der a fur
coat beyond the bunch of coarse grass.

A sleek gray-faced prairie wolf! his pointed black nose tucked in
between his four feet drawn snugly together; his handsome bushy tail
wound over his nose and feet; a coyote fast asleep in the shadow of a
bunch of grass!--this is what Iktomi spied. Carefully he raised one foot
and cautiously reached out with his toes. Gently, gently he lifted the
foot behind and placed it before the other. Thus he came nearer and
nearer to the round fur ball lying motionless under the sage grass.

Now Iktomi stood beside it, looking at the closed eyelids that did not
quiver the least bit. Pressing his lips into straight lines and nodding
his head slowly, he bent over the wolf. He held his ear close to the
coyote's nose, but not a breath of air stirred from it.

"Dead!" said he at last. "Dead, but not long since he ran over these
plains! See! there in his paw is caught a fresh feather. He is nice
fat meat!" Taking hold of the paw with the bird feather fast on it, he
exclaimed, "Why, he is still warm! I'll carry him to my dwelling and
have a roast for my evening meal. Ah-ha!" he laughed, as he seized the
coyote by its two fore paws and its two hind feet and swung him over
head across his shoulders. The wolf was large and the teepee was far
across the prairie. Iktomi trudged along with his burden, smacking his
hungry lips together. He blinked his eyes hard to keep out the salty
perspiration streaming down his face.

All the while the coyote on his back lay gazing into the sky with wide
open eyes. His long white teeth fairly gleamed as he smiled and smiled.

"To ride on one's own feet is tiresome, but to be carried like a warrior
from a brave fight is great fun!" said the coyote in his heart. He
had never been borne on any one's back before and the new experience
delighted him. He lay there lazily on Iktomi's shoulders, now and then
blinking blue winks. Did you never see a birdie blink a blue wink? This
is how it first became a saying among the plains people. When a bird
stands aloof watching your strange ways, a thin bluish white tissue
slips quickly over his eyes and as quickly off again; so quick that you
think it was only a mysterious blue wink. Sometimes when children grow
drowsy they blink blue winks, while others who are too proud to look
with friendly eyes upon people blink in this cold bird-manner.

The coyote was affected by both sleepiness and pride. His winks were
almost as