752 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [etii. a.in. 32 



it is ! Doadanegefi has made me angry," and taking from her back 

 the basket of marriage bread, consisting of 20 cakes, she emptied 

 tlie basket to one side of her and then started homeward. 



Ha\ang readied her home, where her sisters and her mother 

 awaited her, she was asked by tlie hitter: "Well, what has hap- 

 joened so serious that you have returned without bringing him ? " 

 The young woman replied : " I have not the ability to do anything 

 with him, because, I think, he is immune from my orenda — he is, 

 indeed, immune to enchantment." The mother answered : " Truly 

 I do not depend on you because you are so incapable, so weak (in 

 orenda). So now my youngest daughter shall go, for truly I do 

 depend on her so much. Now, then, do you prepare the basket of 

 marriage bread, which must consist of 20 cakes." 



With a cry of " Come, now," they set to work pounding the corn 

 into meal, and after making the meal into 20 cakes they boiled 

 them, and when they were cooked they placed them in a basket suit- 

 able for the purpose. Then her mother set to work dressing the hair 

 of her youngest daughter; she oiled it with fine bear's grease and 

 braided it into many fine braids. She braided it very close and 

 wrapped the braids so tight that the maiden seemed not to have any 

 eyebrows left. When the mother had finished the task of dressing 

 her daughter and had instructed her as to what she should do to 

 insure success on her way, the basket of marriage bread was placed 

 on the young woman's back. Finally her mother said to her : " Have 

 courage. You certainly are able to conquer him. I depend on you 

 to bring Doiidanegefi back with you." 



Then the young woman started on her journey. She carried the 

 basket on her back by means of the forehead strap. Finally she 

 reached the settlement to which she had been sent. There, not far 

 away from the lodge of her intended victim, she concealed herself 

 in various places the better to keep a watch on the lodge. She hid 

 from place to place for a long time without seeing her victim. But 

 finally she was surprised to see him come out of the lodge and after 

 looking around very carefully start away. She tracked him, and 

 after pursuing him for a long time she saw him in the distance high 

 up in a tall tree. She concealed her presence from him as best she 

 knew how. She would get behind a tree and move nearer the tree 

 on which her victim was. Then, slipping quickly around another, 

 she kept drawing nearer and nearer to him, for she was determined 

 to con<iuer him. Finally she reached the tree without being perceived 

 and there she sat down, leaning against the tree. She placed there 

 beside her the basket of marriage bread. She saw the raccoons fall- 

 ing down one after another without interruption. For a long time 

 she remained there very quiet. Meanwhile Doiidanegefi looked 

 around suspiciously, first taking in the entire horizon and then the 



