44 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Many days Gun-no-do-yah had visited the lake 

 and frequently had aimed at the monster floating on 

 the water, but only to waste his arrows in the foam 

 of its trail as it vanished. But one night when the 

 Thunderers were savagely hurling their bolts over 

 the lake which the clouds obscured in their black- 

 ness, and the fish swam deep in fear of the rever- 

 berating echoes, Gun-no-do-yah went boldly into the 

 lake, and encountering the snake again drew his 

 bow, when the snake beckoned to him to come 

 closer and listen; and then it began to speak. " Come 

 closer," it said, " and fear me not. I know you 

 well, and I know your strong arrows; they can not 

 reach me. He-no, your master, I fear not; I scorn his 

 thunder, the lightning passes by me. Your task is 

 useless and you need not serve him. I am your 

 friend and will teach you how to shoot the fish in 

 the night. I will reveal to you all the secrets of the 

 waters. Come with me, I will guide you to my home 

 in the rocks deep below which the sun never sees. 

 Come and comb my long mane, it is tangled with 

 fish and is heavy." 



Gun-no-do-yah would not listen, he came to kill; 

 but as he drew his bow with all his strength, the 

 string snapped, the dead arrow fell to the water, and 

 he was powerless. Raising its head high in the air, 

 the monster opened its hissing mouth, and seizing 

 Gun-no-do-yah, carried him down to the bottom of 

 the lake. 



He-no was sleeping, when Gun-no-do-yah appeared 

 to him in a dream and related his misfortune, that 

 he had found the snake monster in the lake Ontario 

 and that it had devoured him. 



The dream caused He-no great anguish, and he 

 determined to rescue Gun-no-do-yah ; so hastily sum- 

 moning his bravest warriors and relating to them the 

 fate that had overtaken him, he sent them to 

 earth to plough through the lake. Diligently they 

 ploughed through the deep caves under the water, 

 where they found the monster sleeping; and drawing 

 it from its hiding place carried it to He-no, who slew- 

 it and drew from its body the still living Gun-no- 



The Horned 

 Serpent 



