So they departed. Big Turtle made leggings with large flaps. He tied
short garters around them. He rubbed earth on his face and he reddened
it. He wore grass around his head. He put white feathers on top of his
head. He took his gourd rattle thus. He rattled it. He sang the song
of the war chief:
"Big Turtle is coming back from touching the foe, it is said, you
say. He is coming back from touching."
He walked, stepping very lively in the dance. He walked around them.
As they went, it was day.
At length a young Buffalo Bull came. "Warriors, wait for him," said
Big Turtle.
He said to Buffalo Bull, "While I walk on a journey, I am in a great
hurry. Speak rapidly. Why are you walking?"
"Yes, war chief, it is so. As they have told of you while you have
been walking, I thought that I would walk there with you, and I have
sought you," said Buffalo Bull.
"Do so," said Big Turtle. "I wish to see your movements."
Buffalo Bull rolled himself back and forth. He arose suddenly. He
thrust repeatedly at the ground with his horns. He pierced the ground
and threw pieces away suddenly. He stood with his tail in the air and
its tip bent downward. An ash tree stood there. He rushed on it.
Pushing against it, he sent it flying through the air to a great
distance.
"O war chief, I think I will do that, if they speak of vexing me," he
said.
"Look at the persons with whom I am traveling. There are none who are
faint-hearted in the least degree. You are not at all like them. You
have disappointed me. Come, begone," said Big Turtle.
Again Big Turtle sang the song. "Big Turtle is coming back from
touching the foe, it is said, you say. He is coming back from
touching," said he.
Again they departed. "Warriors, pass on!" said he.
There before them lay a stream, which was not small. They crossed it.
Firebrand was ahead, walking with a great effort. At length, because
he was weary, he plunged into the water and was extinguished.
"O war chief, I am not going beyond here with you," he said.
"Remain here for a while," said Big Turtle.
Having reached the other side, they departed. At length a Puma came.
"Warriors, wait for him. I suspect what he will say. Stand in a row,"
said he. "Speak quickly," he said, addressing Puma.
"Yes, O war chief," said Puma. "It was told of you regularly, saying
you walked on a journey. And there I wish to walk, so I have sought
you."
"Yes?" said Big Turtle. "Let me see your ways."
Puma made his hair bristle up all over his body. He bent his tail
backward and upward. He went leaping to the bottom of a small hill.
Having caught by the throat a fawn, about two years old, he came
back, making it cry out as he held it in his teeth.
"I think I will do that, O war chief, if anything threatens to vex
me," he said.
"Do something else," said Big Turtle.
"No, O war chief; that is all," said Puma.
"You have disappointed me," said Big Turtle. "Look at these persons
with whom I am. Where is one who is imperfect? You are very inferior.
Come, depart. You have disappointed me."
They departed. At length when they reached the foot of a hill, Black
Bear came.
"O war chief, again one has come," said the warriors.
"I suspect what he will say, warriors. Wait for him. Stand in a row,"
said Big Turtle. "Ho," he said, addressing Black Bear. "Come, speak
quickly. What is your business? When I walk on a journey, I am in a
great hurry," said Big Turtle.
"Yes, O warrior, it is so. It was told of you regularly that you
walked on a journey. And as I desired to walk there, I have sought you
diligently," said Black Bear.
"Ho! Do something," said Big Turtle. "You may have thought how you
would do it. I wish to see your ways."
Black Bear pierced the ground with his claws, and threw lumps of
earth to a great distance. And there stood an oak tree which had been
blackened by fire. He attacked it. Having hugged it, he threw it with
force to a great distance.
"O war chief, if anything vexes me, I think I will do that," said
Black Bear.
Big Turtle said, "Ho! warrior, you have disappointed me. These persons
with whom I am--look at them. There is none who is faint-hearted in
the least degree. You have disappointed me. Come, depart. Thus do I
regularly send off the inferior ones."
They went into a dense undergrowth. At length Buffalo Bladder was torn
open, making the sound, "_Qu´e._" "Alas! I am not going beyond with
you," said he.
"Ho, warrior. I will come back very soon. Remain here for a while,"
said Big Turtle.
Again they departed. As they went, they reached a bad path. Very high
logs were lying across it. Redbreasted Turtle failed to step over
them.
"Ho, O war chief," he said. "I am not going beyond here with you."
"Ho, warrior. I will come again very soon. Remain here for a while,"
said Big Turtle.
Again they departed. As they went, behold, a Big Wolf came.
"O war chief, again one has come," said they.
"I suspect what he will say, warriors. Wait for him. Stand in a row,"
said Big Turtle.
"Ho," he said, addressing Wolf, "Come, speak quickly, whatever may be
your business. When I walk on a journey, I am in a very great hurry."
"Yes, O war chief. It is so. It was told of you regularly, saying that
you walked on a journey; and as I desired to walk there, I have sought
you," said Wolf.
"Ho! Show me what you can do," said Big Turtle. "You may have been
thinking about it. I wish to see your ways."
Wolf decorated himself. He reddened his nose; he reddened all his
feet. He tied eagle feathers to his back.
"Well, do so. Do so. I wish to see your ways," said Big Turtle.
Wolf turned himself round and round. He went to the attack by the wood
on a small creek. He killed a deer. He brought it back, holding it
with his teeth.
"O war chief, I think I will do that, if anything vexes me," said
Wolf.
"You have disappointed me," said Big Turtle. "See these people with
whom I travel. There is none who is faint-hearted in the least
degree. Come, depart. Thus do I regularly send off the inferior ones.
"Warrior Gray Squirrel, go as a scout," said Big Turtle. Gray Squirrel
went as a scout. At length he was coming back, blowing a horn.
