Now it must be remembered that in early days the hunting weapons of this people consisted only of stone-pointed arrows, and with such armament the capture of game of the larger sorts must have been a matter of some uncertainty.  To drive a rude stone-headed arrow through the tough hide and into the vitals of the buffalo, could not have been—­even under the most favorable circumstances—­other than a difficult matter; and although we may assume that, in those days, it was easy to steal up to within a few yards of the unsuspicious animals, we can readily conceive that many arrows must have been shot without effect, for one that brought down the game.

Certain ingenious methods were therefore devised to insure the taking of game in large numbers at one time.  This was especially the case with the buffalo, which were the food and raiment of the people.  One of these contrivances was called pis’kun, deep-kettle; or, since the termination of the word seems to indicate the last syllable of the word ah’-pun, blood, it is more likely deep-blood-kettle.  This was a large corral, or enclosure, built out from the foot of a perpendicular cliff or bluff, and formed of natural banks, rocks, and logs or brush,—­anything in fact to make a close, high barrier.  In some places the enclosure might be only a fence of brush, but even here the buffalo did not break it down, for they did not push against it, but ran round and round within, looking for a clear space through which they might pass.  From the top of the bluff, directly over the pis’kun, two long lines of rock piles and brush extended far out on the prairie, ever diverging from each other like the arms of the letter V, the opening over the pis’kun being at the angle.

In the evening of the day preceding a drive of buffalo into the pis’kun a medicine man, usually one who was the possessor of a buffalo rock, In-is’-kim, unrolled his pipe, and prayed to the Sun for success.  Next morning the man who was to call the buffalo arose very early, and told his wives that they must not leave the lodge, nor even look out, until he returned; that they should keep burning sweet grass, and should pray to the Sun for his success and safety.  Without eating or drinking, he then went up on the prairie, and the people followed him, and concealed themselves behind the rocks and bushes which formed the V, or chute.  The medicine man put on a head-dress made of the head of a buffalo, and a robe, and then started out to approach the animals.  When he had come near to the herd, he moved about until he had attracted the attention of some of the buffalo, and when they began to look at him, he walked slowly away toward the entrance of the chute.  Usually the buffalo followed, and, as they did so, he gradually increased his pace.  The buffalo followed more rapidly, and the man continually went a little faster.  Finally, when the buffalo were fairly within the chute, the people began to rise up from behind the rock piles