174 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [ErH.ANX.3i 



Tlic brother and sister had now <i;one fur ahead. Toward noon 

 they heard the roaring of the (ianiagwaihegowa and knew that she was 

 drawing near. Taiving a pigeon feather from his ponch, the young 

 man threw it behind him, saying, " Let there be a thick rampart of 

 pigeon droppings across the world, so high that nothing can pass 

 over it or go through it." Then he hurried on with his sister. Soon 

 the bear rushed up to the rampart in a fearful rage. She tried to 

 climb the i-ampail, but could not do so. Then she tried to pusli 

 through it, but went out of sight in the filth, nearly smothered, and 

 liad hard work to get out. Then the monster ran as fast as possible 

 to find an opening, but without success; so, coming back at night, 

 she lay down and slept until morning, when she found nothing in 

 the way but a feather. Tiiis she bit and chewed to pieces. 



The bi'otiier and sister came to a great wood, all the trees of which 

 were dried up and leaHess. They found a lodge, which they entered. 

 An old man. who was their uncle, was sitting inside. They told him 

 their trouble; whereupon he said, "I will do all I can for you. but 

 you have another uncle living not far fi-om here who can lielp you 

 much better than I can." The old man was engaged in chipping 

 flints. When he got a handfid of Hint chips he would fling them out 

 at the trees: in this way he had killed the whole forest, for he had 

 great powers of witchcraft. 



The brother and sister then went to the next lodge. The old uncle 

 whom they had left had a heap of flint chips piled up near him. 

 When lie heard the Ganiagwaihegowa coming he struck it again and 

 again with the chips. But the Ganiagwaihegowa did not turn awaj-; 

 coming up to the door, she asked the old man, " Have you seen a 

 couple of persons pass here? " " No," said he, " I pay no attention to 

 anyone who comes." Thereupon the monster crushed his he-.id. thus 

 killing him. Then, discovering the tracks, the Ganiagwaihegowa 

 said, "They have gone ahead; it is too bad that I have killed the old 

 man." Roaring loudly, she rushed on. " I will overtake you and eat 

 you," she said. 



Soon the brother and sister came to the other uncle. After hear- 

 ing of their troubles he said, " I will help you all I can, but hurry 

 on until you come to another uncle." Then he nuule a trap on the 

 trail, and near tha^ a second and a third. When the (Janiagwaihegowa 

 came up, she rushed into the first trap, where she struggled a long 

 time. Finalh'. breaking through this trap, the monster went on 

 until she got into the second trap. After a longer struggle she broke 

 through this, only to fall into the third trap, from which also she 

 escaped at last. Coming soon to the third old man. the Ganiagwai- 

 hegowa asked, " Have you seen a couple of persons pass this way? " 

 ''I have not," was the reply, whereupon the monster, seizing the old 

 man, ground him to pieces with her teeth. Then, finding the tracks 



