Traditions of the Thompson River Indians (cont.)
She also killed the child, and put in the cradle a piece of wood, which she covered up; then she sat down and sang to the supposed child and rocked the cradle. In the evening the Hunter returned, and, hearing the singing, recognized the voice as that of his Grizzly Bear wife. He was afraid of her and wished to kill her. He devised a plan to accomplish his object. He made all the water of the creeks near his lodge gather in front of his house in a hole, which he covered. Then he entered the lodge, and said, "I am almost dead with thirst go and get me some water." The Grizzly Bear took a pail and raft away to fetch it, going first to one creek, and then to another; but finding each creek dry, she came back hot and covered with perspiration saying, "I cannot find any water." The Hunter said, "I did not tell you to go so far. You will find plenty of it in front of the house, in a hole under cover." She went out, and, taking off the cover, found plenty. Being thirsty herself after her long run, she bent down to drink. Then the Hunter came out and pushed her from behind, and she fell into the hole headlong, and was drowned. The Hunter then turned back the waters into their natural channels.235
XXIV. THE WOLF BOY AND HIS GRANDMOTHER.
[Nkamtci’nemux.]
Formerly there were a great number of people around Lkamtci’n (Lytton) and that neighborhood, and over most of the country of the Nlaka'pamux; but the country was set on fire by people coming from the direction of the Okanagan country, and all the inhabitants were buried, excepting an old blind woman and a boy, who escaped by taking refuge on a well beaten trail which the fire could not reach. The boy said that he would be revenged. He went and trained himself, and obtained magical powers. After a while he told his grandmother that he had waxed strong in magic, and was going to leave revenge on his enemies. His grandmother said, "I will go with you, as I may be of help to you." He found a short piece of hollow wood, put his grandmother inside, and in this manner, dragged her along, for she was too old and frail to walk. After many days they came to an impenetrable piece of bush. He told his grandmother that he could not pass through it. Then she crawled out, and told him to hold open her eyelids, so that she could look at it. At once the obstacle vanished. They did the same with a barrier of fallen timber. After a while he left the old woman, and in the shape of a wolf went on alone. Presently he approached a large group of underground lodges. A boy saw the Wolf, and called out to the people inside; but he transformed himself into eagle's down, and fluttered down on to the lodge, setting it on fire, and burning all the people inside. He did so with three large houses, and then went on to the fourth one. The boy who had first seen him ran into the chief's house, and told him what had happened to the other houses and inmates. The chief then seized all his daughters and the other young women in the house, throwing them on a heap of tanned skins. He then ran out, and, seeing the Wolf, said, "Chief, have mercy on me. Come into my house, and I will give you a great present." The Wolf changed into the eagle's down, and when near the house again metamorphosed himself into a young man. He entered, and received the large present of skins, and all the young women on them for his wives, and did not return to his own country. He left his grandmother, who was the Short-tailed mouse,236 in the mountains, where she ever afterwards dwelt all alone, and lived by her magic. After this the NLaka'pamux country was uninhabited for a long time.237
XXV. STORY OF STETSO238
[Nkamtci’nemux]
There once lived near Spences Bridge a lad named Stetso, the only survivor of the great fire. This lad was endowed with magic, and possessed great knowledge. One day during the run of the salmon he went to the mouth of Nicola River to fish. At his will trees fell down, were split, and cut into lengths, and took their position in the river, forming a weir. He then commanded, and spears and nets were made, and the fish were taken out of the river, opened, split, and hung up to dry in hundreds. After this he went home, and told his grandmother what he had done. She did not believe him, and said to him, "You could not possibly have done all that in one day. Your fathers worked many days when constructing their weirs, and could only catch a few fish at most." The next morning, Stetso went to see his fish, and found that they had all been eaten up.239 He went home and told his grandmother what had happened, and in anger said he would make a bow and arrows to shoot the thieves. But he could not make these simply by magic so he asked his grandmothers’ advice. She told him the different animals to whom he must go and ask help to finish his bow and arrows. Firstly, he must go to the Eagle for feathers to tip his arrows with. He covered himself up with thick birch-bark for protection, and went down to a very precipitous rock, in which the eagle had his home. When the Eagle saw Stetso approaching, he attacked him. The youth laid hold of the Eagle. In the struggle they fell off the rock, and, gradually reached the ground, the Eagle stopping the rapidity of their fall by the flapping of his wings.
