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They shot arrows at it. Although the partridge was shot at, it flew 
up. Close by it settled again. So the children chased it hard. Presently, 
when he had drawn them off a long ways, suddenly he flew up. There 
where he had left his comrade, he came down. He turned back into a 
child. Then they followed those children’s tracks. It was almost night. 
When those children were coming home, they began meeting them one after 
another. The children pushed them over and blocked their way. They 
were in the rear; for at every point the others pushed them over. When- 
ever they tried to get on their feet, others pushed them over, until they were 
in the rear. When night came on, they saw an old woman’s little tent, a tipi 
of old bits of leather. 
“This is our grandmother’s dwelling, Partridge-Claw. Let us go in. 
Let us sleep here. We cannot get home today,” they said. 
“Very well,” said the bashful one. 
Then, as they entered, “Hey, grandmother! Let us play with our 
throwing-sticks here by your doorway!” 
“Yes, my grandchildren!” she said to them. 
Then they continued to play there with their throwing-sticks. At 
last, when it was dark, they ceased. 
Meanwhile those girls yonder, who had not gone to sleep, looked at 
those two arrows. The things were moving. The girls watched them. 
And the boys off there, “Hey, my grandchildren, now I am sleepy. 
Go and sleep now. Go home. I am sleepy.” 
Then the pi'attler said to her, “Grandmother, there will not be any 
place for us to sleep.” 
Off back yonder that old couple was already asleep. And as those girls 
picked up the arrows which were moving, suddenly they heard someone 
speak, as if those arrows were speaking, W’hatever the owner of the 
arrow said, he spoke in the arrow there. 
“Big sister, this is great, come here! Let us listen to my brother-in- 
law and to your brother-in-law and hear what they say!” 
So now, whatever those arrows said, the others w^ere saying. And 
they listened to them, though they were far away. 
And when that old woman had thus spoken to her grandchildren, 
“Grandmother, we never stay anywhere with people, but pay at most 
a little visit here and there. How is it, grandmother, that you do not eat?” 
he asked his grandmother. 
“Alas, grandchild mine, no one at all eats here, for here is a famine. 
But surely you know this. I shall befriend my grandchildren. My grand- 
sons, use this to sleep on,” and she tossed them her sleeping-mat, for them 
to sleep on. 
“Well, grandmother, but this Partridge-Claw here has come to give 
you food!” they said to her, and gave her pieces of dried and of fat meat. 
“Thank you, my grandsons. Now, the chief here, concerning his 
daughter, Tf anyone kills game for my town here, him I shall take for my 
son-in-law,’ he has said, but, though from time to time one or another 
kills a deer, yet the people do not get enough to go round. It is too little, 
what with the great number of them,” said the old woman; “Now, grand- 
son, I want to lie down. Now I shall be able to eat,” said the old woman. 
The girls off yonder had gone to sleep. They held the arrows in their 
hands. When the things spoke, they listened to their husbands. 
