bar and carried it down to the ground. When the
crossbar had been replaced a son of the chief of the Elks went forward, as
though he would be the competitor on the side of the Elks. He pretended as
though he could not even lift the heavy stone which the Moose champion had
thrown. When the Moose people saw this they shouted out in triumph, and
began to get ready to give the Elks as good a beating as they had received
from them on a former occasion.

"Seeing them thus coming, Nanahboozhoo rushed forward, seized the heavy
stone, and sent it high up and far over the tops of the poles--thus winning
the victory again for the Elks. With a shout of triumph the Elks again
attacked the Moose and drove them in disgrace back to their own village.
The Moose people were now more humiliated than ever, but they determined to
try another plan; for they were resolved not to give up to the Elks, whom
they had so often defeated. After much consultation they said:

"'Let us have a contest at diving in the lake, that we may see if our
champion cannot remain longer under the water than any one of the Elks.'

"So they went over to the village of the Elks and told them they had come
to have another contest with them. To the proposal of the Moose the Elks
all agreed, and both parties proceeded to the lake. Here a large hole was
cut in the ice and the champion of the Moose prepared to go down into the
water. One of the brothers of the beautiful Indian girl who had been
selected as Nanahboozhoo's bride said to Nanahboozhoo:

"'As our bodies are tougher than yours you must let me compete this time.'

"Nanahboozhoo would not let him do this. He said:

"'I am not afraid of the cold water, and besides I have plenty of friends
down there.'

"And, sure enough, the mud turtle came up and said, in words that only
Nanahboozhoo could understand:

"'My brother, I have come up at the request of your brother, the wolf, to
aid you. Trust yourself in my care and no harm will come to you.'

"Nanahboozhoo was well pleased to hear this, for he knew that his spirit
brother had sent his friend the mud turtle to help him in this trial.

"The competitors now stripped themselves, and when the signal was given
they both dived into the water and disappeared. The Moose people had such
confidence in their champion that they had all brought with them very heavy
sticks with which they intended giving the Elks a great beating in return
for the two previous defeats.