🧚 Opening, part 6

And at the word they went Flying at fearful speed Adown the mountain side, And ever faster still As if to headlong death.1 Soon he who sought the girl Went whirling from his sled, And the two sorcerers howled In triumph an hurrah!2 For they knew not that this was done By their enemy that he Might get them before his sledge.3 Then he put forth his arm, And seizing the younger man Turned for a pace aside, And then again shot on.4 Then the sorcerers stopped, Thinking that those before Were checked and at an end; When lo! their enemy In his sled shot over their heads, And over a mighty wall Of ice, as a bird might fly High above all in the air; Then, touching the ground once more, Ran with tremendous speed, First down into the vale, Then up, and ever up Upon the opposite hill Where the village stood, till it struck The wigwam of the chief, Ripping it all in two.5 Again the Sagamore said: “This time I fear indeed That I must lose my child: Yet thou hast more to do!”6

Yes, and far more to do: For then the Sagamore said: “I have a runner here, A man so fleet of foot That never in his life Has he been overcome, And thou must strive with him And gain the victory Ere thou canst win thy wife.”7 So then the race was set, And Thunder should compete, But at the time his friend Lent him the magic pipe Which gave him wondrous power Over all dark sorcery Such as Būʾūinuk use And witches dark and vile.8

Now when the pair had met The youth said: “Who art thou?”9 And the sorcerer replied: “I am the Wegaduskʾ;” Which means the Northern Lights, “But tell me who art thou?”10 “I am Wosogwoesk, Chain-lightning is my name,” The Thunder answering said.11 And, as the race was run All in the early morn, Then in an instant both No longer were in sight.12 They were far, far away Beyond the distant hills; Then, waiting, all sat still, Till long before the noon Chain-lightning came again; He showed no weariness, Nor was he out of breath, Yet had gone through the world.13 Then all sat still again Till evening, when they saw The Northern Light return Completely, sadly tired; He quivered and he shook As beaten by fatigue, Yet for all that the Light Had not been through the world, For, coming to the south, The heat had sent him home.14 Again the Sagamore said, “This time I fear again That I must lose my child, Yet thou hast more to do.”15

The Sagamore had a man Whom none could overcome In swimming of all kinds, Or diving in the sea; With him the youth must strive.16 And when they met, the Badger Asked him, “What is thy name?”17 And he replied, “I am Ukchigʾmûech (Sea Duck), But tell me who art thou?”18 He answerèd “The Kwîmû,” That is, “the Loon,” and then They dived from a high rock Deep down into the sea.19 Ere long the Sea Duck rose Again to get his breath, But long the Indians Waited and watched until They saw the Loon again.20 An hour passed, and then Another hour, before He rose from the deep sea.21 But when at last he came, The Sagamore sadly said, “This is the end of all Our weary work, for now, I have truly lost my child!”22

Yet it was not the end Of all the curious deeds Which they beheld, before The strangers took their leave.23 For, when the wedding came In the evening of that day, There was a general dance, A wild festivity, At which the wizard bold Astonished every one; For as he danced around On the hard beaten floor, They saw his feet sink in Deeper at every step, And ever deeper still As the strange dance went on, Still ploughing up the ground In ridges rough and high, Forming a trench, until His head and nothing more Could from without be seen.24 That ended all the dance, Since no one after him Save wizards or a witch Could dance on such a floor.25

The bridegroom and the bride, With them the wizard bold, Then entered the canoe And sailed away toward home; Yet they had more to meet, And trials to endure, Though of no dangerous kind; ’Tis said they were but jests Played by the Master’s skill.26 For they had not gone far, When right before their path They saw an awful storm Coming to meet them.27 He Who had the elfin power Knew that it had been raised By sorcery, because The tempests which are due To hidden magic power Are ever worst of all.28 So without fear he rose And sang the sorcerer’s song, And, filling lungs and cheeks With air, he blew against The rising hurricane, Wind against wind until He blew the wind away, Then all the mighty flood Was smooth as smooth could be:29

So they sailed ever on Over a sunlit sea, And yet it was not long Ere the elf-gifted one Saw rising ’mid the waves A dark and curious form, That of a monstrous beast Fast-coming as a foe, And then they knew it was The Giant Beaver, called Kwâbît, in fearful rage; But when the mighty one Saw this, he sailed direct Even at the monster’s jaws, And, coming to him, said: “Lo, I am the great foe Of all thy race and called The Beaver-Hunter; I, Am he who butchers them; Full many a one ere now Has perished by my hand.”30 [19] Kwâbît had placed himself Under the water, with His tail upraised above The level of the waves, That he might sink the barque With one tremendous blow, As is the Beaver’s way; But he of magic power With well directed stroke Of the _tumîhîgʾn_, or His tomahawk, then cut The body from the tail, Leaving the Beaver dead; Then blithely sailed away.31

Yet had they not gone far When coming round a point They saw another beast, Also of giant size, Waiting to be their death; Abúkchelû the Skunk, A thing which many dread More than a raging wolf; And he, too, had his tail Uplifted in the air; But, ere the brute could make His hideous attack, The wary gifted one Caught up his hunting spear, And, hurling it with haste, So pierced Abúkchelû, That father of the skunks, That down he fell and died.32 Thrice did he kick in pain Before he passed away.33 So then the gifted one, Stepping upon the shore, Took up a long dead pine Which lay upon the shore, And, as he stuck its point Into Abúkchelû, Lifted him high in air, And, fastening the tree Firmly into the ground, Left him, and said with scorn, Even as he turned away; “Just show your tail now, there!”34

And ever they sailed on Over the silver sea, O’er blue and dancing waves, Till home they came with joy, And at the landing place They saw the Master stand; And his first words were, “Well!35 I see, my friends, that you Have brought me my canoe All safely back again.”36 And they replied, “We have.”37 And gayly he inquired “Has all gone well with you?”38 And when he thus had said, He laughed and let them know ’Twas he in all their trials And triumphs who had worked And brought it all to pass.39

Then to the gifted one He said, “Now go in peace Thy way with these thy friends; Lead ever happy lives There in the elfin world Deep in the forest-shades, Far in the silent land Of flowers and mystery.40 But of this thing be sure, If any care should come Unto you, think of me And I will give you aid.”41

They rose and went their way.42

FOOTNOTES:43

[18] All of this corresponds accurately to the ancient Greek and Roman initiation to the Mysteries, in which the hair-string or fillet played a prominent part.44 L.45