DORSEY-swANTON] THE BILOXI AND OFO LANGUAGES 103 



Then Tube came to the ground and resumed his wanderings, travel- 

 ing until dusk. It was then that he heard the hooting of a Swamp 

 Owl. "O pshaw!" said he, "what can an ugly swamp owl accom- 

 plish?" "I can extricate you from your trouble," said the Swamp 

 Owl. "If you can do anything for me, please do it," replied Tuhe. 

 "You must first sleep in my house," said the Swamp Owl. " How 

 can I climb thither? " replied Tuhe. Then the Swamp Owl made some 

 steps of toadstools, one of which he barely stuck on the tree, and 

 against which he warned Tuhe, who stepped over it and climbed the 

 tree by means of the other steps. Again was the Old Woman coming 

 in the distance. Well, she reached there, and said, "Right here does 

 ho lie." And addressing the dogs, she said, "You must catch him 

 when he falls, a9 I will climb the tree and knock him down. Though 

 he should say, 'It is I,' do not release him." Then slie started to 

 climb the tree, putting her foot on the toadstool that was barely stick- 

 ing there. It gave way, her foot slipped, and down she fell to the 

 ground. And then the dogs seized her. Though she cried, " It is I! 

 It is I!" they would not release her. When it was daylight the dogs 

 released her and she disappeared. 



Then Tuhe came to the ground and resumed his wanderings, going 

 till dusk. He had gone along without any one saying anything to 

 him until he found a hole in the ground which he entered and there 

 he lay down to rest. Again was the Old Woman coming in the dis- 

 tance. "Right here does he lie," said she. She reached the hole and 

 peeped down into it, but, as it lightened, she went off and fell. So she 

 kept on doing till daj^. And then she disappeared. 



Then Tuhe came out of the hole in the ground and was traveling 

 till noon, when he found a ford. He climbed a tree which stood near 

 and was sitting up there when two women were coming to get water. 

 On reaching the stream they peeped down into it and saw the shadow 

 of the youth. "A very handsome man is there," said one, and she 

 entered the water and caught at the reflection, but she brought up 

 nothing but leaves. Thus the two continued for some time, getting 

 very cold. At length, when Tuhe observed their condition, he spit 

 down on them. As thej raised their eyes, they beheld him, and cried, 

 "Get down!" Then he got down, and they took him to their house, 

 where they fed him, first offering him stewed human flesh. "1 never 

 eat such food," said he, so they gave him stewed venison. When he 

 had eaten that, they said, "Mother is very bad." They referred to 

 the Old Woman, whose daughters they were. The}^ laid him in a long 

 box, which they locked. By the time he had laid down in this box, 

 the Old Woman had come home. Then she began to eat, and was 

 sniffing the air. " There is food here which has a strong odor," said 

 she. To which her daughters responded, "If there is really any food 

 here, it must be that which you are eating." "But this has a fresh 



