794 IROQUOIAN COSMOLOGY [eth ann.43 



Finally, De'hae'"hyo'we°'s said, "It is probable also that we may 

 now soon see what we seek; namely, the scalp of all scalps. That 

 we might use to cover all those which we have. Moreover, this 

 kind of thing which we bear with us does not readily spoil." 



About this time they fell in with a person, a male Man Being, 

 whose towering stature reached one-half the height of the tallest 

 trees. 



Then it was that Gaen'hyakdon'dye' ("Along the Edge of the Sky, 

 i. e., The Horizon) said, "Now, then, speaking inferentially, our good 

 fortune has brought about the fulfillment of the purpose of oiu- expe- 

 dition, upon which we had agreed, namely, that we should see in our 

 hands a large quantity of scalps. Again, speaking inferentially, I 

 think that the next move to be made is to decide to kill this Man 

 Being whom we have met in this place. We shall then be possessed 

 of the large scalp about which my brother has already prophesied. 

 So let us attack him at once." 



So deploying they at once began to assault him by shooting their 

 arrows at him, and by striking him with their war-clubs and with their 

 stone hatchets; but they could not make any impression on him; 

 they failed to harm him in the least. 



At last the strange Man Being said to them, kindly, "What is it 

 that you desire to do? Do you imagine that you can kill me?" 

 Then they answered, "That is, indeed, our purpose, as it has been our 

 design in making our journey hither to kill all persons who might fall 

 in our way, no matter who they might be." 



To this frank admission of their purpose to kill him, this strange 

 Man Being replied, "The purpose for which you are banded together 

 is not good. And from this time forward you must utterly renounce 

 it and strictly desist from carrying it out. It is quite impossible for 

 you to kill me. And I came to meet you here for the purpose of giv- 

 ing you this counsel. 



"I watched you on your way to this place, and I saw with grief 

 that you killed many people. I want you to know that the reason 

 why I came to meet you is that you have now committed wrongs 

 enough on innocent people. And I want you to know that if you will 

 not cease from committing these wrongs you yourselves also shall 

 perish." 



Then De'hae°'hy6'we'"s replied, saying, "We are very thankful 

 to you for this good coimsel, and we will try to abide by it. We will 

 pass beyond this point, as we have bound ourselves by a vow to at- 

 tempt to reach the place where the Sun habitually sinks from view — 

 to the spot where the Sun goes to and fro." Then the strange Man 

 Being merely replied, "Do you then start on your journey." And 

 while they listened to him with bowed heads he vanished from them; 

 thev did not know nor see whither he went. 



