They began the journey, and they went between the Buffalo bulls who were stationed as sentinels. They went through all the circles of the Buffalo, and now the next thing was to enter the tipi where the ceremonies were held, for this was the place where the woman’s father lived. The woman covered the young man with her robe and they entered the tipi. Some of the Buffalo in the tipi, who were awake, said, “I smell human flesh,” but others said, “It is because we have just had a killing.” So nothing more was said about the smell of human flesh. The next day the boy was covered with buffalo robes, and, as all of the Buffalo went out, the boy felt safe.
In the evening the Buffalo came back to the lodge. They were human, only they had horns and tails. These people brought in fresh meat and it was the human meat. Now they cooked the meat and ate. After eating they lighted the fire. It died out, then the girl said, “Let us go out, I want to show you something.” So they went out. The boy saw arbors everywhere in the village. The girl told him to climb upon one of these arbors, and he did so. There he saw fresh meat of human and some bodies not yet cut up. The boy was scared. He told the Buffalo woman that he did not want to go into the tipi any more. The woman said: “Now you have seen bodies of people. These people eat your people, and for this reason I have brought you here to help your people, so they can overcome the Buffalo and kill them. When your people have killed the Buffalo and have driven them far, then they will eat of the grass which Nesaru intended that they should eat.” The woman continued, and said: “Then your people will come out of the ground, and you will teach them the ceremony the Buffalo used to sing before they went out to kill you. Come, go with me into the timber. You must make many bows and arrows.” So they went into the timber, and the woman said: “Now you remain here. Do not be afraid, for the Buffalo are now going to sit and sing the songs, calling your people together where the tree is. Come, now go with me to where your people come out.”
They went, and there stood an old hollow cottonwood tree. Near its base was a knot where there was a hole. Lying by the tree was an ash stick, about six or seven feet long, and about eight inches in diameter. “Now,” said the woman, “do you see the stick? That stick is what makes the people come out of that hole. You shall use that stick, only do as I tell you, and you will be successful. Cut-Nose is the one who sits at the entrance, so when the Buffalo gather about the tree, he is the first to come out. He gets away. The Buffalo do not try to kill him, for he helps the Buffalo.”
So the young man lay down in the timber, while the woman returned to the camp. When it was daylight he began to make bows and arrows. He made many. Every night the woman would come to visit him. She gave him buffalo meat. Thus the young man stayed in the timber and kept on making bows and arrows. Often the boy went into the village with the woman and listened to the singing of the Buffalo. The woman told the young man to hurry in making the bows, for it was nearly time for the ceremony to be over, then the Buffalo would march out where the tree stood. The young man now hurried to make the bows and arrows. For two days the ceremony was kept up, the singing continuing all night. The third day the boy had many bows and arrows completed. The woman came in the night and gave the boy long sinew strings for the bows. The boy put the strings upon the bows and now the weapons were completed. The woman took the boy into the camp, and there he heard singing. At the end of every tenth song the singing was stopped. In a little while the singing would be resumed. Now the woman told the boy that the next morning they would have to return to the timber and bring the bows and arrows.
The next morning they went and brought the bows and arrows and placed them at the foot of the tree, the bows already strung, and the arrows with the bows. “Now,” said the woman, “as soon as you see the Buffalo coming towards the tree, you run up to the tree three times, and you will hear shouting. As soon as you hear shouting, wailing and screaming, pick up the bows and arrows and give them to the men and tell them to shoot at the Buffalo. Do not give any bows and arrows to the first man who comes out, for his name is Cut-Nose, and he it is who helps the Buffalo. Give out the bows and arrows, then pick up your own and go to killing the Buffalo. As soon as the Buffalo see that your people are killing them they will run. Keep right after them, and scatter them as much as possible.” The boy placed all the bows around the tree. Then he and the woman hid under the bank.
As the sun was coming up in the east the rattles were laid down. Singing was stopped. There was mourning; everybody seemed to be crying. Then the Buffalo all came to the ceremonial lodge and stood around until the four priests came out, who walked towards the tree. The young man jumped out from his hiding place. The first man, whose name was Cut-Nose, came out with a war-whoop. The people came up next in the hollow tree. There seemed to be a strong current coming out from the hollow tree, blowing the people up and out of the tree. But as the people came out, especially men, this young man picked up bows and arrows, and placed them in the men’s hands, and said: “Make haste; shoot the Buffalo. Kill them. Do not be afraid of them.” As each of the men came out, the young man handed him bow and arrows, and told him to shoot and kill the Buffalo. It was not long until the young man had a large company of men with bows and arrows killing the Buffalo. As the Buffalo ran towards their village some one shouted and said: “Get some of the meat! Carry it with you, and whenever we stop running we can have something to eat!” So the Buffalo people ran and picked up human meat and each placed the meat they picked up, under the arm, and ran. The human meat that they placed under their arms became a part of their flesh, for the people ran after them so closely that they finally became buffalo. (This is the reason why the Arikara used to cut the meat from under the shoulder and throw it away. This meat the Arikara would not eat.)
The young man and the Buffalo woman now went to the tipi of the bundle and took the bundle. The people came back and burned everything that was in the village. Then they made a new camp and the Buffalo woman, who was now married to the young man, taught the people the songs and ceremony that go with the bundle. So these people became a part of the Arikara.
When this story is told, everybody keeps quiet.