In his lodge War Eagle waited for us, and when we entered he greeted us
warmly, but failed to mention the gale. "I have been waiting," he
said. "You are late and the story I shall tell you is longer than many
of the others." Without further delay the story-telling commenced.

"Once OLD-man came upon a lodge in the forest. It was a fine one, and
painted with strange signs. Smoke was curling from the top, and thus
he knew that the person who lived there was at home. Without calling
or speaking, he entered the lodge and saw a man sitting by the fire
smoking his pipe. The man didn't speak, nor did he offer his pipe to
OLD-man, as our people do when they are glad to see visitors. He
didn't even look at his guest, but OLD-man has no good manners at all.
He couldn't see that he wasn't wanted, as he looked about the man's
lodge and made himself at home. The linings were beautiful and were
painted with fine skill. The lodge was clean and the fire was bright,
but there was no woman about.

"Leaning against a fine back-rest, OLD-man filled his own pipe and
lighted it with a coal from the man's fire. Then he began to smoke and
look around, wondering why the man acted so queerly. He saw a star
that shone down through the smoke-hole, and the tops of several trees
that were near the lodge. Then he saw a woman--way up in a tree top
and right over the lodge. She looked young and beautiful and tall.

"'Whose woman is that up there in the tree top?' asked OLD-man.

"'She's your woman if you can catch her and will marry her,' growled
the man; 'but you will have to live here and help me make a living.'

"'I'll try to catch her, and if I do I will marry her and stay here,
for I am a great hunter and can easily kill what meat we want,' said
Old-man.

"He went out of the lodge and climbed the tree after the woman. She
screamed, but he caught her and held her, although she scratched him
badly. He carried her into the lodge and there renewed his promise to
stay there always. The man married them, and they were happy for four
days, but on the fifth morning OLD-man was gone--gone with all the
dried meat in the lodge--the thief.

"When they were sure that the rascal had run away the woman began to
cry, but not so the man. He got his bow and arrows and left the lodge
in anger. There was snow on the ground and the man took the track of
OLD-man, intending to catch and kill him.

"The track was fresh and the man started on a