Having returned to the doorway of the lodge, the old man again asked, “Oh, my nephew! are you alive?” and the youth replied as before, “Yes; I am alive.” Every time the old man started to drag the sledge he began singing the same song with the same words. Thus they made a circuit of the lodge nine times, when the youth in his reply to his uncle’s usual question pretended to be nearly dead, answering in a very feeble voice, that he was still alive. To this his uncle exultingly rejoined, “‘ĕñʻʹhĕñ!” meaning by this exclamation, “I thought you would not last.” So the old man gleefully started dragging the sledge around the lodge again, and he sang the same song with the same words. When they had returned to the doorway of the lodge they had completed the tenth circuit of the lodge, as decreed by the old man’s ‘dream word.’ Again the old man asked, “Oh, my nephew! are you still alive?” With a strong voice the nephew answered, “I am alive.” To this the old man rejoined in surprise, Wuʻʹ! (an exclamation of wonder).
Then the old man proceeded to unfasten the youth from the sledge and from the bark wrappings with which he had so closely secured him, ostensibly to keep him from falling off the sledge. As they two reentered the lodge the old man said, “Oh, my nephew! now that which was commanded me by the dream has been fulfilled.” [[605]]The nephew replied, “So be it,” and taking up the bark case in which was his sister, he placed it on his back, carrying it by means of the forehead strap. He then went directly to the place where his uncle’s skull protruded from the ground. When he arrived there bearing his sister on his back, his uncle of the skull asked him, “Well, my nephew, how have things gone?” The nephew replied, “Everything that you advised me to do has been satisfactorily accomplished.” Thereupon the uncle said to him: “You must hasten back to the lodge, for it is now your turn to kindle a great fire. You must say to your uncle, ‘I am gathering wood and fuel to build a great fire, for I think that tonight we shall have a very cold night.’ And tonight about midnight you must dream and groan; then, quickly arising, grope on your hands and knees, and finally cast yourself on the fire, scattering the firebrands in all directions, especially toward the bed on which your uncle lies. When he arises and strikes you a blow on the head with his war club, you must quickly say, ‘It has now ceased,’ for he will raise the club at once to strike a second blow. He will then ask you, ‘What is it that is causing you to see marvels?’ You must answer, ‘Compliance with what my dream has commanded me is most difficult, and the command is accompanied with evil portent.’ When he asks you, ‘What did it command you to do?’ you must say, ‘It commanded me to draw you, my uncle, in a bark sledge 10 times around this lodge, and to require you to be naked, entirely so.’ This is what you shall tell him when he asks what you have dreamed.” The youth replied, “So let it be.” Continuing his advice, the uncle said: “You must carefully guard the person of your sister. Be brave and do not waver; do not agree to his proposal that he may not undergo the test entirely naked, claiming this exemption on account of his great age. This is what he will say, but do not consent to this proposition. Now hasten back to the lodge.”
Having returned to the lodge, the youth said to his uncle, “It is my turn to kindle the fire today, for we shall have a very cold and stormy night.” The uncle merely said, “I will care for your sister, of course, for it is very cold.” But the youth replied, “Carrying her along with me will in no wise interfere with what I am about to do.” So, carrying his sister on his back by means of the forehead strap, he went forth to gather wood. He kindled a great fire for the night and did not leave his sister alone for a single moment.
When night came, they all retired to their beds. The sister of the youth remained in the bark case, which the youth placed between himself and the bark wall of the lodge. About midnight he began to groan and moan and utter incoherent words. Then, having arisen, groped around on his knees, and finally cast himself into the fire, scattering the firebrands in all directions, especially over the bed of [[606]]his uncle. Thereupon the old man leaped up, and seizing his war club, went across the lodge and struck the youth a blow on the head, at the same time asking, “What is it that is causing you to see marvels?” The youth quickly answered: “It has now ceased. Compliance with what my dream commanded me is most difficult, and the command is accompanied with an evil portent.” The uncle at once asked, “What did it command you to do?” The youth answered, “It commanded me to drag you, my uncle, in a bark sledge 10 times around this lodge very early tomorrow morning. The evil portent is that if this be not accomplished before midday some great calamity shall befall your person.” The uncle merely replied, “So let it be.” Then they retired to their respective beds.
Very early the next morning the youth, Gādjisʹdodoʻ, arose and said in a loud voice, “Oh, my uncle! I am now going after the bark sledge.” The uncle answered, “So be it; it is well.” The youth went out, and soon returning to the doorway, said, “Oh, my uncle! I am now ready; let us go out and begin at once.” With these words he laid his bark sledge down in front of the doorway. When his uncle came out the youth said, “You must undress yourself.” But the old man said, “Just let me remain dressed, for I am so very old.” His nephew, Gādjisʹdodoʻ, replied: “I did not say that. So come, undress yourself.” And he began at once to undress the old man. When the old man was undressed he lay down on the bark sledge, and the youth quickly bound him fast to it with bark cords. The old man kept saying, “You are binding me too closely; you have made the cords too taut.” But his nephew replied, “Oh! I am a swift runner, you know, and I fear that you may fall off. Oh! uncle, I am now ready.”
Then the nephew started dragging the sledge very swiftly around the lodge, singing as he ran, “I am dragging him on a bark sledge, I am dragging him on a bark sledge; Sʻhogoⁿʻʹgwāʼs, who is my uncle, I am dragging him on a bark sledge; I am dragging him on a bark sledge.” The uncle kept saying, “Oh, my nephew! the sledge is now going too fast.” The youth did not slacken his terrific pace, however, and the sledge at times turned over and over. Meanwhile the old man kept saying, “Oh, my nephew! do not be so rude in this matter; it is going too fast.” But the youth only answered, “That is, however, my speed.” When they got back to the doorway the youth asked, “Oh, my uncle! are you alive?” The uncle answered, “I am alive.” At this the youth at once started on the run, singing the same song as that he used on the first trip.
It now came to pass that all the great sorcerers and past masters in wizard craft who dwelt on the borders of the land of this old man said, “He has now overmatched his orenda, or magic power,” meaning [[607]]that the youth had overcome the orenda of his uncle. Thus spake the great wizards.
Having returned the ninth time to the doorway, the old man’s nephew asked again, “Lo, my uncle! are you still alive?” Receiving no reply, he looked down on the upturned face and saw that his uncle’s eyes were frozen hard. Thereupon, he exclaimed, “Now, Oh, my uncle! you will enjoy the bark sledge,” and without any hesitation he started on the tenth circuit. Exerting all his speed and strength, he sped to the end of the lodge, the sledge flying high in the air with the great speed, turning over and over in its course. Turning away from the lodge, the youth with a mighty effort swung the sledge far off to one side and let it strike the ground, where he left it. It was so cold that when the sledge struck the ground there was only a crackling of ice.
Then the youth, Gādjisʹdodoʻ, returned to the lodge in which his sister was still fastened in her case of bark. When she saw her brother entering the lodge she smiled, and said, “Oh, my elder brother! I am thankful that we both are still alive, having gone through what we have.” The brother, taking up the bark case, placed it on his back, carrying it with the forehead strap. Then the two went to the place where their other uncle’s skull protruded from the ground.
Having arrived there, this uncle said, “Well, my nephew, what came to pass?” Gādjisʹdodoʻ replied: “Verily, I have overcome his orenda—the evil potency of my old uncle, who is now no more. Let us all go back to the lodge.” Reaching down, he drew his uncle up and caused him to stand, and he stroked his body in order to restore his flesh, which had been withered by the magic power of his evil-minded brother. When he had accomplished this task, the youth said, “Now let us return to the lodge.”