628 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [eth. ann. 32 



Then the two parties separated, the one from the other; and the 

 men of Thunder departed from the earth, going back into the cloud- 

 land to their own lodge. 



In turn Dehaenhyowcns and his lone companion started from the 

 place where they had been left. They were not long in finding the 

 traces of the former home of their friends. They found that the 

 Ijlace had become thickly overgrown with large trees to so great an 

 extent that one unacquainted with the facts would be in doubt 

 whether or not any person had ever lived in that place. 



On seeing this, Dehaenhyowens said to his companion : " Verily, it 

 seems that we must depend on ourselves to find our people. We must, 

 therefore, go to seek the place whei-e they now dwell." Thereupon 

 they started, directing their course eastward, as they had been in- 

 structed. At no great distance they saw the smoke from a village and 

 made their way to it. On entering the first lodge they reached, 

 Dehaenhyowens said, " We have now returned home." In reply the 

 master of the lodge said: "Whither did you go, and who are you? 

 As for myself, I do not know you." Answering him, Dehaenhy- 

 owens said : " Have you not at any time heard the tradition which 

 says that a number of men (three tens) started on a journey along 

 the path of the Sun — a party formed by Dehaenhyowens and Gaen- 

 hyakdondye, two famous war chiefs, of men who had thoroughly 

 habituated themselves to warlike exercises? They undertook while 

 going toward the sunset to kill and scalp all the peoples whom they 

 might encounter on their way." The master of the lodge said to them 

 in reply : " I myself know nothing of the matter about which you 

 are speaking. When such a thing may have taken place I do not 

 know. It may be that the old woman living in yonder lodge may 

 know about this matter. You should go over to consult her concern- 

 ing it." 



So Dehaenhyowens and his companion passed on, going to the 

 lodge pointed out to them. On entering the lodge Dehaenhyowens 

 said to the old woman : " Do you know the circumstance in the his- 

 tory of your people when in the long ago some men — warriors, three 

 times ten in number — went on an expedition from which they never 

 returned? The party was formed by war chiefs, Dehaenhyowens 

 and Gaenh)'akdondye. They went toward the sunset, following the 

 path of the Sun." Answering his question, the old woman said : " It 

 is indeed true that such an event took place. I have lueard my de- 

 ceased grandmother say many times that when she was still a child 

 men to the number of 30 started out on an expedition, but they 

 never returned to their homes." After some moments of thought 

 she added : " Probably the man who dwells yonder in that lodge 

 not far away from here remembers the whole matter, for he has had 

 an exceedingly long life, and so is probably familiar with the tradi- 



