legends of vancouver-第14部分

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victory；　that　he　won　battle　after　battle；　conquered　nation　after　nation；　and　but　for　the　direst　calamity　that　could　befall　a　warrior　would　eventually　have　been　master　of　the　world。

〃What　was　this　calamity；　Chief？〃　I　asked；　amazed　at　his　knowledge　of　the　great　historical　soldier　and　strategist。

The　chief's　voice　again　lowered　to　a　whisper　his　face　was　almost　rigid　with　intentness　as　he　replied：

〃He　lost　the　Squamish　charmlost　it　just　before　one　great　fight　with　the　English　people。〃

I　looked　at　him　curiously；　he　had　been　telling　me　the　oddest　mixture　of　history　and　superstition；　of　intelligence　and　ignorance；　the　most　whimsically　absurd；　yet　impressive；　tale　I　ever　heard　from　Indian　lips。

〃What　was　the　name　of　the　great　fight　did　you　ever　hear　it？〃　I　asked；　wondering　how　much　he　knew　of　events　which　took　place　at　the　other　side　of　the　world　a　century　agone。

〃Yes；〃　he　said；　carefully；　thoughtfully；　〃I　hear　the　name　sometime　in　London　when　I　there。　　Railroad　station　theresame　name。〃

〃Was　it　Waterloo？〃　I　asked。

He　nodded　quickly；　without　a　shadow　of　hesitation。　　〃That　the　one；〃　he　replied；　〃that's　it；　Waterloo。〃





The　Lure　in　Stanley　Park

There　is　a　well…known　trail　in　Stanley　Park　that　leads　to　what　I　always　love　to　call　the　〃Cathedral　Trees〃that　group　of　some　half…dozen　forest　giants　that　arch　overhead　with　such　superb　loftiness。　　But　in　all　the　world　there　is　no　cathedral　whose　marble　or　onyx　columns　can　vie　with　those　straight；　clean；　brown　cedar　boles　that　teem　with　the　sap　and　blood　of　life。　　There　is　no　fresco　that　can　rival　the　delicacy　of　lace…work　they　have　festooned　between　you　and　the　far　skies。　　No　tiles；　no　mosaic　or　inlaid　marbles；　are　as　fascinating　as　the　bare；　russet；　fragrant　floor　outspreading　about　their　feet。　　They　are　the　acme　of　Nature's　architecture；　and　in　building　them　she　has　outrivalled　all　her　erstwhile　conceptions。　　She　will　never　originate　a　more　faultless　design；　never　erect　a　more　perfect　edifice。　　But　the　divinely　moulded　cedars　and　the　man…made　cathedral　have　one　exquisite　characteristic　in　common。　　It　is　the　atmosphere　of　holiness。　　Most　of　us　have　better　impulses　after　viewing　a　stately　cathedral；　and　none　of　us　can　stand　amid　that　majestic　group　of　cedars　without　experiencing　some　elevating　thoughts；　some　refinement　of　our　coarser　nature。　　Perhaps　those　who　read　this　little　legend　will　never　again　stand　amid　those　cathedral　trees　without　thinking　of　the　glorious　souls　they　contain；　for　according　to　the　Coast　Indians　they　do　harbor　human　souls；　and　the　world　is　better　because　they　once　had　the　speech　and　the　hearts　of　mighty　men。

My　tillicum　did　not　use　the　word　〃lure〃　in　telling　me　this　legend。　　There　is　no　equivalent　for　the　word　in　the　Chinook　tongue；　but　the　gestures　of　his　voiceful　hands　so　expressed　the　quality　of　something　between　magnetism　and　charm　that　I　have　selected　this　word　〃lure〃　as　best　fitting　what　he　wished　to　convey。　Some　few　yards　beyond　the　cathedral　trees；　an　overgrown　disused　trail　turns　into　the　dense　wilderness　to　the　right。　　Only　Indian　eyes　could　discern　that　trail；　and　the　Indians　do　not　willingly　go　to　that　part　of　the　park　to　the　right　of　the　cedar　group。　　Nothing　in　this；　nor　yet　the　next　world　would　tempt　a　Coast　Indian　into　the　compact　centres　of　the　wild　portions　of　the　park；　for　therein；　concealed　cunningly；　is　the　〃lure〃　they　all　believe　in。　There　is　not　a　tribe　in　the　entire　district　that　does　not　know　of　this　strange　legend。　　You　will　hear　the　tale　from　those　that　gather　at　Eagle　Harbor　for　the　fishing；　from　the　Fraser　River　tribes；　from　the　Squamish　at　the　Narrows；　from　the　Mission；　from　up　the　Inlet；　even　from　the　tribes　at　North　Bend；　but　no　one　will　volunteer　to　be　your　guide；　for　having　once　come　within　the　〃aura〃　of　the　lure　it　is　a　human　impossibility　to　leave　it。　　Your　willpower　is　dwarfed；　your　intelligence　blighted；　your　feet　will　refuse　to　lead　you　out　by　a　straight　trail；　you　will　circle；　circle　for　evermore　about　this　magnet；　for　if　death　kindly　comes　to　your　aid　your　immortal　spirit　will　go　on　in　that　endless　circling　that　will　bar　it　from　entering　the　Happy　Hunting　Grounds。

