The young man answered, “I am mourning for my wife.  She died some time ago.  I am looking for her.”

“Oh, I saw her,” said the old woman; “she passed this way.  I myself have no great power to help you, but over by that far butte beyond, lives another old woman.  Go to her and she will give you power to continue your journey.  You could not reach the place you are seeking without help.  Beyond the next butte from her lodge you will find the camp of the ghosts.”

The next morning the young man awoke and went on toward the next butte.  It took him a long summer’s day to get there, but he found there no lodge, so he lay down and slept.  Again he dreamed.  In his dream he saw a little lodge, and saw an old woman come to the door and heard her call to him.  He went into the lodge, and she spoke to him.

“My son, you are very unhappy.  I know why you have come this way.  You are looking for your wife who is now in the ghost country.  It is a very hard thing for you to get there.  You may not be able to get your wife back, but I have great power and I will do for you all that I can.  If you act as I advise, you may succeed.”

Other wise words she spoke to him, telling him what he should do; also she gave him a bundle of mysterious things which would help him on his journey.

She went on to say, “You stay here for a time and I will go over there to the ghosts’ camp and try to bring back some of your relations who are there.  If it is possible for me to bring them back, you may return there with them, but on the way you must shut your eyes.  If you should open them and look about you, you would die.  Then you would never come back.  When you come to the camp you will pass by a big lodge and they will ask you, ’Where are you going and who told you to come here?’ You must answer, ’My grandmother, who is standing out here with me, told me to come.’  They will try to scare you; they will make fearful noises and you will see strange and terrible things, but do not be afraid.”

The old woman went away, and after a time came back with one of the man’s relations.  He went with this relation to the ghosts’ camp.  When they came to the large lodge some one called out and asked the man what he was doing there, and he answered as the old woman had told him.  As he passed on through the camp the ghosts tried to frighten him with many fearful sights and sounds, but he kept up a strong heart.

Presently he came to another lodge, and the man who owned it came out and spoke to him, asking where he was going.  The young man said, “I am looking for my dead wife.  I mourn for her so much that I cannot rest.  My little boy too keeps crying for his mother.  They have offered to give me other wives, but I do not want them.  I want the one for whom I am searching.”

The ghost said, “It is a fearful thing that you have come here; it is very likely that you will never go away.  Never before has there been a person here.”