65ft LIFE Off TS$ MISSISSIPPI.
others, as quick as possible, cut him into very small pieces, which they then
scattered in every direction. While thus employed, happening to look
around where they had thrown the meat, wonderful to behold, they saw
starting up and running off in every direction small black bears, suet
as are seen at the present day. The country was soon overspread with
these black animals. And it was from this monster that the present race
of bears derived their origin.
Having thus overcome their pursuer, they returned to the lodge. In
the meantime, the woman, gathering the implements she had used, and the
head, placed them again in the sack. But the head did not speak again,
probably from its great exertion to overcome the monster.
Having spent so much time and traversed so vast a country in their
flight, the young men gave up the idea of ever returning to their own
country, and game being plenty, they determined to remain where they
now were. One day they moved off some distance from the lodge for the
purpose of hunting, having left the wampum with the woman. They were
very successful, and amused themselves, as all young men do wnen alone,
by talking and jesting with each other. One of them spoke and said, * We
have all this sport to ourselves; let us go and ask our sister if she will not
let us bring the head to this place, as it is still alive. It may be pleased to
hear us talk, and be in our company. In the meantime take food to our
sister.* They went and requested the head. She told them to take it, and
they took it to their hunting-grounds, and tried to amuse it, but only at
times did they see its eyes beam with pleasure. One day, while busy in
their encampment, they were unexpectedly attacked by unkaown Indians.
The skirmish was long contested and bloody; many of their foes were
slain, but still they were thirty to one. The young men fo'ught desperately
till they were all killed. Tlie attacking party then retreated to a height of
ground, to muster their men, and to count the number of missing and
slain. One of their young men had stayed away, and, in endeavouring to
overtake them, came to the place where the head was hung up. Seeing
that alone retain animation, he eyed it for some time with fear and sur-
prise. However, he took it down and opened the sack, and was much
pleased to see the beautiful feathers, one of which he placed on his head.
Starting off, it waved gracefully over him till he reached his party,
when he threw down the head and sack, and told them how he bad found
it, and that the sack was full of paints and feathers. They all looked at
the head and made sport of it. Numbers of the young men took the paint
and painted themselves, and one of the party took the head by the hair and
id—
* Look, you ugly thing, and see your paints on the faces of warriors.1
Bat the feathers were so beautiful, that numbers of them also placed