?f/JS] FiCTiox 293 



very angry." As the dog looked back he said : " The Head has started 

 and is coining. We have never seen so great witchcraft as she has, 

 although we have seen much, but this we are not able to comprehend. 

 As you have always said, there is no one living who can outrun you; 

 now use all your strength." 



When the Head started, the dogs left behind did all they could to 

 delay her, biting her whenever she turned to pursue them, and dodg- 

 ing into the ground. As the Head went on again they would spring 

 at her; and when she turned on them they would again escape into 

 the ground. Her track could be seen plainly, for the bark was all 

 bitten from the trees, where the dogs kept her back and prevented 

 her from flying ahead. 



All at once, one of the little boys, far off in the west, said to his 

 brother, " Our father is to be pitied ; our mother has turned into 

 some strange being and is pursuing him." Soon a second dog came 

 up to the man, saying, " Your wife has changed into a Flying Head 

 and is possessed of such power that we do not know how to detain 

 her any longer. My brother dog and I are doing all we can, but you 

 must hurry; you must keep straight ahead. Go always toward the 

 south." The man ran with all his might. Seeing a lodge at a dis- 

 tance he ran up to it, and entering, said to an old man sitting there : 

 ' Uncle, help me! Something is after me that is going to take my 

 life. Help me ! " "All right. Although I do not know what it is, I 

 will help you all I can; but hurry on to the next lodge; there you will 

 find your aunts," replied the old man. The man had got about 

 halfway between the two lodges when he heard a terrible noise. 

 Looking back, he saw that the Flying Head had reached his uncle's 

 lodge, and that they were fighting with all their strength. There 

 was a teri-ible struggle about the lodge. Soon he saw that his uncle 

 was killed, and that a great black cloud rose up into the sky from the 

 spot.^^^ The uncle had told his nephew that after the Head had killed 

 him a darlv cloud would go up to the very heavens. At thtt moment 

 the dog came up again, saying, '' Your uncle is killed ; he was never 

 beaten before in his life." When she had killed his uncle the Head 

 rushed after the husband, for she had eaten every bit of the uncle's 

 flesh in a monunt. " Hurry ! " said the dog; " we are sure to die; we 

 have but two places of refuge left. It is through your uncle who 

 killed her that she has become a witch." 



As the man ran on, nearly exhausted, he saw a lodge, and running 

 into it, he called to 'is aunts, "Help me! Help me! Something is 

 after me to take my life." "Poor man," said his aunts, "hurry on; 

 we will do what we can to delay the Head. Go to the next lodge, 

 where your mothers live; if we can not detain her, perjuips they will 

 be able to help you." He was not out of sight when he heard his 

 aunts call to their children to have courage, and then he heard a 



