After hearing this and following with his eyes the direction shown by his old grandfather, the youth started. After the lapse of some time the old man again said, “Let me see where he is.” Going out of the lodge, he stood looking around for his grandson, whom he finally saw disappearing in the distance. He mused with himself, saying: “It is certain, I believe, that he will be able to accomplish the feat of reaching the place where are the pitfalls set by the eaters of human flesh.”
When the youth arrived at the spring, he was indeed very thirsty. At once he decided to inspect the place in order to see how true was the saying of his grandfather that there lived in the spring a number of female beings (women?) possessed of great orenda (magic power). Thereupon the youth deliberately put his feet into the water. As soon as he did so the hideous being covered with scales quickly darted forward and snapped off his leg far above the knee. The youth merely laughed, saying, Hăʻhăʻ, and wondered what would happen if he placed his other leg in the water. On doing so, the being at once snapped off this leg also; but the youth merely laughed and said nothing. Finally he said, “Let it be so. Now perhaps I will fish with a line.” This he proceeded to do. For the purpose of carrying out his design he removed portions of flesh from his thighs, which he fastened on his hook. Just as soon as he cast the hook into the water the great being seized it, whereupon the youth pulled his adversary out of the water and cast its body aside. It is said that now the great being began to whimper, “My grandson, [[522]]put me back into the water again.” But the youth, paying no attention to what it was asking him to do, again baited his hook and cast it into the waters. At once it was seized in the mouth of another one of the great wizard beings, which appeared in assumed shapes, and immediately the youth began to pull on his line, soon landing another of his adversaries. This, too, like the other, began to whimper, saying, “My grandson, will you please put me back into the water?” The youth replied: “I have no legs. You have broken off my legs.” At this the two beings came forward and began to work on his body. And the youth said to them in turn: “Do you two reset my legs. You see that I can not do it myself.” So the two beings, which were possessed of great orenda, obeying his instructions, put back his legs. Next the youth kindled a great fire, and just as soon as this was burning fiercely, seizing the hair of the male being, he cast him into the flames, and he did likewise with the body of the female being. When the bodies were consumed the heads of these beings exploded and out of them flew owls.[417]
Continuing a short distance, the youth found the lair of panthers which were fierce in aspect, for they were fighting. Raising his bow and arrow, he said to them, “Stop your anger, you two, for the place where you are belongs to me.”
Going on a short distance farther, he found a number of elk fighting in their turn. He said to them also, “Stop fighting, you two;” and they did stop fighting and separated. The youth told them, too, “This region belongs to me.”
Then there arose a great tumult and noise among the animals of all kinds. The youth saw there what seemed to be a long lodge, on the top of which owls were seated; these, too, were making outcries, saying “Hiʻ, hiʻ, hiʻ, hiʻ, hiʻ. Awake! a male human being is coming.” The youth now watched them, and he was surprised to find there lying down the body of some one who much resembled his grandfather, and he saw also everything that was inside the lodge. Among the things he saw was a kettle of corn mush, which was boiling over the fire. “I have found something which is perhaps good to the taste.”
Entering the lodge, he went to the farther side of the fire, whereupon from the opposite side of the fire a white deer came forth and entered the bosom of the old man. At this the youth started out of the lodge, and at once everything in the lodge began to leave. The breechclout of the old man went out, and the boiling mush, too, started out. The youth had gone a long distance before the old man awoke, exclaiming, “Pshaw! I think that he still has a grandson, that old man.” Straightening himself up, he said: “So let it be. I now believe that I also will start.” [[523]]
Then the old man took his club from its usual resting place, the one with which he was accustomed to fight, and pursuing the youth, soon overtook him, as was to be expected. Addressing the youth, he said, “For what reason did you rob me as you have done?” So saying, he struck the youth a heavy blow, causing the young man to fall over in an unconscious condition; and he lay where he fell.
Thereupon the old man turned back homeward, and all the things that had started out also returned homeward. As he walked along the old man restored the body of the great beast and all other things which had been disturbed by the youth during his visit to him.
Meanwhile the youth regained consciousness, and, realizing his condition, exclaimed, “Wŭʻʹ, my head does certainly pain me; I believe that the old man has really killed me. So let it be. I think I will go back, perhaps, to the lodge of the old man.” When he reached the lodge, ho-wŭʻ, the owls were making a great outcry: “Awake you! Now, indeed, the male human being is again coming.” At this the youth exclaimed, “Do you keep quiet! these things, here.” Entering again the lodge by stealth, he saw there the war club resting in its place, the club with which the old man did his fighting; it was full of nicks from hard usage in combat. Thereupon the youth said, “Keep thyself still; and indeed, you must give me assistance at this time. We will awaken the old man to his death.” Again entering the lodge, the youth went to the back part of the lodge, where he took a seat. Again the very small white deer came forth and entered his bosom. Then he arose and stood there, and all the things on the inside of the lodge started to follow him out of it. Even the breechclout of the old man he took from him.
The youth had gone a long distance before the old man again awoke. Realizing what had taken place, the latter exclaimed, “Gwăʻʹ. He is alive again, I believe. Now, indeed, he shall suffer for this. I will do him harm in many places.” Then the old man started, after which he exclaimed, “Kwŭʻʹ! I have forgotten that, I have not painted my face, as is the custom, for I believe that I shall have to fight with one who is, it seems, a brave man, this youth.” Having poured dead coals into a basket, he carried them to a mortar standing near by, in which he began to pound the charred coals. He made a great noise in doing this, the blows with the pestle sounding “dum, dum, dum.” This action of the old man caused the youth to grow weak and faint as he walked along.