_Cherokee_
Once a hunter in the mountains heard a noise at night like a rushing
wind. He went outside his tepee, and found an eagle was sitting on the
drying pole, feasting at the deer he had shot. So he shot the eagle.
The next morning the hunter took the deer back to the village. He told
how he had shot the deer and then the eagle. Therefore the chief sent
out men to bring in the eagle, and have an Eagle dance.
That night when they were dancing, there was a _whoop_ outside. A
strange warrior walked into the circle. He was not of that village.
They thought he had come from one of the other Cherokee villages.
This warrior told how he had killed a man. At the end of the story, he
yelled, "_Hi!_" One of the men with rattles, who was leading the
dance, fell dead. The stranger sang of another deed. At the end he
yelled, "_Hi!_" Another rattler fell dead. The people were frightened.
But the stranger sang of another great deed. Then again he yelled,
"_Hi!_" Again a man with the rattles fell dead. So all seven men who
had rattles and who were leading the dance fell dead. And the people
were too frightened to leave the lodge where they were dancing.
Then the stranger vanished into the darkness. Long after they learned
that the stranger was the brother of the eagle that had been killed.