328 WITH THE U. S. NATURALISTS 



to prove his feats and tliey had to be sufficiently 

 remarkable to win the approval of those red war- 

 riors. 



**The Indians themselves tell of the time when 

 feathers were first worn, and why they came to be 

 worn. There are many versions of the story. 

 The one I recall best is that of the Shuswap In- 

 dians, on the Fraser River, where I lived for a 

 time. Do you want to hear the story?" 



Shan's movement of attention was sufficient an- 

 swer, and the Feather Man continued, 



*Tn the very early days," he began, *'so the 

 Indians say, when the Thunder Bird still flew 

 above the mountains, there was a very strong and 

 brave Indian named Tlecsa, who dwelt with his two 

 brothers in a little hut by the river and lived by 

 fishing. His home was not far from Marble 

 Canon, on the top of a high rock near which lived 

 Great Eagle. 



**Now Great Eagle was much bigger than any 

 of the Eagles you see nowadays, ten times as big, 

 the Indians say. Great Eagle lived by killing the 

 Indians. No matter how strongly they built their 

 houses, no matter how careful they might be in go- 

 ing from their canoes, every few days Great Eagle 

 would sweep down into the valley, grab an Indian 



