You must sleep seven nights with a virgin, and
never touch her.'
"The young man thought this over for a few days, and then asked his
father how it could be arranged or managed.
"'I will tell you,' replied the old man. 'Find a girl; the more
beautiful she is and the more you want her, the stronger the magic will
be. Go to the parents for their daughter as a wife. Cheat them so.
Before you marry get seven bear-skins, and let no man except one know
anything about it. Make him clean them. One skin should be cleaned
every twenty-four hours. Seven days must pass so.'
"The young man was accepted by the parents; he sent the seven bear-skins
to the young woman; they were married; they went to their wigwam. He lay
on the bear-skins; he directed his wife to make another bed and sleep on
it. They lay apart. The bride thought this was strange; she told her
mother of it. The mother said, 'Never mind. By and by it will be all
right.' The wife thought it was all wrong. When seven nights had passed
the bridegroom disappeared. He was not seen in his village for twenty-five
or thirty years. Then he returned to his father. He could divine all
things by dreams. He had but to take the magic bear-skin and sleep on
it, and dream. He could tell where to find good hunting or fishing. He
_foredreamed_ war with the Mohawks. Can any man do this? They say
so, and I have known many who tried it in vain.
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