50. A'îlu'l
(Lower Uta'mqt.)
(cont.)Here they told him that they were in sore straits because of their inability to cut trees: so he told them to oiler, their mouths, and he would make them able to cut trees. As each one opened its mouth, lie threw his knife into it, and thus they became able to cut down trees. Then they conducted him to the bridge, and he went on his way.
Before long he met a young man, who asked him where he was going. He answered, "I am going to a distant land to see strange people.' Tilt young man said, "In the next country are strange people, and a xaxa'1 there has a pretty daughter, whom you may desire to marry. If you wish her, I can get her for you ; but you have not sufficient magical powers to obtain her yourself." He answered, "I shall be glad to marry her if you can get her for me." So the young man went to secure her. He found her alone in her lodge, for she was a young girl;2 and was sitting there whistling on her flute.3 He told her that a man from a far country sought her, and was waiting for her some distance away, and that he would conduct her to him. She consented, and, after spitting on her whistle (that it might continue to whistle), she departed with the young man, and, joining A'ilu'l, they all journeyed together back towards the lake.
The girl was not missed for several days; but at last some of the people said to her father, "Your daughter does not whistle so loudly as is her wont.' He said, "She may be getting tired of whistling." Again they informed him, "Your daughter has ceased whistling altogether :' so he went to her lodge, and found that she was gone. Then he went to his wife and informed her that their daughter was not in her lodge, and that he was afraid she had been stolen. His wife looked over the world, and saw their daughter travelling with two men towards a lake, so she despatched her husband in pursuit. When he came near, the girl changed herself into an old woman, her husband into an old man, and the young, man into a dog. She created an old dilapidated lodge near the trail, and they sat down inside. Her father did not recognize her. He inquired of the old couple if they had seen any people pass that way. Since they denied all knowledge of the fugitives, he gave up the pursuit and went home.
When he reached home, his wife was angry with him. and said, "Why did you come back without your daughter, She deceived you. It was she who appeared as an old woman." Then the husband and wife both started in pursuit, and drew near to the fugitives as they reached the lake. A'ilu't threw down his belt on the lake, and it became a bridge as before, upon which they all crossed in safety.
1 xaxa' a person possessed of much mystery of magical power; a mystery, or anything possessed of great 'medicine."
2 LxomLx, a girl at the age of puberty, and undergoing her training.
3 A tube made of bone with three or four holes in it, used by young men and women as a whistle or flute. It was also used for drinking through, although some used it entirely as a flute, and drank through another tube of bone which had no holes in it. Those with holes for whistling were seldom used by the Utaa'mqt, and seem to have been chiefly confined to the Upper Thompsons, Okanagon, and southern Shuswap.
