iV^l^] FICTION 235 



now start." "Very well; I shall come soo'i," said the adopted son. 

 Then the little dog said, "Let it be our eldes-t brother who shall take 

 part in this game." So the man removed his garments, and the dog 

 put them on; there he stood, looking just like the man. The little 

 dog said, " We shall surely win the game." The hunter and the other 

 dogs went to the woods to hunt, while the dog-man went to the ball 

 ground. 



The chief was on the spot watching impatiently for the man. At 

 last he saw him coming, with his long hair tied back; he carried 

 his club well and looked splendid. The old man, supposing it was 

 his son, said : " Now, you must use all your strength and must not 

 be beaten." The dog-man saw that his antagonist was walking 

 around in the crowd, with a very proud and haughty manner. The 

 dog-man seemed vei-y mild and without strength enough for the 

 game. 



Seeing that it was time to begin, the people fell back and gave 

 room to the players. When the word was given the players came 

 forward, and the chief said: "I will take my place on this side." 

 "No; you shall not," said the other; "you gave the challenge, and I 

 will choose my place." The chief had to yield, the dog-man choosing 

 the side the chief wanted. They then began to play. " Now," said 

 the little dog to the hunter in the woods, "our brother has begun 

 the game, which will be a very close contest." Soon he said : " The 

 chief's ball has missed the goal; they play well; our brother 

 has caught and sent the ball back. Oh ! now he has won an inning. 

 They will play one more inning." All at once he called out : " They 

 have begun again. It is a very close game. Our brother is having 

 all he can do. We may be beaten, however." Then he called out: 

 " Owe! Owe! Our brother has won the game. You are chief, and 

 all the old chief has is ours." 



As the dog-man had won two straight games, he caught the chief 

 by the hair and cut his head off. Many of the people thanked him. 

 They said that the old chief had never spared them; that when he 

 had been the loser he had always given the people up to slaughter 

 and saved his own life. The winner seemed to have won many 

 friends among those who witnessed the game. The little dog said: 

 " Now we shall go home." They had been there but a short time 

 when the ball player came in ; giving back the man's garments, he 

 immediately became a dog again. 



When the old people came into the lodge they thanked their son, 

 saying : " You have done more than anyone else was ever able to 

 do before. You are the chief now." As they praised their son they 

 did not know that it was a dog that had done the work. 



The next morning the little dog said : " Let us go to live in the 

 chief's lodge." So the hunter, with the old man and his family, 