And；　like　the　cathedral　trees；　the　lure　once　lived；　a　human　soul；　but　in　this　instance　it　was　a　soul　depraved；　not　sanctified。　　The　Indian　belief　is　very　beautiful　concerning　the　results　of　good　and　evil　in　the　human　body。　The　Sagalie　Tyee　（God）　has　His　own　way　of　immortalizing　each。　　People　who　are　wilfully　evil；　who　have　no　kindness　in　their　hearts；　who　are　bloodthirsty；　cruel；　vengeful；　unsympathetic；　the　Sagalie　Tyee　turns　to　solid　stone　that　will　harbor　no　growth；　even　that　of　moss　or　lichen；　for　these　stones　contain　no　moisture；　just　as　their　wicked　hearts　lacked　the　milk　of　human　kindness。　　The　one　famed　exception；　wherein　a　good　man　was　transformed　into　stone；　was　in　the　instance　of　Siwash　Rock；　but　as　the　Indian　tells　you　of　it　he　smiles　with　gratification　as　he　calls　your　attention　to　the　tiny　tree　cresting　that　imperial　monument。　　He　says　the　tree　was　always　there　to　show　the　nations　that　the　good　in　this　man's　heart　kept　on　growing　even　when　his　body　had　ceased　to　be。　　On　the　other　hand　the　Sagalie　Tyee　transforms　the　kindly　people；　the　humane；　sympathetic；　charitable…loving　people　into　trees；　so　that　after　death　they　may　go　on　forever　benefiting　all　mankind；　they　may　yield　fruit；　give　shade　and　shelter；　afford　unending　service　to　the　living；　by　their　usefulness　as　building　material　and　as　firewood。　　Their　saps　and　gums；　their　fibres；　their　leaves；　their　blossoms；　enrich；　nourish　and　sustain　the　human　form；　no　evil　is　produced　by　treesall；　all　is　goodness；　is　hearty；　is　helpfulness　and　growth。　They　give　refuge　to　the　birds；　they　give　music　to　the　winds；　and　from　them　are　carved　the　bows　and　arrows；　the　canoes　and　paddles；　bowls；　spoons　and　baskets。　　Their　service　to　mankind　is　priceless；　the　Indian　that　tells　you　this　tale　will　enumerate　all　these　attributes　and　virtues　of　these　trees。　　No　wonder　the　Sagalie　Tyee　chose　them　to　be　the　abode　of　souls　good　and　great。

But　the　lure　in　Stanley　Park　is　that　most　dreaded　of　all　things；　an　evil　soul。　　It　is　embodied　in　a　bare；　white　stone；　which　is　shunned　by　moss　and　vine　and　lichen；　but　over　which　are　splashed　innumerable　jet…black　spots　that　have　eaten　into　the　surface　like　an　acid。

