In the meantime the boy had been running as fast as his legs and his magic would bear him but after a time he heard a far away call. “I am nīa’´gwahē, he cannot escape!”
“Oh uncle,” said the boy as he caught sight of an old spider, “help me to escape, a nīa’´gwahē is pursuing me to eat my sister and me.”
“I am your friend,” said the old spider as he unrolled a net and spread it over the ground in all directions. Away sped the boy and soon the witch-beast came bounding into sight. Seeing her victim’s tracks, she rushed squarely into the net and became badly entangled. Very furiously she wrestled with the snare endeavoring to become disentangled and when at last she did the boy was far away.
In an evil temper at the delay the witch-beast snorted wildly as she ran to the north, in which direction the boy had gone.
“I am nīa’´gwahē, you cannot escape me,” she screeched as she ran and the fleeing boy hearing her boast ran faster than ever, until he saw a boy with a basket of pigeon feathers, he stopped.
“Save me!” he cried, “give me your basket!” and snatching it from the owner he scattered the feathers to the winds crying, “Be pigeons and stop witches!”
Instantly the feathers were transformed into myriads of pigeons who flying in clouds, sent down a kind of rain that covered the ground for miles around with a slime so deep and slippery that no creature could wade through it.
Nīa’´gwahē rushed into the slime and sinking into the depths wallowed and struggled until almost exhausted. Finally she was able to get back to its border and ran madly onward. “I am nīa’´gwahē, no one can escape me!” she called, for it was her magic to say these words.
The boy heard her voice and holding fast to the precious arrow, in which his sister was hidden, he hurried toward a false face man whom he saw dancing about a tree.
“Oh grandfather!” he cried, “save me. Nīa’´gwahē is after me!”