THE BASKET MAKER 



A MAN," says Seyavi of the campoodie, 

 " must have a woman, but a woman 

 who has a child will do very well." 



That was perhaps why, when she lost 

 her mate in the dying struggle of his race, 

 she never took another, but set her wit to 

 fend for herself and her young son. No 

 doubt she was often put to it in the begin- 

 ning to find food for them both. The 

 Paiutes had made their last stand at the 

 border of the Bitter Lake ; battle-driven 

 they died in its waters, and the land filled 

 with cattle-men and adventurers for gold : 

 this while Seyavi and the boy lay up in 

 the caverns of the Black Rock and ate tule 

 roots and fresh-water clams that they dug 

 out of the slough bottoms with their toes. 

 163 



