IROQUOIS MYTHS AND LEGENDS 



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and return not for many days, and on her return some calamity 

 would befall the people. She often spoke of her home " in the 

 far distant place " where at one time she was content and happy, 

 but had never invited any of her friends to visit this place of 

 her peace. 



For days, weeks and months the strange disappearances con- 

 tinued; no person knew where, no person saw her when she 

 traveled away, and her coming was silent as night. 



The beauty and grace of Gwi-yee had attracted the wooing of 

 many a brave young chief, and there had been combats of rivalry, 

 but Gwi-yee, who seemed timid and unwilling, was wary of men, 

 yet should one of them slight her, some evil befell him. If in 

 his sorrow, one should plead when she disdainfully rejected him, 

 disaster would come upon him, or some member of his family. 

 A favorite with them all, who would suspect her haunting evil ! 



There was one, a proud young warrior who, as sign of the marry- 

 ing sent her gifts. Tenderly she unbound them one by one, and 

 the human that will dawn to each heart was teaching its lesson 

 when, among the choice gifts of the hunt she saw a great bearskin. 

 " He has killed my brother! "she sighed, " no more shall he cross 

 my path." Death for death she vowed, and the young warrior 

 returned no more to her lodge, and no more returned to his people! 



Gwi-yee was the most joyous at the feast and most free at the 

 dance, yet when she had departed there was a grim silence that 

 no one could solve, a haunting fear which none could explain; and 

 the mystery grew, hovering above the people. 



Yet Gwi-yee, always kind, was ever willing to bear their burdens. 

 Gwi-yee shared her lodge with the homeless and her food with the 

 needy; yet she would suddenly vanish, no one could follow her, 

 no one could question her. 



During one of her disappearances a bear was seen in the forest, 

 and several of the young warriors followed its tracks in the snow 

 to a certain spot where the tracks disappeared, and in their place 

 the print of a woman's moccasin led them to the village. Puzzling 

 and strange was this! At another time, a bear track circled all 

 round the snow-covered maize land, and beside it was the footprint 

 of a huge bird, both nearing the lodge of O-gas-hah where they 

 vanished, and in their place the light stepfall of a woman sunk 

 in the snow path that led to the door. Who was within? O-gas- 

 hah, crooning her child song and Gwi-yee, just returned from her 

 far distant home, and the snow was fast melting from her moccasins! 



Thus the mystery grew around Gwi-yee, and as the night that 



