e seated within. "My daughter," he said to his eldest, as
they entered the lodge, "I have brought you a husband."
The young woman smiled; for Owasso was a comely youth to look upon. The
magician told him to take his seat near her, and by this act the
marriage ceremony was completed, and Owasso and the magician's daughter
were man and wife, and in the course of time they had born to them a
son.
But no sooner was Owasso in the family than the old Manito wished him
out of the way, and he went about in his own wicked fashion to compass
it.
One day he asked his son-in-law to go out a-fishing with him. They
started without delay; for the magician had only to speak, and off went
the canoe. They reached a solitary bay in an island, a very dark,
lonely, and out-of-the-way place. The Manito advised Owasso to spear a
large sturgeon which came alongside, and with its great glassy eye
turned up, seemed to recognize the magician. Owasso rose in the boat to
dart his spear, and by speaking that moment to his canoe, Mishosha shot
forward and hurled his son-in-law headlong into the water; where,
leaving him to struggle for himself, he was soon out of sight.
Owasso, being himself gifted with limited magical powers, spoke to the
fish, and bade him swim toward the lodge, while he carried him along,
which he did at great speed. Once he directed the sturgeon to rise near
the surface of the water, so that he might, if possible, get a view of
the magician. The fish obeyed, and Owasso saw the wicked old Manito busy
in another direction, fishing, as unconcerned as though he had not just
lost a member of his family.
On went the fish, and on went Owasso, till they reached the shore, near
the magician's lodge, in advance of him. He then spoke kindly to the
sturgeon, and told him he should not be angry with him for having
speared him, as he was created to be meat for man. The sturgeon made no
reply, or if he did, it has not been reported; and Owasso, drawing him
on shore, went up and told his wife to dress and cook it immediately. By
the time it was prepared the magician had come in sight.
"Your grandfather has arrived," said the woman to her son; "go and see
what he brings, and eat this as you go"--handing a piece of the fish.
The boy went, and the magician no sooner saw him with the fish in his
hand, than he asked him, "What are you eating? and who brought it?"
He replied, "My father brought it."
The magician began to feel uneasy
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