The wife was afraid to touch such meat. [Footnote: "The Indians are
much less particular than white men as to food, but they avoid
_choojeeck_, or reptiles."--Rand manuscript.] But her husband was
persuaded to eat of it. It was like bear's meat. The Chenoo fed on it.
So they all lived as friends.
Then the spring was at hand. One day the Chenoo told them that
something terrible would soon come to pass. An enemy, a Chenoo, a woman
was coming like wind, yes--on the wind--from the north to kill him.
There could be no escape from the battle. She would be far more
furious, mad, and cruel than any male, even one of his own cruel race,
could be. He knew not how the battle would end; but the man and his
wife must be put in a place of safety. To keep from hearing the
terrible war-whoops of the Chenoo, which is death to mortals, their
ears must be closed. They must hide themselves in a cave.
Then he sent the woman for the bundle which he had brought with him,
and which had hung untouched on a branch of a tree since he had been
with them. And he said if she found aught in it offensive to her to
throw it away, but to certainly bring him a smaller bundle which was
within the other. So she went and opened it, and that which she found
therein was a pair of human legs and feet, the remains of some earlier
horrid meal. She threw them far away.
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