272 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [bth. ann. 32 



go around it." So she ran to the end of the country without success; 

 then she ran to the other end of the country, but with no greater suc- 

 cess in getting around the ridge of rocks. Coming back to the spot 

 whence she had started, she stepped back a short distance and then, 

 rushing forward, she butted her head against the solid rock to 

 break it down ; but she fell back seemingly dead. After a long time 

 she recovered consciousness and, looking around her, Lo! — the rock 

 ridge had disappeared ; only a small stone lay there. " Oh ! he is 

 exerting his magic power," she exclaimed, and again she hurried on 

 after him. 



When the youth once more heard her footsteps and knew that she 

 was fast gaining on him he took a pigeon's feather out of his pouch, 

 and casting it down back of him commanded, " Let there be a pigeon 

 roost across the country and let there be so many pigeons in it that 

 their droppings shall be so deep and high that nothing can get 

 through them." Soon the young woman came to the roost and started 

 to go through it, but could not do so ; then she drew back, saying, " I 

 never heard that a pigeon roost could extend across the world. I 

 shall go around it." Thereupon she followed the roost, first to one 

 end of the world, then to the other, but was not able to go around it. 

 Returning to the spot whence she had started she attempted to break 

 through the mass of droppings by butting her head against it, but 

 she fell back seemingly dead. After a long time she regained con- 

 sciousness, and on opening her eyes found a small feather lying on 

 the ground. The roost had disappeared. She was now very angry 

 and took up the pursuit with great speed. 



In his flight the young man came to a lake where he saw people 

 bathing and playing in the water. Stopping there he said, " Let one 

 of those men become just like me and let me become an old stump." 

 Presently the young woman came up to the stump, but hearing the 

 laughter of the bathers she saw on looking at them that the man 

 farthest out in the lake was the one she was following. Seeing her 

 standing there the people called to her, " Come ! help us catch this 

 man who outswims us." Quickly springing into the water, after a 

 long chase she caught him, but the moment she had done so he took 

 his own form, whereupon she knew that she had been deceived again. 

 Going back to the shore she found that the stump had gone. 



Again she followed the tracks of the young man. Just as he heard 

 her approaching, a man stood before him who asked, " AVhat is the 

 trouble?" The young man replied, "A woman is pursuing me." 

 The stranger answered, " I will try to aid you." Stooping down, he 

 added: " Get on my back. I will throw you on a hillside. You must 

 run along the hill until you are forced to descend." The young man 

 stepped on the back of the man Nosgwais,'-" who stretched his legs to 

 an enormous length, throwing the voung man off to a great distance 



