ed Fire Bringer, and the keen, gray dog of the wilderness, and saw
the tribesmen catching fish in the creeks with their hands, and the
women digging roots with sharp stones. This they did in Summer, and
fared well; but when Winter came they ran nakedly in the snow, or
huddled in caves of the rocks, and were very miserable. When the boy saw
this he was very unhappy, and brooded over it until the Coyote noticed
it.

"It is because my people suffer and have no way to escape the cold,"
said the boy.

"I do not feel it," said the Coyote.

"That is because of your coat of good fur, which my people have not,
except they take it in the chase, and it is hard to come by."

"Let them run about, then," said the counselor, "and keep warm."

"They run till they are weary," said the boy; "and there are the young
children and the very old. Is there no way for them?"

"Come," said the Coyote, "let us go to the hunt."

"I will hunt no more," the boy answered him, "until I have found a way
to save my people from the cold. Help me, O counselor!"

But the Coyote had run away. After a time he came back and found the boy
still troubled in his mind.

"There is a way, O Man Friend," said the Coyote, "and you and I must
take it together, but it is very hard."

"I will not fail of my part," said the boy.

"We will need a hundred men and women, strong, and swift runners."

"I will find them," the boy insisted, "only tell me."

"We must go," said the Coyote, "to the Burning Mountain by the Big Water
and bring fire to our people."

Said the boy: "What is fire?"

Then the Coyote considered a long time how he should tell the boy what
fire is. "It is," said he, "red like a flower, yet it is no flower;
neither is it a beast, though it runs in the grass and rages in the wood
and devours all. It is very fierce and hurtful, and stays not for
asking; yet if it is kept among stones and fed with small sticks, it
will serve the people well and keep them warm."

"How is it to be come at?"

"It has its lair in the Burning Mountain; and the Fire Spirits guard it
night and day. It is a hundred days' journey from this place, and
because of the jealousy of the Fire Spirits no man dare go near it. But
I, because all beasts are known to fear it much, may approach it without
hurt, and, it may be, bring you a brand from the burning. Then you must
have strong runners for every one of the hundred days to bring it safely
home."

"I will go and get th