Note 411 — SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS

The young man got ready and went on. When he reached the pathway he saw that all the tracks indicated that these persons were going eastward. He continued his journey along the path in the same direction. Suddenly he saw ahead of him a man, who was very old in appearance and very, very small in size. Just before overtaking him the young man decided that this must be Sʻhodieʹoⁿskoⁿʼ, who was in tatters. When the young man came up with him, the small man exclaimed; “Oh, my nephew! you have overtaken me, so now you and I will go on together. For all are going in pairs. All those who are going to the place where the Hawks (?), perched on the woman’s tree, forthtell for her. I shall follow you, as you can go so much faster than I.” Then Oñgweʻ Hañgesʹʻhäʼ answered: “It is impossible for me to agree to that proposition. You yourself take the lead, because I am fleeter than are you.” The only reply the old man made was, Wuʻʹ, and then they two went on with the old man in the lead. All at once he began to run. Hohoʻʹ, he ran on ahead. He kept on for a long distance, and then suddenly he turned aside into the forest. In a short time he began calling, “Hō! come hither, my nephew. I have treed a fisher here, and you must get its skin for me. Come, come!” he kept on saying; “you must shoot it, too, and this is a good place to stand when you are about to shoot at it. Come on, come on!” he kept on saying. Finally, the young man said, “I will shoot it.” Then he went thither and shot at it, striking it fairly through the heart, and with the arrow still sticking into it the fisher fell dead to the ground. The old man exclaimed, “Come on! Come this way. I forbear touching your arrow.” Then Oñgweʻ Hañgesʹʻhäʼ said, “My arrow has lost its orenda (magic power).” Overhearing this remark, the old man said, “Wuʻʹ. One would think perhaps that he is a sorcerer,” and he then drew out the arrow from the dead fisher, and carried it to his companion, saying, “I am free from (magical) taint, you know, and so I can not de-magic-ize411 your arrow. Here, take it!”