THE IRON MEN 71

pressed them more than any other thing, for metal
was the most precious commodity among the Northern
tribes.

“Yetz Haada!” cried the chief, pointing in astonish-
ment at a huge coil of chains upon the deck.

“Tron Men!” the trader translated. “He says we
are iron men. He has never seen so much metal be-
fore, and he is amazed.” In this fashion the white
strangers were named by the great chief, and Yetz
Haada, Iron Men, they remained through many years
of trading that followed. So they are called in Haida
story and legend to this day.

While the chief and his men were watching two of
the most skilful sailors perform acrobatic feats high
up in the rigging, a flock of geese landed in the cove
not far from the ship and the trader, at a nod from the
captain, quickly fired his musket and killed one of
them. So frightened were the Haidas at the noise of
this man-made thunder, that they would have leaped
from the deck had the sailors not stopped them. Their
amazement knew no bounds when the trader ex-
plained the use of the musket, showed them the dead
goose, and tried to persuade the chief to fire the
weapon himself.

Weah’s father, however, would not touch this magic
fire-stick of the Yetz Haada, nor would any of his
warriors try to fire it.

“You are not afraid of anything,” declared the
trader, as he pressed the musket into Weah’s trem-