"Oh come and stay with us, go
not away. Our land is full of all the riches nature gives; our woods
are bright with o-lil-lie most luscious to the taste; on yonder hill
the nimble ah-tooch feed; in every stream the silver salmon swim so
come within our lodge with us and stay awhile." Ha-houlth-thuk-amik
was mesmerized by the sweet welcoming and entered in, whereat the
klootsmah said to him, "We welcome thee strange one unto our lodge,
for we have never seen a man before. Come and join us in our song and
dance, for when above great Kuth-kah-chulth the morning sun in glory
rises, we chant this song."

[Illustration: THE INDIAN MAIDEN'S SONG]

and when he sets over Kleetsa's snow white crown, we dance around our
fires, and sing again, and our hearts are happy in this our land."

[Illustration: "WE DANCE ROUND OUR FIRES AND SING AGAIN"]

Now Han-ah-kut-ish was alarmed and much afraid that if his brother
listened to the klootsmah and was attentive to her blandishments, he
would forget the mission in which they were engaged, therefore he
called to him to come, and after much persuasion the elder brother
left the lodge and joined the younger and the slave See-na-ulth,
and together they paddled up the stream to Ok-sock-tis opposite the
present village of O-pit-ches-aht. Across the river there were houses
in which more klootsmuk lived, but at this time they were employed in
gathering Kwanis in the land behind, and when the young men sought
them out they were afraid and all but one took flight escaping to the
woods. This one had no fear but coming near to Ha-houlth-thuk-amik
besought him with favour to look on her, but Han-ah-kut-ish again
reminded him that they had not as yet attained the object of their
quest.

Still further up the stream they went, until they came to where
they found the Ty-ee salmon spawning on the gravel bars. Believing
they had found the object of their search they camped the night at
Sah-ah-hie. All through the darkness they listened to the rushing
of the fish, when the gaunt and savage males with flattened heads
and upper jaws curved like a hook about the lower, and armed with
dog-like teeth, fought for the females of their choice. With great
satisfaction they heard the wallowing of the fish, as, with their
heads and tails, they formed the elongated cavities in the gravel
in which to lay their eggs. Then Ha-houlth-thuk-amik declared that
this the Tsomass River was the source from which the dead fish