e ground until noon the
next day. Then they began to squirm about. Soon the girl was free, and
she then set loose her little brother. They went at once to the old
woman's hut where they found the flint and steel and the packs of dried
meat.

The girl made her brother a bow and arrows and with these he killed
birds and other small game.

The boy grew up a great hunter. They became rich. They built three great
tepees, in one of which were stored rows upon rows of parfleche bags of
dried meat.

One day as the brother went out to hunt, he met a handsome young
stranger who greeted him and said to him:

"I know you are a good hunter, for I have been watching you; your
sister, too, is industrious. Let me have her for a wife. Then you and I
will be brothers and hunt together."

The girl's brother went home and told her what the young stranger had
said.

"Brother, I do not care to marry," she answered. "I am now happy with
you."

"But you will be yet happier married," he answered, "and the young
stranger is of no mean family, as one can see by his dress and manners."

"Very well, I will do as you wish," she said. So the stranger came into
the tepee and was the girl's husband.

One day as they were in their tent, a crow flew overhead, calling out
loudly,

"Kaw, Kaw,

"They who forsook the children have no meat."

The girl and her husband and brother looked up at one another.

"What can it mean?" they asked. "Let us send for Unktomi (the spider).
He is a good judge and he will know."

"And I will get ready a good dinner for him, for Unktomi is always
hungry," added the young wife.

When Unktomi came, his yellow mouth opened with delight at the fine
feast spread for him. After he had eaten he was told what the crow had
said.

"The crow means," said Unktomi, "that the villagers and chief who bound
and deserted you are in sad plight. They have hardly anything to eat and
are starving."

When the girl heard this she made a bundle of choicest meat and called
the crow.

"Take this to the starving villagers," she bade him.

He took the bundle in his beak, flew away to the starving village and
dropped the bundle before the chief's tepee. The chief came out and the
crow called loudly:

"Kaw, Kaw!

"The children who were forsaken have much meat; those who forsook them
have none."

"What can he mean," cried the astonished villagers.

"Let us send for Unktomi," said one, "he is a great judge; he will