17. The Friendly Dogs

17. THE FRIENDLY DOGS (25)

A man away from home found himself sitting in the Mikos' bed in a strange square ground. There was no one about except an old Dog, which stood by the fire. This Dog came up to him and said, "Don't you have a notion to go hunting? If you go, the young boys say they will go with you. If you want to go I will go and see the boys and see if they mean what they say." The houses were close around this square and he could hear the dogs collecting. By and by the old Dog came back, and said, "My old woman is going and she told me to get something to eat." So the Dog gathered some bran

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in a clay pot and started along with it. When the man reached the appointed place an old bitch came up with some puppies. Then the young dogs began coming in and they kept coming until there was a large number of them. The old Dog said, "Take the puppies along with you," but the other dogs scattered out on the hunt. He went to the place appointed along with the puppies and pitched his camp, and the dogs began coming in, bringing terrapin, skunks, squirrels, etc. By and by they heard the old Dog coming barking and yelping, and finally he reached camp with a turkey gobbler. Then the old Dog said, "Cook that turkey, but save our shares for us and a little for the puppies." He did so and they went on to the main hunting ground. There they killed deer, and they made a drive and killed bear. They remained there until the puppies got fat and grew into big dogs. One day the old Dog, who was sitting on the opposite side of the fire, came around to him and said, "Your wife has taken another husband, but, if you wish, we will do what you say." Then the whole pack of dogs came in and started off one at a time. He could hear their footsteps on the leaves as they ran off and by and by he heard only their howling until they got out of hearing. But the old Dog, who had remained behind, said, "They are close by." Presently he said, "The work has begun. They have finished them up now. They have started back." Near daylight he could hear the dogs barking in the distance and at dawn they got in with their mouths and feet all bloody. After that the old Dog said, "Now if you feel like going home, we will go." He had a great many pelts and hams tied together, which he took along, and, accompanied by the dogs, he started for home. When they got into the edge of the settlement, however, the Dogs said one by one, "I am going home," and they dropped off one at a time until only the old Dog remained. The latter advised him to go to the house of an old man who had a granddaughter and said, "I will go with you." As they got near the old Dog said again, "They will say 'your mate was taken by a man and they went to the field house (tcåbofa tcuko).'" The woman had told the people to say this. The old Dog also said "They will give you a big fanner of dumpling bread but do not eat it. Say to them, 'My old Dog is hungry,' and throw it out to me. Then they will fix up another for you." Things happened as the old Dog had said, and when the Dog ate the dumplings he went out to the edge of the yard and died. They told the hunter that his wife had gone, but said, "Here is a nice young girl who will suit you." So they gave her to him and he married her. (Told by Big Jack of Hilibi.)