they
are also made to bear messages to men from him and his associated gods.

For instance, it is believed that any member of the medicine orders who
neglects his religious duties as such is rendered liable to punishment
(Hae[']-ti-a-k'ia-na-k'ia=reprehension) by Po-shai-a[n,]-ki'a through
some one of his warriors.

As illustrative of this, the story of an adventure of Mi-tsi, an Indian
who "still lives, but limps," is told by the priests with great emphasis
to any backsliding member.

MI-TSI.

Mi-tsi was long a faithful member of the Little Fire order
(Ma-ke-tsa-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 Mi-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. Mi-tsi dropped his dinner and climbed a neighboring
little dead pine tree. The bear followed him and climbed it, too. Mi-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-tsa-na-kwe. Had not Po-shai-a[n,]-ki'a
commanded?

So the black bear seized him by the foot and pulled until Mi-tsi
screamed from pain; but, cling as he would to the tree, the bear pulled
him to the ground. Then he lay down on Mi-tsi and pressed the wind out
of him so that he forgot. The black bear started to go; but eyed Mi-tsi.
Mi-tsi kicked. Black bear came and pressed his wind out again. It hurt
Mi-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 Mi-tsi, started and stopped
again, growled and moved off, for Mi-tsi kept very still. Then the black
bear went slowly away, looking at Mi-tsi all the while, until he passed
a little knoll. Mi-tsi crawled away and hid under a log. Then, when he
th