408 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [etii. ann. 32 



his home. So the next morning the second brother started off 

 to find him, if possible. The brothers who remained at home waited 

 all day, but he, too, failed to return. The second morning the third 

 brother went to look for the two others, but he likewise did not come 

 back. Thus, day after day passed, until at last the six brothers had 

 gone out and not one had returned. Only Deoyadastat'he was left of 

 the family of seven sons.''^'' He. was always under the bed playing 

 with his dog, which was a flea. Finally, judging from the unbroken 

 -cilence reigning in the lodge, Deoyadastat'he exclaimed : " It seems 

 to me that there is no one in the lodge, for I hear no one moving 

 around. I shall see about it.'.' So saying, he came forth from under 

 the bed and looked around, but saw no one; then he listened for 

 some sound, but he heard none. After listening for a long time, 

 he exclaimed : " It seems to me that I hear my mother crying. It 

 must be that she is weeping in the far west. I shall therefore go 

 to her." Going outside the lodge, he stood still, listening, while 

 his dog stood -behind him. He now heard quite distinctly the sound 

 of weeping in the far west. By low half-uttered growls his dog 

 sliowed that it, too, heard some unusual sound. 



Deoyadastat'he finally declared : " That is my mother who is weep- 

 ing, for I recognize her voice. I must go to her." As he started, 

 both he and his dog, rising in the air, flew along over the highest 

 trees, directing their flight toward the west. At last in the far dis- 

 tant west they alighted at the edge of a village. Making their way 

 into it, they finally entered an old hut in which they found two 

 women, an aged grandmother and her granddaughter. To the grand- 

 mother Deoyadastat'he said, " I have come to visit you." She replied : 

 " AVe are too i^oor for that. We have nothing to eat, and you would 

 get very hungry." " Oh I T do not care for food," Deoyadastat'he 

 answered; "I want only shelter at night." "It is well; you may 

 remain," said the grandmotlier. One morning when Deoyadastat'he 

 had been there several days some one came on the run to the lodge, 

 and kicking the door-flap aside, said : " You are invited tonight to 

 the burning of the Moman's feet and to pick up wampum beads from 

 the tears that she sheds. All are pressed to be at the lodge of assem- 

 bly tonight." Wlien the messenger had gone, the grandmother ex- 

 claimed: " Oh ! how very wicked are the people of this village. That 

 old man, S'hagoiyagent'ha, is the evil servant of the Chief Dihdih.''^'' 

 (The rest of the people belong to the Gaqga^^' family.)" Now, the 

 grandmother, whose name was Yeqsinye, also belonged to the Gaqga 

 fauiily. She was in the habit of making bark thread by rolling it on 

 her legs. AVhen night came Deoyadastat'he went to the lodge of as- 

 sembly, where he saw a great multitude of people. Entering the lodge, 

 he saw his mother tied to apost — the war post of torture. And as soon 

 as Deoyadastat'he entered the room his mother, scenting him, knew 



