hoffman] THE FATE OF LUNG WOMAN 227 



Carrier where he had secreted the bridge, when he raised liis right arm, 

 and in the armpit was the bridge, which she also detached with the 

 knife. When the treasures had been recovered, the Bad One said to 

 his servant, "Take the boy out and clean him, after which you must 

 cook him for our feast. I will go to invite our friends the Me'sibiue'bi- 

 kuk" (water demons). 



The servant then took Ball Carrier out to the room where the food 

 was kept, when he turned toward her and said, "Why don't you keep 

 me for two days and feed me? I am now very lean, but shall be very 

 fat by that time." The servant then turned to her master and offered 

 him the suggestion which Ball Carrier had made. The Bad One replied, 

 "Well, let the boy have his way; perhaps in two days he will be fatter, 

 as he says." Lung Woman then returned to Ball Carrier and led him 

 out to a pen, where he was securely fastened and food given to him. As 

 he ate constantly he began immediately to grow and to fatten so that 

 he could scarcely move his head from one side to the other. 



The second day having arrived, the Bad One told his servant to pre- 

 pare the boy for the feast now to be held, as he was going to invite all 

 his friends, the Water Demons. Before leaving he told Lung Woman 

 not to eat any of the broth, for it would then be defiled. 



The servant brought out from the hut a large kettle, tilled it with 

 water, and built a fire beneath it. She then took Ball Carrier by the 

 arm and led him up to the kettle, so that when the water boiled she 

 could lift him into it. In the meantime Ball Carrier asked the ma'nidos 

 to keep the water at its ordinary temperature, although it might appear 

 to be boiling, and he also asked the ma'nidos to restore his body to its 

 usual size the moment he was put into the water. 



When the water began to boil, the servant put Ball Carrier into the 

 kettle, and the fat, which the ma'nidos had supplied, soon came float- 

 ing upon the surface. As the water caused him to move about within 

 the kettle, Ball Carrier told the servant to taste the broth to see if it 

 was palatable. The odor was so appetizing that she could not resist 

 the temptation of tasting the broth, so getting a ladle from the hut she 

 reached over the kettle and took up some of the broth, which she found 

 very agreeable. Ball Carrier now induced her to come closer, that she 

 could the better reach the broth. As Lung Woman went near to the 

 kettle Ball Carrier grasped her, and upset the boiling water upon her, 

 scalding her to death. Ball Carrier then gathered together his war- 

 club, bow, arrows, and ball, as well as the pouch of gold and the won- 

 derful little bridge, set fire to the hut of the Evil One, and started for 

 the river, where he took out the bridge, caused it to project across to 

 the opposite shore, when he passed over and restored it to its hiding 

 place in his right armpit. 



The hut was soon completely consumed, no trace being left where it 

 had stood. When the Bad One returned with the large crowd of Water 

 Demons, who had come to partake of the feast, he could not tind his hut 



