legends of vancouver-第4部分

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nd；　and　during　the　entire　recital　of　the　strange　legend　his　eyes　never　left　that　spot　where　the　stream　disappeared　in　its　hurrying　journey　to　the　sea。　　Without　preamble　he　began：

〃It　was　a　grey　morning　when　they　told　him　of　this　disaster　that　had　befallen　him。　　He　was　a　great　chief；　and　he　ruled　many　tribes　on　the　North　Pacific　Coast；　but　what　was　his　greatness　now？　　His　young　wife　had　borne　him　twins；　and　was　sobbing　out　her　anguish　in　the　little　fir…bark　lodge　near　the　tidewater。

〃Beyond　the　doorway　gathered　many　old　men　and　womenold　in　years；　old　in　wisdom；　old　in　the　lore　and　learning　of　their　nations。　Some　of　them　wept；　some　chanted　solemnly　the　dirge　of　their　lost　hopes　and　happiness；　which　would　never　return　because　of　this　calamity；　others　discussed　in　hushed　voices　this　awesome　thing；　and　for　hours　their　grave　council　was　broken　only　by　the　infant　cries　of　the　two　boy…babies　in　the　bark　lodge；　the　hopeless　sobs　of　the　young　mother；　the　agonized　moans　of　the　stricken　chieftheir　father。

〃'Something　dire　will　happen　to　the　tribe；'　said　the　old　men　in　council。

〃'Something　dire　will　happen　to　him；　my　husband；'　wept　the　young　mother。

〃'Something　dire　will　happen　to　us　all；'　echoed　the　unhappy　father。

〃Then　an　ancient　medicine　man　arose；　lifting　his　arms；　outstretching　his　palms　to　hush　the　lamenting　throng。　　His　voice　shook　with　the　weight　of　many　winters；　but　his　eyes　were　yet　keen　and　mirrored　the　clear　thought　and　brain　behind　them；　as　the　still　trout　pools　in　the　Capilano　mirror　the　mountain　tops。　His　words　were　masterful；　his　gestures　commanding；　his　shoulders　erect　and　kindly。　　His　was　a　personality　and　an　inspiration　that　no　one　dared　dispute；　and　his　judgment　was　accepted　as　the　words　fell　slowly；　like　a　doom。

〃'It　is　the　olden　law　of　the　Squamish　that　lest　evil　befall　the　tribe　the　sire　of　twin　children　must　go　afar　and　alone　into　the　mountain　fastnesses；　there　by　his　isolation　and　his　loneliness　to　prove　himself　stronger　than　the　threatened　evil；　and　thus　to　beat　back　the　shadow　that　would　otherwise　follow　him　and　all　his　people。　　I；　therefore；　name　for　him　the　length　of　days　that　he　must　spend　alone　fighting　his　invisible　enemy。　　He　will　know　by　some　great　sign　in　Nature　the　hour　that　the　evil　is　conquered；　the　hour　that　his　race　is　saved。　　He　must　leave　before　this　sun　sets；　taking　with　him　only　his　strongest　bow；　his　fleetest　arrows；　and　going　up　into　the　mountain　wilderness　remain　there　ten　daysalone；　alone。'

〃The　masterful　voice　ceased；　the　tribe　wailed　their　assent；　the　father　arose　speechless；　his　drawn　face　revealing　great　agony　over　this　seemingly　brief　banishment。　　He　took　leave　of　his　sobbing　wife；　of　the　two　tiny　souls　that　were　his　sons；　grasped　his　favorite　bow　and　arrows；　and　faced　the　forest　like　a　warrior。　　But　at　the　end　of　the　ten　days　he　did　not　return；　nor　yet　ten　weeks；　nor　yet　ten　months。

〃'He　is　dead；'　wept　the　mother　into　the　baby　ears　of　her　two　boys。　　'He　could　not　battle　against　the　evil　that　threatened；　it　was　stronger　than　hehe　so　strong；　so　proud；　so　brave。'

〃'He　is　dead；'　echoed　the　tribesmen　and　the　tribeswomen。　　'Our　strong；　brave　chief；　he　is　dead。'　　So　they　mourned　the　long　year　through；　but　their　chants　and　their　tears　but　renewed　their　grief；　he　did　not　return　to　them。

