THE ROEBUCK HUNT

AN IROQUOIS STORY

AN old man lived in a cabin with his grandson, who was twenty years old. They were the last survivors of a nation exterminated by the sorceresses.

The young man was a good hunter, but he had one great trouble: his grandfather forbade his hunting the roebuck, without giving him any reason for this interdiction. One day, returning from the hunt sooner than usual, the young man surprised his grandfather making soup of some bones. Being questioned very narrowly on the subject, the old man told the following story:—

“These bones that you have seen are the bones of a roebuck. When you were born, our nation was numerous and powerful. But unfortunately there were some young people who would not obey their chiefs. These young people became more and more insolent, and were imitated by others. The Lord of life became angry and sent the sorceresses to destroy the cabins: you see that ours is the only one now remaining. Our warriors were all killed or made prisoners. You were very small then; I carried you away with me, far away, to a nation allied to ours—a fortunate journey which saved our lives, or at least spared us from slavery. But what do I say? Are we free? Alas! no, for the sorceresses allowed us to live only on condition that we should never hunt the roebuck, and never eat his flesh. The wolves have devoured a roebuck, I gathered up the remains, these few naked bones; I could not resist the desire to taste some soup made of the bones and to eat the marrow of them.”

Hearing this story, the young man became very angry with the sorceresses, and resolved to find them and punish them. His grandfather then said to him.

“Since you are determined to go, listen to me. You will be obliged to go through a forest at the end of which there is a place where there are a great many wolves; throw to them the game you kill by the way, and you will then be able to catch them. Soon after, you will come to the country of the sorceresses; then, especially, you must be very cautious. Take care not to touch a single ear when you come to their field of Indian corn; or else immediately they will surprise you, and you will be lost.”

The young man took leave of the old man, promising to follow his instructions. All went well till just when he went to the sorceresses’ corn-field. The ripe ears made him covetous, and he had just put out his hand when suddenly he heard some one whisper in his ear to go along quietly and not touch a single ear. He had only gone a few steps when he saw a skeleton leaning against the enclosure of the field, as if put there to scare away the birds. It was one of the victims of the sorceresses and the young warrior’s paternal uncle. He recognized his nephew and called him by his name.

The latter coming up to him, his skeleton uncle told him everything that he would have to do when he went into the presence of the sorceresses. Furnished with these instructions, he arrived at the dwelling of the sorceresses. He was well received, and they contended as to who should bring him his pottage. The skeleton had told him this beforehand; “Each sorceress,” he told him, “will bring you a plate of corn boiled with meat; do not accept it, for if you do you make a fatal engagement with them. Only one, the youngest of them, will not invite you to eat out of her plate, and hers is really the corn and meat of which you must partake: you must put the spoon in boldly; she will give you a sweet smile, and by this you will be married. Meanwhile the other sorceresses will wish to kill you, but your young wife will know very well how to take care of you: you have only to follow our counsels.”

Everything happened as he said.

When evening came, the young sorceress said to her husband,—

“The great old woman will come to-night to kill you; but do not be afraid, I will waken you in time.”

Sure enough, about midnight the great old woman came suddenly to the bedside of the newly married pair, but, surprised at finding them awake, she went away without having been able to execute her design. At dawn of day the husband and wife arose, and the wife said to her husband,—

“Go find your uncle; he has something to tell you,” and he went to him immediately.

“My nephew,” said the skeleton to him, “what you must do now is to seize upon the bag which is in the chamber of the great old woman.”

It was an enchanted bag which had shut up in it all the secrets of sorcery, and he would have been entirely unable to take it away without the aid of his wife, who showed him how to do it, and procured him the assistance of a rat that helped him by cutting the string of the bag with its teeth. As soon as this was done, the sorceresses uttered cries of rage and despair. What did they see? Roebucks running here and there in their cornfield; and ducks, each wearing a heart around his neck. It was all over with the sorceresses; the newly married husband, instructed by his wife, took the hearts, one after the other, and broke them. They were the hearts of the sorceresses. The vengeance was complete; but there was one more thing still to be done,—they must free the prisoners. These numerous herds of roebucks wandering about the country are a sign of good fortune.

“Do you see that tree near the lake?” said the wife to her husband; “you must cut it down so that it will fall across the lake and serve as a bridge.”

No sooner said than done; thousands of warriors rose up at once and thanked their deliverer. Then began a triumphal march to their own country; the emblem of the nation was erected, the recaptured roebuck should be the family token of the children that should be born to the young couple.

Ten days had scarcely passed since the grandfather and his grandson had parted. Five days, thanks to the skill of the young sorceress, was enough for the journey home. The joy of the old man on seeing his grandson again and hearing the story of his adventures, can scarcely be imagined. And the nation arose from its ruins and became more powerful than before.

J. A. Cuoq.