Again, the grandson was left alone, having no friends or family of his own. He was left completely to his own resources for providing the means of his living and for protecting himself from his enemies. He traveled many dreary days in solitude. But there came a day when he met a woman of the Panther tribe of people, who was cooking some deer meat for herself. As the grandson was very hungry he asked this woman to share some of the deer meat with him, but she refused absolutely to spare him a morsel.
So, hungry as he was, he had to pass on without anything to eat. Some time afterwards he was fortunate enough to kill a deer. So, after dressing it and preparing it properly and cooking it, he sat down to eat. And while he was enjoying his venison the woman who had refused him a portion of venison boldly came up and asked him for some of the venison. He showed his teeth and growled and snarled so fiercely that he finally drove the old woman away.
When he had finished his meal he packed up his belongings and departed. He traveled several days from place to place. Suddenly he became aware that several hunters with three dogs were pursuing him. So he fled from that place until he became wearied and then he climbed a very tall tree. There he hoped to escape his pursuers, but the dogs tracked him so well that soon the hunters were under the tree. Whereupon one of the hunters shot him, mortally wounding him, and he fell to the ground in a dying condition. The dying Panther man said to the hunters, “This, your act, shall cause bitter hostility between your people and my tribe, and many of both tribes will die in consequence.”
As the hunters were bearing the body of the Panther man homeward, a Panther man met them and saw the dead body of the Panther man—one of his own kindred. At once he returned to his people, telling them what he had seen. So with two other Panther men he retraced his steps to find the guilty hunters.
The three Panther men were not long in finding the camping place of the hunters and they quickly succeeded in killing the dogs and the hunters and in devouring them, leaving their bones to bleach on the ground.
The friends and kinsmen of the hunters waited many days for the return of the hunters and their dogs, but they waited in vain. So a number of them formed a party and went out in search of them. They found their bones on the path and also the dead body of the Panther man. In the thickets near by they also found other Panther [[701]]men asleep. These discoveries were reported in the village of the dead hunters, and there was aroused a bitter feeling against the Panther people; and so all who were able to go out to hunt Panther people started out to destroy the Panther tribe.
This resulted in a bitter strife between the people of the village and the Panther tribe, and many of the bravest on both sides were killed without bringing any satisfaction to either side. During this struggle the bones of the grandson lay bleaching on the path in the forest. But it so happened that one of his sons one day passed along that path, and he recognized his father’s bones. So by gathering them together under a large hickory tree and setting them in order the son of the Panther man brought his father back to life by pushing against the hickory tree and shouting, “Father, arise lest the tree topple over on you.”
When the father arose he had the form which he had when he left his home in the village in search of his grandfather. This transformation frightened the son so much that he fled through the forest away from that place, and the grandson made his way home to the village of his own people. He entertained his friends and kindred with the recital of his adventures.
There came a day when the old Eagle, who had enticed away old man Wild Cat, was in a reminiscent mood, and so he wondered what had become of the old man whom he had left among the Wolf tribe. So he finally resolved to pay a visit to the country of the Wolf people. He left his home and traveled along toward the Wolf country. At last he was greatly surprised to find scattered around the bones of the old man, his friend. So he decided to aid his old friend by bringing him to life again. He therefore collected together the bones lying about and placed them in order under a great elm tree, and when he had gathered all the bones he stepped up to the elm tree and suddenly exclaimed, “Be quick, friend, arise, lest the tree fall on you.” At once the old man, Wild Cat, leaped up in his original shape and condition in form and mind, a man. So, after the usual greetings, the old Eagle chief led his friend home to his own people, whence he had taken him so long ago. Having arrived there, old man Wild Cat found his grandson, and to him he related all his adventures while away from his people. He declared, “We must highly esteem the Pigeon tribe of people.” (Then I left there.)