THE CONSTITUTION OF THE FIVE NATIONS II7 \ 



A 'little girl saw the smoke of the campfire and went out into 

 the field. She went close to the shelter house and listened to what 

 Hayentwatha said. Then she returned and told her father what 

 she had seen. He then sent two men to invite Hayentwatha to the 

 village. 



Hayentwatha did not reply to them but with his head bowed 

 before his fire he said aloud to himself, " These people should know 

 that every invitation should be confirmed by a string of shells such 

 as hang before me; they should give me a strand (a^^-na-tcik')." 



The men returned to their chief and told what they had heard. 

 Then he ordered them to string up some beads of large porcupine 

 quills and carry them to the stranger to become words of invitation. 

 This they did and Hayentwatha said, " It is now right." 



The warriors who came with the two messengers returned to 

 the village and after smoking his pipe Hayentwatha went to the 

 village with the two guides. At the settlement the council was in 

 session and Hayentwatha was invited to sit on one side of the 

 fire. The discussion was a spirited one and none of the head men 

 could agree on any question. During the debate a great man came 

 in. The room was crowded and the head man who had invited 

 Hayentwatha arose and gave his place to the great man. The de- 

 bate continued and Hayentwatha silently departed, angry at the 

 .slight he had received. In the council room the debate was as de- 

 void of result as before when the head man arose and said, " I have 

 staying with me a friend. He is a stranger and I 'do not know from 

 whence he came. Perhaps he can settle our dispute." 



Then everyone looked for the stranger but Hayentwatha was not 

 there. The head man could not find him. So then the head man 

 said, " I think I have made a great mistake. He must have been a 

 great man and I have offended him. He has magically disap- 

 peared." 



So the man who was able to settle the quarrel of the people was 

 not there. 



When Hayentwatha left the council he journeyed on to the out- 

 skirts of another settlement and made a camp. Here he com- 

 manded his two guardian birds to come to him. Their names were 

 Ha'-goks'' and Skadjie'na.^ He said, " Go and see if smoke arises 

 from any settlement." 



Then the birds arose and when they returned they said, " Smoke 

 arises from the Oneida villages." 



1 Said by some informants to have been two human messengers bearing 

 ihese names and not actually birds. 



