502 TEIBES OF THE UPPER MISSOURI [eth. ann. 46 



outside, where they were cut to pieces by the brothers. She left with 

 her brothers for their home, but got separated from them in a snow 

 storm and wandered every way, she know not whither. In the end, 

 after a long time she came to a large house of iron with flames of 

 fire coming out of the chimney. She feared to enter. " Come in,' 1 

 said the master of the house. " If I enter, how shall I be treated ? 

 What relation shall I bear to you?" "I will be your brother," he 

 said. " No," was the answer. " I will be your father." " No," was 

 again the answer. " Your uncle," " your friend," still " no " was her 

 answer. " I will be your husband." This time she replied " Yes," 

 the large iron doors flew open and she entered, they closing violently 

 behind her. 



The inhabitant was a large, ugly man, and the interior of the 

 building was strewn with human carcasses half devoured in their 

 raw state. He was the first cannibal ! The woman would have 

 fled but could not. and was compelled to become his wife according 

 to her promise. He treated her badly and although not forcing her 

 to eat human flesh was continually devouring it himself. They lived 

 as man and wife for a length of time, during which she had a male 

 child by him. The brothers had never given up the search for their 

 lost sister, and in the course of their travels for that purpose came 

 to the house of the cannibal during his absence. The woman let 

 them in and recognized them. The child was beginning to speak a 

 few words, and among the first he pronounced were : " Mother, what 

 fine, fat men ; kill one of them that I may eat some good meat." The 

 brothers stared — the child was a cannibal ! " You little fool," said 

 the mother, "would you eat your own uncle?" The brothers held 

 a council with their sister as to the way the cannibal being could 

 be killed and she undertook his destruction. It appears this being 

 had the power of coming into his house any way he chose, through 

 the floor, through the walls, or any other manner, and the only vul- 

 nerable part of him was a cavity in the top of his head, not protected 

 by the bone of the skull. She heated a stone red hot, and when the 

 cannibal as usual was coming up through the floor, head foremost, 

 she threw the stone into the hole in his head and burned up his 

 brains, causing instant death. 



She then fled to a place of rendezvous appointed by her brothers, 

 taking her child along. They returned to their home with their 

 sister, and when they arrived held a council and condemned the 

 child to death, to prevent the propagation of the race of cannibals. 

 It was killed by the mother, and on killing it she was changed into 

 a body of fire, caught up into the heavens and placed as the first 

 star in the north, which was the polar star. The seven brothers 

 were also changed into stars and form the constellation known as 



