EARLY-MORNING-DEER-SLAYER. 229 
34. EARLY-MORNING-DEER-SLAYER, WHO OVERCAME THE ELK.* 
At one time there were five villages all in a line towards the west, 
and in the last of these villages, toward the east, there lived with his 
mother and sister a chief ‘by the name of EFarly-Morning-Deer-Slayer. 
He was what we know as Mountain-Lion (Woxis). He was a great 
warrior and hunter and killed all kinds of game, especially deer. He 
‘also had great powers and was a famous man. He was liked by every- 
body in his village, and parties of men visited him to talk about things 
that happened in those days. During the daytime he went out killing 
game; and once in a while he went out on an expedition against 
enemies, and on his return to the village people would gather around 
his place with all kinds of victory songs and would rejoice over his 
heroic acts. One time he found out that something was going to take 
his life. This troubled him so that he stayed in bed all the time, and 
when men came to spend a part of the night with him he would not 
get up. This caused great excitement among his people, and they won- 
dered why he was acting this way. Every night men would visit his 
place, but they would have to spend their time with his father, then 
retire without seeing Early-Morning-Deer-Slayer, so that they ceased 
to come. His sister asked him the reason for his actions. In reply he 
said that it had come to his mind that some one was going to carry him 
off and kill him. 
One day, in one of the villages toward the west, was seen a power- 
ful animal going toward the east. The animal entered one of the vil- 
lages, and the people shot at ‘him with arrows. After hitting this 
animal, the arrows dropped off, and the animal went on to the next 
place. The people shot at the animal with their arrows as the people 
did in the first village, but the animal went through without being ‘hurt. 
The animal went on to the third village without being hurt, then on to 
the fourth village, passing unharmed, until he was seen entering at the 
last village. At this time, Early-Morning-Deer-Slayer got up and took 
his bow and arrows. He always had four arrows, two painted red, and 
the other two painted black. He went out and met his enemy, and shot 
him with one of his black arrows. Failing to send his arrow through 
the animal, he took the other black one, but this one also failed to harm 
the animal. He then used the red painted arrows, but these too failed 
to injure the animal. This animal was an Elk, and was above all the 
deers. Because Early-Morning-Deer-Slayer was a great hand to kill 
game, such as deer, he was attacked by this animal. After losing his 
*Told by Ahahe (Waco), 
