Creation Myths of Primitive America Part 23

Sas went out and began to cry. He enlarged his wife's grave and buried them. "These are my children," said he; and he sang and danced as before.

Sas rose early next morning. "My son-in-law," said he, "your wives ask me to get fish for them, but I am too old. When I was young I used to fish, but now I cannot see. You are young; I will show you a good place for trout. My old pole and spear points are there; you may use them."

They started, came to a river with a bridge over it formed of one hair. "My brother," said Winishuyat, "this is a place where Sas has killed many of our people."

"My son-in-law," said Sas, "cross this bridge and catch fish; I will go home."

"Very well," answered Tulchuherris, who put his foot on the end of the bridge and crossed with one spring. On the other side he went to the fishing-hut, fixed so that a man could look up and down the river while fishing. Tulchuherris had his own spear-shaft, a sky-pole; the string was a sky-strap. He had his own point, too.

He waited for fish, and at last saw something come slowly from the south. It stopped, and then looked at him. Tulchuherris saw a face and a head with long hair tied in a knot with a band of woodp.e.c.k.e.rs'

scalps, a long band wound around many times. Tulchuherris wore just such a band, but the scalps were of mountain woodp.e.c.k.e.rs.

"Ah, my brother-in-law," called out the person in the water, "let us exchange headdresses."

"I am sorry for you, my brother-in-law," said Tulchuherris. "I hate to kill you, but I must, for my father-in-law sent me to kill you."

"Go ahead, go ahead," said Winishuyat. "Don't spare him. Sas says he is a fish. He is Sas's son, Supchit. You must catch him or suffer."

Supchit turned, as it were, to go back. Tulchuherris hurled the pole, speared him under the arm, and the point went through to his other side. Supchit rushed toward the east with great force. Tulchuherris held to the spear with one hand, grasped tule gra.s.s with the other, used all his strength. Then he let the spear go, and held the strap.

Though strong, he could not stop Supchit. He was drawn into the water to his waist, then to his breast, and at last to his chin.

"My brother," said Winishuyat, "do you wish to drown? Call your gopher"--he had a gopher in his moccasin--"send him to fill up the escapes, to block all the doors to Supchit's houses."

Tulchuherris sent his gopher to fill every hole, all Supchit's doors.

Sas was at home now. He heard the great struggle, and said,--

"Oh, Tulchuherris, my son will finish you. This is your last day."

The gopher stopped every opening, and Supchit went from place to place. Every door was closed. He had to stay. Tulchuherris came out of the water little by little, and pulled till he drew Supchit to the bank, where he died. He carried him home in one hand, as if he had been a small fish.

"My father-in-law," said Tulchuherris, "I saw no fish except one little trout. I speared and brought home that little trout."

Sas went out; the two sisters went. "That is our brother!" cried they.

"That is my son," called out Sas, "the best son I had."

The old man buried Supchit with his head north, looking southward, and sang the same song that he had sung for his wife and the grizzlies.

Sas and his daughters cut their hair in grief over Supchit.

"My son-in-law," said Sas, next morning early, "be up; I will show you a place where I used to play often when I was young. I am old now, and cannot play much, but I will show you the place, and I may play with you a little."

"I will go," said Tulchuherris; and they started.

"Now, my brother," said Winishuyat, "we are going to the place where Sas himself has always killed everyone who baffled him elsewhere. No man has ever escaped from the place to which Sas is now taking you. He will take you to a tree; he will ask you to climb it; he will bend it and let it spring back again; he will kill you if you are not careful."

They went to a very wide, level plain; in the middle of the plain stood a tremendous, big pine-tree, leaning to one side somewhat.

"My son-in-law," said Sas, "when I was young I used to play here. I cannot play much now, but I'll show you how to play."

"My brother," said Winishuyat, "I will tell you what to do. Sas will try his best now to kill us. Do not kill him to-day; try him, lead him on, make him go higher and higher on the tree, and wait till to-morrow."

Sas climbed the tree some distance and said: "Now, my son-in-law, I am ready!"

Tulchuherris seized the top of the tree, pulled it toward him a little, and let it fly back. Sas kept his hold and slipped down.

"Now, my son-in-law, go up; go higher. I used to go very high when I was young like you." Tulchuherris went to where Sas had been.

"Go higher," said Sas.

"I wanted to stay where you were," answered Tulchuherris; "but I will go a little higher."

Sas took hold of the tree at the top, pulled it to the earth, and let it go. It sprang back into the sky with a noise like thunder.

Tulchuherris held on and slipped down unhurt.

"Well, father-in-law," said Tulchuherris, "try again."

"I cannot go high," said Sas; "but I will go a little higher than I did the first time. Don't give the tree a big pull." He went up.

"Go higher," said Tulchuherris.

"My son-in-law, I cannot go higher; I am old."

Tulchuherris teased him till he went a little higher; then he gave a harder pull than before. Sas held on without trouble and slipped to the ground.

"Now," said Sas, "I'll give you a swing." Tulchuherris went up.

"Go higher," said Sas. He went higher.

"Go higher; you are young," urged Sas.

"I don't like to go up," said Tulchuherris. But he went a little higher.

Old Sas gave a good pull, stronger than before. Tulchuherris held on and came to the ground safely. Going to one side, he said: "Whu, whu!

let this day be made short!" So the day was made short; evening came soon.

"Well, father-in-law, you try now."

"Very well," said Sas, "give me a small pull; my arms tremble; I am old. I cannot hold on, I am so weak." Old Sas went up.

"Go higher," said Tulchuherris.

"I cannot; I'm old."

Tulchuherris pulled down the top of the tree, but not so far. While he was pulling, Sas said: "Oh, my son-in-law, don't let it go hard."

Tulchuherris gave a pull that would leave Sas on the tree, and he came down unhurt.

"Now try once more," said Sas, "and we will go home."