I'Tie Mountaineer 55 



bower in Paradise, which was surmounted with masses 

 of wild roses, and these roses at that time were pure 

 white and had no thorns. Part of the time Nekahni 

 dwelt high up on the mountain watching his wild goats 

 or communing with Skamson and Tootah and Colas- 

 nass, and part of the time he would descend to dwell 

 with Lawiswis in her fairy bower. 



Now there was at that time dwelling in the dark 

 and sullen gorge of the Nisually Kiver a famous 

 Skookum named Memelek. Memelek was a frightful 

 looking creature. She was clothed in strips of cougar 

 skins, fastened together with the fingers of slaughtered 

 fairies. She had snakes around her neck and waist, 

 and when she wished to kill anything she would send 

 these snakes to bite them. Memelek hated Lawiswis 

 on account of her beauty and innocence, and especially 

 because Nakahni favored her so much more than her- 

 self. Accordingly, one day when Nekahni was busily 

 engaged with his goats, high up on the rocks of what we 

 now call Gibralter, Memelek determined to wreak her 

 wicked vengence upon the helpless and innocent Lawis- 

 wis. She therefore stole up out of the gorge to the 

 bower in Paradise and letting loose her snakes bade 

 them go and sting to death the fairy queen who was ly- 

 ing innocently asleep. And now the roses around the 

 bower saw the imminent danger of their adored mis- 

 tress. What could they do? Nekahni was far away 

 and could not come in person, but by a magical peti- 

 tion they let him know the danger, and instantly, just 

 as the loathsome reptiles were crawling upon them, the 

 roses turned a bright red, and were covered with sharp 

 thorns which pierced the coils of the reptiles so that 

 they turned back in dismay and fled to their hideous 

 mistress. Thus Lawiswis was saved and the discom- 

 fited Memelek was forbidden ever to come up out of the 

 deep gorge to the Nisqually and there she has remained 

 ever since. 



