432 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [eth. ans. 32 



the village about sundown." They did this. When the messengers 

 arrived near the village they saw that the Seoqgwageonon were play- 

 ing ball. The messengers then went around to the south side and 

 threw sumach darts, so as to deceive the other Indians into thinking 

 them of their own people. The Seoqgwageonon so regarded the mes- 

 sengers, hence they did not take notice of them. The messengers 

 having killed a man, scalped him, and rushed off whooping. On" the 

 wa}' home the Seneca kept saying to one another, " Djugon — brace 

 up, take courage." About dusk they saw dust rising from the ground 

 a good distance behind. The Seoqgwageonon on horses were pur- 

 suing them. The Seneca saw that they would be overtaken in the 

 open, so they hurried to a dry creek with overhanging banks, where 

 they hid. Soon the horses and dogs drew near, but the dogs failed 

 to find the Seneca and the pursuers went on. Shortly they returned, 

 but again failed in their search. 



The next morning the Seneca went on to Odaiadon, where there 

 was an opening into a forest. The messengers soon saw the dust 

 a second time and knew from this that they were being pursued. 

 ]n a little while they could see the horses which were coming on 

 them ; soon the horses were near. The arrows of the Seoqgwageonon 

 whizzed past them, and now their enemies were almost on them, but 

 the runners were at the opening, where their people were arrayed 

 in the form of a horseshoe. As soon as the pursuers got into this 

 formation the Seneca closed in on them, capturing and killing all 

 but one, who, being in the rear, turned and fled in time. The two 

 Seneca now followed the horseman until they saw that he met a 

 crowd. He talked to his people, and he and they went back together 

 to the country of the Seoqgwageonon. 



The Seneca and the Cherokee now went to the Cherokee country, 

 and in a month the Seneca returned to their own place. 



After a while the Seneca said, " Let us go again to our friends, 

 the Cherokee." When they arrived there all were glad and invited 

 them to their lodges. They said to the Seneca : " We hear that the 

 Seoqgwageonon think the Seneca are dangerous and bad people. 

 They themselves are fortune-tellers and can .see what other people are 

 going to do, but they can not tell what the Seneca ai"e going to do. 

 They are magically more powerful than the othei's." During this 

 visit they merely amused themselves with games and other sports. 



81. Hatcinondon : ^"^ A Historical Tradition 



Hatcinondon was a great warrior, the greatest among the warlike 

 Seneca of the Iroquois Confederation. 



Once Hatcinondon led a large company of warriors to the Cherokee 

 country on a raid. In time they arrived at a place called Oyada ^"^ 



