550 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [eth. ANN.gj 



turkeys, one of which was killed, and after being dressed, was cooked 

 and eaten, as the two other turkeys had been. Afterward the sister 

 prepared a temporary shelter, as she had done twice before. 



In the morning of the fourth day they again set forth on their 

 journey southward. Toward midday the sister said, " Oh, my 

 brother ! I see a lodge in the distance ahead of us. Beside it stands 

 a very tall chestnut tree. Shall I continue our journey? " The blind 

 brother replied, " Yes ; go on ! It is the lodge in which we formerly 

 lived. Yes ; that is our lodge and home." Thereupon the sister has- 

 tened her steps and they soon reached the lodge. Within they found 

 everything that was common to the lodges of those ancient times, as 

 clay pots, baskets, wooden mortars, tubs of corn and beans, and 

 bundles of spicebush twigs for use in making a warm drink. 



Nothing unusual happened to the blind brother or to his sister 

 until the third day after their arrival at their old home. On the 

 morning of that day, while the sister was out in the neighboring 

 forest gathering fuel, she was surprised to hear some j^erson, seem- 

 ingly near to her, say, or rather whisper, " Chit !" Quickly turning 

 in the direction whence the sound proceeded, she was startled to see a 

 short distance away a handsome young man looking intently at her. 

 After talking with her a few moments he made her a proposal of 

 marriage, in reply to which she told him that she could not give him 

 a definite answer without first consulting her brother. Then she 

 asked him to meet her at the same time and place on the following 

 day. The young man agreed readily to her proposition, whereupon 

 they separated without further ceremony. 



When the sister returned to the lodge she told her brother of meet- 

 ing the young man, and asked his advice with regard to her accept- 

 ance or refusal of the offer of marriage. He replied that it was his 

 wish, prompted by wise policy, that she should accept the offer, since 

 the young man was a noted wizard, son of the notorious witch, 

 Gaho'''dji'da"ho"k; for, if she did not marry him, her refusal would 

 be tantamount to a sentence of death on each; hence, they must 

 accept the inevitable. 



During the following night the blind brother explained in detail 

 the reasons for his advice to her to marry the young man, who was 

 the son of the great witch, Gaho"'dji'da''ho"k, the relentless enemy 

 of their family and kin. 



The next morning the sister went into the forest to keep tryst 

 with the strange young man, whom she found there awaiting her 

 coming. She told him at once that her brother had been happy to 

 consent to have her marry him. He seemed greatly pleased at her 

 reply and merely said : " It is well. I will be at your lodge tonight. 

 So, I go away now." So they two parted in this abrupt way. That 

 night, when darkness had come, the strange young man arrived at 



