At last they bethought themselves of a plan. "It is needless to go to war upon him. What can we do to him with our arms! Let us make an immense large trap (of wood) and draw lots [for] which of us shall serve as bait. It is a dangerous assay indeed, but will any generous one amongst us refuse sacrificing his life for the safety of so many?"
They made this trap on the opposite side of a small opening in the woods, so that he might see the person seated from afar. It was between large trees which were made to serve as posts. It was finished.
An old woman stepped up and said, "My Grandchildren! I am now old and of no more account among ye. We are all in danger of being devoured by this insatiable and terrible beast. Why should I then regret sacrificing a life that, at best, I can now enjoy but only for a short time, seeing it will in the end be productive of so much good? I will go and be bait."
The others were extremely touched at her generosity, but they had no alternative, and circumstances admitted of no delay. The old lady seated herself very composedly in the trap and awaited his arrival. The others fled off of course. It was time too, for he soon hove into sight, stalking along in all the stile and terror of imperial grandeur. His head [was] equal with the tops of the highest trees, and the ground [was] shaking at every step, though frozen, it being then depth of winter. And his countenance denoted an assemblage of pity, contempt, rage and voraciousness. All this did not dismay the old lady; she remained quiet.
He perceived her. "What! What, old woman, art thou doing there?" But changing his tone, which he did several times, thus continued, "Thou art of my natural enemies and I shall presently grind thee."
"Ah! my grandchild! I am an old woman, abandoned and deserted by those whom I have suckled and brought up. They are fled off in dread of thee, and being old and helpless, they thrust me in this tuft of trees so as to be the less embarrassed. Come now and assist me out, and in acknowledgement I shall inform thee of their precautions. Otherwise thou'lt lose thy life by their deceptions."
He was in no dread of the Indians, so far as regarded their own power, but he thought a little salutary advice would not be amiss, intending after this to grind the old thing as he had promised himself.
He drew up. "What a devil of a place they have put thee indeed. Did they think to conceal thee from me?"
He stooped to enter. When she found he had entered far enough, she touched a stick. And down came all the weights and cross bar upon his back. Though he was uncommonly strong, the weight and suddenness of the blow was such that he gave way and was jammed between the two beams or bars. Here he struggled denouncing [and calling for] vengeance and eternal destruction to the whole of the human race.
The great bellowing he made was a signal to the men who were in ambush not far off. They came running up and soon dispatched him with a multitude of blows from axes and chisels. Thus were they, for one time, relieved. The women and children returned to the camp and enjoyed themselves as usual without further apprehensions.