388 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS (eth. anv. 82 



the lodge and all were happy. After he had been home a while 

 Ot'hegwenhda said to his family : " I must visit my friends, the 

 Djoqgweani in Dionondadenion. It is not far from here," he said. 

 They had to let him go and do what he liked, for he possessed the 

 most potent orenda. 



Ot'hegwenhda soon came to a lake called Onyudetdji (Rough 

 Lake). Putting on the water a piece of slate, he said, "I want you 

 to take me across." Sitting upon the slate, it carried him quickly 

 over the water to the other side, where he left it, saying: " Wait here 

 until I return. Then I shall need your help again." Soon reaching 

 Dionondadenion, a beautiful country, he inquired until he found the 

 chief's lodge. When he entered he saw an old man, to whom ne said: 

 " I have come to see you." The old man was silent. The youth spoke 

 again, but received no answer. "Why do you not speak? " thought he. 

 A third time he sjjoke, whereupon the old man replied, " Why do 

 you not hurry and eat up all my people? " " I have never killed any 

 of 3'our people. I have saved many of them from Dewaqsent'hwu^■, 

 and I thought you would be glad," said the youth. " Well, there is 

 a man around here eating up all my people. He looks like you, 

 though he is an old man." " I came to help you," said Ot'hegwenhda. 

 " and I will kill this man." " AVell, he is coming now," said Honi- 

 goneowanen. Presently a man kicked the door open and came in, 

 saying. "I have come to see you a few moments." His mouth was 

 smeai'ed with fresh blood. Ot'hegwenhda, standing up, said : " I have 

 come to fight with j'ou. You will have to concpier me before you kill 

 these people." "Very well," said the man-eater, whose name was 

 Djiniondaqses;^*" "come out." Thereupon they went out, and they 

 fought until night; then until dawn. Next morning Ot'hegwenhda 

 was nothing but bones, while the man-eater, too, had lost all his 

 flesh. The two skeletons fought all that day, and when night came, 

 their bodies were broken up. nothing being left but the two skulls. 

 The skulls fought all night, and when daylight came the skull of 

 Djiniondaqses was crushed to pieces. The skull of Ot'hegwenhda 

 was sound, and it kept on rolling over the ground where he had 

 fought. As it rolled around, the bones of his body began to reattach 

 themselves to it, and soon the skeleton was complete. Then the 

 skeleton rolled in the blood and flesh where he had fought, and 

 straightway the flesh and blood grew to it, until at last Ot'hegwenhda 

 stood up sound and well as ever. 



When Ot'hegwenhda went into the chief's lodge, Honigoneowa- 

 nen said : " I am very glad and thank you. I will now give you my 

 daughter, and when you are old enough, you shall marry her.'' Othe- 

 gwenhda took the chief's daughter to Hetgen Tgastende and they 

 lived there. 



