290 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [eth. anx. 32 



meal at another time. After washing the bloodstains from the body 

 in the lake he put the body on his baclf and then threw the shell. 

 When the banks closed together, he stepped over, and as he looked 

 back, he saw the lake spread out again. 



On coining home soon after, the nephew expected to see smoke 

 rising from his lodge, but saw none. "There! my word has come 

 true; she has forgotten my warning." Looking around, he saw his 

 uncle's tracks, whereupon he said, " Such is my luck. I can not help 

 it." Then he began to cook his meal. Shortly he discovered his 

 wife's clothing. Having become accustomed to his uncle's behavior, 

 he was not much astonished, nor did he feel very badly because his 

 uncle had now killed his fourth wife. While cooking supper he had 

 to go for water. As he stooped down to get it, he heard a voice say, 

 " Your uncle has killed me. Your uncle has killed me, has killed 

 me." On looking toward the willows out of which the voice came, 

 he saw them bespattered with his wife's blood, whereupon he knew 

 that she had been murdered. He had two proofs now — his uncle's 

 tracks and the speaking blood. Becoming disheartened, he decided 

 never to go back to his imcle's lodge. He continued hiuiting with 

 two dogs, and being successful, took pleasure in doing this. On re- 

 turning to camp one day he discovered tracks around his fire — two 

 little trails. For some time he paid no attention to these, though he 

 found them whenever he came home. They looked like children's 

 tracks, but he could not believe they were such, thinking that perhaps 

 some little animal had gotten into the lodge. At last, looking at his 

 store of meat, he saw that one of the pieces was gone from the row; 

 he thought some animal must have taken it. Things continued in this 

 way until finally the meat was carried away at such a rate that he re- 

 solved to find out what was going on at home. The next day still 

 more meat was taken. He found that the stolen piece had struck the 

 ground, and having been dragged out of doors, had been drawn 

 along. He followed the trail until he came to a big hollow log. at 

 the opening in which the trail disappeared. While sure that some 

 animal lived in the tree, he made no further discovery. 



The next day the nephew started oS to hunt, but after going a 

 short distance into the woods, he stopped to watch his lodge. Look- 

 ing down from a hill near by. he saw two little children run into the 

 lodge. Thereupon, hurrying back, he continued his watch. He soon 

 saw them come out, dragging a piece of meat. (They used to go to 

 where the meat was hanging, and climbing up as best they could, 

 throw it to the ground.) They had all they could drag, for two 

 pieces were tied together, (ioing straight to the farther end of the 

 log, they disappeared, dragging the meat after them. He thought, 

 "Tomorrow I will catch them." He had learned that they could 



