That night as the son sat at the fire in the lodge with his father stretching the scalps on hoops he told the story of his great race but not in a boastful way. His great deeds had made it necessary for him to boast no longer, for if he should men would laugh and say, “Hoh, you did better than that once!” So never after did he boast but took a good woman who had asked him to marry her.
In after years he told the story of the race again, that the tribe might not forget it, but his grandchildren were unbelieving. “Show us the spot and the bones and then we will glory in our grandfather,” they said laughing. So, undaunted, the old man whose name was changed to Nia’´gwahēgowa, (Mighty Magical Bear), in recognition of his great race, took his grandchildren on the journey and showed them the place where the beast had fallen. They dug into the soft soil and found the huge bones and the jaw where he had broken out the tusk.
The Indian story teller adds: “White man find bones right where the Nia’´gwahē fell long after, to this day. Put them in big musees, so story real true I guess!”
59. THE BOY AND THE NIA’´GWAHE.
The Five Nations had waged a war with the Snake People who lived in caves (the Cherokee). The Five Nations became exhausted. Both began to see that the cause was not worth such a loss of life, and so a treaty of peace was made. Each party promised to send warriors, women and families to settle with the other, and thus, by mutual adoptions and inter-marriage weave a bond of friendship.
The day arrived for the mutual emigrations, and patiently the Five Nations awaited the coming of their visitors, but none came, nor could news be obtained of their own party. A messenger was dispatched but he never returned. More were sent but, likewise, they never came back to report. At last the chiefs called a council to devise means to get to the land of their former enemies and learn how the party and the messengers had fared. A new messenger was chosen from the bravest of the warriors and a short distance behind a watcher followed. For two days all was well, but on the third the watcher looking ahead on the trail saw the messenger crawling laboriously along. Running toward him he found him wounded, stripped of all clothing and bleeding from tusk wounds and heavy bruises.
Niā’´gwahē!” whispered the man hoarsely, and fell dead.
The runner dashed down the trail crying, “Gowĕ´! Gowĕ´!”
A council was hastily called and the fate of the messenger discussed.
“Agē! So it is Niā’´gwahē who has been destroying our people and not our allies,” said the chief. “Truly now, some one must be found who is able and willing to destroy the evil. A brave one must he be for he will battle with the most powerful of all beast magic. He who grasps this white wampum belt shall be the chosen man and he shall have the belt ‘on his body’.”