318 SKNECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [eth. ann.82 



tliunib into the incision, she tore off tlie skin. Then cutting open the 

 body, she took out the intestines, after which she hung up the meat. 

 Then she began to think : " Why did this bear come? Who sent it? " 

 Finally she asked, " My grandson, can you tell me why this bear 

 came? " Doonongaes said, laughing: " Did you not see me shoot? I 

 told the arrow to bring a bear and the bear came." 



Doonongaes staid there all day, while the grandmother cooked. 

 The next morning he heard a noise. A messenger came in, saying : 

 " I have come to notify you that the daughter of our chief, Deyene- 

 gonsdasden,'*' is to be married to the man who can shoot the black 

 eagle perched on the top of a pole that reaches to the clouds; the 

 shooting begins at midday." Doonongaes said, " I can marry the 

 '•hief's daughter, for I can kill any one of the eagles, even when 

 flying high." He straightened his arrows and strung liis bow as 

 he lay by the fire. Looking through the smoke hole, he could see the 

 eagle on the pole.'^^ At midday all the people were around the pole, 

 when the chief said, " Now, do you begin." Doonongaes saw through 

 the smoke-hole how the arrows flew. Each man tried twice, but none 

 of the arrows went near the target. He watched until night, and 

 then the chief said, " Tomorrow we will try again." The next morn- 

 ing Doonongaes said, " None of these men can kill that eagle." 

 Stringing his bow, he shot an arrow through the smoke-hole, which 

 he saw go straight to the eagle and pierce it. The eagle fell, while 

 the arrow transfixing it stuck into the ground, taking root so deep 

 that no one was able to pull it out. Every man said, " I did it." 

 But thd chief replied, " Then take the arrow out." Each tried but 

 could not draw out the arrow. Now Doonongaes said to the old 

 woman's granddaughter : '^' " Go after my arrow. Somebody may 

 break it." She went to the place, saying, "A man at our lodge sent 

 me to get his arrow." Thereupon, taking hold of it. she pulled it out 

 easily. 



" My daughter is married now," said Deyenegonsdasden, so he sent 

 two men for Doonongaes. They found him by the fire at the widow's 

 lodge. When they told him to come to the chief's lodge, he asked, 

 " Why does the chief send for me ? " ^'* " He wants you to marry his 

 daughter, for you killed the black eagle on the top of the pole," he 

 was told, " Oh ! I do not want any more wives. I have more 

 than 100 now," returned Doonongaes. They insisted, but he re- 

 fused. On their return this was told to Deyenegonsdasden. who said, 

 " Now let 8 or 10 of you go, and if he won't come willingly, tie him 

 and bring him here." Going back, they said, " You must come." 

 "I will not," replied Doonongaes; "I am not going there for noth- 

 ing," declared Doonongaes. " Well," answered the men. " it is not 

 for nothing. The chief wants you to marry his daughter." "Is 

 she good looking?" asked Doonongaes. "Oh, yes! she is very beau- 



