564 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [eth. an.n. 32 



morrow we will start for home." So the next day he made the neces- 

 sary preparations for their journey, putting their belongings into 

 two packs. When all was ready for their departure he placed the 

 smaller pack on his wife's back by means of the forehead strap, and 

 the larger on his own back in the same way. Then they left their 

 hunting camp for home much sooner than they had expected to do. 



They kept traveling the entire day, and when the sun was low 

 in the west they arrived at the place where the hunter was accus- 

 tomed to camp when making his hunting trips in past seasons. Here 

 they kindled a fire, and warming up cold meat and boiled corn 

 bread, they ate their meal and then retired to rest. Early in the 

 morning, as soon as they had eaten their meal and repacked their 

 belongings, they continued their journey, arriving just before sunset 

 in the lodge of the husband's mother. She was very thankful for 

 the meat M'hich they had brought home in their packs. 



It was not long after their return before the bride's mother entered 

 the lodge. After the usual greetings she said : " Let us two revisit 

 our own clan." The bride answered : " So let it be ; we may go as 

 you suggest." They finally reached the bride's former home, where 

 her kinsfolk welcomed her. She then began at once to relate in great 

 detail all that had befallen her during the time she had been absent 

 •on the hunting trip with her husband. Among other things she 

 told them that her husband already had a child by some unknown 

 mysterious being, whom he was accustomed to feed with raw meat; 

 and that, when the strange woman had come to their hunting lodge, 

 lier husband did not share her couch, but that he lay alone at the 

 feet of his wife and child. The young wife narrated, too, all that 

 occurred in connection with the attack on his wife made by the 

 strange woman's husband at the doorway of the hunting lodge. 



When the bride's kinsfolk had heard all these things they said : 

 ^' It seems certain that he has begotten a child by a woman Genonsgwa 

 (sometimes erroneously called " Stone Coat"). You should separate 

 from him lest you become enchanted by some evil power should you 

 return to him again." The bride and her child therefore remained 

 "with her own clan and kinsfolk, as they had advised her to do under 

 the circumstances. This astonishing report soon spread among the 

 tribe. All soon knew what had occurred on the hunting trip in the 

 forest to the misogamist hunter and his bride. It produced a great 

 sensation among the people. So it happened that all the women, as 

 if by mutual consent, shunned the misogamist hunter, and would 

 have nothing to do with him, privately or socially. This is what 

 befell the man who was too proud and selfish to consent to mai-ry 

 any woman of his own people. Now. in so far as his standing is con- 

 cerned, he is held as despicable beyond measure and of no account 

 jimong men. 



