ioned, and he heard a rustling noise, now and then, in that
quarter, which satisfied him that it was occupied. After having taken
his leggings and moccasins off, and eaten, the old magician commenced
telling him how he had lost his scalp--the insults it was
receiving--the pain he was suffering in consequence--his wishes to
regain it--the unsuccessful attempts that had already been made, and
the numbers and power of those who detained it; stated the best and
most probable way of getting it; touching the young man on his pride
and ambition, by the proposed adventure, and last, he spoke of such
things as would make an Indian rich. He would interrupt his discourse
by now and then groaning, and saying, "Oh, how shamefully they are
treating it." Odjibwa listened with solemn attention. The old man then
asked him about his dreams--his dreams (or _as he saw when asleep_[69])
at the particular time he had fasted and blackened his face to procure
guardian spirits.
The young man then told him one dream; the magician groaned; "No, that
is not it," he said. The young man told him another. He groaned again;
"That is not it," he said. The young man told him of two or three
others. The magician groaned at each recital, and said, rather
peevishly, "No, those are not them." The young man then thought to
himself, Who are you? you may groan as much as you please; I am
inclined not to tell you any more dreams. The magician then spoke in
rather a supplicating tone. "Have you no more dreams of another kind?"
"Yes," said the young man, and told him one. "That is it, that is it,"
he cried; "you will cause me to live. That was what I was wishing you
to say;" and he rejoiced greatly. "Will you then go and see if you
cannot procure my scalp?" "Yes," said the young man, "I will go; and
the day after to-morrow,[70] when you hear the cries of the Kakak,[71]
you will know, by this sign, that I am successful, and you must prepare
your head, and lean it out through the door, so that the moment I
arrive, I may place your scalp on." "Yes, yes," said the magician; "as
you say, it will be done." Early next morning, he set out on his
perilous adventure, and about the time that the sun hangs toward home,
(afternoon) he heard the shouts of a great many people. He was in a
wood at the time, and saw, as he thought, only a few men; but the
further he went, the more numerous they appeared. On emerging into a
plain, their heads appeared like the hanging leaves for
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