WEST SHORE.
289
IPS.
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I " n 1. I .. t... a.
(''if I .a. .
' TILL, AT LAST, UK HIT A
8HAHIN."
Thirty days they journeyed east
ward, till, at last, their eyei
descried
The huge cedar where the bear
king kept hia captive Haidah
bride.
Fortune smiled upon their mission, for the bean had hunting gone,
Leaving Kinda-wiss and children in the cedar house alone.
From the tree the quick descended when the heard the Haidab voice,
For the language of her girlhood made her caloused heart rejoice ;
And her lover'i gentle accents woke emotions in her breast,
As with tenderness be gently told the story of bis quest ;
Told her how no Haidah maiden, with the eyes of gentle dove,
Had been able yet to win him from the mem'ry of his love.
Flamed anew love's holy passion in the bear qneen'i breast ; again
Qotssara-qnedua clasped bis loved one, as within the mountain glen
He bad held her to bis bosom, while the murmur of the stream
Had been music, sweetly soothing, like the music of a dream.
Then with Kinda-wiss and children they made baste towards the land
Where Pacific's restless waters beat upon Queen Charlotte's strand.
As tbey journeyed through the forest, crossed high mountains, forded
streams,
Pressing ever to the westward, where the sun god sinks in dreams
On the bosom of the ocean, on a couch of burnished gold,"
Kinda-wiss her sad adventures to her brave companions told.
On the day when her young lover was to meet ber In the vale,
She bad ventured down the mountain, and soon lost the narrow trail.
Now she realised her folly, and her footsteps turned again
Up the rugged steep above her, hoping thus to reach the glen,
Where the happy days of summer with her lover she had passed ;
But she wandered till exhausted by ber struggles, and at last,
In despair, fell forward, prostrate, mid the tangled vines and brush,1 4
With all hope fled from her bosom. Softly now the twilight hush
Settled down upon the forest, and the gathering shades of night
Spread a sable mantle o'er her. Thus she lay until the light
Of the breaking morn the warblers of the forest woke to song.
Then a sunbeam touched ber forehead, as it felt lit way along
Through the interlacing branches of the salal bash11 and vine,
Turned to amber and to scarlet, like the hue of crimson wine,
By the gentle hand of Autumn. Slowly opened then her eyes.
O'er her head a huge gray squirrel, looking down In mute surprise,
" TIIERI TO JOIN, 'HID PEALS OF THUNDER, VAST ARHADAB Or Till BNOW.'
Swept away the happy love dream that had made her slumbers sweet,
And in agony of terror quick she sprung upon her feet,
Shouting " Quissam, Quissam-quedus I Oh my darling, are you here I "
Then her quick ears caught a rustling in the thimble bushes near,
And she turned with expectation, when a figure met her sight,
That made words of warmest welcome fretie upon her lips. In fright
She sank down upon the fern leaves, her sweet eyes by terror dimmed,
For the king of the fierce grliiliea, shaggy haired and giant limbed,
Stood before her, eight feet tall from claw-filled foot to gritiled head.
Gently came the monster forward, and in soothing accents said:
" Fear me not, Oh, sweetest maiden, Haitian's fairest budding flower,
You shall wed the king of griulies, and from this, my happiest hour,
Reign as queen above ten thousand valiant bears tint own my sway,
And your slightest wish or summons least and greatest shall obey."
Speaking thus, the bear king
gently took the trembling
maiden's hand;
Led her, sobbing, down the
mountain, toward the grit-
lies' distant land.
Many dayt they journeyed
slowly ; but, at last, they
reached the tree
Where the ursine monarch
lived ; and then he issued
his decree,
That tweet Kinda-wiss
should ever receive horn
, age from the bears.
In a giant hollow cedar, only
reached by outer stairs,
I m I il ipMa im tlM II II ! 1 nwiii ninim m ymmi iMii.wwm.FPW ,
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to?. ':;'
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s ' trfUi
" kino or tiii ritaci oriiiuis, siiakiy-iiaird and iiiant limiikd.'
Lived the bear king and his captive. When ber little boy was born,
In ber heart the mother passion healed the rents that had been torn
By the loss of ber young lover, and when the last baby came
Haidah land and Haidah lover were to her but empty name
ralton of Uai ladUiit. Thti UwMd It Mpaoltllr mwkad amonf tlx Indira Urlos tbost
Uttbueot Uoiuit 8hMU, wban lhr btllm Ux klu at tb (tIiiIIm mtrried tin lUaib.
tool IhtOraU Spirit, and Uitu bun the Idu ud En ol Uw BbutM. la Uw Hal.
dth Utwd ban nlattd tba tunt IA U bnmht odL II la pratabU that the Indira biTt
terilMd ksmu aUribt Id tin frinlr teoanw h it Iha oalj aalmtl tor whot phrrioal
mna u bar prohaiidnipMt. RrltimtaktafbruueUirlWuloUlai
Id tiini llum miiliHn Hitttt Tht UlbM poiMt iln Ihm Iraditlom ai
amn to iltjriiif tb sriulf, I booth Unn to ban maMirbat Mmnd from this twl.
ins ialaUrrMf. It bl prohibit thia ttvralot. liko tbolr Idm ot I bo topvior natan of
ulmtl, fra oot o( bll pnmM la bUlU ud tboii taw to aawoular bin with Iba bow
and arrow, sad thai lb abandonmul of Ibalr fonnar nraplat oa lb aabjaol It taoatd
mora bj tba tnbttltatioa of Uw nha for Ibat Inforior waapoa (ban aar ralaialloa of thatr
raliflona Idoaa. Mar w Ibt Indiana alon la tbalr admiration of tba braran and prow,
at of tba iriulr baar, for Uufluof tht trot amarieant wbo toosht to oonqaar (allfor
aia from tba Uaiioana bora a srlulr for Ita dariea, and tba br aftanranb batama tba
diitinatin Inn In tba aUU aaal.
Mora l-Tha Haidab triba It diridad Into varloat (aaaral famlliat, tub of wbiek baa
aenattodifntait,aaobatlba aaila, or cAoot, and tba reran, or cAooa. Baton tba
door of taob booaa atendi a pola witb tba linaataof tbo famllr aamd apaa It la tba form
of a hJaodiof of aU tba liana rapreaanUni tba dlflaraat traaU tombiaad la tba dawait