370 



MYTHS OF THE CHPHtOKEE [f.th.ann.19 



Three years later they came again to visit the Cherokee, who told 

 them that the Seoqu'wageono had won the ))attle, and that the chief of 

 the enemy had said afterward, "I should like to tight the Seneca, for 

 I am a doul)le man." Before long the enemy heard that the Seneca 

 were there and sent them a challenge to come and tight. The Seneca 

 said, '"We must try to satisfy them," so with Cherokee guides they 

 set out for the country of the Seoqgwageono. They went on until 

 they came to an opening in the woods within one day's journey of the 

 first village. Then they stopped and got ready to send two messen- 

 gers to notify the enemy, but the Cherokee said, "'You must send 

 them so as to arrive about sundown." They did this, and when the 

 messengers arrived near the town they saw all the people out playing 

 ball. 



The two Seneca went around on the other side, and began throwing 

 sumac darts as they approached, so that the others would think they 

 wci'e some of their own men at play. In this way they got near 

 enough to kill a man who was standing alone. They scalped him, 

 and then raising the scalp yell they rushed off through the woods, 

 saying to each other as they ran, "Be strong — Be strong." Soon thej' 

 saw the Seoqgwageono coming on horses, but managed to reach a dry 

 creek and to hide under tlie t)ank, so that the enemy passed on without 

 seeing them. 



The next morning they came out and started on, but the enemy was 

 still on the watch, and before long the two men saw the dust of the 

 horses behind them. The others came up until the)' were almost 

 upon them and began to shoot arrows at them, but by this time the 

 two Seneca were near the opening where their own friends were hid- 

 ing, drawn up on each side of the pass. As the pursuers dashed in 

 the two lines of the Seneca closed in and every man of the Seoqgwa- 

 geono was either killed or taken. 



The Seneca went back to the Cherokee country and after about a 

 month they returned to their own homes. Afterward the Cherokee 

 told them, "We hear the Seoqgwageono think you dangerous people. 

 They themselves are conjurers and can tell what other people are 

 going to do, but they cannot tell what the Seneca are going to do. 

 Th(> Seneca medicine is stronger." — Arranged from Curtin, Seneca 

 manuscript. 



gg. THE SHAWANO WARS 



Among the most inveterate foes of the Cherokee were the Shawano, 

 known to the Cherokee as Ani'-Sawanu'gi, who in ancient times, prob- 

 ably as early as 1680, removed from Savannah (i. e., Shawano) river, 

 in South Carolina, and occupied the Cumljerland river region in mid- 

 dle Tennessee and Kentucky, from which they were afterward driven 

 by the superior force of the southern tribes and compelled to take ref- 

 uge north of the Ohio. On all old niajis we find the Cumberland 



