56 MYTHS OF THE IROQUOIS. 



On one occasion in the ancient time three warriors set out on an ex- 

 pedition. When they were far distant from their own land, one of them 

 had the misfortune to break his leg. By the Indian law it became the 

 duty of the others to convey their injured comrade back to his home. 

 They formed a rude litter, and, laying him upon it, bore him for some 

 distance. 



At length they came to a ridge of mountains. The way was hard and 

 the exertion severe. To rest themselves, thoy placed their burden on 

 the ground. They withdrew to a little distance and took evil counsel 

 together. There was a deep hole, or pit, opening into the ridge of the 

 mountain at a little distance from the place where I hey were sitting. 

 Eeturuing to the litter, they took up their helpless load, carried him 

 near the brink of the pit, and suddenly hurled him in. Then they set 

 off rapidly for their own countiy. When they arrived they reported 

 that he had died of wounds received in fight. Great was the grief of 

 his mother, a widow, whose only support he had been. To soothe her 

 feelings they told her that her son had not fallen into the enemy's bauds. 

 They had rescued him, they said, from that fate, had carefully tended 

 him in his last hours, and had given his remains a becoming burial. 



They little imagined that he was still alive. When he was thrown down 

 by his treacherous comrades he lay for some time insensible at the bot- 

 tom of the pit. When he recovered his senses, he observed an old gray- 

 headed man seated near him, crouching into a cavity on one side of the 

 pit. " Ah, my son," said the old man, " what have your friends done to 

 you ? " " They have thrown me here to die, I suppose," he replied, with 

 true Indian stoicism. "You shall not die," said the old man, "if you 

 will promise to do what I require of you in return for saving you." 

 " What is that?" asked the youth. " Only that when you recover you 

 will remain here and hunt for me and bring me the game you kill." The 

 young warrior i-eadily promised, and the old man applied herbs to his 

 wound and attended him skillfully until he recovered. This happened 

 in the autumn. All through the winter the youth hunted in the service of 

 the old man, who told him that whenever he killed any game too large 

 for one man to carry, he would come himself and help to convey it to 

 the pit, iu which they continued to reside. When the spring arrived, 

 bringing melting snows and frequent showers, he continued his pursuit 

 of the game, though with more difficulty. One day Le encountered an 

 enormous bear, which he was lucky enough to kill. As he stooped to 

 feel its fatness and judge of its weight, he heard a murmur of voices 

 behind him. He had not imagined that any human beings would find 

 their way to that lonely region at that time of the year. Astonished, 

 he turned and saw tbree men, or figures iu tiie shape of men, clad in 

 strange cloud-like garments, standing near him. "Who are you '?" he 

 asked. In reply they informed him that tljey were the Thunderers 

 (Hi-nu"). They told him that their mission was to keep the earth and 

 everything upon it in good order for the benefit of the human race. If 



