166 THE BIG CANOE

to his father. Perhaps he would be forgiven when he
had told the story of the raven on the tree above—
the raven that was surely Thaimshim himself!

Kadonah started recklessly up the cliff, clinging to
rocks and narrow footholds, slipping, bruising him-
self, making his way steadily upward toward the col-
ored feathers. When he had covered half the distance,
he glanced downward and shivered. How had he ever
dared to attempt such a perilous climb? But it was too
late to think about that now! With clenched teeth he
climbed steadily upward, determined to reach the
precious arrow high above, the magic arrow that be-
longed to his father, the chief.

When at last he reached it and plucked the feath-
ered shaft from the cedar, he was so spent that it
was with great difficulty he pulled himself slowly up
the twisted trunk of the old tree to the top of the cliff
above, where he lay for a long time in the sunshine,
panting, exhausted, the arrow clenched tightly in his
hand.

So tired was he that he fell asleep and did not
waken until the sun was high overhead. Then, rested,
he rose to his feet and looked about him. To his sur-
prise he found that he had climbed up to the very
edge of the snow-fields high on the ridge. Above him
were banks and drifts of hard-packed snow and ice
from which little rivulets were coursing downward
to the ledges below.

Kadonah shivered. What if the snow spirits took