2. Coyote and his Guests.
(Lower Uta'mqt.)
(cont.)Now Coyote knew how Wood-Tick managed to procure his food. He also knew the valuable properties of his magic staff, and therefore he desired to obtain possession of it. When Coyote reached Wood-Tick's house, he was invited to enter. As there was no meat in the house at the time, Wood Tick said he would go and procure a deer for his guest; but Coyote said, "You need not trouble. If you loan me your staff, I shall go and get one for you." Coyote knew that Wood-Tick was a lazy individual and did not care about travelling much. Wood-Tick assented to Coyote's proposal, and gave him his staff, but before his departure gave strict injunctions to Coyote not to strike the rock more than four times. When Coyote reached the cliff, he struck it four times, and a deer fell down each time. Then he said to himself, "Why should I not strike it oftener?" so he struck it the fifth time, but no deer fell down. Then he struck it for the sixth and seventh times, but with like results. When he struck it the eighth time, the four deer became alive, and, jumping up, ran away.
Now Coyote threw off his blanket, and, following the deer, ran to Wood-Tick's house as fast as he could, but arrived just in time to see Wood-Tick going off riding on one of the deer's ears. Looking around in the house, he saw some deer fat in one corner. Taking hold of it, he swallowed it, saying, "I will have something to eat, anyway;" but the fat came up again, and, jumping out of his mouth, ran away. Seeing some deer-bones near the fire, he reached to take hold of them, but, just as his fingers almost touched them, they got up and ran away. Every bit of deer fat, meat, blood, and bone ran away, so Coyote was left without anything to eat.
3. Coyote and Elk.
Elk had been killed by another Elk who belonged to a country situated at a distance, and all his wives had been taken away by the victor. Coyote, as he came along the trail,3 noticed Elk's body lying there, and made fun of it. Elk felt angry at the taunting and sarcastic remarks passed by Coyote so he came to life again, and began to chase him. He had nearly overtaken Coyote, when the latter entered the ground, and, passing through a hill, came out at the other side. By thus outwitting Elk, and taking a short cut, he obtained again a long start over Elk. At last Elk spied him a long distance ahead; and Coyote cried out, "You better stay where you are, for you can never overtake me!" Elk answered, "You may play all the tricks you like, but I shall overtake you and kill you, just the same." So he gave chase again, and soon drew up on Coyote, who had recourse to the same expedient as before.
1 Some say deer's blood.
2 Some say he struck off a chip from the rock each time.
3 Some say it was probably the trail between Similkameen and Nicola.