At Laltg’iwas, near Skida’ns, lived a chief and his sister, who had a son. This young man loved the chief’s wife. When the chief discovered this he became jealous and thought of killing his nephew. He sent his eslavos to fetch gum. The slaves went and bought a canoe load of gum, which the chief boiled. Then he covered the board which covers the bow of the canoe with the gum. After this was done he sent his slaves to shoot eagles, and he spread the down over the gum so as to make it invisible. After he had thus prepared his canoe he called his nephew. His slaves went into his house to call him. He obeyed their summons, and went to his uncle’s house, who requested him to go out to sea, hunting. The young man took his quiver, which contained two bows and many arrows. The young man asked his uncle: » What kind of a blanket shall I wear when I go hunting? » Then the chief gave him two marten blankets. He continued: « What kind of ear ornament shall I wear when I go hunting? » His uncle gave him ear ornaments made of caribou skin.
Cuando el tiempo estuvo despejado y tranquilo, empezó a cazar focas. Antes de partir, el jefe dijo a sus esclavos: “Cuando arponee una foca, empújenla para que caiga sobre la tabla en la proa de la canoa. Él se aferrará a ello y luego lo arrojará por la borda. » Salieron al mar y, cuando el joven se disponía a arponear una foca, el eslavo Lo empujó para que cayera sobre el tablero. No pudo liberarse porque el chicle lo sujetaba. Entonces los esclavos tomaron la tabla, la arrojaron por la borda y regresaron a casa. Dijeron que el joven se había caído por la borda y que no habían podido salvarlo. Entonces toda la gente se entristeció.
El joven vagó a la deriva en el mar, y el viento llevó la tabla a tierra cerca de un pueblo. Se arrastró hacia las casas, pero, cuando el sol brillaba cálidamente, la encía se ablandó y pudo liberarse. Secó sus mantas bajo el cálido sol.
Now he heard two women singing. Their voices were very beautiful. After a while they approached him. They were very beautiful. They addressed him, saying: « We know that your uncle is jealous of you, and therefore he ordered his slaves to throw you into the sea. Accompany us to our father’s country. It is not far from here. We will look after you. » Then he accompanied them, and soon they arrived at a large town. One of the girls was the chief’s daughter, while the other one was her slave. She was the daughter of the Eagle.
Now they entered the chief’s house. He was offered a seat and was given to eat. The chief was glad to see him. The girl’s mother, whose name was G.otso’na, was very old. She was quite bald. Early every morning the Eagles went out hunting whales. When they returned they gave the whales to the old woman. One day the youth desired to accompany the hunters. He said to his wife: « Tell your father that I wish to see how he hunts whales. » The young woman told her father, who replied: » Here is an eagle skin. Give it to your husband. » He put it on and flew out with the Eagles. Before he started, the old woman warned him, saying: « Don’t try to catch a clam. Its head looks just like that of a sea otter. A long time ago one of our hunters tried to catch it, and it drowned him. For this reason we are afraid of it. »
They went out to sea and saw many whales. The young man caught one. He did not And it difficult to lift it. The eagle skin which he had on was one the chief had used when he was a young man. For that reason it made him very strong. In the evening they returned, and he gave his whale to the old woman. He was so eager to go out again whaling that he was unable to sleep. Early next morning he started and continued to catch whales. Thus he continued to do for many years. The old woman warned him frequently, saying: « Don’t try to catch that small black animal whose head looks like that of a sea otter. »
One morning, when he started, he thought: « To-day I shall try to catch two whales, one in each hand. » When he saw two whales he swooped down and took one in each talon. He did not find them too heavy and carried them home. He gave them to the old woman. When he found that he was strong enough to lift two whales, he thought he would be able to conquer the animal of which the old woman had warned him. He started early in the morning, and, as soon as he saw the clam, he swooped down on it and succeeded in lifting it. But soon he felt his strength leaving him, and he began to sink down lower and lower. Now the clam had dragged him down to the surface of the water. Then one of the Eagles came to his assistance. He took hold of his wings and tried to pull him up, but in vain. The clam pulled him down. Another Eagle came to their help, but they were unable to overcome the clam. All the whale hunters came to their assistance, but all of them we’re dragged down under the water.
Ahora sólo quedaba uno de los Eagles. Regresó a su casa y le contó a la anciana lo que había sucedido. Luego dijo: “¡Ngai, ngai, ngai! Se afiló las uñas y se puso la piel, que parecía muy vieja y andrajosa. Ahora era un Águila vieja, que había perdido muchas plumas. Ella voló al mar, y sangre: “¿Por qué mi yerno me desobedeció? ¡Ngai, ngai, ngai! Cuando llegó al lugar donde la almeja había ahogado a las Águilas, vio las alas de un Águila solamente, sobre la superficie del agua. Ella los agarró y trató de levantarlos. Casi fue arrastrada bajo el agua; pero poco a poco empezó a subir. Lo intentó tres veces. La cuarta vez logró levantar el Águila. De nuevo cantó: “¿Por qué me desobedeció mi yerno? ¡Ngai, ngai, ngai! » Entonces escuchó un ruido bajo el agua, « ¡Buey! Luego levantó todas las Águilas y las llevó de vuelta a casa.
Now the young man resolved to take revenge on the people who had killed him. He put on his eagle skin and flew to his uncle’s village. There he alighted on the top of a tree. When the people saw him they attempted to shoot him, because they were desirous of obtaining the Eagle’s feathers for winging their arrows; but they were unable to hit him. Now his uncle’s son attempted to shoot him. At once he swooped down, grasped him, and carried him upward. One of the men of the village tried to hold the boy, but he also was lifted upward; and thus he raised all the men of the village. He carried them out to sea and dropped them into the water, where they were drowned.
The young man continued to live there for many years, but finally he became homesick. He did not laugh and stayed at home all the time. Then the old woman asked her daughter: « Why is your husband sad? » His wife replied: » He wishes to return to his uncle’s village. » Then the old woman gave him the skin of the bird t’En. [It has a red throat, and is eaten by the whites]. He put it on and flew back. The village was entirely deserted, because he had killed all the people. Only his two younger sisters remained, who had been hidden at the time of his former visit. They were crying all the time. When they saw the bird they made a noose of their own hair, and he allowed himself to be caught.
