126 THE BIG CANOE

the sub-chiefs, Kish stole back to her father’s lodge
and exchanged her basket for Lana’s, which she
quickly carried to her secret nook in the forest.

“I will show them Lana’s basket in the morning
and say that it is mine,” she thought exultantly. “I
will work a little red figure in the bottom of it, and
then if they doubt that it is mine, I will say that
my basket has a little red figure in the bottom of it,
while Lana, of course, will say that hers has none.
My father will not like it because I have copied her
basket, of course, but he will not punish me. If they
think it strange that I made such a beautiful basket,
a true Tlingit basket, I will say that I have watched
the slaves many times, and know exactly what has
to be done. They know that the Tlingit slaves have
made many fine baskets, and they know also that
I do not like Lana, so they will not think it strange
that I was determined to make one like hers, only
better.”

Kish’s plan was mean and contemptible, but it was
cleverly carried out and probably it would have suc-
ceeded had it not been for Koots’s keen little nose.
As it was, Kish took the basket to her father in the
morning and displayed it proudly. The chief examined
it carefully and nodded approval.

“It is a very fine basket,” he observed. “Is it not
a fine basket?” he demanded, turning to Kish’s
mother, who was studying the basket with a puzzled
frown.