124 THE BIG CANOE

think you could find it.” He loved to play that game,
did Koots, but he would search for no one but Lana.
And he would not bring back even to her anything
that did not belong to her.

Day after day he lay beside the slave girl and
watched her work upon her basket. He watched as
the straws moved over and under the reeds; as the
colored designs grew into little finished jewels of
handiwork; as the basket grew taller and wider until
it was round and perfect, then curved gracefully in
again and ended in a small band which was to bear
a cover. He watched as Lana fashioned the lid,
decorating it lavishly, fitting it exactly. Then one
day he heard her sigh with satisfaction. The basket
was finished.

“Tt is the finest basket I have ever seen!” Steilta
declared when he saw it. “Finer than any I have
ever seen among all those on the Nass at olachen
time, when all the tribes bring their most beautiful
baskets. I am sure you will win the prize with it.
Nobody has seen Kish’s basket, but it cannot be so
beautiful as this one. She will never be able to make
anything that will equal this.”

The very next day Kish finished her own basket
in her forest workshop. The cover delayed her and
tried her patience sorely, but at last the basket was
done and Kish was well satisfied, though she knew
it was not so fine as Lana’s. Her own basket was not
so well shaped; her stitches were not so uniform;