Traditions of the Thompson River Indians (cont.)\
The arrow shafts were carved and painted red, and the bow covered with snake's skin, and finely ornamented with colored feathers. But they did not suit, and were thrown away like the others. Then it was noticed that the Lynx had not come forward. They discovered him, and ordered him to present his bow and arrows to the boy. He handed him a roughly made bow and arrows made of fir branches. On taking hold of them the lad was highly pleased, and fired many arrows. Then he turned to the Lynx. He said, "You are my father;" to which they all agreed.
The Coyote and all the other men were chagrined, and felt angry because they had not been able to prove themselves the father of the boy. The Coyote kicked the Lynx in the face, and all the others also kicked him. They all left the house in disgust; and as they ran one after another up the ladder, each one put his foot on the Lynx's head. The Coyote was last, and out of spite gave the head of the Lynx such a hard press with his foot that he caused it to assume the shape that we know to-day. The woman's grandparents were also angry at the result, and left the house, deserting her and the boy.
After they had all gone, the woman took pity on the Lynx, who was nearly dead, and bound up his wounds, putting medicine on his face, so that he recovered. From that he became a common lynx, and his beauty was spoiled. His face had grown ugly, distorted, and contracted, as we see it now. Some of the people who deserted them had pitied them, and left a few dry fish in their cellars. In after years the boy grew up to be a fine man and a mighty hunter, and repaid the people their kindness by filling their cellars with deer fat. His father the Lynx was also known before that time as an expert and successful hunter.95
The96 sister who stayed with the Coyote bore four sons to him. These grew up, and were called collectively Tsamu'xei.97 Only the youngest one was gifted in magic, like his father. He was sometimes called Sesiuxi'n,98 and created fire99 in different places by kicking stumps. Whenever the people were travelling and were cold, he would kick a stump, and immediately a fire blazed up, and the people warmed themselves. At that time there were a large number of people who dwelt in an underground lodge in the neighborhood of a certain large river. One of these was a cannibal. He had a friend named Kua'lum,100 who was gifted with magic, and able to almost anything. The Cannibal had a daughter, but nobody dared to take her in marriage for fear of her father. The Coyote's eldest son heard of this girl, and wanted to marry her. He came to a rock near the river, and called "Twia."101 The Cannibal came down on the opposite side and launched his canoe. When he came near the rock, he said to the Coyote's son, "Jump into the canoe, and I will take you across." The latter attempted to do so, but fell into the river and was drowned. The other two sons of tile Coyote afterwards went in succession to get the girl; but the same fate befell them. The youngest son then said, "It is my turn to go," and asked his father to accompany him. His father said, "We will go and have revenge." They therefore went to the rock at the river and called. The Cannibal came again with his canoe; but, much to his surprise and chagrin, both men jumped into the middle of the canoe. Then he took them across, and they went up to the village.
When they had entered the Cannibal's house, the latter put on an immense fire in order to overcome them by heat. But the Coyote and his son put lumps of ice on their foreheads, and sat there without being hurt. The Cannibal gave his daughter to the Coyote's son, but swore in secret to kill him. In the course of the evening, the Cannibal said to the old man Kua'lum, "Take my son-in-law out for a hunt tomorrow." The Coyote said to his son, "They want to kill you. Go and ask the advice of your friend the old woman, Short tailed Mouse; who lives in the mountains. She is full of wisdom." The lad obeyed, and the old woman told him how to act. She said, "They will try to burn you tomorrow. But I know how to avoid the fire. Step in the middle of the trail, and it will not hurt you. I did so when the country was all burnt, and I was the only one left."102 The next day when they were hunting, Kua'lum sent fire to the place where the lad was hunting, in order to burn him; but the latter did as directed he stepped in the middle of the trail and remained unharmed. For this reason, up to the present day, fire always stops at a trail. Kua'lum went home discomfited, while the lad gathered the deer in a gulch, shot them, put them in his glove, and went to the village, where he shook the glove, letting enough deer fall out to fill a whole lodge.
The Cannibal then said to Kua'lum; "Take my son-in-law to gather firewood tomorrow." Once more the lad went to see the Short tailed Mouse, and she told him what to do. On the morrow they came to a dry tree. The lad split it. Kua'lum, by his magic, caused the tree to surround the lad, and then to close and press him to death. The man watched until he saw what he thought to be the blood and brains of the lad ooze out through the split in the tree, and went home well pleased. But in reality the blood was red paint, and the brains white paint, which the lad had ejected from the separate corners of his mouth through the cracks of the tree. The boy then took an arrow-head such as the Thunder uses when shooting, and struck the tree as lightning would, thereby splitting it, and releasing himself. He then gathered up some dry wood and carried it to the village. He threw it into the Cannibal's underground lodge, almost filling it.
