38. The Man Who Treated a Ghost

38. THE MAN WHO TREATED A GHOST (24)

An old woman was living at a certain place with her grandson. One day the boy said, "I am going out hunting and will come back. I will come back in four days," he said, and he started off. He crossed a big river, reached an immense thicket, and camped there. Then he heard someone shouting, but instead of going toward the sound he remained where he was until morning. In the morning he went on, killed a deer, and brought it to his camp. By the time he had roasted all of the meat it was night and he sat down and ate the roasted meat. He kept hearing a person's footsteps, and presently some one came and sat down on the other side of the camp fire. Then the hunter said, "Come and eat meat with me." "All right," answered the other. So he ate. When he had finished, both sat down. The ghost said, "Did you kill this sweet meat?" "I did," he answered. While they were sitting there he gave him more meat, and he went off with it. In a little while he came back. He gave him more, which he also took away. As before, he soon came back. Then the man was very much frightened. This kept on until almost daylight, when he sent him very far off (after meat hung upon a tree?). He went and came back quickly. That was done repeatedly until daylight came. Then he sent him very far away. And the ghost went off. The man ran away. He ran straight toward a river, but when he had almost reached it he heard the ghost shouting behind him. At that the man ran to the water and turned around and looked. When he saw the ghost following him the man dived into the water. He went down with the current and came up far off. He looked back and saw the ghost looking into the water right where he had dived. The ghost wanted to seize the man and was

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very sad because daylight had come. After remaining there for a time he went back. Then the man came out of the water and returned to his camp. When noon came he took fire with him and started directly toward the place from which the ghost had come. And the man traveled about in search of him. He peeped into an old hollow tree and saw his meat disposed all around inside of it. Then he hunted for dry dead wood, put it into the hole and set it afire. The ghost inside shouted, but his shoutings died away. Then the man went back, but he was afraid and went home. Arrived there, he related the experience to his grandmother and she gave him medicine to quiet his fear. He was somewhat sick for a long time, but finally he got well.