11. The Deer Taboos

p. 126

11. THE DEER TABOOS (47)

A man out hunting saw some Deer and wanted to shoot them, but they said, "Do not shoot us. Come here." So he went to them and they took him along. They took him to their home, which was inside of the top of a hill. Quantities of deer horns cut off and made into crowns lay about there. He was fascinated by them and they put one on his head and he went out with it. He wandered about eating acorns, and while he was doing so the Indians killed him. After they had killed him they skinned him and took his hide. He got back to the hill without his skin and they spread another one over him. They put another set of horns upon his head and he went out and started away. He wandered around eating acorns, and while he was doing so they killed him again. When they skinned him it seemed to him as if they were tickling him, so that he almost laughed. Then he went back again without his skin and got home. They put another set of horns, this time of a young deer, upon him and spread a hide all over him and he started off. He went out and as he was walking about they killed him as before. When he came back they spread another hide over him and put the horns of a young deer upon his head. They said, "You can run fast with this kind." He traveled about with these and at daybreak they sent him back to his own people. He got home.

When he was about to start away, one of them said to him, "Human beings do not kill me [permanently]. It is only the panther which wrestles with me and kills me." He also said, "Bullets kill me. When I am dead eat my flesh freely. Indians that can pass through trees (i. e., wizards) can kill me. Indian wizards who pass through and seem to walk about on the other side of a mountain can kill me."