256 THE AMERICAN MOOSE 



are not well defined in the myths. It would per- 

 haps be difficult to describe creatures, having 

 hoofs instead of hands, who could play a game 

 with plum stones, and beat their vanquished 

 opponents with sticks. 



The chief of the Elk people welcomed Manabush, 

 and gave him his daughter in marriage. The 

 people of the two villages were great gamblers, 

 and the Elks were usually the losers. As the 

 myth relates, each game ended with the victors 

 beating the losers with sticks and clubs, and driving 

 them home to their own village. With the arrival 

 of Manabush a new series of games, and tests of 

 strength and skill, were undertaken. The hero, 

 by his own prowess, and by the secret aid of 

 the Wolf, and by other expedients which would 

 never do in a gentlemen's game, was uniformly 

 successful as a gambler and as an athlete, and the 

 Moose at the close of each contest were clubbed 

 back to their village. 



Manabush was finally tempted to exhaust his 

 supply of arrows, and his own strength as well, 

 in killing a large number of moose which craftily 

 filed past his wigwam. The slaughtered moose 

 then restored themselves to life and proceeded to 

 kill the exhausted hunter, and chop him in pieces 

 to devour him. 



