"„';"j;?^] FICTION 89 



than before. Then her grandfather said, " Now, my grandchild, you 

 must go home with us." After packing suitable loads of the serpent's 

 Hesh they started for home, each with a load of the meat on his back.'" 



In a short time they came to what seemed to her to be a lodge, 

 which they entered; there the young woman saw an old man whose 

 hair was as white as snow and whose manner and voice were kind. 

 To him the leader of the party said, '"This woman of the human 

 family has helped us to kill the gi'eat serpent and his progeny." 

 The old man, looking up at her, said, '' Mj' granddaughter, I am 

 indeed thankful for the great help you have given us in killing that 

 awful serpent and his wicked progen}'." ^Vhile she was sitting there 

 the old man said, " My granddaughter, come here to my side." 

 When she stood beside him he rubbed her body up and down with 

 his hands, fortified with his orenda. Whei'eupon several young ser- 

 pents crawled from her; these were killed at once by the men. Then 

 the old man. remarking " You are now entirely well," bade her to be 

 seated. 



While she remained in this lodge the younger people went out to 

 hunt when they had the inclination to do so. They would bring corn 

 for her to eat. as they knew she could not eat their food, which 

 was in large measure the flesh of the serpents. They would tell her 

 where they had gathered the corn, and they told her also the names 

 of the people from whom they had taken it; she recognized the names 

 of some of the people mentioned. 



One day the old man said to his sons, "Perhaps it would be bet- 

 ter for 3'ou to take the young woman with you to hunt. She shall 

 thus secure more orenda." The sons agreed to this, saying, " It is 

 well." They told her that one of their number Avas missing, say- 

 ing, " Deep in the great waters there is a terrible bloodsucker lying 

 on a reck. One of our number shot at it, but he was not quick enough 

 to avoid the rush of the great bloodsucker, and he was caught by it. 

 lie lies there on the rock, and we can not save him, nor can we kill 

 the bloodsucker. But you will go with us. will you not? " She con- 

 sented to go. and they started for the place. 



AA'hen they arrived at the place they looked down into the water, 

 tar into its depths, and there they saw the great bloodsucker. .Vll 

 these men went high up into the clouds and shot arrows down into the 

 water at the great bloodsucker, but they all failed to hit it. Then 

 they asked the young woman to shoot an arrow. Willingly she took 

 iier bow and arrows and shot into the water at the monster. The 

 irreat bloodsucker moved. At her second shot there was a terril)le 

 stiMiggle and commotion in the water. ^Alien all became quiet again, 

 anil while she was still up in the clouds with the men, they saw 

 that the great bloodsucker was dead. Just as soon as the mon.ster 



