legends of vancouver-第8部分

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y　into　the　sea。　　But　at　the　end　of　four　days　he　did　not　return。　　Sometimes　his　people　could　see　him　swimming　far　out　in　mid…channel；　endeavoring　to　find　the　exact　centre　of　the　serpent；　where　lay　its　evil；　selfish　heart；　but　on　the　fifth　morning　they　saw　him　rise　out　of　the　sea；　climb　to　the　summit　of　Brockton　Point　and　greet　the　rising　sun　with　outstretched　arms。　　Weeks　and　months　went　by；　still　the　Tenas　Tyee　would　swim　daily　searching　for　that　heart　of　greed；　and　each　morning　the　sunrise　glinted　on　his　slender　young　copper…colored　body　as　he　stood　with　outstretched　arms　at　the　tip　of　Brockton　Point；　greeting　the　coming　day　and　then　plunging　from　the　summit　into　the　sea。

〃And　at　his　home　on　the　north　shore　his　mother　dressed　his　bed　with　fresh　furs　each　morning。　　The　seasons　drifted　by；　winter　followed　summer；　summer　followed　winter。　But　it　was　four　years　before　the　Tenas　Tyee　found　the　centre　of　the　great　salt…chuck　oluk　and　plunged　his　hunting…knife　into　its　evil　heart。　　In　its　death…agony　it　writhed　through　the　Narrows；　leaving　a　trail　of　blackness　on　the　waters。　　Its　huge　body　began　to　shrink；　to　shrivel；　it　became　dwarfed　and　withered；　until　nothing　but　the　bones　of　its　back　remained；　and　they；　sea…bleached　and　lifeless；　soon　sank　to　the　bed　of　the　ocean　leagues　off　from　the　rim　of　land。　　But　as　the　Tenas　Tyee　swam　homeward　and　his　clean；　young　body　crossed　through　the　black　stain　left　by　the　serpent；　the　waters　became　clear　and　blue　and　sparkling。　He　had　overcome　even　the　trail　of　the　salt…chuck　oluk。

〃When　at　last　he　stood　in　the　doorway　of　his　home　he　said；　'My　mother；　I　could　not　have　killed　the　monster　of　greed　amongst　my　people　had　you　not　helped　me　by　keeping　one　place　for　me　at　home　fresh　and　clean　for　my　return。'

〃She　looked　at　him　as　only　mothers　look。　'Each　day　these　four　years；　fresh　furs　have　I　laid　for　your　bed。　　Sleep　now；　and　rest；　oh！　my　Tenas　Tyee；'　she　said。〃

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The　Chief　unfolded　his　arms；　and　his　voice　took　another　tone　as　he　said；　〃What　do　you　call　that　storya　legend？〃

〃The　white　people　would　call　it　an　allegory；〃　I　answered。　　He　shook　his　head。

〃No　savvy；〃　he　smiled。

I　explained　as　simply　as　possible；　and　with　his　customary　alertness　he　immediately　understood。　〃That's　right；〃　he　said。　　〃That's　what　we　say　it　means；　we　Squamish；　that　greed　is　evil　and　not　clean；　like　the　salt…chuck　oluk。　　That　it　must　be　stamped　out　amongst　our　people；　killed　by　cleanliness　and　generosity。　The　boy　that　overcame　the　serpent　was　both　these　things。〃

〃What　became　of　this　splendid　boy？〃　I　asked。

〃The　Tenas　Tyee？　　Oh！　some　of　our　old；　old　people　say　they　sometimes　see　him　now；　standing　on　Brockton　Point；　his　bare　young　arms　outstretched　to　the　rising　sun；〃　he　replied。

〃Have　you　ever　seen　him；　Chief？〃　I　questioned。

〃No；〃　he　answered　simply。　　But　I　have　never　heard　such　poignant　regret　as　his　wonderful　voice　crowded　into　that　single　word。





The　Lost　Island

Yes；〃　said　my　old　tillicum；　〃we　Indians　have　lost　many　things。　We　have　lost　our　lands；　our　forests；　our　game；　our　fish；　we　have　lost　our　ancient　religion；　our　ancient　dress；　some　of　the　younger　people　have　even　lost　their　fathers'　language　and　the　legends　and　traditions　of　their　ancestors。　　We　cannot　call　those　old　things　back　to　us；　they　will　never　come　again。　　We　may　travel　many　days　up　the　mountain　trails；　and　look　in　the　silent　places　for　them。　　They　are　not　there。　We　may　paddle　many　moons　on　the　sea；　but　our　canoes　will　never　enter　the　channel　that　leads　to　the　yesterdays　of　the　Indian　people。　These　things　are　lost；　just　like　'The　Island　of　the　North　Arm。'　　They　may　be　somewhere　nearby；　but　no　one　can　ever　find　them。〃

