The father took his pipe and filled it, and smoked and prayed to all
the powers, saying, "Hear now, Sun; listen, Above People; listen,
Underwater People; now you have taken pity; now you have given us
food. We are going to those mysterious ones who walk through water
with dry moccasins. Protect us among these to-be-feared people. Let
us live. Man, woman, and child, give us long life."
Now from the fire again arose the smell of roasting meat. The
children ate and played. Those who so long had been silent now
talked and laughed.
Early in the morning, as soon as the sun had risen, they took down
their lodge and packed their dogs and started for the camp of the
stranger. When they had come to where they could see it, they found
it a wonderful place. There around the piskun, and stretching far
up and down the valley, were pitched the lodges of the meat eaters.
They could not see them all, but near by they saw the lodges of the
Bear band, the Fox band, and the Raven band. The father of the young
man who had visited them and given them meat was the chief of the
Wolf band, and by that band they pitched their lodge. Truly that was
a happy place. Food was plenty. All day long people were shouting
out for feasts, and everywhere was heard the sound of drumming and
singing and dancing.
The newly come people went to the piskun for meat, and there one of
the children saw an arrow lying on the ground. It was a beautiful
arrow, the stone point long, slender, and sharp, the shaft round and
straight.
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