"Ho, war chief, he is coming back to you," they said. Big Turtle went
there. "Ho, warrior. Act very honestly. Tell me just how it is," said
Big Turtle.
"Yes, O war chief, it is just so. I have been there without their
finding me out at all," said he.
"Let us sit at the very boundary of their camp," said Big Turtle. He
spoke of going. "Warriors, I will look around to see how things are,
and how many persons there may be there," he said.
He came back. "Warriors, let us go in that direction. This far is a
good place for sitting," he said. So they moved forward. Then he said,
"O war chief Corn Crusher, go to the end lodge of the village before
us, and sit on the outside."
Corn Crusher did so. A woman came out of the lodge. When she saw him,
she said, "Oh! Heretofore have I desired mush. I have found for myself
an excellent corn crusher." But when she pounded on the corn with it,
she hurt her hand. Then she threw it out. "Bad Corn Crusher!" she
said.
He came back to Big Turtle, who was near. "He whom you call 'Corn
Crusher' has come back," he said, "having killed one right at the
lodge."
Big Turtle said, "O war chief Comb, make an attempt. Sit in the door
of the lodge where Corn Crusher sat."
Comb did so. He was very handsome. Then a woman came out of the lodge.
She found Comb. "Heretofore I have been without a comb. I have found a
good comb for myself," she said. Very soon she combed her hair with
it. Comb pulled out all the hair on one side by the roots.
She said, "A very bad comb, but I thought it was good." She threw him
away at the door. Then he went back. He went back with the hair he had
pulled out.
"He whom you call 'Comb,'" he said, "has come back, having snatched
all the hair from one at the lodge."
"Good!" said Turtle. "O war chief, when we reach home, we shall cause
the women to dance."
Then Big Turtle said, "O war chief Awl, make an attempt. Go sit in the
door of the lodge where war chief Comb sat."
Awl was very handsome. He was very good to look at. He sat in the door
of the lodge. A woman passing out, found him. "Oh! I have found a good
awl for myself," she said. "Heretofore I have had no awl. It makes me
thankful." She went back to the lodge with him. She spoke of sewing
her moccasins with him. "I will sew my moccasins with it," she said.
She sewed them. She pierced her fingers with him. She missed in
pushing him, sending him with force. There was much blood from her
fingers. She threw him away at the door. "The awl is indeed bad. I
have indeed hurt myself. I have wounded myself badly." She threw him
far out from the door, sending him homeward.
"He whom you have called 'Awl,' O war chief," he reported, returning
to Big Turtle. "I stabbed one right at the lodge; I killed her." He
returned with his spear very bloody.
"O war chief," said the others to Big Turtle. "Awl is coming back,
telling his own name. He has killed one."
Big Turtle said, "Ho! O war chief. You make me thankful. Since it is
you, I will blacken my face. The village shall be joyful. Ho! O
Pestle, make an attempt. You will lie in the door of the lodge where
Awl lay."
Now Pestle was very handsome. Then he arrived there. He lay where he
was commanded to lie. A woman went out and found Pestle. "Oh! I have
found a very good pestle for myself. I had no pestle heretofore," she
said.
She took him back to the lodge. She took some corn. She filled the
mortar and pounded the corn. She beat it fine. She thrust Pestle
beyond, right on her knee. She missed the mark in pushing, sending him
with force, and so she struck him on her knee.
"_Oh!_ A very bad pestle," she said. She threw him outside, sending
him homeward suddenly.
"You have been used to saying 'Pestle.' He is coming, having stabbed
one right at the lodge. He has killed one," said Pestle, returning. He
reached Big Turtle again. "O war chief, I have killed one."
"You make me thankful," said Big Turtle. "Ho! warrior Gray Squirrel,
make an attempt."
"O war chief, how can I do anything?" said Gray Squirrel. Now the
lodges were placed among the trees.
"You will pass along the trees above the smoke holes of the lodges. If
they find you, they will shoot at you. Do your best. Do your best to
evade the blows or arrows. If one goes aside, rush on him," said Big
Turtle.
At length a boy found Gray Squirrel. "This moving one is a gray
squirrel," he said. They went in a great uproar. They shot at him.
They even hit him with sticks. One boy stood aside. Gray Squirrel
attacked him and bit him. They said, "Wonderful! Heretofore the gray
squirrel has been very easy to approach, but we have failed. He has
bitten us; we have done nothing to him," they said.
"He whom you used to call 'Gray Squirrel' is coming back, having
killed one right among them," he called. He told it to Big Turtle.
"Ho! real warrior, act very honestly," said Big Turtle.
"O war chief, it is just so. I have killed one," said he.
"Ho! warrior, you make me thankful," said Big Turtle.
"Ho! warriors," said Big Turtle again. "I, even I, will make a trial.
I shall not come back for some time. Beware lest you go homeward.
Beware lest you leave me and go homeward."
He arrived there. Some ashes had been poured out. They were
extinguished. At length Big Turtle pushed his way through. He went
within. He sat within, with his eyes sticking out, looking around. A
woman approached when it was morning. She stood very close to where
Big Turtle sat.
"You will tread on my shield," he said. The woman looked around. "From
what place does he speak?" she thought; therefore she looked around.
Again he said to her, "You will tread on my shield. Stand further
away." And the woman found him.
"Oh!" she said.
"Stand still. I send you with a message," said Big Turtle. "Go home
and say, 'Big Turtle says he has come to war. He says he has come
desiring the chief's daughter, whose body has been placed on the bough
of a tree.'"
The people came. All the people said, "Break in his skull suddenly."
He said, "How is it possible for you to break in my skull suddenly? If
you let your weapons slip off suddenly from me each time, you will
break your legs with the blows."