Now this woman was the sixth giant, who had assumed this disguise to entrap White Feather. But without a suspicion of her real character, her reproaches and her beauty affected him so deeply that he wished himself a man again, and at once resumed his natural shape. Then they sat down and began to talk together.
Soothed by her smiles and gracious manner, he laid his head on her lap, and in a little while fell into a deep slumber.
Even then, such was her fear of White Feather, she doubted whether his sleep might not be feigned. To assure herself she pushed his head aside, and seeing that he remained unconscious, she quickly assumed the form of the sixth giant. He took the plume from the brow of White Feather and placed it upon his own head. Then with a sudden blow of his war-club the giant changed White Feather into a dog, in which form he followed his enemy to the lodge.
While these things were passing, there were living in an Indian village at some distance two sisters, the daughters of a chief. These sisters were rivals, and they were at that very time fasting to acquire power for enticing the wearer of the white feather to visit their lodge. They each secretly hoped to win his love, and each had built a lodge on the border of the village encampment.
The giant, knowing this and having become possessed of the magic plume, went immediately to visit them. As he approached, the sisters, who were on the look-out at their lodge-doors, espied and recognized the feather.
The elder sister had prepared her lodge with great show, and all the finery she could command, so as to attract the eye. The younger touched nothing in her lodge, but left it in its ordinary state.
The elder went out to meet the giant and invited him in. He accepted her invitation and made her his wife. The younger sister invited the enchanted dog into her lodge, prepared him a good supper and a neat bed, and treated him with much attention.
The giant, supposing that whoever possessed the white feather possessed also all its virtues, went out upon the prairie to hunt, hallooing aloud to the game to come and be killed; but the great hubbub he kept up scared them away, and he returned at night with nothing but himself; for he had shouted so lustily all day long that he had been obliged to leave even the mighty halloo behind.
The dog went out the same day hunting upon the banks of a river. He stole quietly along to a certain spot, and stepping into the water drew out a stone, which instantly became a beaver.
The next day the giant followed the dog, and hiding behind a tree, watched the manner in which the dog hunted in the river and drew out a stone, which at once turned into a beaver.