This　condemned　soul　once　animated　the　body　of　a　witch…woman；　who　went　up　and　down　the　coast；　over　seas　and　far　inland；　casting　her　evil　eye　on　innocent　people；　and　bringing　them　untold　evils　and　diseases。　　About　her　person　she　carried　the　renowned　〃Bad　Medicine〃　that　every　Indian　believes　in　medicine　that　weakened　the　arm　of　the　warrior　in　battle；　that　caused　deformities；　that　poisoned　minds　and　characters；　that　engendered　madness；　that　bred　plagues　and　epidemics；　in　short；　that　was　the　seed　of　every　evil　that　could　befall　mankind。　　This　witch…woman　herself　was　immune　from　death；　generations　were　born　and　grew　to　old　age；　and　died；　and　other　generations　arose　in　their　stead；　but　the　witch…woman　went　about；　her　heart　set　against　her　kind；　her　acts　were　evil；　her　purposes　wicked；　she　broke　hearts　and　bodies　and　souls；　she　gloried　in　tears；　and　revelled　in　unhappiness；　and　sent　them　broadcast　wherever　she　wandered。　　And　in　his　high　heaven　the　Sagalie　Tyee　wept　with　sorrow　for　his　afflicted　human　children。　　He　dared　not　let　her　die；　for　her　spirit　would　still　go　on　with　its　evil　doing。　　In　mighty　anger　he　gave　command　to　his　Four　Men　（always　representing　the　Deity）　that　they　should　turn　this　witch…woman　into　a　stone　and　enchain　her　spirit　in　its　centre；　that　the　curse　of　her　might　be　lifted　from　the　unhappy　race。

So　the　Four　Men　entered　their　giant　canoe；　and　headed；　as　was　their　custom；　up　the　Narrows。　As　they　neared　what　is　now　known　as　Prospect　Point　they　heard　from　the　heights　above　them　a　laugh；　and　looking　up　they　beheld　the　witch…woman　jeering　defiantly　at　them。　　They　landed　and；　scaling　the　rocks；　pursued　her　as　she　danced　away；　eluding　them　like　a　will…o'…the…wisp　as　she　called　out　to　them　sneeringly：

〃Care　for　yourselves；　oh！　men　of　the　Sagalie　Tyee；　or　I　shall　blight　you　with　my　evil　eye。　　Care　for　yourselves　and　do　not　follow　me。〃　　On　and　on　she　danced　through　the　thickest　of　the　wilderness；　on　and　on　they　followed　until　they　reached　the　very　heart　of　the　seagirt　neck　of　land　we　know　as　Stanley　Park。　　Then　the　tallest；　the　mightiest　of　the　Four　Men；　lifted　his　hand　and　cried　out：　〃Oh！　woman　of　the　stony　heart；　be　stone　for　evermore；　and　bear　forever　a　black　stain　for　each　one　of　your　evil　deeds。〃　　And　as　he　spoke　the　witch…woman　was　transformed　into　this　stone　that　tradition　says　is　in　the　centre　of　the　park。

Such　is　the　legend　of　the　Lure；　whether　or　not　this　stone　is　really　in　existencewho　knows？　　One　thing　is　positive；　however；　no　Indian　will　ever　help　to　discover　it。

Three　different　Indians　have　told　me　that　fifteen　or　eighteen　years　ago　two　touristsa　man　and　a　womanwere　lost　in　Stanley　Park。　When　found　a　week　later；　the　man　was　dead；　the　woman　mad；　and　each　of　my　informants　firmly　believed　they　had；　in　their　wanderings；　encountered　〃the　stone〃　and　were　compelled　to　circle　around　it；　because　of　its　powerful　lure。

But　this　wild　tale　fortunately　has　a　most　beautiful　conclusion。　　The　Four　Men；　fearing　that　the　evil　heart　imprisoned　in　the　stone　would　still　work　destruction；　said：　〃At　the　end　of　the　trail　we　must　place　so　good　and　great　a　thing　that　it　will　be　mightier；　stronger；　more　powerful　than　this　evil。〃　　So　they　chose　from　the　nations　the　kindliest；　most　benevolent　men；　men　whose　hearts　were　filled　with　the　love　of　their　fellow…beings；　and　transformed　these　merciful　souls　into　the　stately　group　of　〃Cathedral　Trees。〃

How　well　the　purpose　of　the　Sagalie　Tyee　has　wrought　its　effect　through　time！　　The　good　has　predominated　as　He　planned　it　to；　for　is　not　the　stone　hidden　in　some　unknown　part　of　the　park　where　eyes　do　not　see　it　and　feet　do　not　followand　do　not　the　thousands　who　come　to　us　from　the　nethermost　parts　of　the　world　seek　that　wondrous　beauty　spot；　and　stand　awed　by　the　majestic　silence；　the　almost　holiness　of　that　group　of　giant　cedars？

More　than　any　other　legend　that　the　Indians　about　Vancouver　have　told　me　does　this　tale　reveal　the　love　of　the　Coast　native　for　ki