68. Tcine'i's War for the Salmon; or, The Introduction of Salmon.
(cont.)Most of the people were starving, for game was scarce also. At that time, salmon seldom visited the interior, and never spawned there. Tcine'i¹ said, “I will go to the great lake of the west and obtain salmon.” He asked the advice of the little Tsokomu's-fish, who advised him not to go, saying, “A powerful mystery guards the salmon in the great lake. The salmon as well as the lake belong to him. He is of huge size, can swim very fast, and has a very large tail. When he opens his mouth, he can swallow the whole earth. You must not try to fight with him, for he will surely kill you.” Tcine'i maintained he would go, nevertheless, as the people were starving, and the prize was worth risking his life for. Borrowing Tsokomu's canoe, he embarked with his four sons, and paddled down the Columbia River. They met Fish-hawk and asked him to join them. He consented, saying “There a are no fish here. I should like to see salmon in the streams. I will help you to get them.” Soon afterwards they fell in with the Raven, who was grumbling because he could not get enough food. They asked him to join them, and he consented, saying, “I should like to have salmon and their spawn to eat.” Lower down the river, they met Bald-headed Eagle, and asked him to join them also; but he refused. So they transformed him to the present-day bird of that name, and ordained that he should henceforth live by stealing food from other birds.
The war-party now consisted of seven. Tcine'i and his sons remained in the canoe, while Raven and Fish-hawk acted as scouts, the former flying ahead in mid air, and the latter flying still higher up. When they reached the mouth of the river, they stopped to consider what to do. They were afraid to go on the big lake with the canoe, as it would disturb the waters, and thus let the powerful mystery know that they were coming. They landed, and sent Fish-hawk out over the lake to seek salmon. He dived, and caught two, which he took to his people. Tcine'i's eldest son took them and ran up along the bank of the river, crying, “Baa, ba'a,” by striking his mouth with his hand. A11 the salmon left the lake, and commenced to follow the sound. Raven flew behind, and drove them. Now the monster that owned the salmon came along very fast to attack Tcine'i. Fish-hawk staid behind to meet him. He gained much time for his friends by flying up and diving down in front of the enemy, who opened and shut his huge mouth vainly, trying to catch him. At last Fish-hawk became tired, flew up stream, and caught up with Raven, whom he helped to drive the salmon. Tcine'i's eldest son still led as before. Now, the monster would have overtaken the party, but Tcine'i and his three sons waited to meet him. Tcine'i pulled the beak off one of his sons, and replaced it with a feather out of his wing, which he threw in his son's face, where it became a beak. Then, pulling a feather from each of his other sons, he feathered the beak like an arrow.
1. Name of a bird with a long beak, I think, the sandpiper.
