llTiTi] LEGENDS 533 



voice inside challenged him. saying, " Come, my grandson. Thou 

 hast come to visit me in my lodge." On entering, the youth was 

 greatly surprised to see before him a fine-looking young maiden, 

 who was seated on her couch weaving a forehead pack strap from 

 the prepared fibers of slippery-elm bark. The old man said to his 

 young visitor : " It' has been, indeed, a very, very long time that I 

 have been looking for you to pay mc a visit. I have been saying 

 tliat a great hunter is on his way here. There sits my granddaughter 

 whom 3'ou are to marry. Granddaughter, move along on your mat 

 to give him room to sit beside you." As the young man passed 

 Iiim the old man noticed that he was carrying something that lie 

 had killed, and he quickly arose, saying: "Give- me the body that 

 you are carrying. That is indeed a very fine game animal which 

 you have killed on your way here." The j'oung man replied, "No. 

 I will not give it up vmtil I first see my two brothers." To this the 

 old man rejoined. " They passed here, and so they will return here, 

 perhaps very soon." Then, turning to the young maiden, he added : 

 "■ Prepare some food for him. He has come here hungry, perhaps. 

 You must procure a quantity of dried green sweet corn, which you 

 must pound in a mortar, and also dried venison, whicli likewise 

 must be pounded fine. Set a pot containing water over the fire, and 

 into this you must put the pounded corn and venison, adding a 

 (juantity of maple sugar, dried hnclvleberries, and lastly bear's 

 grease." 



The young woman hastened to prepare the corn sou]) in the man- 

 ner in which she had been instructed by her old " grandfather," and 

 it was not long before the soup was cooked and ready to be eaten. 

 At this time the old man brought from an adjoining room a bowl 

 of bear's grease, which he gave to the young woman, who put it into 

 tlie pot of soup. Having done this, she removed the pot from the 

 fire and set it where the contents would cool. Presently she placed 

 a large bowlful before the young man, who ate it with a good appe- 

 tite, and he gave thanks to his host for what he had eaten. Night 

 coming on shortly after this, the three persons began to get ready 

 for retiring. At this time the old man said to his guest, '• You should 

 give me the body of the bird which you have brought with you. 

 You will leave it with me to keep for you." But the youth replied, 

 " I will not give it up to you." To this the old man answered, in a 

 threatening manner. " I am greatly agitated in my mind. Let us 

 retire for tlie night. A game animal has indeed come into my lodge, 

 I am now an old man. Still there is nothing that curbs my orenda 

 (I am unaffected by any influence). I am bound to get back my 

 own bird at any cost." 



So saying, he arose and, going aside, he took down his war club. 

 Then, returning to the side of the young man, he said, "Do thou 



