hoff.mvn] STORY OF THE YOUNG WARRIOR 123 



"Those without, not bearing the voices of their companions, hesitated 

 to enter, and preferred to take possession of the wigwam by stratagem. 

 The young warrior, finding no others courageous enough to conic in, 

 decided to go out and assume the aggressive. Taking a pole which he 

 found in the wigwam, he approached the door, but, instead of putting 

 out his bead to have it crushed by those lying in wait outside, he took 

 the pole and pushed out the curtain which covered the entrauce, so as to 

 make it appear like a human form about to go out, when in an instanl 

 all of the watchers discharged their arrows into it; then, rushing out 

 before they could recover from their surprise, be began striking right 

 and left, so that in the darkness no one could tell which was the 

 aggressor. In the meantime the others of the encampment had driven 

 back the attacking war party, so that now it required but a few moments 

 for the young warrior to put to Might the small party who bad sur- 

 rounded the old man's wigwam. When it was learned that the enemy 

 bad withdrawn, everything resumed its usual tranquility. 



"A few days later the same party of young warriors who bad pre- 

 viously called at the wigwam of the old man to listen to the stories 

 of bygone times, again decided to go there for an evening's entertain- 

 ment. All of the visitors were asked to be seated, but the young 

 warrior again lay down near the old man. Then the late attack became 

 the subject of conversation, and one of the visitors, who sat away 

 back in the wigwam, spoke, saying, 'Old man, how is it? We hear 

 that the boaster at your feet killed four of the enemy with bis fist; 

 we want to hear about that exploit.' 'My son,' responded the old 

 man, 'it is just as you say. He was with me when my wigwam was 

 attacked, and struck down four men with bis fist and threw them to 

 me, for I killed them myself by stabbing them.' 



"The young man who had asked this question felt abashed and kept 

 silent. They all felt that the young warrior had greatly distinguished 

 himself, and as he had received from Ma'nabush the 'fighting medi- 

 cine' (for he was one of the ten who had visited Ma'iuibush), they 

 feared him. Soon they all returned to their wigwams, and a few days 

 later the camp broke up and the hunters went home to their settlement. 



"The young warrior was still living with his aged parents, and pro- 

 vided well for them; and it was for this reason chiefly that he bad not 

 yet taken a wife. 



"One of the neighbors of this old couple had three daughters, so when 

 the young warrior one day returned to his wigwam he found seated 

 there a beautiful girl, who bad been given to the old couple by their 

 neighbor that she might look to their personal wants. The young war- 

 rior was pleased with the girl and at her apparent modesty — as she 

 had not yet spoken a word — so he adopted the advice of his parents, 

 by taking her to be his wife. 



"In due course of time a child was born to them, but he soon found 

 that his wife received the attentions of other warriors when he was 



