CHAPTER II. 



PIGMIES. 



Another creation of the fertile Indian fancy consists of the race of 

 pigmies, Lilliputian in size, but mighty in skill and deed. They carved 

 out the beauties of rock, clifl", and cave, but also, like Hinu°, they were 

 endowed with the mightier power of destroying the monster animals 

 which endangered the life of man. Cliff, rock, and grotto attested the 

 skill of that departed race, and the exhumed bones of giant animals 

 bore as perfect witness to the truth of their existence as did the " Homo 

 dUuviae testis" of a century ago to the truth of the story of the deluge. 



THE WARRIOR SAVED BY PIGMIES 



It was customary for the Iroquois tribes to make raids upon the 

 Cherokees while the latter inhabited the swamps of Florida. 



One of these raiding parties had been away from home about two 

 years, and on the verj' evening of the journey homeward one of its 

 number was taken quite ill. After a long consultation (the man con- 

 tinuing to grow worse), the party concluded to leave him, and when 

 they had reached one of the rivers of the Alleghany Mountains they 

 abandoned him on the shore. After their arrival at home the warriors 

 were questioned in regard to the missing war-chief. In reply, they 

 said that they did not exactly know what had become of him, and 

 that he must have been lost or killed in the "Southern country." 



During the night the sick chief lying on the bank heard the soft 

 sounds of a canoe's approach, and saw three male pigmies landing hur- 

 riedly. Finding him, they bade him to lie there until they returned, 

 as they were going to a neighboring "salt-lick" where many strange 

 animals watered, and where they were to watch for some of them to 

 come up out of the earth. 



Eeaching the place the pigmies found that the animals had not come 

 out from the ground. They hid themselves and soon saw a male 

 buffalo approach. The beast looked around and began to drink, and 

 immediately two buffalo cows arose out of the lick. 



The three animals, after quenching their thirst, lay down upon the 

 bank. 



The pigmies seeing that the animals were becoming restless and 

 uneasy, concluded wisely to shoot them, and succeeded in killing the 

 two buffalo cows. 



They returned to the man and told him that they would care for him. 

 5£ 65 



