Traditions of the Thompson River Indians (cont.)
The first obstacle will be the clouds, the second the mist, the third the treetops, and the fourth the grass-tops. You must not open your eyes on your way down, else the basket will come up again. When you reach the earth, you will hear the crows54 cry; then you will know that you are in your own country, and you may then open your eyes and come out of the basket." NLi'ksEntEm promised to do as told. The Spider tied his bark rope55 to the basket, NLi'ksEntEm entered it, and the Spider lowered him down. He followed the instructions given him, and did not open his eyes until he heard the crows cry.56 He then stepped out, gave the rope a few tugs, and the Spider hauled up the basket. NLi'ksEntEm found himself on the top of a large flat stone57 near what is now the town of Lytton.
Here he soon discovered that all the people had gone to BEta'ni, therefore he set out for the same place; but he could not find a canoe by which to cross the Thompson, therefore he made one out of horse-tail, and, after getting out of the canoe on the opposite bank, it sank. Ever since that time this plant is growing in the river at the place where he crossed it. He then took the trail for BEta'ni. Before he had gone very far, he overtook the ant, the beetle (kîmkamu't), the caterpillar (sopsopali'latza), and other slow-travelling people. Addressing himself to the ant, he said, "Why do you have your sash so tight? You will soon be cut in two." The people, recognizing him, told him all the news about his wives and the Coyote's doings. They said, "Most of the people will camp at this end of the lake58 to-night. Your wife and child are behind the others. You will soon overtake them." He told them not to tell any of the other people that they had seen him. He hastened on, and soon came in sight of his wife, who was carrying her child along a grassy hillside about half way to the lake. The child said to its mother, "There is father! Father is coming!" But its mother, who was singing a dirge, rebuked it, saying, " You never saw your father. How can you know him? Besides, your father died long ago." But the child persisted. At last the woman looked around, and with joy recognized her husband. The latter told her to camp below, and a little distance away from the other people, which she did. There her husband came home to her at nights, and went hunting during the daytime; and thus he drove all the deer from their usual haunts, and gathered them together in one secluded and distant spot, killing as many as he required. He took home the venison in his glove every night. On arriving, he would shake his glove. The meat fell out and resumed its natural proportions. The Coyote and the other people went out hunting, but could not find any deer, and finally were reduced almost to starvation, having little else but roots to live on.
