76.Muskrat. 1
Muskrat was in love with a pubescent girl. She knew that he was in love with her, but did not know that he was watching her constantly. Every morning when she went to wash at the springy, she sang, “Oh! I do not like Muskrat. Oh! I cannot bear him! with his big belly and his small eyes.” Muskrat heard her. and became angry, saying, “She insults me. I will kill her. If I cannot get her, no one else shall, either." He made many arrows of different kinds, and many moccasins of different shapes and sizes; then one night he killed the girl in her lodge, shooting arrows all through the tent, and making tracks all around with the moccasins. After destroying the moccasins, he walked home and went to bed.
In the morning the people found the girl dead, and, taking her body into the underground house, they tried to bring her to life again. The Otter, Marten, Fisher, anti Grisly Bear treated her, but without result.
Then the people asked Muskrat, for he was then training to become a shaman. He treated her and, while singing his song, sometimes forgot himself, and put in the words, ' I did it;' but, at once checking himself. he would resume his song. The people said, “He must be the murderer;” attacked him with clubs, and they knocked him down. With each blow the water rose higher in the underground house, and Muskrat would dive to avoid the blows. :fit last all the people were drowned, and Muskrat, leaving the place, settled in another part of the country.
77. Elk. 2
(Nkamtci'nEmux.)Elk and his mother lived together in a country away to the southeast. \o other people lived in that neighborhood. (one day Elk said to his mother, "I wish to have a wife." His mother answered, "Why do you speak so? Don't you know how ugly you are? No woman would have you, because of your large antlers." Then he said, "I will search for a wife. I will steal one. Make me a woman's kilt, belt, shoes, and robe.” His mother made these things of buckskin and gave them to her son, who then departed to search for a wife.
After about ten day's travel, he arrived at the mountains near Spences Bridge, where some people were living close to a lake. A young woman 3 from one of the lodges came down to the lake to fetch water.
1 Compare with No. 75, also with Shuswap, p. 679.
2 Compare latter part with Traditions of the Thompson River Indians, p. 35.
3 She was the daughter of Coyote.
