Myths and Tales of the Southeastern Indians: Alabama Stories: 26. The Ghost

26. THE GHOST

People were out hunting. They took their families, made camps, and hunted out from them. Then one man went out hunting and got lost. He traveled about trying to find the camp and at night sat down under a tree. Far off he heard someone shout and he thought "People are in search of me." Presently the noise came close. Then it was something else that howled. It came near and was gone. The voice again sounded far off, approached, got near, and was gone. Far off again the voice sounded, approached, got near, and was gone. Then it was gone for good. The man stuck his hunting

1 from the direction of a bright sheet of water in the distance hooted and came toward him. It came on and when it got close to him it disappeared. After he had remained seated for a while it hooted again in the distance, came on, got close to him and was gone. He sat there until day and again traveled about in search of his camp. At night he sat under a tree as usual, stuck his knife into the ground, and held his gun ready. Day found him still sitting there, and again he arose and walked about. He was sleepy and thought, "I will lie down for a while."

While the man was asleep he thought he saw someone sitting upon the top of a tree who said to him, "Your camp is straight in the direction in which your head lies." He was astonished and awoke. Then he arose and went on in the direction in which his head had been lying. He came to the camp. The other people had thought, "He is dead." When he arrived all went there and saw him. Then he covered himself up with a blanket and lay down without saying a word.

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Footnotes

146:1 See note to last story.