Not so many miles away from the village,the great mountain range so divides the streams that are born there,that their waters are offered as tribute to the Atlantic,Pacific,and Arctic Oceans.In this wonder-ful range the Indians believe the winds are made,and that they battle for supremacy over Gunsight Pass.I have heard an old story,too,that is said to have been generally believed by the Blackfeet,in which a monster bull-elk that lives in Gunsight Pass lords it over the winds.This elk creates the North wind by "flapping"one of his ears,and the South wind by the same use of his other.Iam inclined to believe that the winds are made in that Pass,myself,for there they are seldom at rest,especially at this season of the year.
To-night the wind was blowing from the north,and filmy white clouds were driven across the face of the nearly full moon,mo-mentarily veiling her light.Lodge poles creaked and strained at every heavy gust,and sparks from the fires inside the lodges sped down the wind,to fade and die.
In his lodge War Eagle waited for us,and when we entered he greeted us warmly,but failed to mention the gale."I have been waiting,"he said."You are late and the story I shall tell you is longer than many of the others."Without further delay the story-telling commenced.
"Once OLD-man came upon a lodge in the forest.It was a fine one,and painted with strange signs.Smoke was curling from the top,and thus he knew that the person who lived there was at home.Without calling or speaking,he entered the lodge and saw a man sitting by the fire smoking his pipe.The man didn't speak,nor did he offer his pipe to OLD-man,as our people do when they are glad to see visitors.He didn't even look at his guest,but OLD-man has no good manners at all.He couldn't see that he wasn't wanted,as he looked about the man's lodge and made himself at home.The linings were beautiful and were painted with fine skill.The lodge was clean and the fire was bright,but there was no woman about.
"Leaning against a fine back-rest,OLD-man filled his own pipe and lighted it with a coal from the man's fire.Then he began to smoke and look around,wondering why the man acted so queerly.He saw a star that shone down through the smoke-hole,and the tops of several trees that were near the lodge.Then he saw a woman--way up in a tree top and right over the lodge.She looked young and beautiful and tall.
"'Whose woman is that up there in the tree top?'asked OLD-man.
"'She's your woman if you can catch her and will marry her,'growled the man;'but you will have to live here and help me make a living.'
"'I'll try to catch her,and if I do I will marry her and stay here,for I am a great hunter and can easily kill what meat we want,'said Old-man.
"He went out of the lodge and climbed the tree after the woman.She screamed,but he caught her and held her,although she scratched him badly.He carried her into the lodge and there renewed his promise to stay there always.The man married them,and they were happy for four days,but on the fifth morning OLD-man was gone--gone with all the dried meat in the lodge--the thief.
"When they were sure that the rascal had run away the woman began to cry,but not so the man.He got his bow and arrows and left the lodge in anger.There was snow on the ground and the man took the track of OLD-man,intending to catch and kill him.
"The track was fresh and the man started on a run,for he was a good hunter and as fast as a Deer.Of course he gained on OLD-man,who was a much slower traveller;and the Sun was not very high when the old thief stopped on a hilltop to look back.He saw the man coming fast.
"'This will never do,'he said to himself.
'That queer person will catch me.I know what I shall do;I shall turn myself into a dead Bull-Elk and lie down.Then he will pass me and I can go where I please.'
"He took off his moccasins and said to them:'Moccasins,go on toward the west.
Keep going and making plain tracks in the snow toward the big-water where the Sun sleeps.The queer-one will follow you,and when you pass out of the snowy country,you can lose him.Go quickly for he is close upon us.'
