^7J|^] FICTION 217 



form, but do not let her see us; so pass beneath the surface of the 

 ground and emerge under the platform." The mole, obeying, took 

 Hodadeiion, who had reduced his size by magic, into its body and, 

 going underneath the surface, did as it was ordered. It emerged 

 very near the place where the woman was passing to and fro. Com- 

 ing out of the bod}' of the mole, Hodadefion said to her, " Friend, 

 I give you this wampum as a reward to you not to give the usual 

 alarm on my account." She accepted the wampum. 



Then Hodadeiion called on the moles to go into the lodge of 

 the four women to discover their hearts, and he accompanied them in 

 the search. It so chanced that he was able to discover the hearts 

 fastened to a string under a couch on which slept the elder of the 

 four women. Seizing them at once he fled out of the lodge. At that 

 moment the woman on watch gave the alarm, shouting, " Hodade- 

 fion has come ! Ho, there ! " The mother of the witches screamed to 

 her daughters : " Hurry after him my children ! Kill him ! for he is 

 the last of the family." The eldest daughter outfooted the others 

 and, as she was overtaking Hodadeiion, he bruised one of the 

 hearts on the string and she fell dead. When the second datighter 

 oame up, he bruised another heart, and she also fell dead; and a 

 like fate befell the youngest daughter. Now the old mother alone 

 was left of the brood of witches. She hurried up to him, whereupon 

 be bruised the fourth heart, and she, too, fell lifeless. When the four 

 were dead, Hodadeiion ground their hearts to powder; then drag- 

 ging the bodies to the lodge, he burned lodge, bodies, and powdered 

 hearts. 



Now, the woman watch, who was walking to and fro on the plat- 

 form continually, was the own sister of Hodadeiion. At this time 

 she was a mere pouch of hvmfian skin for her bones and flesh were 

 wanting. Near this platform was a large heap of bones of dead 

 persons. Hodadeiion carried these bones to the foot of a very 

 large hickory tree, and upon the pile he placed the skin of his sister. 

 He then pushed against the tree shouting, " Ho ! friends and sister, 

 arise, for the tree is about to fall on you now." Instantly all leaped 

 up alive, among them his sister. 



Then Hodadenon went to the chestnut trees and taking a nut, 

 he threw it to his other sister in the west, telling the rest of the nuts 

 to follow. They did so, and as they entered the end of the lodge his 

 sister Yenyentwus collected and stored them away. 



Hodadefion now went home with his parents and sister and 

 friends. \^Tien they had all taken their places it was seen that one 

 of their number was missing, that there was still a vacant place. 



The nest morning they found that they were living in a chestnut 

 grove, for the trees were standing all aroimd the lodge. 



