Part 41

"Yet we shall fail," said the people. "Gray Squirrel is abominable! I think Gray Squirrel is the only one with Big Turtle. I think he is the only one siding with them. Therefore we have failed to hurt them," said the people.

They ceased. When it was night, Big Turtle went back. He reached his comrades again.

"Ho! Warriors, when men get the better of their enemies in a fight, they usually go homeward. I suspect that your sisters are tired of waiting to dance!"

They went homeward. He walked around them, rattling his gourd.

"Warriors, I said that I would do thus, and so it is," he said. He burnt the grass.

He burnt the grass so that they might think he was coming home after killing the foe. At length they arrived at the village. They tied scalps to a stick. Then those in the village said, "Yonder come those who went to war!" The returning warriors raced around and around as victorious warriors do. People said, "There they are coming home, having killed the people of the enemy."

An old man shouted: "Corn Crusher says that he killed one. Halloo! He says he killed her right at the lodge. Halloo! Comb says he killed one right at the lodge. Halloo! Awl says he killed one right at the lodge. Halloo!, Gray Squirrel says that he killed three right in the midst of the people. Halloo! It is said they held the war chief, Big Turtle, right among them, in a great uproar. Halloo! It is said they failed to injure him. Halloo!"

Big Turtle walked very proudly, carrying his shield. He went homeward to enter the lodge. He sat there telling them about himself. As people wished to hear it, they continued arriving there.

"Why did they fail, when they were so near you? If you sat very near them, how is it that you are alive?" asked the people.

"I pretended to be afraid of water, so I am alive," he said.

"If so, then those over there have no eyes. How is it that they did not find you when you were alive?"

"I sat in the ashes, therefore I am alive. I have come home, having killed people. Why did you doubt me? As you did not take vengeance on the people who used to kill you, I went to war on them myself. I killed them. How can you doubt me? I will tell no more about myself," said Big Turtle. "I have ceased."

THE END

Transcriber's Note

Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without note. Hyphenation has been made consistent, where there was a definite majority of one form, again without note. The following amendments have also been made:

Table of contents--Fallen-Star amended to The Fallen Star, with reference to the main story title.

Page 80--name of nation (Cherokee) added to title, with reference to table of contents.

Page 148--omitted word 'an' added--"Rabbit said he brought an important message."

Page 195--omitted word 'said,' added--"... has come back," he said, "having killed one ..."

Some illustrations have been shifted to the beginning or end of tales where previously they were in the middle. The short advert and frontispiece illustration have been moved to follow the title page. Some illustrations had a tissue paper sheet with an italicised note; these have been moved to precede the illustration they refer to where necessary. They are marked as [Notes: ...].