THE TALKING DOLL 217

of the hardships of slavery until they were sold to j
a Niska chief. H
Here in the village on the Nass, Oala had quickly
become the favorite of old Doul, the head slave- i
woman, while Kona, whose legs had been left weak
and crippled by a strange illness, had shown his
ability to carve masks as fine as those of his father, |
Haimas the Carver, whose masks had been famous
j

among all the tribes. Animal masks, shaman masks,
ceremonial masks, masks like the faces of real people
—all these Kona could carve with a skill no Niska
could equal. So great was the demand for his handi-
work, that he was compelled to sit day after day,
carving endlessly, until he became silent and dis-
couraged.

So now, Oala, whose one thought was for her
brother’s happiness, told Kona in whispers of her an)
plan to win the favor of a Haida chief, so that their i
desire to live among the Haidas might come true. iY
When she found that Kona was too tired, too irritable, |