ButStoneBoywasbothstrongandunnaturallyheavyandhardtohold。Thegreatwarriorfromtheskysweatedfromhisexertions，andtherecameaheavyshower。Againandagainthelightningsflashedaboutthemasthetwostrug—
gledthere。AtlastStoneBoythrewhisoppo—
nent，wholaymotionless。Therewasamurmur—
ingsoundthroughouttheheavensandthecloudsrolledswiftlyaway。
\"’Now，’thoughtthehero，’thismanmusthaveslainallmyuncles。Ishallgotohishomeandfindoutwhathasbecomeofthem。’Withthisheun—
fastenedfromthedeadman’sscalp—lockabeauti—
fulbitofscarletdown。Hebreathedgentlyuponit，andasitfloatedupwardhefollowedintotheblueheavens。
\"AwaywentStoneBoytothecountryoftheThunderBirds。Itwasabeautifulland，withlakes，rivers，plainsandmountains。Theyoungadventurerfoundhimselflookingdownfromthetopofahighmountain，andthecountryappearedtobeverypopulous，forhesawlodgesallabouthimasfarastheeyecouldreach。Heparticu—
larlynoticedamajestictreewhichtoweredabovealltheothers，andinitsbushytopboreanenor—
mousnest。StoneBoydescendedfromthemoun—
tainandsoonarrivedatthefootofthetree;buttherewerenolimbsexceptthoseatthetopanditwassotallthathedidnotattempttoclimbit。
Hesimplytookouthisbitofdown，breatheduponitandfloatedgentlyupward。
\"Whenhewasabletolookintothenesthesawthereinnumerableeggsofvarioussizes，andallofaremarkableredcolor。Hewasnothingbutaboyafterall，andhadallaboy’scuriosityandreck—
lessness。Ashewashandlingtheeggscarelessly，hisnoticewasattractedtoasuddenconfusioninthelittlevillagebelow。Allofthepeopleseemedtoberunningtowardthetree。Hemischievouslythrewaneggatthem，andintheinstantthatitbrokehesawoneofthemendropdead。Thenallbegantocryoutpitifully，’Givememyheart！’
\"’Ah，’exclaimedStoneBoy，exulting，’sothesearetheheartsofthepeoplewhodestroyedmyuncles！Ishallbreakthemall！’
\"Andhereallydidbreakalloftheeggsbutfoursmalloneswhichhetookinhishand。Thenhedescendedthetree，andwanderedamongthesilentanddesertedlodgesinsearchofsometraceofhislostuncles。Hefoundfourlittleboys，thesolesurvivorsoftheirrace，andthesehecom—
mandedtotellhimwheretheirboneswerelaid。
\"Theyshowedhimthespotwhereaheapofboneswasbleachingontheground。Thenhebadeoneoftheboysbringwood，asecondwater，athirdstones，andthefourthhesenttocutwillowwandsforthesweatlodge。Theyobeyed，andStoneBoybuiltthelodge，madeafire，heatedthestonesandcollectedwithinthelodgeallthebonesofhistenuncles。
\"Ashepouredthewateruponthehotstonesfaintsoundscouldbeheardfromwithinthemagicbath。Thesechangedtothemurmuringofvoices，andfinallytothesingingofmedicinesongs。
StoneBoyopenedthedoorandhistenunclescameforthintheflesh，thankinghimandblessinghimforrestoringthemtolife。Onlythelittlefingeroftheyoungestunclewasmissing。StoneBoynowheartlesslybrokethefourremainingeggs，andtookthelittlefingerofthelargestboytosupplythemissingbone。
\"TheyallreturnedtoearthagainandStoneBoyconductedhisunclestohismother’slodge。
Shehadneversleptduringhisentireabsence，butwatchedincessantlythepillowuponwhichherboywaswonttoresthishead，andbywhichshewastoknowofhissafety。Goingalittleinadvanceoftheothers，hesuddenlyrushedforwardintoherteepee，exclaiming：’Mother，yourtenbrothersarecoming——prepareafeast！’
\"Forsometimeafterthistheyalllivedhappilytogether。StoneBoyoccupiedhimselfwithsoli—
taryhunting。Hewasparticularlyfondofhunt—
ingthefiercerwildanimals。Hekilledthemwan—
tonlyandbroughthomeonlytheears，teethandclawsashisspoil，andwiththeseheplayedashelaughinglyrecountedhisexploits。Hismotherandunclesprotested，andbeggedhimatleasttosparethelivesofthoseanimalsheldsacredbytheDa—
