Page:Myths of the Iroquois.djvu/66

100 center of this clearing stood a large hemlock tree, into which she climbed, and made herself and child as comfortable as she could. Soon after ascending the tree she heard approaching voices, one of wbich said, "We might as well stay here as to go further." They were hunters, heavily laden with skins, meat, &c. During the night one of them said, " My thumb is painful ; what shall I say bit me f " The woman heard the answer: " Say a beaver bit you.''

In the early dawn the men departed and the woman began to make her way down the tree, but fehe saw one of the party returning, so she remained until he, finding his bow, again started homeward. When all were out of sight she brought her child down, and, taking again the course parallel to the trail, she hurried onward during the day and reached home just at twilight. When once home she related what had happened to herself, child, and husband, to her many friends who se- creted her, and made preparations to have the matter investigated. The head chief was informed, and he sent out "runners" to all the mem- bers of the tribe to call them to a general council.

When the time for all to assemble had come, none but the hunters were absent, and they came after repeated and persistent requests to be present. When they did come the head chief said, "We have come to congratulate you in that you have prospered and been preserved from harm. Kow, relate to us all th6 things that have happened to you and tell why you have returned without the other party." The hunters refused to tell anything about their affairs and pretended to know noth- ing about the other party.

The head chief, after severely cross-examining them, ordered that the woman be brought forth to tell her story. When she had finished her narrative of facts, as stated above, she told that one of them had his thumb bitten, explaining that he was bitten by her husband in defending himself against these robbers, who took from her murdered husband the skins and the meats which they had brought home. Hereupon the head chief gravely said to the waiting and impatient warriors, " Go, do your duty ;" and they, with their war-clubs and tomahawks, soon put to death the wicked hunters. {{c|MRS. Logan's story. } An old man and his little nephew once lived in a dark woods. One day the man went hunting, and just before leaving told the boy he must not go eastward. But the boy became tired of playing in one place, and was one day tempted to go in the forbidden direction until he came to a large lake, where he stopped to play. While thus en- gaged a man came up to him and said, " Well, boy, where do you come from f " The boy told him that he came from the woods. Then the man