MooNEv] owl's dkath song 365 



nimiei's, aiul iniuiuycd to t^ct awiiy with tlif loss of only a siiiyk' num. 

 The rest got home safely, and tlie people were so well pleased with 

 Heinp-currier's l)ravery and success that they gave him seven wives. 



96. THE SENECA PEACEMAKERS 



III the course of tiie long war with the Cherokee it happened once 

 that eight Seneca determined to undertake a journey to th(> south to 

 see if they could make a peace with their enemies. On coming near 

 the border of the Cherokee country they met some hunters of that 

 tribe to whom they told their purpose. The latter at onc;e hurried 

 ahead with the news, and when the peac(>makers arrived they found 

 themselves well received l>y the Cherokee chiefs, who called a council 

 to consider the proposition. All l)ut one of the chiefs favored the 

 peace, but he demanded that the eight delegates should first join them 

 in a war party which was just preparing to go against a tribe farther 

 south, proliably the Creeks. The Seneca agreed, and set out with the 

 war party for the south; but in the fight which resulted, the Seneca 

 leader. The Owl. was captured. The other seven escaped with the 

 Cherokee. 



A council was held in the enemy's camp, and it was decided that 

 The Owl should l)e burned at the stake. The wood was gatiiered and 

 everything made ready, but as they were about to tie him he claimed 

 the warrior's privilege to sing his death song and strike the post as he 

 recited his warlike deeds. The request pleased his enemies, who put 

 a tomahawk into his hands and told him to begin. 



He told first his exploits in the north, and then in the west, giving 

 times and places and the numl)er of scalps taken, until his enemies 

 were so pleased and interested that they forgot the prisoner in the 

 warrior. It was a long story, but at last he came to the battle in 

 which he was taken. He told how many relativ(>s he had killed of the 

 very men around him. and then, striking the post with iiis tomahawk, 

 "So many of your people have I killed, and so many will 1 yet kill;" 

 and with that he struck down two men, s[)rang Ihrougii the circle of 

 warriors, and was away. It was all so sudden that it was some moments 

 before his enemies could recover from their surprise, 'riien they 

 seized their weapons and were after him througli the woods, but lie had 

 had a good start and was running for his lif(\ so that he outran the 

 chase and finally reached tin; Cherokee camp in safety ami rejoined 

 his seven comi)ani()ns. 



On this proof of good will the Cherokee then conclu<le(l the treaty, 

 and the peacemakers returned to their own country. — Ari'anged from 

 Schoolcraft. Notes on Iroquois, p. 25S. 



97. ORIGIN OF THE YONTONWISAS DANCE 



Two Seneca women who wei'e sist(>rs. with the baby boyof thcolciei- 

 one, were in a sugar grove near their home when a war ])arty of 



