368 MYTHS OF THE CHEROKEE [eth.ann.19 



little more, and Hew otV in iUK)tii(>r direction. It told the otiier ))irils 

 and they came, but the man scared them away, because he did not 

 want common bird.s to cat the meat. After a while he heard a great 

 noise coming through the air, and he knew it was Shada'ge'a, the bird 

 he wanted. Shada'ge'a is very cautious, and looked around in every 

 direction for some time before be began to eat the meat. As soon as 

 he was eating the man put his hand up cautiously and caught hold of 

 the bird's tail and held on to it. Shada'ge'a rose up and flew away, 

 and the man had pulled out one feather. They had to trap a good 

 many eagles in this way, and it was two years before they could get 

 enough feathers to make a full tail, and wei-e ready to start for the 

 Cherokee country. 



They were many days on the road, and when they got to the first 

 Cherokee town they found there was a stockade around it so that no 

 enemy could enter. They waited until the gate was open, and then 

 two Seneca dancers went forward, carrying the eagle feathers and 

 shouting the signal yell. When the Cherokee heard the noise they 

 came out and .saw the two men singing and dancing, and the chief said, 

 "These men must have come upon some errand." The Seneca mes- 

 sengers came up and said, ""Call a council; we have come to talk on 

 important business." All turned and went toward the townhouse. the 

 rest of the Seneca following the two who were dancing. The town- 

 house was crowded, and the Seneca sang and danced until they were 

 tired befoi'e they stopped. The Cherokee did not dance. 



After the dance the Seneca chief said, "Now I will tell you why 

 we have come so far through the forest to see you. We have thought 

 among ourselves that it is time to stop lighting. Your people and 

 ours are always on the lookout to kill each other, and we think it is 

 time for this to stop. Here is a belt of wampum to show that I speak 

 the truth. If your people are willing to lie friendly, take it." and he 

 held up the belt. The Cherokee, chief stepped forward and said, " I 

 will hold it in my hand, and to-morrow we will tell you what we decide." 

 He then turned and said to the people. "Go home and bring food." 

 They went and brought so much food that it made a great pile across 

 the house, and all of both tribes ate together, but could not finish it. 



Next da}' they ate together again, and when all were done the Cher- 

 okee chief said to the Seneca, "We have decided to be friendly and 

 to bury our weapons, these knives and hatchets, so that no man may 

 take them up again." The Seneca chief replied, "We are glad you 

 have accepted our offer, and now we have all thrown our weapons in a 

 pile together, and the white wampum hangs between us. and the belt 

 shall he as long as a man and hang down to the ground." 



Then the Cherokee chief said to his people, "Now is the time for 

 any of you that wishes to adopt a relative from among the Seneca to 

 do so." So some Cherokee women went and picked out one man and 



