"
Very carefully that deer was skinned, and Rolf learned the reason
for many little modes of procedure.
After the hide was removed from the body (not the hand or legs),
Quonab carefully cut out the-broad sheath of tendon that cover
the muscles, beginning at the hip bones on the back and extending
up to the shoulders; this is the sewing sinew. Then he cut out
the two long fillets of meat that lie on each side of the spine
outside (the loin) and the two smaller ones inside (the
tenderloin).
These, with the four quarters, the heart, and the kidneys, were
put into the hide. The entrails, head, neck, legs, feet, he left
for the foxes, but the hip bone or sacrum he hung in a tree with
three little red yarns from them, so that the Great Spirit would
be pleased and send good hunting. Then addressing the head he
said: "Little brother, forgive us. We are sorry to kill you.
Behold! we give you the honour of red streamers." Then bearing
the rest they tramped back to camp.
The meat wrapped in sacks to keep off the flies was hung in the
shade, but the hide he buried in the warm mud of a swamp hole,
and three days later, when the hair began to slip, he scraped it
clean.
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