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65. Moose, Buffalo, Antelope, and White-tailed Deer.
(cont.)

Moose lengthened his tail, fitted him up suitably the country in which he intended to live henceforth, and accompanied him on his journey as far as a place called Sie’lamen.1  Here he bade him farewell, and White-tail and his family ran backwards and forwards, showing Moose that they were much fleeter than he had thought they were.  Now White-tail took up his abode near where the boundary line now runs, and from there he ranged north through the Okanagon country to about Penticton, east through the Kootenai, west across the Similkameen, and south through eastern Washington.  He lived in the bushes, and his enemies could not catch him.

 When Moose, on his way home, had gone as far as somewhere in Idaho or Montana, Buffalo met him and caused a large lake2 to appear in front of him.  Because he was so heavy, Moose was afraid to swim across, and thus had almost made up his mind to return north, when Buffalo told him he would make a bridge for him to cross on, if he would promise to shape his horns so that he could fight well.  Moose agreed to do this and Buffalo made a bridge across the lake with his horns and tail, and Moose passed safely over.  When they arrived at home, Moose fitted up Buffalo by making his hair thick and shaggy, lengthening his tail, and sharpening his horns.  Now Buffalo became very fierce and powerful, and had no fear of his enemies, who always fled because of his sharp horns.  Moose accompanied him to the east, where he left him on the open plains.  He also fitted up Antelope, and escorted him to the rolling hills west of where he had left Buffalo.  Antelope was not afraid of his enemies because he was so fleet of foot and had such sharp eyesight.

 Now Old-One or some other Transformer came along and found Moose living on a plateau.  He transformed him into the present-day moose, saying, “Henceforth you will be the animal moose, and will always be large and clumsy.  Men will hunt you, and use your hide for tents.”  The Transformer came to where Buffalo lived, and transformed him, saying, “Henceforth you will be a common buffalo, and only occasionally will you be fierce, and able to kill men and horses with your sharp horns; but men will lie in wait on your trail, and will shoot you with bow and arrows.  Your skin they will use for blankets and robes.”  The Transformer came to where Antelope lived, and transformed him also, saying, “Henceforth you will be an antelope, and will live on the edge of the buffalo country.  You will be known as the fleetest of animals; but men will hunt you, and use your hide for making shirts.”  White-Tailed Deer was also transformed into the present animal of that name, and ordained to roam through the country he had selected.  For this reason the White-tailed deer is seldom seen even as far north as the Nicola.

1. In eastern Washington, not far from the boundary line.
2. This lake created by the buffalo remains to the present day, but the narrator had forgotten its name.

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