other,
he asked his elk wife, where the boy and his mother were. The elk
wife answered: "She took her boy on her back and started off in that
direction," (pointing towards the west). "How long has she been gone?"
"Since early morning." The husband hurriedly caught a fresh horse and,
without eating anything, rode off in the direction taken by his buffalo
wife and boy. Near dark he ascended a high hill and noticed a small tent
down in the valley. It was a long distance down to the tent, so it was
very late when he arrived there. He tethered his horse and went into
the tent and found the boy and his mother fast asleep. Upon lying down
beside them the boy awoke, and upon seeing his father, motioned to him
to go outside with him.

On going outside the boy told his father that it would be useless for
him to try and coax his mother to return, as she was too highly insulted
by the elk wife to ever return. Then the boy told about what the elk
wife had said and that she had called him flat mouth. "My mother is
determined to return to her people, but if you want to follow us you
may, and perhaps, after she has visited with her relatives a little
while, you may induce her to return with you. In the morning we are
going to start very early, and as the country we will travel through
is very hard soil, I will stamp my feet hard so as to leave my tracks
imprinted in the softest places, then you will be able to follow the
direction we will take."

The two went into the tent and were soon fast asleep. The father, being
very much fatigued, slept very soundly, and when he awoke the sun was
beating down upon him. The mother and boy were nowhere to be seen. The
tent had been taken down from over him so carefully that he had not been
awakened. Getting his horse, he mounted and rode after the two who had
left him sleeping. He had no trouble in following the trail, as the boy
had stamped his feet hard and left his little tracks in the soft places.

That evening he spied the little tent again and on getting to it found
them both asleep. The boy awoke and motioned for his father to go
outside. He again told his father that the next day's travel would be
the hardest of all. "We will cross a great plain, but before we get
there we will cross a sandy hollow. When you get to the hollow, look at
my tracks; they will be deep into the sand, and in each track you will
see little pools of water. Drink as much as you can, as this is the only
chance you