〃But　there　are　many　islands　up　the　North　Arm；〃　I　asserted。

〃Not　the　island　we　Indian　people　have　sought　for　many　tens　of　summers；〃　he　replied　sorrowfully。

〃Was　it　ever　there？〃　I　questioned。

〃Yes；　it　was　there；〃　he　said。　　〃My　grandsires　and　my　great…grandsires　saw　it；　but　that　was　long　ago。　　My　father　never　saw　it；　though　he　spent　many　days　in　many　years　searching；　always　searching；　for　it。　　I　am　an　old　man　myself；　and　I　have　never　seen　it；　though　from　my　youth　I；　too；　have　searched。　　Sometimes　in　the　stillness　of　the　nights　I　have　paddled　up　in　my　canoe。〃　　Then；　lowering　his　voice：　〃Twice　I　have　seen　its　shadow：　high　rocky　shores；　reaching　as　high　as　the　tree　tops　on　the　mainland；　then　tall　pines　and　firs　on　its　summit　like　a　king's　crown。　　As　I　paddled　up　the　Arm　one　summer　night；　long　ago；　the　shadow　of　these　rocks　and　firs　fell　across　my　canoe；　across　my　face；　and　across　the　waters　beyond。　　I　turned　rapidly　to　look。　　There　was　no　island　there；　nothing　but　a　wide　stretch　of　waters　on　both　sides　of　me；　and　the　moon　almost　directly　overhead。　　Don't　say　it　was　the　shore　that　shadowed　me；〃　he　hastened；　catching　my　thought。　　〃The　moon　was　above　me；　my　canoe　scarce　made　a　shadow　on　the　still　waters。　　No；　it　was　not　the　shore。〃

〃Why　do　you　search　for　it？〃　I　lamented；　thinking　of　the　old　dreams　in　my　own　life　whose　realization　I　have　never　attained。

〃There　is　something　on　that　island　that　I　want。　　I　shall　look　for　it　until　I　die；　for　it　is　there；〃　he　affirmed。

There　was　a　long　silence　between　us　after　that。　　I　had　learned　to　love　silences　when　with　my　old　tillicum；　for　they　always　led　to　a　legend。　　After　a　time　he　began　voluntarily：

