Coyote 
greater than before, so that he is sharp-witted above all animals 
in the woods. In return the grateful coyote befriended the man 
and his children ever afterwards, doing many helpful things for 
them. 
‘“When Kareya made the fishes he did not let the salmon 
come up the Klamath, in consequence of which the Karoks, 
who lived on its upper reaches, were sore pressed for food. 
But Kareya had made a great fish dam at the mouth of the 
river, and given the key to two old hags to keep, who never 
ceased their watching, even to sleep. Seeing that the Indians 
were nearly starved, the coyote befriended them. He made a 
visit to the hags on an ingenious pretext, but only succeeded in 
discovering that the key was kept too high for him to reach it. 
He stayed all night in the cabin with the hags, pretending to 
sleep, but watching their movements all the time out of the 
corner of his eye. 
‘“‘In the morning one of the hags took down the key and 
started to get some salmon for breakfast. Then the coyote hap- 
pened to think of a way to get the key. Jumping up, he darted 
under the hag, throwing her down and causing her to fling 
the key a long way off; before she could scramble up the coyote 
had seized the key and opened the dam. 
‘‘Thus the salmon could ascend the Klamath and the Karoks 
had plenty of food. But they had no fire to cook it with, be- 
cause Kareya had hidden it in a basket which he gave to two 
sleepless hags far towards the rising sun. So coyote promised 
to try to get this second boon for them. 
‘‘He stationed a line of animals all along the way from the 
home of the Karok to the far distant land where the fire was 
kept, the strongest near the fire, and last of all concealed an 
Indian under a hill. This done, the coyote insinuated himself 
politely into the good graces of the old guardians, and lay all 
night by their hearth, feeling very comfortable and pretending 
sleep. But he was soon convinced that without help there was 
no way to elude their vigilance; so in the morning he stole out 
and had a talk with the Indian under the hill, after which he 
went back and lay down by the hearth as before. Presently, 
as had been preconcerted, the Indian was heard hammering at the 
door, as if to break it in, and the old beldams rushed out to 
drive him away. 
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