^H?JSJ FICTION 289 



until at last he reached the end, whereupon he cried out exultingly, 

 " My daughter-in-law's flesh is mine." Looking up in the air, he dis- 

 covered his nephew's trail. While the trail of the arrow was lost, the 

 footprints of the nephew remained on the clouds.'^" 



After the old man had traveled one day, the nephew said to his 

 wife : " Now, we must go ; our uncle is on our trail, and he is deter- 

 mined to have your life. Therefore be cautious. Do exactly as I 

 bid you." As the uncle followed on the gi'ound the trail that he saw 

 in the air, he muttered to himself. The invisible brother heard him. 

 All started for the beach, the woman taking the lead, and the husband 

 stepping in her footprints. As they looked across the lake they 

 could see smoke. The husband said, "We will go yonder to that 

 lodge and stop there for the night." As they were going along the 

 beach he halted, and, taking a clamshell from his bosom, threw it 

 toward the other side of the lake. At once the banks came so close 

 together that the woman could step over. After they had crossed, 

 on looking back thej could scarcely see the other shore. The nephew 

 had crossed to a new lodge in order to delay his uncle, thinking that 

 when the old man came to the water he would be long in crossing 

 and would lose the trail. Telling his wife to say nothing, the young 

 man left her, to hunt. 



Soon the uncle appeared on the opposite bank, running back and 

 forth searching everywhere. Feeling sure that they had crossed, 

 he called out, " Daughter-in-law ! daughter-in-law ! how did you 

 cross the lake ? " As he labored up and down the woman stood 

 watching him from the other bank. Taking pity on the weary old 

 man, though knowing he wished to devour her, she said in her mind 

 (she did not speak), " Why does he not throw the shell?" ^^^ As she 

 thought this, he heard distinctly what she said in her mind. So he 

 stooped, and picking up a shell, threw it. The banks came together, 

 and when she looked to see where he was, she was terrified to find him 

 at her heels. Catching her by the hair, he said : " I knew that I 

 should eat you.^^- My nephew had no right to keep the game from 

 me. He took my game and held it as his wife." With one blow the 

 old man cut her head oft". She had l)een left alone, as her husband 

 was hunting, and the invisible brother was not near to warn her, so 

 she was lost. 



The lake had now expanded to its proper width. Taking off her 

 raiment, the old man threw it into his nephew's lodge, saying, 

 " Be you a helpmate to my nephew." He then cut the body open, 

 finding that it contained twins. He hid the children with the head 

 and breast of the mother in a hollow tree, and gave thanks that his 

 nephew had preserved the game so long, for he would have a second 

 94615°— 18 19 



