“Then they told her of their battle with the great wolf, and how they had killed him.  They also showed her his heart, which they had brought home with them.

“She was very much excited.  She called the people together, and there was great rejoicing at the death of this terrible wolf which had been such a scourge to them.

“Some time after Sesigizit and Ooseemeeid asked their mother if she knew where grew any good tough wood suitable for making bows and arrows.  Her answer was: 

“’Far away in the foothills is a canyon, or ravine, where a forest of just such wood as you need is growing, but the path that leads to it is narrow, and there sits guard a great monster giant who kills and throws into the ravine everyone who has attempted to get any of that wood.  And in addition there is a fierce mountain lioness prowling around somewhere on the route, and she has already killed many people and carried them off to her den.’

“Ooseemeeid at once desired to set off and get a supply of this wood, but Sesigizit, when he found out how fearful their mother was that they would both be killed if they made the attempt, at first refused to go.  His objection, however, vanished when he saw his brother making ready to start, and in spite of their mother’s fears they started off.

“They had not gone very far when they met the great mountain lioness.  She was out hunting food for her cubs.  These she had hidden in a den which was away up on a precipitous mountain side.

“Ooseemeeid asked her if she knew the way to the canyon where grew the good wood.

“‘Yes,’ she replied.  ’I am just going that way, and I will show you the route.’  She said this because she wished in this way to allure the two boys to walk near to her den, and there she would kill them for food for her cubs.

“So she led them until they came to a place where the path was very dangerous, because it was on a narrow, shelving rock around the mountain side.  Here the monster lioness asked the boys to walk on ahead of her, but they refused, saying that they had been taught never to walk in front of their elders.  The lioness urged, but the boys were firm, and so she had to yield and let them have their way.

“When in the most dangerous part of the pass the boys pretended to be very much alarmed, and asked to be permitted to walk between her and the mountain side.  At first she was suspicious, but they seemed now to be so cowardly and afraid that she thought they were not able to do her any harm, so she walked on the outer edge of the pass and let them have the inside, and also allowed them to put their hands on her as though to steady themselves.  When they came to the most dangerous spot, where it was so narrow that even a mountain lion had to be careful, they both suddenly drew their magic sticks and, giving her a great shove, sent her over the side of the narrow rocky ledge and down she fell—­to be dashed to pieces thousands of feet below.