departed from the body, the knees are strongly bent upon the
chest, and the legs flexed upon the thighs. The arms are
also flexed upon each side of the chest, and the head bent
forward upon the knees. A lariat, or rope, is now used to
firmly bind the limbs and body in this position. A blanket
is then wrapped around the body, and this again tightly
corded, so that the appearance when ready for burial is that
of an almost round and compact body, very unlike the
composed pall of his Wichita or Caddo brother. The body is
then taken and placed in a saddle upon a pony, in a sitting
posture; a squaw usually riding behind, though sometimes one
on either side of the horse, holds the body in position
until the place of burial is reached, when the corpse is
literally tumbled into the excavation selected for the
purpose. The deceased is only accompanied by two or three
squaws, or enough to perform the little labor bestowed upon
the burial. The body is taken due west of the lodge or
village of the bereaved, and usually one of the deep washes
or heads of cañons in which the Comanche country abounds is
selected, and the body thrown in, without special reference
to position. With this are deposited the bows and arrows;
these, however, are first broken. The saddle is also placed
in the grave, together with many of the personal valuables
of the departed. The body is then covered over with sticks
and earth, and sometimes stones are placed over the whole.

_Funeral ceremonies._--the best pony owned by the deceased
is brought to the grave and killed, that the departed may
appear well mounted and caparisoned among his fellows in the
other world. Formerly, if the deceased were a chief or man