〃It　was　more　than　one　hundred　years　ago。　This　great　city　of　Vancouver　was　but　the　dream　of　the　Sagalie　Tyee　（God）　at　that　time。　The　dream　had　not　yet　come　to　the　white　man；　only　one　great　Indian　medicine　man　knew　that　some　day　a　great　camp　for　Palefaces　would　lie　between　False　Creek　and　the　Inlet。　This　dream　haunted　him；　it　came　to　him　night　and　daywhen　he　was　amid　his　people　laughing　and　feasting；　or　when　he　was　alone　in　the　forest　chanting　his　strange　songs；　beating　his　hollow　drum；　or　shaking　his　wooden　witch…rattle　to　gain　more　power　to　cure　the　sick　and　the　dying　of　his　tribe。　　For　years　this　dream　followed　him。　　He　grew　to　be　an　old；　old　man；　yet　always　he　could　hear　voices；　strong　and　loud；　as　when　they　first　spoke　to　him　in　his　youth；　and　they　would　say：　'Between　the　two　narrow　strips　of　salt　water　the　white　men　will　campmany　hundreds　of　them；　many　thousands　of　them。　　The　Indians　will　learn　their　ways；　will　live　as　they　do；　will　become　as　they　are。　　There　will　be　no　more　great　war　dances；　no　more　fights　with　other　powerful　tribes；　it　will　be　as　if　the　Indians　had　lost　all　bravery；　all　courage；　all　confidence。'　　He　hated　the　voices；　he　hated　the　dream；　but　all　his　power；　all　his　big　medicine；　could　not　drive　them　away。　　He　was　the　strongest　man　on　all　the　North　Pacific　Coast。　　He　was　mighty　and　very　tall；　and　his　muscles　were　as　those　of　Leloo；　the　timber　wolf；　when　he　is　strongest　to　kill　his　prey。　　He　could　go　for　many　days　without　food；　he　could　fight　the　largest　mountain　lion；　he　could　overthrow　the　fiercest　grizzly　bear；　he　could　paddle　against　the　wildest　winds　and　ride　the　highest　waves。　He　could　meet　his　enemies　and　kill　whole　tribes　single…handed。　　His　strength；　his　courage；　his　power；　his　bravery；　were　those　of　a　giant。　　He　knew　no　fear；　nothing　in　the　sea；　or　in　the　forest；　nothing　in　the　earth　or　the　sky；　could　conquer　him。　　He　was　fearless；　fearless。　Only　this　haunting　dream　of　the　coming　white　man's　camp　he　could　not　drive　away；　it　was　the　one　thing　in　life　he　had　tried　to　kill　and　failed。　　It　drove　him　from　the　feasting；　drove　him　from　the　pleasant　lodges；　the　fires；　the　dancing；　the　story…telling　of　his　people　in　their　camp　by　the　water's　edge；　where　the　salmon　thronged　and　the　deer　came　down　to　drink　of　the　mountain　streams。　　He　left　the　Indian　village；　chanting　his　wild　songs　as　he　went。　　Up　through　the　mighty　forests　he　climbed；　through　the　trailless　deep　mosses　and　matted　vines；　up　to　the　summit　of　what　the　white　men　call　Grouse　Mountain。　　For　many　days　he　camped　there。　　He　ate　no　food；　he　drank　no　water；　but　sat　and　sang　his　medicine　songs　through　the　dark　hours　and　through　the　day。　　Before　himfar　beneath　his　feet　lay　the　narrow　strip　of　land　between　the　two　salt　waters。　　Then　the　Sagalie　Tyee　gave　him　the　power　to　see　far　into　the　future。　　He　looked　across　a　hundred　years；　just　as　he　looked　across　what　you　call　the　Inlet；　and　he　saw　mighty　lodges　built　close　together；　hundreds　and　thousands　of　them；　lodges　of　stone　and　wood；　and　long　straight　trails　to　divide　them。　　He　saw　these　trails　thronging　with　Palefaces；　he　heard　the　sound　of　the　white　man's　paddle…dip　on　the　waters；　for　it　is　not　silent　like　the　Indian's；　he　saw　the　white　man's　trading　posts；　saw　the　fishing　nets；　heard　his　speech。　　Then　the　vision　faded　as　gradually　as　it　came。　　The　narrow　strip　of　land　was　his　own　forest　once　more。

〃'I　am　old；'　he　called；　in　his　sorrow　and　his　trouble　for　his　people。　　'I　am　old；　oh；　Sagalie　Tyee！　　Soon　I　shall　die　and　go　to　the　Happy　Hunting　Grounds　of　my　fathers。　　Let　not　my　strength　die　with　me。　　Keep　living　for　all　time　my　courage；　my　bravery；　my　fearlessness。　Keep　them　for　my　people　that　they　may　be　strong　enough　to　endure　the　white　man's　rule。　Keep　my　strength　living　for　them；　hide　it　so　that　the　Paleface　may　never　find　or　see　it。'

〃Then　he　came　down　from　the　summit　of　Grouse　Mountain。　　Still　chanting　his　medicine　songs　he　entered　his　canoe；　and　paddled　through　the　colors　of　the　setting　sun　far　up　the　North　Arm。　　When　night　fell　he　came　to　an　island　with　misty　shores　of　great　grey　rock；　on　its　summit　tall　pines　and　firs　circled　like　a　king's　crown。　　As　he　neared　it　he　felt　all　his　strength；　his　courage；　his　fearlessness；　leaving　him；　he　could　see　these　things　drift　from　him　on　to　the　island。　　They　were　as　the　clouds　that　rest　on　the　mountains；　grey…white　and　half　transparent。　　Weak　as　a　woman　he　paddled　back　to　the　Indian　village；　he　told　them　to　go　and　search　for　'The　Island；'　where　they　would　find　all　his　courage；　his　fearlessness　and　his　strength；　living；　living　forever。　He　slept　then；　butin　the　morning　he　did　not　awake。　　Since　then　our　young　men　and　our　old　have　searched　for　'The　Island。'　　It　is　there　somewhere；　up　some　lost　channel；　but　we　cannot　find　it。　　When　we　do；　we　will　get　back　all　the　courage　and　bravery　we　had　before　the　white　man　came；　for　the　great　medicine　man　said　those　things　never　diethey