Having found out, by conversation with her, all he wished, he put her to death.  He then took off her skin, and assuming this disguise, took the cedar cord on his back, and limped away singing her songs.  He completely aped the gait and voice of the old woman.  He was met by one who told him to make haste; that the Prince was worse.  At the lodge, limping and muttering, he took notice that they had his grandson’s hide to hang over the door.  “Oh dogs!” said he; “the evil dogs!” He sat down near the door, and commenced sobbing like an aged woman.  One observed, “Why don’t you attend the sick, and not sit there making such a noise?” He took up the poker and laid it on them, mimicking the voice of the old woman.  “Dogs that you are! why do you laugh at me?  You know very well that I am so sorry that I am nearly out of my head.”

With that he approached the Prince, singing the songs of the old woman, without exciting any suspicion.  He saw that his arrow had gone in about one half its length.  He pretended to make preparations for extracting it, but only made ready to finish his victim; and giving the dart a sudden thrust, he put a period to the Prince’s life.  He performed this act with the power of a giant, bursting the old woman’s skin, and at the same moment rushing through the door, the serpents following him, hissing and crying out, “Perfidy! murder! vengeance! it is Hiawatha.”  He immediately transformed himself into a wolf, and ran over the plain with all his speed, aided by his father the West Wind.  When he got to the mountains he saw a badger.  “Brother,” said he, “make a hole quick, for the serpents are after me.”  The badger obeyed.  They both went in, and the badger threw all the earth backward, so that it filled up the way behind.

The serpents came to the badger’s burrow, and decided to watch, “We will starve him out,” said they; so they continue watching.  Hiawatha told the badger to make an opening on the other side of the mountain, from which he could go out and hunt, and bring meat in.  Thus they lived some time.  One day the badger came in his way and displeased him.  He immediately put him to death, and threw out his carcass, saying, “I don’t like you to be getting in my way so often.”

After living in this confinement for some time alone, he decided to go out.  He immediately did so; and after making the circuit of the mountain, came to the corpse of the Prince, who had been deserted by the serpents to pursue his destroyer.  He went to work and skinned him.  He then drew on his skin, in which there were great virtues, took up his war-club, and set out for the place where he first went in the ground.  He found the serpents still watching.  When they saw the form of their dead Prince advancing towards them, fear and dread took hold of them.  Some fled.  Those who remained Hiawatha killed.  Those who fled went towards the South.

Having accomplished the victory over the reptiles, Hiawatha returned to his former place of dwelling and married the arrow-maker’s daughter.