Great was his surprise on arriving at the
creek to find what a difference there was in the appearance
of it from the range and where he stood. From the range it
appeared to be a quiet, harmless, laughing stream. Now he saw it
to be a muddy, boiling, bubbling torrent, with high perpendicular
banks. For a long time he stood, thinking which way to go, up or
down stream. He had just decided to go down stream, when, on
chancing to look up, he noticed a thin column of smoke slowly
ascending from a little knoll. He approached the place cautiously
and noticed a door placed into the creek bank on the opposite side
of the stream. As he stood looking at the door, wondering who
could be living in a place like that, it suddenly opened and a very
old appearing woman came out and stood looking around her. Soon
she spied the young man, and said to him: "My grandchild, where did
you come from and whither are you bound?" The young man answered:
"I came from east of this ridge and am in search of my oldest
brother, who came over in this direction five days ago and who has
not yet returned."
"Your brother stopped here and ate his dinner with me, and then
left, traveling towards the west," said the old witch, for such she
was. "Now, grandson, come across on that little log bridge up the
stream there and have your dinner with me.
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