fore they fell asleep. When they did so, Manabozho took his bow and
arrows, and cautiously stepping over the serpents till he came to the
prince, drew up his arrow with the full strength of his arm, and shot
him in the left side. He then gave a saw-saw-quan,[25] and ran off at
full speed. The sound uttered by the snakes on seeing their prince
mortally wounded, was horrible. They cried, "Manabozho has killed our
prince; go in chase of him." Meantime he ran over hill and valley, to
gain the interior of the country, with all his strength and speed,
treading a mile at a step. But his pursuers were also spirits, and he
could hear that something was approaching him fast. He made for the
highest mountain, and climbed the highest tree on its summit, when,
dreadful to behold, the whole lower country was seen to be overflowed,
and the water was gaining rapidly on the high lands. He saw it reach to
the foot of the mountain, and at length it came up to the foot of the
tree, but there was no abatement. The flood rose steadily and
perceptibly. He soon felt the lower part of his body to be immersed in
it. He addressed the tree: "Grandfather, stretch yourself." The tree
did so. But the waters still rose. He repeated his request, and was
again obeyed. He asked a third time, and was again obeyed; but the tree
replied, "It is the last time; I cannot get any higher." The waters
continued to rise till they reached up to his chin, at which point they
stood, and soon began to abate. Hope revived in his heart. He then cast
his eyes around the illimitable expanse, and spied a loon. "Dive down,
my brother," he said to him, "and fetch up some earth, so that I can
make a new earth." The bird obeyed, but rose up to the surface a
lifeless form. He then saw a muskrat. "Dive!" said he, "and if you
succeed, you may hereafter live either on land or water, as you please;
or I will give you a chain of beautiful little lakes, surrounded with
rushes, to inhabit." He dove down, but he floated up senseless. He took
the body and breathed in his nostrils, which restored him to life. "Try
again," said he. The muskrat did so. He came up senseless the second
time, but clutched a little earth in one of his paws, from which,
together with the carcass of the dead loon, he created a new earth as
large as the former had been, with all living animals, fowls, and
plants.

As he was walking to survey the new earth, he heard some one singing.
He went to the place, and foun