" the bird is mine , " said maidwa , to himself . but to his great surprise , instead of seeing it droop its neck and drift to the shore , the red swan flapped its wings , rose slowly , and flew off with a majestic motion toward the falling sun . maidwa , that he might meet his brothers , rescued two of the magic arrows from the water ; and although the third was borne off , he had a hope yet to recover that too , and to be master of the swan . he was noted for his speed ; for he would shoot an arrow and then run so fast that the arrow always fell behind him ; and he now set off at his best speed of foot . " i can run fast , " he thought , " and i can get up with the swan some time or other . " he sped on , over hills and prairies , toward the west , and was only going to take one more run , and then seek a place to sleep for the night , when , suddenly , he heard noises at a distance , like the murmur of waters against the shore . as he went on , he heard voices , and presently he saw people , some of whom were busy felling trees , and the strokes of their labor echoed through the woods . he passed on , and when he emerged from the forest , the sun was just falling below the edge of the sky . he was bent on success in pursuit of the swan , whose red track he marked well far westward till she was lost to sight . meanwhile he would tarry for the night and procure something to eat , as he had fasted since he had left home . at a distance , on a rising ground , he could see the lodges of a large village . he went toward it , and soon heard the watchman , who was set on a height to overlook the place , and give notice of the approach of friends or foes , crying out , " we are visited ; " and a loud halloo indicated that they had all heard it . when maidwa advanced , the watchman pointed to the lodge of the chief . " it is there you must go in , " he said , and left him . " come in , come in , " said the chief ; " take a seat there ; " pointing to the side of the lodge where his daughter sat . " it is there you must sit . " they gave him something to eat , and , being a stranger , very few questions were put to him . it was only when he spoke that the others answered him . " daughter , " said the chief , as soon as the night had set in , " take our son - in - law 's moccasins and see if they be torn . if so , mend them for him , and bring in his bundle . " 
it was night .
why did maidwa walk towards the lodges of a large village ?
why did maidwa walk towards the lodges of a large village ?