so as he went on searching, and on the sly listening
to the talks of windegoos and others, he found that the fire for which he
had been so long searching was in the possession of a fierce old medicine
warrior who guarded it with the greatest care. Those who had employed the
coyote to get it had intrusted its keeping to him. In those days they had
an idea that fire was such a dangerous thing that it would be almost
certain destruction to the race if it was given to all. This old warrior
had his two daughters, who were great, fierce women, to assist him in
guarding the fire.

"Several attempts had been made to steal the fire ere Nanahboozhoo resolved
to see what he could do. All of these other efforts had failed, and the
parties who tried them were killed. Nokomis heard of these unsuccessful
attempts and tried to dissuade her grandson, Nanahboozhoo, from such a
dangerous enterprise.

"Nanahboozhoo, however, was a very skillful fellow, and although this was
one of his first great undertakings, for it was long ago, he was not to be
stopped by her fears, and so away he went. As the ice was not yet on the
waters he took his birch canoe and paddled eastward as far as he could.
Then he hid his canoe where he could easily find it on his return.

"The next thing he did was to transform himself into a rabbit, and in that
shape he hurried on until he saw in the distance the sacred wigwam where
dwelt the old guardian of the fire and his two daughters, who were famous
for their height and their strength. To excite the pity of these daughters
Nanahboozhoo jumped into some water, and then crawling out, wet and cold,
he slowly approached the wigwam. Here the two daughters found him, and he
looked so miserable that they took pity on him and at once carried him into
the wigwam and set him down near the sacred fire, that he might soon get
warm and dry."

[Illustration: "Where the fire was stolen out of the center of the earth."]

"How very kind that was of the old man's daughters," said Minnehaha.

"I don't know about that," said the more matter-of-fact Sagastao; "folks
sometimes get into trouble by taking up everything that comes along.
Remember that old rascal that humbugged father."

But Souwanas, remembering his promise, adroitly shunted off the youngsters
and resumed his story.

"The two girls, after seeing how contented and happy the rabbit seemed to
be as it warmed itself by the fire, again returned to their duties in
diffe