self with a horseshoe. Tell us now the truth of the matter!" The Green Man gave Massang a sly, cunning look, but he said nothing.
The next day, having got another pot, Massang, the Green Man and the White Man set out to hunt, leaving the Black Man to watch the stew and get everything ready for the noon meal. When they returned, they found all as it had been the day before; dinner and everything to cook it in had vanished, the ground in front of the hut was cut up as with horses' hoofs, and the Black Man was standing at the door empty-handed.
"They came again," said he, "a band of many horsemen, and they took the pot of stew from the fire, and all else that I had prepared for you to eat. I was powerless to fight against them, they were so many."
But Massang doubted his word, and after he had looked closely at the marks before the door, he said:
