as to regale the others. They were to shoot no
other animal, but such as each was in the habit of killing. They set
out different ways; Odjibwa, the youngest, had not gone far before he
saw a bear, an animal he was not to kill, by the agreement. He followed
him close, and drove an arrow through him, which brought him to the
ground. Although contrary to the bet, he immediately commenced skinning
him, when suddenly something red tinged all the air around him. He
rubbed his eyes, thinking he was perhaps deceived, but without effect,
for the red hue continued. At length he heard a strange noise at a
distance. It first appeared like a human voice, but after following the
sound for some distance, he reached the shores of a lake, and soon saw
the object he was looking for. At a distance out in the lake, sat a
most beautiful Red Swan, whose plumage glittered in the sun, and who
would now and then make the same noise he had heard. He was within long
bow shot, and pulling the arrow from the bow-string up to his ear, took
deliberate aim and shot. The arrow took no effect; and he shot and shot
again till his quiver was empty. Still the swan remained, moving around
and around, stretching its long neck and dipping its bill into the
water, as if heedless of the arrows shot at it. Odjibwa ran home, and
got all his own and his brothers' arrows, and shot them all away. He
then stood and gazed at the beautiful bird. While standing, he
remembered his brothers' saying that in their deceased father's
medicine sack were three magic arrows. Off he started, his anxiety to
kill the swan overcoming all scruples. At any other time, he would have
deemed it sacrilege to open his father's medicine sack, but now he
hastily seized the three arrows and ran back, leaving the other
contents of the sack scattered over the lodge. The swan was still
there. He shot the first arrow with great precision, and came very near
to it. The second came still closer; as he took the last arrow, he felt
his arm firmer, and drawing it up with vigor, saw it pass through the
neck of the swan a little above the breast. Still it did not prevent
the bird from flying off, which it did, however, at first slowly,
flapping its wings and rising gradually into the air, and then flying
off toward the sinking of the sun.[67] Odjibwa was disappointed; he knew
that his brothers would be displeased with him; he rushed into the
water and rescued the two magic arrows, the third was carried