272 THE DRAMA OF THE FORESTS 



Ago, even before it was the custom of our people to marry. It 

 happened this way: Once there was an old chief who used 

 oftentimes to go away alone into the woods and mount upon a 

 high rock and sing his hunting songs and beat his drum. Since 

 he was much in favour, many women would come and listen to 

 his songs; also, they would dance before him to attract his 

 attention. 



"Now it came to pass on a certain day that a young chief 

 of another tribe happened by chance upon that way. Hearing 

 the drumming, he resolved to find out what it was about. Deep 

 into the heart of the wood he followed the sound and came 

 upon an open glade wherein were many women dancing before 

 a huge boulder. Wondering, with great admiration, the young 

 chief gazed upon their graceful movements and comely figures, 

 and determined to rush in and capture the most beautiful of 

 them. Turning thought into act, he bounded in among the 

 dancers, and, to his amazement, discovered the old chief, who, 

 at sight of him, dropped his drum, grasped his war club, and 

 leaping down from his rocky eminence, rushed upon the young 

 interloper in a frenzy of jealous fury. The women made no 

 outcry; for, like the female moose or caribou, they love the 

 victor. So to the accompaniment of the men's hard breathing 

 and the clashing of their war clubs, they went unconcernedly 

 on with their love dance. In the end the young chief slew the 

 older one, and departed in triumph with the women. But, 

 my son, when the Master of Life learned what had happened, 

 he was exceeding wroth; insomuch that he turned the young 

 chief and the women into partridges. That is why the part- 

 ridges dance the love dance even to this day." 



HUNTING WILD FOWL 



Next morning, while Oo-koo-hoo was examining a muskrat 

 lodge from his canoe, he heard a sudden "honk, honk," and 



