For a while they got on well enough.  His wife had twin children—­one was a fine young Dahcotah, and the other was a smart active little bear, and it was very amusing to see them play together.  But in all their fights the young Dahcotah had the advantage; though the little bear would roll and tumble, and stick his claws into the Dahcotah, yet it always ended by the little bear’s capering off and roaring after his mother.  Perhaps this was the reason, but for some reason or other the mother did not seem contented and happy.  One morning she woke up very early, and while telling her husband that she had a bad dream, the dog commenced barking outside the lodge.

“What can be the matter?” said Chaske.

“Oh!” said the woman, “I know; there is a hunter out there who wants to kill me, but I am not afraid.”

So saying, she put her head out of the door, which the hunter seeing, shot his arrow; but instead of hurting her, the arrow fell to the ground, and the bear-woman catching up her little child, ran away and was soon out of sight.

“Ha!” said Chaske, “I had better have married a Dahcotah girl, for they do not run away from their husbands except when another wife comes to take their place.  But I have been twice deserted.”  So saying, he took the little Dahcotah in his arms, and followed his wife.  Towards evening he came up with her, but she did not seem glad to see him.  He asked her why she left him; she replied, “I want to live with my own people.”  “Well,” said the Dahcotah, “I will go with you.”  The woman consented, though it was plain she did not want him; for she hated her Dahcotah child, and would not look at him.

After travelling a few days, they approached a grove of trees, which grew in a large circle.  “Do you see that nest of trees?” said the woman.  “There is the great village of the bears.  There are many young men there that loved me, and they will hate you because I preferred you to them.  Take your boy, then, and return to your people.”  But the Dahcotah feared not, and they approached the village of the bears.

There was a great commotion among the bears as they discovered them.  They were glad to see the young bear-woman back again, but they hated the Dahcotah, and determined on his death.  However, they received him hospitably, conducted him and his wife to a large lodge, gave them food, and the tired travellers were soon asleep.

But the Dahcotah soon perceived he was among enemies, and he kept a careful look out upon them.  The little Dahcotah was always quarrelling with the young bears; and on one occasion, being pretty hungry, a cub annoying him at the time very much, he deliberately shot the cub with his bow and arrow, and ate him up.  This aroused the vengeance of the bears; they had a consultation among themselves, and swore they would kill both father and son.

It would be impossible to tell of the troubles of Chaske.  His wife, he could see, loved one of the bears, and was anxious for his own death; but whenever he contended with the bears he came off victor.  Whether in running a foot race, or shooting with a bow and arrow, or whatever it might be, he always won the prize, and this made his enemies still more venomous.