〃Meanwhile；　far　up　the　Capilano　the　banished　chief　had　built　his　solitary　home；　for　who　can　tell　what　fatal　trick　of　sound；　what　current　of　air；　what　faltering　note　in　the　voice　of　the　Medicine　Man　had　deceived　his　alert　Indian　ears？　　But　some　unhappy　fate　had　led　him　to　understand　that　his　solitude　must　be　of　ten　years'　duration；　not　ten　days；　and　he　had　accepted　the　mandate　with　the　heroism　of　a　stoic。　　For　if　he　had　refused　to　do　so　his　belief　was　that　although　the　threatened　disaster　would　be　spared　him；　the　evil　would　fall　upon　his　tribe。　　This　was　one　more　added　to　the　long　list　of　self…forgetting　souls　whose　creed　has　been；　'It　is　fitting　that　one　should　suffer　for　the　people。'　　It　was　the　world…old　heroism　of　vicarious　sacrifice。

〃With　his　hunting…knife　the　banished　Squamish　chief　stripped　the　bark　from　the　firs　and　cedars；　building　for　himself　a　lodge　beside　the　Capilano　River；　where　leaping　trout　and　salmon　could　be　speared　by　arrow…heads　fastened　to　deftly　shaped；　long　handles。　　All　through　the　salmon　run　he　smoked　and　dried　the　fish　with　the　care　of　a　housewife。　　The　mountain　sheep　and　goats；　and　even　huge　black　and　cinnamon　bears；　fell　before　his　unerring　arrows；　the　fleet…footed　deer　never　returned　to　their　haunts　from　their　evening　drinking　at　the　edge　of　the　streamtheir　wild　hearts；　their　agile　bodies　were　stilled　when　he　took　aim。　　Smoked　hams　and　saddles　hung　in　rows　from　the　cross　poles　of　his　bark　lodge；　and　the　magnificent　pelts　of　animals　carpeted　his　floors；　padded　his　couch　and　clothed　his　body。　　He　tanned　the　soft　doe　hides；　making　leggings；　moccasins　and　shirts；　stitching　them　together　with　deer　sinew　as　he　had　seen　his　mother　do　in　the　long…ago。　　He　gathered　the　juicy　salmonberries；　their　acid　flavor　being　a　gratifying　change　from　meat　and　fish。　　Month　by　month　and　year　by　year　he　sat　beside　his　lonely　camp…fire；　waiting　for　his　long　term　of　solitude　to　end。　　One　comfort　alone　was　his　he　was　enduring　the　disaster；　fighting　the　evil；　that　his　tribe　might　go　unscathed；　that　his　people　be　saved　from　calamity。　　Slowly；　laboriously　the　tenth　year　dawned；　day　by　day　it　dragged　its　long　weeks　across　his　waiting　heart；　for　Nature　had　not　yet　given　the　sign　that　his　long　probation　was　over。

〃Then　one　hot　summer　day　the　Thunder　Bird　came　crashing　through　the　mountains　about　him。　　Up　from　the　arms　of　the　Pacific　rolled　the　storm　cloud；　and　the　Thunder　Bird；　with　its　eyes　of　flashing　light；　beat　its　huge　vibrating　wings　on　crag　and　canyon。

〃Upstream；　a　tall　shaft　of　granite　rears　its　needle…like　length。　　It　is　named　'Thunder　Rock；'　and　wise　men　of　the　Paleface　people　say　it　is　rich　in　orecopper；　silver　and　gold。　At　the　base　of　this　shaft　the　Squamish　chief　crouched　when　the　storm　cloud　broke　and　bellowed　through　the　ranges；　and　on　its　summit　the　Thunder　Bird　perched；　its　gigantic　wings　threshing　the　air　into　booming　sounds；　into　splitting　terrors；　like　the　crash　of　a　giant　cedar　hurtling　down　the　mountain　side。

〃But　when　the　beating　of　those　black　pinions　ceased　and　the　echo　of　their　thunder　waves　died　down　the　depths　of　the　canyon；　the　Squamish　chief　arose　as　a　new　man。　　The　shadow　on　his　soul　had　lifted；　the　fears　of　evil　were　cowed　and　conquered。　　In　his　brain；　his　blood；　his　veins；　his　sinews；　he　felt　that　the　poison　of　melancholy　dwelt　no　more。　　He　had　redeemed　his　fault　of　fathering　twin　children；　he　had　fulfilled　the　demands　of　the　law　of　his　tribe。

