566 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [eth. Ann. S2 



resumed their journey. They had no provisions to eat on the way, 

 but they traveled on^Ya^d until the darkness made it difficult for 

 them to proceed farther, when, tired, hungry, and ready to drop 

 from exhaustion, they reached another lodge. In this they found 

 dying embers and a substantial piece of broiled venison. As on the 

 previous night, they rebuilt the fire, and when they had eaten the 

 venison they lay down to sleep beside the fire. 



Next day the remains of the venison furnished their breakfast. 

 Just before starting the boy found a flint and a stone ax, which he 

 took with him. Toward nightfall a blinding snow-storm set in, but 

 the little wanderers kept on their way. When it was quite dark they 

 came to a rude covert formed by the interlocking of fallen trees, the 

 united limbs of pine and cedar holding the snow in such wise as to 

 form a very rude shelter. Under this retreat the two little wanderers 

 foimd a place full of dry leaves. Outside of this shelter the snow 

 had fallen to so great a depth that it overtopped their heads in many 

 places. In this refuge they decided to remain for the night, although 

 they had nothing to eat and no hope of getting anything. Nothing 

 daunted by the cheerless prospect before them, the boy and his sister 

 kindled a fire with dried twigs and other fuel. As soon as the fire 

 began to radiate its heat a covey of quail came out from under the 

 branches of the trees forming the shelter. The boy at once killed 

 several of these, which he dressed and cooked for himself and his 

 sister. After eating their supper the boy added to the fire enough 

 fuel to keep it until morning; then they retired for the night, bur- 

 rowing among the dry leaves, not far from the fire, for covering. 

 Next morning the fire was built up again, after which the boy found 

 and killed more quail for breakfast. After cooking and eating these, 

 they awaited the abatement of the storm before starting out on the 

 trail. 



During the day an old woman, who lived alone in the vicinity 

 and quite aloof from her people, left her lodge to look for hickory 

 bark to keep up her fire in order to prevent the cold from freez- 

 ing her to death. Noticing smoke issuing out of a great bank of 

 snow at some distance, she went to see what kept the fire from 

 going out, and she was astonished to find the small boy and his 

 sister. Moved with pity, the little old woman took the children 

 from their uncomfortable place and brought them to her lodge, 

 where she placed before them what little food she had. They 

 ate their fill. The children were indeed very glad to be with a 

 friend. The little old woman told them that she desired to have 

 them remain with her as her own children. 



Next morning the little boy, having spat upon one of his arrows 

 three times, cast it out of the lodge through the smoke-hole, saying 

 to it: "Go thou, then, hunt for a deer and kill it for our food.'' 



