“In the meantime the competitors under the water were so near together at first that the people on the land heard the Moose say, ‘Elk, are you cold?’ To which the mud turtle, who had covered the Elk competitor over with his shell, replied: 

“‘No, Moose; but are you cold?’

“As the people on the shore could not hear any answer to this question it gave some alarm to the Moose people about their champion, who they feared must be benumbed with the cold.  This was really the case, for in a short time he came to the surface of the water so nearly frozen to death that he had to be helped out of the water.

“When the mud turtle and Nanahboozhoo heard the shoutings of triumph of the Elks they knew that the Moose champion had failed, and so they came up to the surface.  Nanahboozhoo swam ashore and joined in the pursuit of the disheartened Moose people, who had again so signally failed.

“These repeated defeats very much angered and humiliated the Moose people.  They almost quarreled among themselves in their vexation as they talked them over at their councils.  Still they were in no humor to give up.  They had two very swift runners among them, and they decided to challenge the Elks to a foot race.  So they again sent a number of their party over to the tent of the Elk people and said: 

“’We are not at all satisfied yet, and we wish to know if the son of the chief and his brother-in-law, the young stranger who has come into your midst, will run a foot race against two of our young people.’

“This challenge was at once accepted and soon all preparations were made for the great race.  It was decided that it should be run on the ice of the frozen lake, which was several miles round.  Much snow had fallen, but the people of both sides turned out for days and cleared out a good track.  They made it near the shore, and so that the finishing spot would be near where was the starting point.

“The Moose felt quite certain of winning this time, because by their magic their runners were to be turned into real Moose, with four legs, and they argued that runners with four feet could surely beat those who had only two.  But there were others who had heard about this great race, and among them was the wolf, the spirit brother of Nanahboozhoo, and so he came to him the night before the race.

“‘My brother,’ he said, ’I will come and help you in this race.  You are the only one that can see me, so I will be on the track, about half way round, and when you come there you can get on my back and I will carry you at a greater speed.  But you must keep your legs moving as if rapidly running, or the people will suspect something unusual.’

“There was a great crowd to witness this race between the two great Moose, to represent the Moose people, and the son of the chief and his unknown brother-in-law to represent the Elks.  When the signal was given away they started over the icy trail.  The Moose soon were at the front, with the chief’s son not far behind.  Nanahboozhoo was purposely a little in the rear, and so was able to spring upon the wolf’s back without attracting attention.