The end.
131. The Legend of Genonsgwa[457]
In ancient times this event came to pass as other like things had taken place. A man went out to hunt on the game preserve of his people.
It so happened that he camped in the night in a large forest. He had four hunting dogs with him. There he made his camp and kindled a fire for the night, and in due time the hunter and his dogs fell asleep. Some time after this the dogs began to bark, and one went to inform the hunter of his danger. Shaking him to arouse him, it said: “I think that we shall now die; near here are men who are very large in size going about stealthily. They must be, I think, what are called Genonsgwa.” Thus did the dog speak, and continuing, he said: “Perhaps there is (time) yet in which you yourself may escape. As to the beast, as much as lies in our power and opportunity we shall attempt to prevent it from overtaking you. So you must do this: You must make three torches, which you must carry and which will suffice, I think, for your purpose in reaching the place where dwell other human beings. You must do thus when you see a forked branch your height above the ground; you must insert one of the torches therein as you pass along, when the torch is nearly burned out; this will become a hindrance to the Genonsgwa, for he will think that you may be near at hand taking a rest and will stop without fail. This will be an aid to you, for you can then gain a good start on him. Then at a suitable distance you must insert another one of the nearly-burned-out torches.”
At that moment he heard the dogs approach, barking, from the direction in which he had come, and he fled with all possible speed. When he had only one torch left he heard the barking of the dogs [[682]]quite near him, for they had reached the place in which he had fixed the second torch. When the man arrived there it became evident to him from the sounds he heard that one of the dogs had just been killed in the distance. Thereupon the hunter stirred up the firebrands to cause them to blaze up and throw out more light. Soon they gave sufficient light to enable him to see as far as the tree indicated by the dog, behind which the strange man, or being, moved around stealthily; with great hands he held to the tree and he had, too, very long legs. Having made the needed preparations, the hunter at once fled from the place.
Having reached a point out of sight of his camp, when his torch that he was carrying was nearly extinguished, he heard sounds which told him that another dog had been killed, and he knew, too, from this that the Genonsgwa was close at hand. Remembering the advice of the first dog that informed him of his danger, he began to cry out the sign of distress, Gōʹweʻ, gōʹweʻ, gōʹweʻ, for he was then aware that the settlement of his people was not far away. They were still all awake and, hearing the cries of distress in the distance, they at once ran in the direction from which these came. Having reached the place, they found the man. The Genonsgwa was then very close to the hunter, who was nearly exhausted. The latter fell into the circle of his friends none too soon, for the Genonsgwa, seizing him by the leg, tore off some flesh. Then at once he turned, fled from the people, and disappeared, and no one knew whither he had escaped.
The end.