The Black Lion Inn

e it worse was that in Moh-Kwa's cavern where he lived, there lay a deep pool which was the camp of many fish; an' Moh-Kwa would sit an' look at them an' long for them, while the fish cam

e plunged into the pool to hunt the fish; but it only made him seem foolish, for the fish swam about him in flashing circles, an' dived under him an' jumped over him, laughing all the time, ma

looked at the fish hungrily an' with water in his mouth, Strongarm gave him the buffalo fish. Also he asked Moh-Kwa why he did not catch fish since he liked them so

ght for the honey. The bees have big hearts though little knives, but the fish have no hearts a

ar took many fish, being plenty to feed Moh-Kwa two days. Moh-Kwa was very thankful, an' because Strong-arm liked t

Feather-foot, a buckskin coat on which was sewed the eye-teeth of elk, two for each elk, until there were so many eye-teeth on Feather-foot's buckskin coat it was like counting the leaves on a cottonw

edicine Elk, who was chief of the Elk people, hot an' angry, an' turned his h

like the branches of a tree. An' the great Elk stamped his foot an' snorted at Strongarm. Then Strongarm took his bow an' h

s mouth, for the sides of the Pouch canyon were high an' steep an' it ended with a high wall, an' nothing save a bird mi

ouch canyon for now he was sure. An' he thought how the big eye-teeth of

er end of the Pouch canyon, th

lk, when Strongarm put a

1

k with his lance, but the lance was broken as though the great Elk was a rock. Then Strongarm drew his knife, but when he went

can never get enough of their blood or their eye-teeth. I am the Big Medicine Elk an' chief of the Elk people; an' now for a veng

the moon of new grass, an' his hands an' feet split into hoofs; an' then Strong-arm stood on his four new hoofs an' saw by his picture in the stream that he was an el

n' as he ran from them, the hunters of his village came forth an' chased him until Strongarm ran into the darkness of the next night

ongarm? An' the Blossom said she did not know; that Strongarm chased the great Elk into the Pouch canyon an' never came out again; an' now a big Doubt had spread its blankets in her heart an' would not

to the Big

Strongarm?"

the Strongarm. The mothers dare not go down to the river's edge to drink, an' their children had no time to grow fat for they were ever looking to meet th

hought, an' at last he sai

I must have the Strongarm b

said he would not give Mo

ver a drifting tree caught in your antlers an' held down your head to drown you? An' did you not bawl to me who searched fo

t is ended. I will not give you back the Strongarm fo

to kill the Big-Medicine Elk. But the Big Medicine Elk laughed like the fi

ine Elk in his great hairy arms an' carried him kicking an' struggling to the Yel

k in his arms until a tree came floating down. Then Moh-Kwa swam with the Big Medicine Elk to the tree an' tangled the

were when I helped

gs of the Big Medicine Elk, an' said, "Thank you, Moh-Kwa; you d

to the bank, he said over his

, the Death, is in the river with you an' tho

of the river, he would tell him how to have the Strongarm back. So Moh-Kwa went again an' freed the Big M

give an' then do you take awa

he only way to bring the Strongarm back to be a hunter from being one of the hunted was for Feather-fo

the Feather-foot

ied the Big Medicine Elk. "Is not Strongarm the Feather-fo

ue talk, so he let the

h-Kwa, as the two parted, "when again he is a Sio

is fetlocks where the Catfish people had hu

n one of the Elk people an' will feel he

lk with the elk-fear in his heart. For Strongarm had already learned t

nger and look

f's word, and

g the sides of the canyon for fear of mountain lions. An' he stuck close in among the hills, an' would n

s, was not afraid of the Blossom, who was his squaw, but would

id the Wise Bear, "that the hu

' call Strongarm to her with her love. Then she was t

lossom put her hand on his neck; an' then Strongarm's great love for the Blossom smothered out his caution as one might smother a fire wi

for Feather-foot did not know he killed his father-for that was a secret t

edar; an' when a pile like a hill was made, Moh-Kwa put Strongarm's elk-body on

one into ashes, I do not yet see the Strongarm." But Moh-Kwa said, "You will find him asleep in the lodge." An' that was a true word,

killed?" An' the Blossom showed him his father, Strongarm, where he slept, an' said, "There is your

the sweat out of his eyes with his paws which were all singed fur an' ashes, an' said, "I am the weariest bear along

ss fish which Strongarm had speared to be ready for him. This done, Moh-Kwa lighted his pipe of kin

all a pretty story,"

what game he hunted. But, leaving fable for fact, my friend,"-the Red Nosed Gentleman addressed now the Sour Gentleman-"would you not call it

istened to him and lost never a word-were to the rear with the old days which came on the back of that catastrophe of tobacco. They

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