COLD AND FROST, OR STONE COAT WOMEN

p. 152

Characters

ONCE four men started off on a hunting expedition, They went in canoes up a large river. These men were the first men to make a canoe. When the chief of the party said, "We will land at King Fisher's place," the men were glad for they had been out a number of days. After they had drawn their canoes to the bank the chief said, "Each man must do his best, must bring in all the game he can."

The next morning the chief asked the sun, the moon and the stars to help them, and give them success in getting game.

The men were good hunters and soon they had plenty of meat. Then two of the party said, "We are going farther into the forest to hunt for elk."

"You must be careful," said the old man, "and not go too far away from a trail; something might happen."

One of the men was stubborn, he always wanted his own way. He wouldn't follow the old man's advice. But he went farther than he intended.

When night came all the party returned to camp except the stubborn man and as they gathered around the fire they talked of him and said he must have gone far into the forest.

The man traveled all day. When night overtook him he built a fire. After a while he heard voices and looking across the river that was near where be had camped, he

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saw two women and a baby. The baby was crying. One of the women sat down and nursed it. The man was glad that there were people around.

Soon one of the women noticed that there was a man on the opposite side of the river, and she called out, "How did you cross, brother!"

It seemed strange to him that he could hear her words from such a distance, but he told her to come straight toward his fire.

Again the woman asked, "How did you cross, brother?" and he repeated, "Come straight toward my fire." She asked a third time, and a third time he answered, "Come straight toward my fire." He began to be frightened, began to think that maybe they were Stone Coats, though they looked like women.

The younger woman asked, "Can we stay all night by your fire?"

"If you come over, you may stay by my fire," answered the man.

Looking sharply at the women he knew now that they were not human beings. One said to the other, "If we go higher up, we may find a place to cross," and they started. Soon they came to the log where the man had crossed. Men he saw them coming, he ran some distance down stream, crossed at a ford and went to a point opposite his fire. When they came to his fire and saw that he was where they had been, one called out, "Why did you run away from us? Nothing will happen to you. Come back. We won't harm you." One of the women picked up his tomahawk and drew her finger along the edge of it. "I wonder if this would take a person's life?" said she.

"Yes," called the man, "it would take any one's life. Put it down!"

She laid it down. They urged him to come to the fire. When he refused they were angry and were determined to get at him. They started for the crossing, saying, "Wait where you are till we come over."

"Very well," answered the man, but when he saw them crossing he ran to the ford and when they reached the place where he had been he was on the opposite side, by the fire.

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The women couldn't walk side by side, one followed the other, the younger woman carried the baby.

When they saw the man standing by his fire the elder woman called to him, "A time will come when I will get at you!"

"You kill people," said the man.

"You are not able to kill any one," replied the woman.

"I'll show you what I can do," said the man. He drew his tomahawk and struck a rock; great pieces split off.

"I think he can kill us," said the woman.

Picking up his bow the man aimed at a tree; the arrow went straight to the mark. The woman, seeing his skill, was astonished and thought, "He is a man to be feared."

"That man must be HÍNO’ (Thunder)," said the younger woman.

"He is dodging around," said the elder, "but I will kill him!" She was angry because he tried to keep away from them.

When the man saw the women recrossing the river he went into the river and under the water. They couldn't see him. He stayed in the river till daylight, then he started off toward the camp where his companions were. He was a swift runner, but about midday he heard a voice say, "Now I have caught you!"

When he knew that the women were behind him he did his best, but his strength was failing. Finding that he couldn't escape by running, he climbed a tree. He had just reached a place in the thick branches when the elder woman came and stood under the tree. Her daughter, who was carrying the child, ran up; the mother nursed the child and then said, "We must hurry and overtake him!" (Stone Coats, because of their clothing, couldn't look up, so the woman didn't see the man.) When she wanted to know how far away he was, she took a tiny finger out of her bosom and put it on the palm of her hand. The finger stood erect and pointed straight at the man.

That minute the man slipped down, snatched the finger and ran off. The finger was of great service; the man could run faster. It was an adviser also and pointed out the road to be taken. The man consulted the finger to find how far he was from camp and in what direction it

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The finger raised a little and pointed in a certain direction. After he had run some distance he consulted the finger again. It hardly rose from his hand. He knew then that he was near his comrades. When he reached camp, he ate, regained his strength and then told his story, but he didn't tell about the finger. The chief of the party said, "We must gather up our things and go home."

When the men were in their canoes and were pushing away from the bank, they saw a woman coming. She was crying. When near enough she called out, "Give back what you have taken and you will be successful. If you return what belongs to me, you will have good luck."

"What did you take from her?" asked the chief. "Whatever it was it may be true that we will have good luck if you give it back."

The man drew out the finger and showed it to his comrades.

"Let her have it if she will promise not to molest us again," said the chief.

The man put the finger on the palm of his hand and reached it toward the woman as far as he could and she reached to get it. She slipped, fell into the river, and sank. They saw only bubbles.

"Let us be off quickly!" said the man, and they rowed away as fast as they could. They reached home in safety. The man kept the finger. He became very expert in bunting for be always consulted the finger. When he put it on his palm and asked where game was, it rose and pointed in the direction the animal would be found. And as long as the man lived he had a supply of all things good to eat.