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put about and into a nearby harbor. Farther cruising
into
"Overlooking the harbor was an Indian village, and having nothing
better to do, I took my pencils and sketch book and went to shore to look
around. I do a bit of sketching, something I fondly believe to be my artistic
talent. This town was a far cry from the day when the Indians lived in log and
shack lodges, to the modern homes I was seeing; and my hopes of seeing a real
Indian or hearing any native legends seemed small indeed. However luck was with
me in that I found sitting on the front steps of his home a very old man, who when
I spoke to him, immediately called to someone inside the house. A young lady
came to the door. When I made known my wishes, she, after translating to the
old man, readily agreed to tell me all the legends and tales he could recall.
While he talked in his oddly drawled, yet smooth dialect, the girl, his great
grand-daughter, translated-this odd tale:
"For
several days Nis-We-Bask had been following the banks of a large creek; his
friend Kae-lth had decided to return to his canoe at tidewater, thence to his
summer camp. But Nis-We-bask was determined to explore this river as far as
possible - now during the low water season - just to see how many beaver
colonies and other fur-bearing animals could be located. Kae-lth had suggested,
rather apprehensively, that it wasn't safe for one man to venture into unknown
territory; in fact even hinted that other creatures other than just wild
animals might be found, with unpleasant results. Nis-We-Bask had laughed at his
friend`s fears; moreover he was young and strong and a good hunter as well as
the fact that many other hunters of their tribe had at different times gone out
hunting alone, and with one or two exceptions had always returned. Aside from
such wild animals as were usually found in these parts, what was there to be
afraid of? Surely not the stories old
