TRADITIONS OF THE TILLAMOOK INDIANS.
II.
5. THE PANTHERS AND THE WOLVES.
There were five wolves who lived on one side of the river, and on the other side of the river lived five panthers who had a wildcat for their servant. It was his duty to look after the fire while they went out hunting. Whenever his masters had left the house in order to hunt, he climbed up the vine-maples that stood near the house, and jumped from tree to tree. He stole pieces of grease out of the boxes and ate them on the trees. Therefore the wood of the vine-maple is oily when it burns.
When he got tired of playing about he returned to the house to look after the fire, which, however, had meanwhile gone out. Then he crossed the river and stole fire from the wolves, who had each a fire burning in their house. He took one of these and returned home. When he came to the river he did not know how to carry the fire across. First he put it on his head, but the fire burnt him. Finally he put it on the tip of his tail and so carried it across. He had hardly reached the house and started a new fire when the panthers returned, each carrying what he had shot.
When the wolves returned, and found that one of their fires had been stolen, they said, "Who has stolen our fire? We will kill him."
The panthers heard what had happened, and said to the wildcat, "Certainly you have done it. Why did you allow our fire to go out?" He replied, "No, I kept a large fire all day." Then the panthers sent the wildcat to see what the wolves were doing. He returned saying, "One of the wolves is just about to swim across the river." After a little while they sent him again, and he returned, saying, "Now he is in the middle of the river;" and when he had been sent the third time he came back, saying: "He has reached the bank of the river." Then the panthers gave the wildcat a knife, and covered him with a dish, saying, "When we call, you jump forth from under the dish and stab the wolf." Soon the latter came, and they fought for a long time. When they grew tired and feared to succumb, they called for the wildcat, who jumped forth, danced about, and sang, "Where shall I stab him? In his toe-nail or in his finger-nail?’" The panther cried, "If you dance any longer, he will kill me. Stab him in his lap." He obeyed and killed the wolf.
After a while another wolf came over to see what had become of his brother. Again the panthers covered the wildcat with a dish, and when they were unable to withstand the wolf any longer they
