o custom, you should not be here."

The girl arose in confusion, but she soon recovered her self-control.

"What do you mean?" she demanded, indignantly. "Three times you have
come to court me, but each time I have refused to listen to you. I
turned my back upon you. Twice I was with Mashtinna. She can tell the
people that this is true. The third time I had gone for water when you
intercepted me and begged me to stop and listen. I refused because I did
not know you. My chaperon, Makatopawee, knows that I was gone but a few
minutes. I never saw you anywhere else."

The young man was unable to answer this unmistakable statement of facts,
and it became apparent that he had sought to revenge himself for her
repulse.

"Woo! woo! Carry him out!" was the order of the chief of the Indian
police, and the audacious youth was hurried away into the nearest ravine
to be chastised.

The young woman who had thus established her good name returned to the
circle, and the feast was served. The "maidens' song" was sung, and four
times they danced in a ring around the altar. Each maid as she departed
once more took her oath to remain pure until she should meet her
husband.

IX. MORE LEGENDS

I: A Legend of Devil's Lake

AFTER the death of Smoky Day, old Weyuha was regarded as the greatest
story-teller among the Wahpeton Sioux.

"Tell me, good Weyuha, a legend of your father's country," I said to him
one evening, for I knew the country which is now known as North Dakota
and Southern Manitoba was their ancient hunting-ground. I was prompted
by Uncheedah to make this request, after the old man had eaten in our
lodge.

"Many years ago," he began, as he passed the pipe to uncle, "we traveled
from the Otter-tail to Minnewakan (Devil's Lake). At that time the
mound was very distinct where Chotanka lies buried. The people of his
immediate band had taken care to preserve it.

"This mound under which lies the great medicine man is upon the summit
of Minnewakan Chantay, the highest hill in all that region. It is shaped
like an animal's heart placed on its base, with the apex upward.

"The reason why this hill is called Minnewakan Chantay, or the Heart of
the Mysterious Land, I will now tell you. It has been handed down
from generation to generation, far beyond the memory of our
great-grandparents. It was in Chotanka's line of descent that these
legends were originally kept, but when he died the stories became
everybody's,