198 THE BIG CANOE

stream. Soon they were full and the water fell in
waterfalls down to the valley below.

Again he called the salmon. This time they came
leaping up the mountain. Up and up they came,
flashing in the sunlight. From the last pool they
leaped into Thaimshim’s mouth. Thaimshim was so
tired that he closed his eyes and went on eating. He
was very contented and happy to be back in the land
of salmon and forests again. And he was happy be-
cause he owned the pipe and tobacco which would
keep away the insects.

The salmon kept on leaping and Thaimshim kept
on eating for a long time. Then a terrible thing hap-
pened. Thaimshim did not see it because his eyes were
shut. There came up the mountain a salmon on whose
tail a crab clung tightly. All the way up, from one
pool to another, the crab clung to the salmon. Into
Thaimshim’s mouth it went with the salmon, but when
Thaimshim bit upon the fish, the crab let go and
fastened his claws in Thaimshim’s tongue instead.

The crab pinched hard, till Thaimshim yelled with
pain. He leaped to his feet and tried to pull the crab
from his tongue. Away went his walking-stick, fall-
ing far down the mountain. Away went his precious
pipe which he had not yet smoked; into the air it
was tossed as his hand reached for the crab. Up and
down he jumped, forgetting everything. His strug-
gles jarred the mountain, jarred the waters of the
sea so that the waves tumbled mountain-high upon