^"/w.'^] FICTION 143 



The next day Hat'hondas's niece, the poor woman's daughter, said. 

 " I will visit the great witch woman, for she is a friend of mine." 

 "WTien the girl went to the lodge, the great woman was glad to see her. 

 She heard all the news of the marriage and that the young woman 

 would not go near her designated husband. On reaching home she 

 told her mother all she had heard. The next day very early, while 

 the strange man was still asleep, Hat'hondas's sister went into the 

 great witch woman's lodge and, taking the panther-skin coat with 

 the rest of the garments and having thrust the piece of hickory bark 

 into the back of the sleeping husband, hurried home. 



Hat'hondas now had his whole outfit. Putting on his garments 

 and taking his bow and arrows he went to the lodge of the great 

 witch woman. When the daughter saw him coming, she could 

 scarcely retain herself for joy, crying out, " That is the man ! That 

 is the man ! " 



It was now almost noon, and the designated husband had not 

 appeared. On looking for him they found him on the couch all 

 doubled up, old and miserable, and coughing terribly. 



As the arrow which was still sticking in the eagle was unlike his 

 arrows but just like those which were in the quiver of Hat'hondas, 

 the people were convinced that the old man was a deceiver, so they 

 threw him out without pity. 



Hat'hondas was now married to the young woman and her mother 

 proclaimed to all the people, " My youngest daughter is now mar- 

 ried." In the evening, when the young wife pulled off her hus- 

 band's moccasins and threw them on the crossbeam, they became a 

 pair of fine owls with great eyes, and hooted ; as soon as the panther- 

 skin coat touched the beam it became a large panther; the leggings 

 became two wildcats ; and the cap an otter. 



The next evening the mother-in-law asked her son-in-law, " Wliat 

 can you do for me ? " and spread a deerskin in front of him. As he 

 opened his pouch the two girls jumped out of it, followed by the 

 two pigeons. The girls, running nimbly to the fire, brought coals 

 for lighting the pipe. The pigeons, perching on the pipe as he put 

 it into his mouth, rustled their wings and cooed. As often as he spat 

 the spittle fell on the skin in a shower of wampum beads. 



The next day he went hunting and killed so many deer, bear, and 

 elk that all the people had enough, and he sent a great supply to 

 his sister. 



After they had enjoyed life a while, he said, " Now, I must go to 

 my uncle." His sister prepared provisions for the journey. She 

 would shake all the flesh of a deer until it became small as the end 

 of her little finger, continuing this process until she had in a small 

 pouch venison enough to fill a lodge. On the way when they wanted 



