e the first attempt, and with a rushing noise
she fled through the air.
Towards daylight she returned. She had been unsuccessful, as she
succeeded in untying only one of the knots. All took their turns
regularly, and each one succeeded in untying only one knot each time.
But when the youngest went, she commenced the work as soon as she
reached the lodge; although it had always been occupied, still the
Indians never could see any one, for they all possessed invisibility.
For ten nights now, the smoke had not ascended, but filled the lodge
and drove them out. This last night they were all driven out, and the
young woman carried off the head.
The young people and the sister heard the young woman coming high
through the air, and they heard her saying, "Prepare the body of our
brother." And as soon as they heard it, they went to a small lodge
where the black body of Iamo lay. His sister commenced cutting the neck
part, from which the head had been severed. She cut so deep as to cause
it to bleed; and the others who were present, by rubbing the body and
applying medicines, expelled the blackness. In the mean time, the one
who brought it, by cutting the neck of the head, caused that also to
bleed.
As soon as she arrived, they placed that close to the body, and by the
aid of medicines and various other means, succeeded in restoring Iamo
to all his former beauty and manliness. All rejoiced in the happy
termination of their troubles, and they had spent some time joyfully
together, when Iamo said, "Now I will divide the wampum;" and getting
the belt which contained it, he commenced with the eldest, giving it in
equal proportions. But the youngest got the most splendid and
beautiful, as the bottom of the belt held the richest and rarest.
They were told that, since they had all once died, and were restored to
life, they were no longer mortals, but _spirits_, and they were
assigned different stations in the invisible world. Only Mudjikewis's
place was, however, named. He was to direct the _west wind_, hence
generally called Kabeyun, the father of Manabozho, there to remain
forever. They were commanded, as they had it in their power, to do good
to the inhabitants of the earth; and forgetting their sufferings in
procuring the wampum, to give all things with a liberal hand. And they
were also commanded that it should also be held by them _sacred_;
those grains or shells of the pale hue to be emblematic of peace, while
those of
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