294 INDIAN LEGEND 



Wis-kay-tchach lias murdered ; and that they are 

 about to bury him near, and then abandon the place. 

 Wis serves the old lady as he did the toad, 

 of " big medicine " profession, assumes her dress 

 and occupation of collecting willow-bark, and howls 

 away far louder and more dismally than she did, and 

 in this way returns to the lodge, where, with the 

 brothers' aid, the corpse was placed upon a stage 

 prepared for it ; and the fictitious mother tells the 

 rest to proceed on their journey, as she must remain 

 to weep, but will presently follow them. So soon as 

 they are out of sight Wis sets to work to " make 

 grease " from the carcase ; but the sons become tired 

 of waiting, and send back snakes (which appear to 

 have been their slaves) to look for their mother. 

 When they reach Wis he gives them some of the 

 grease which he has made, and bids them return with 

 it to the brothers, who thereupon see that they have 

 been tricked by Wis-kay-tchach, and return to catch 

 and punish him. Being hard pressed, and meeting 

 with a badger, he entreats it to dig a hole in the 

 ground by which he may escape ; and promises to 

 give one of the bladders of grease with which he is 

 now laden as a reward. The badger digs accordingly ; 

 and they come up through the ground at a distance 

 from their pursuers ; but when the animal claims its 



