"When the mud turtle and Nanahboozhoo heard the shoutings of triumph of the
Elks they knew that the Moose champion had failed, and so they came up to
the surface. Nanahboozhoo swam ashore and joined in the pursuit of the
disheartened Moose people, who had again so signally failed.
"These repeated defeats very much angered and humiliated the Moose people.
They almost quarreled among themselves in their vexation as they talked
them over at their councils. Still they were in no humor to give up. They
had two very swift runners among them, and they decided to challenge the
Elks to a foot race. So they again sent a number of their party over to the
tent of the Elk people and said:
"'We are not at all satisfied yet, and we wish to know if the son of the
chief and his brother-in-law, the young stranger who has come into your
midst, will run a foot race against two of our young people.'
"This challenge was at once accepted and soon all preparations were made
for the great race. It was decided that it should be run on the ice of the
frozen lake, which was several miles round. Much snow had fallen, but the
people of both sides turned out for days and cleared out a good track. They
made it near the shore, and so that the finishing spot would be near where
was the starting point.
"The Moose felt quite certain of winning this time, because by their magic
their runners were to be turned into real Moose, with four legs, and they
argued that runners with four feet could surely beat those who had only
two.
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