kotas，butStoneBoyrelieduponhissupernaturalpowerstoprotecthimfromharm。
\"Oneevening，however，hewasnoticeablysilentanduponbeingpressedtogivethereason，repliedasfollows：
\"’ForsomedayspastIhaveheardtheanimalstalkingofaconspiracyagainstus。IwasgoingwesttheothermorningwhenIheardacrieran—
nouncingageneralwaruponStoneBoyandhispeople。ThecrierwasaBuffalo，goingatfullspeedfromwesttoeast。Again，IheardtheBeaverconversingwiththeMusk—rat，andbothsaidthattheirserviceswerealreadypromisedtooverflowthelakesandriversandcauseadestructiveflood。
Iheard，also，thelittleSwallowholdingasecretcouncilwithallthebirdsoftheair。HesaidthathehadbeenappointedamessengertotheThunderBirds，andthatatacertainsignalthedoorsoftheskywouldbeopenedandrainsdescendtodrownStoneBoy。OldBadgerandtheGrizzlyBearareappointedtoburrowunderneathourfortifica—
tions。
\"’However，Iamnotatallafraidformyself，butIamanxiousforyou，Mother，andformyuncles。’
\"’Ugh！’gruntedalltheuncles，’wetoldyouthatyouwouldgetintotroublebykillingsomanyofoursacredanimalsforyourownamuse—
ment。
\"’But，’continuedStoneBoy，’Ishallmakeagoodresistance，andIexpectyoualltohelpme。’
\"Accordinglytheyallworkedunderhisdirec—
tioninpreparingforthedefence。Firstofall，hethrewapebbleintotheair，andbeholdagreatrockywallaroundtheirteepee。Asecond，third，fourthandfifthpebblebecameotherwallswith—
outthefirst。Fromthesixthandseventhwereformedtwostonelodges，oneupontheother。
Theuncles。meantime，madenumbersofbowsandquiversfullofarrows，whichwererangedatcon—
venientdistancesalongthetopsofthewalls。Hismotherpreparedgreatquantitiesoffoodandmademanymoccasinsforherboy，whodeclaredthathewoulddefendthefortressalone。
\"Atlasttheysawthearmyofbeastsadvancing，eachtribebyitselfandcommandedbyaleaderofextraordinarysize。Theonsetwasterrific。Theyflungthemselvesagainstthehighwallswithsav—
agecries，whilethebadgersandotherburrowinganimalsceaselesslyworkedtounderminethem。
StoneBoyaimedhissharparrowswithsuchdeadlyeffectthathisenemiesfellbythousands。
Sogreatwastheirlossthatthedeadbodiesoftheanimalsformedabarrierhigherthanthefirst，andthearmiesretiredinconfusion。
\"Butreinforcementswereathand。Therainfellintorrents;thebeavershaddammedalltheriversandtherewasagreatflood。Thebesiegedallretreatedintotheinnermostlodge，butthewaterpouredinthroughtheburrowsmadebythebadgersandgophers，androseuntilStoneBoy’smotherandhistenuncleswerealldrowned。
StoneBoyhimselfcouldnotbeentirelydestroyed，buthewasovercomebyhisenemiesandlefthalfburiedintheearth，condemnednevertowalkagain，andtherewefindhimtothisday。
\"Thiswasbecauseheabusedhisstrength，anddestroyedformereamusementthelivesofthecreaturesgivenhimforuseonly。\"
VI
EveningintheLodgeI：EveningintheLodgeIHADbeenskatingonthatpartofthelakewheretherewasanoverflow，andcamehomesome—
whatcold。Icannotsayjusthowcolditwas，butitmusthavebeenintenselyso，forthetreeswerecrackingallaboutmelikepistolshots。I
didnotmind，becauseIwaswrappedupinmybuffalorobewiththehairinside，andawideleatherbelthelditaboutmyloins。Myskateswerenothingmorethanstripsofbasswoodbarkbounduponmyfeet。
Ihadtakenoffmyfrozenmoccasinsandputondryonesintheirplaces。
\"Wherehaveyoubeenandwhathaveyoubeendoing？\"Uncheedahaskedassheplacedbeforemesomeroastvenisoninawoodenbowl。
\"Didyouseeanytracksofmooseorbear？\"
\"No，grandmother，Ihaveonlybeenplayingatthelowerendofthelake。Ihavesomethingtoaskyou，\"Isaid，eatingmydinnerandsupperto—
getherwithalltherelishofahungryboywhohasbeenskatinginthecoldforhalfaday。