orm
most beautiful.
The little creature grew so fast that every day his mother went out
to find new shells and larger shells in which to cradle him. She
called him by the name of Eut-le-ten, and in all the village there
was none so fair; in wisdom and in beauty none excelled. The child
was observing beyond his years, and felt deepest sorrow at his
mother's constant weeping. One day he inquired in tender tones,
full of love and sympathy. "My Mother, tell me why you cry so much;
why unconsoled you chant the death lament?"
Then the mother drawing him to her side told him of the tragedy which
had befallen his sister. "The chehah came and carried off my girl,
carried away your little sister to the woods, the dark and gloomy
woods, and since that day her shadow has not crossed my mournful
path," she said.
Then up spake Eut-le-ten and bravely said, "My Mother, I will seek
your daughter, my little sister. I will save her from that awful fate
you fear. Direct me now upon the lonesome road the dread witch took
and I will seek her out."
And the mother knowing him to be a spirit-child, rejoiced and blessed
his errand. They next sought out the little ones who saved themselves
by clinging to the low branched tree, and from them they learned the
trail the old witch took. Then sallied forth brave Eut-le-ten alone,
off to give battle to E-ish-so-oolth.
THE QUEST
[Illustration: BRUSHING THE HEMLOCK BOUGHS, HE WALKED STEALTHILY]
Eut-le-ten started with no arms but his courage, to face the dread
witch who had spirited away the children. The trail lay long, unknown
and untrodden, save by the timber wolf, panther and black bear. It
was feared by the Indians for dangers most dreadful--the greatest
of all the chehah E-ish-so-oolth. He broke through dense shalal,
fringing the green woods, making the shore line all but impenetrable.
Into the thick woods, under the silvery spruce, brushing the hemlock
boughs he walked stealthily. Salmon berry thickets impeded his
progress, scratched his round limbs with the thorns on their canes.
He passed white helebore, so tall and so handsome. He saw how the
black bear had fed on swamp lily, tramping the glossy leaves into the
black mud. He spurned the devil's club with berries so red and with
poisonous thorns on stem and on leaf. Such was the trail as it led
him far inland, inland away from his home by the sea. At last by a
cool stream, the path lay before him. Hard by the stream a lodge wa
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