〃As　he　heard　the　last　beat　of　the　Thunder　Bird's　wings　dying　slowly；　slowly；　faintly；　faintly；　among　the　crags；　he　knew　that　the　bird；　too；　was　dying；　for　its　soul　was　leaving　its　monster　black　body；　and　presently　that　soul　appeared　in　the　sky。　　He　could　see　it　arching　overhead；　before　it　took　its　long　journey　to　the　Happy　Hunting　Grounds；　for　the　soul　of　the　Thunder　Bird　was　a　radiant　half…circle　of　glorious　color　spanning　from　peak　to　peak。　He　lifted　his　head　then；　for　he　knew　it　was　the　sign　the　ancient　Medicine　Man　had　told　him　to　wait　forthe　sign　that　his　long　banishment　was　ended。

〃And　all　these　years；　down　in　the　tidewater　country；　the　little　brown…faced　twins　were　asking　childwise；　'Where　is　our　father？　　Why　have　we　no　father　like　other　boys？'　　To　be　met　only　with　the　oft…repeated　reply；　'Your　father　is　no　more。　　Your　father；　the　great　chief；　is　dead。'

〃But　some　strange　filial　intuition　told　the　boys　that　their　sire　would　some　day　return。　Often　they　voiced　this　feeling　to　their　mother；　but　she　would　only　weep　and　say　that　not　even　the　witchcraft　of　the　great　Medicine　Man　could　bring　him　to　them。　　But　when　they　were　ten　years　old　the　two　children　came　to　their　mother；　hand　within　hand。　　They　were　armed　with　their　little　hunting…knives；　their　salmon　spears；　their　tiny　bows　and　arrows。

〃'We　go　to　find　our　father；'　they　said。

〃'Oh！　useless　quest；'　wailed　the　mother。

〃'Oh！　useless　quest；'　echoed　the　tribes…people。

〃But　the　great　Medicine　Man　said；　'The　heart　of　a　child　has　invisible　eyes；　perhaps　the　child…eyes　see　him。　　The　heart　of　a　child　has　invisible　ears；　perhaps　the　child…ears　hear　him　call。　　Let　them　go。'　　So　the　little　children　went　forth　into　the　forest；　their　young　feet　flew　as　though　shod　with　wings；　their　young　hearts　pointed　to　the　north　as　does　the　white　man's　compass。　　Day　after　day　they　journeyed　up…stream；　until　rounding　a　sudden　bend　they　beheld　a　bark　lodge　with　a　thin　blue　curl　of　smoke　drifting　from　its　roof。

〃'It　is　our　father's　lodge；'　they　told　each　other；　for　their　childish　hearts　were　unerring　in　response　to　the　call　of　kinship。　　Hand…in…hand　they　approached；　and　entering　the　lodge；　said　the　one　word；　'Come。'

〃The　great　Squamish　chief　outstretched　his　arms　towards　them；　then　towards　the　laughing　river；　then　towards　the　mountains。

〃'Welcome；　my　sons！'　he　said。　　'And　good…bye；　my　mountains；　my　brothers；　my　crags　and　my　canyons！'　　And　with　a　child　clinging　to　each　hand　he　faced　once　more　the　country　of　the　tidewater。〃

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The　legend　was　ended。

For　a　long　time　he　sat　in　silence。　　He　had　removed　his　gaze　from　the　bend　in　the　river；　around　which　the　two　children　had　come　and　where　the　eyes　of　the　recluse　had　first　rested　on　them　after　ten　years　of　solitude。

The　chief　spoke　again；　〃It　was　here；　on　this　spot　we　are　sitting；　that　he　built　his　lodge：　here　he　dwelt　those　ten　years　alone；　alone。〃

I　nodded　silently。　　The　legend　was　too　beautiful　to　mar　with　comments；　and　as　the　twilight　fell；　we　threaded　our　way　through　the　underbrush；　past　the　disused　logger's　camp　and　into　the　trail　that　leads　citywards。





The　Lost　Salmon　Run

Great　had　been　the　〃run；〃　and　the　sockeye　season　was　almost　over。　　For　that　reason　I　wondered　many　times　why　my　old　friend；　the　klootchman；　had　failed　to　make　one　of　the　fishing　fleet。　　She　was　an　indefatigable　workwoman；　rivalling　her　husband　as　an　expert　catcher；　and　all　the　year　through　she　talked　of　little　else　but　the　coming　run。　　But　this　especial　season　she　had　not　appeared　amongst　her　fell