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