fkachtenbekg] alsea texts akd myths 213 



19. The Big Fire 



We were coming back from Siuslaw, when, long ago, the world was 

 in flames. (The party consisted of) my father and my mother and 

 also my elder brother, and my father's mt)ther and my father's younger 

 brother and his wives — he had three wives — and also one child of one 

 of his wives, and likewise two children of (the other) one of his wives 

 and, moreover, three children of (another) one of his wives; (such) 

 only was the number of (the party). Then it seemed to be getting 

 dark all over. And I was young at that time. We kept on going. 

 Although the sun stood high, nevertheless it threatened to get dark. 

 Then they kept 'on saying: ''We will not go far anywhere. What on 

 earth is nature gomg to do ?" Thus they would talk. "We will just 

 go down to Ltowai'sk', (and) we will build our own fire there." 

 Then, verily, they built their own fire there. And then darkness fell 

 all over the world. The surface of the sun just kept on getting red. 

 The universe was not going to enact a good thing; (a) fire was begin- 

 ning to approach. Then it got dark all over. The fire seemed to be 

 flying in all directions as soon as darkness enveloped the world. That 

 spoken-of big fire was coming. It became dark all over; the world 

 seemed to be getting red. The fire was falling (all around us) . Wher- 

 ever it would drop (another) fire would start there. The fire seemed 

 to be flymg in all directions; its crackling just seemed to make a 

 roarmg noise. "We will not go anywhere; we will just stay motion- 

 less riglit here." Tlien my father kept on saymg: "We will never 

 go anywhere. The world is on fire." 



Then the fire came to the trail. It was just dark aU over; the 

 world just seemed to be getting red. But (it was) not long before 

 some elks were seen commg downstream along that river. There- 

 upon my father took his gun for them. Then, on his part, my father's 

 younger brother reached for his gun (also). But the elks just stood 

 there motionless. So they two went there and began to shoot at 

 them, whereupon they two kiUed one (elk) there. The elk's hair 

 was partially burned and also his legs were partially burned. Then 

 (the elk) was skinned and all his flesh was distributed, whereupon it 

 was carried to the fire. The people did not remam near the woods. 

 Everybody was staying (near) the ocean on the beach. The fire was 

 flying around just like the birds. It was just dark aU over. The 

 sun had disappeared. All the hills were on fire. Even the hills 



