hoffman] THE RACE WITH THE WITCH 233 



Now, this woman was a witch, and as Ball Carrier proposed to run, 

 she felt so sure of success that she immediately agreed to race, and 

 said, " "Whoever wins will have the privilege of killing the other." 



Ball Carrier was now obliged to run, and went out to find a place for 

 the contest. Seeing that the prairie extended far away without a visi- 

 ble obstruction, Ball Carrier said, " My sister-in law, we will run to the 

 end of the prairie — to a point as far as you can see from here — and then 

 return; the first one to reach tbis goal will turn and kill the loser." 



The witch agreeing, both prepared to start. Ball Carrier invoked the 

 ma'nidos to assist him, and when the witch started to run, Ball Carrier 

 transformed himself into Moqwai'o (the wolf) and ran ahead of the witch. 

 He continued in advance for a long distance. The witch slowly gained 

 in speed and finally passed him. When Ball Carrier found that he 

 could no longer hope to succeed, he changed himself into Omiuic (the 

 pigeon) and once more shot ahead of the witch; but, after a long dis- 

 tance, the witch again gained on him, and gradually passed him, so that 

 he felt he could not win in his present form. Ball Carrier next changed 

 himself into Kaka'kg (the crow) and again shot ahead of the witch, 

 remaining in advance for a long time. He finally began to tire, however, 

 and, seeing the witch once more pass him, he found that he could not 

 succeed in winning the race unless he assumed another form, so he 

 changed himself into Meshinikake (the Cooper's hawk !), and again 

 passed the witch. As a hawk he flew along for a great while, but he 

 eventually began to tire, and the witch again gradually lessened the 

 distance between them and finally passed him. JSTow Ball Carrier 

 assumed the form of Pakiish'tsheke'u, the Hitter (duck hawk), and again 

 flew ahead, as this hawk is the swiftest of all save Meshinikake. But 

 even again the witch gained on and at last overtook her opponent, when 

 Ball Carrier found that he would have to assume still other form if he 

 wished to win the race; so, changing himself into Liponane (the sharp- 

 shin hawk), he once more gained on and passed the witch. But as a 

 sharp-shin hawk he began to tire after awhile, and felt that he must 

 assume auother form, so he became transformed into Ke'shewa'toshe 

 (sparrow-hawk), when he once more passed the witch. 



The contestants were now on their homeward flight, and Ball Carrier 

 realized that he must maintain the lead if he wished to escape death. 

 Soon, however, he saw the witch pass him and remain ahead, apparently 

 sure of reaching the goal first. Ball Carrier felt that he must make a final 

 and desperate effort to pass the witch, for they had now almost reached 

 the goal. He therefore assumed the form of Xa-na-tska (the humming- 

 bird) and shot ahead like au arrow, reaching the goal far in advance of 

 the witch. He now threw off his disguise and grasped his warclub to 

 await the arrival of his opponent. She soon came up, furiously angry at 

 losing the race, which she had been certain of winning, when Ball Car- 

 rier struck her on the head and killed her. 



Ball Carrier's wife now came to him and said, "If you want to exter- 

 minate that wicked family, you must go and destroy the dead witch's 



