he^^/tt] legends 571 



thers and you may pass safely throvigh. When you arrive at the 

 tliird passageway you will there find a man who will instruct you as 

 to what you must do further to accomplish your purpose." 



Taking the two pheasants and thanking the two men for their 

 kindness, the woman again followed the trail of her husband. When 

 she had gone a long distance she saw the couchant panthers guarding 

 the way of death and the dead. Following the instructions of the two 

 men, and throwing a pheasant to each, she quickly passed them. 

 After following the trail a long time, she finally came to the third 

 passageway. The man who guarded it said to her: "What do you 

 here ? What brings you to this place, seeing that you are not dead? " 

 She answered him: "I am following the trail of my husband, which 

 leads through this passageway." Then she briefly related to him 

 the events which had caused her to undertake the journey hither. 

 The warder replied: "I will assist you in recovering your husband. 

 You must take with you this gourd, which is closed with a tendon, 

 for in this receptacle you will have to bring back the soul of your 

 husband, carefully shut up. You must take also this small gourd 

 bottle, which contains the fat or oil of man; you must take it with 

 you for you will need it. When you reach a very large strawberry 

 field stretching on both sides of the path, you must rub some of this 

 oil on the palms of your hands. In this field you will see an elderly 

 woman picking berries; she is the hostess of this country, and she 

 will aid you in all things, telling you just what to do. After anoint- 

 ing your hands with the oil you must hold them up with the palms 

 turned toward the berry picker. Now start on your way."' 



With a light heart the woman again took up the trail of her hus- 

 band, with the firm resolve to follow the instructions of the warder 

 of the last passages ay. Finally she reached the large field of straw- 

 berries, and taking oil out of the small gourd bottle and rubbing it 

 on the palms of her hands, she held them up toward the elderly 

 woman, whom she hailed in a loud voice. The woman, who was 

 picking berries, heard her call and stood attentive until the other 

 woman came up to her, whereupon she said: "What do you here, 

 seeing that you are not dead ? " Answering the ^Mother *-" of Ghosts, 

 the woman said. " I come here seeking my husband, whose trail comes 

 into this place," and so saying, she gave the two gourds to theAIother 

 of Ghosts. The latter replied: "I will put your husband into this 

 empty gourd bottle, so that you may take him back with you. Gome 

 then to the lodge." The widow followed the elder woman to her 

 lodge, which stood a short distance from the field of strawberries. 

 When they reached it tlie elder woman concealed her guest under 

 some bark in one corner, at the same time saying: " Now, keep very 

 quiet, for all the people come here to dance every night, and they 



