230 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [rii.l.27 



When it was diirk, he entered the hou.so without the knowledi-e of the 

 chief, and lav down with the girl, who accepttMl him. The Grouse 

 persuaded her to elope with him. At )nidni}i;ht they rose and left 

 the house. They crossed the river and came to a large town which 

 was inhabited by the Grouses. The young Grouse's father gave a feast 

 when he arriv^ed with his wife. They stayed there all winter, and in 

 summer she gave birth to four children. 



The old chief searched all over the country for his daughter. Init he 

 ■was unable to find her. When the children Ix'gan to grow up, their 

 mother said to them, "Don't you want to see your grandfather; He 

 is a chief, and lives on the other side of the river. He has a large 

 house with many steps, and a pole in front of it." The young 

 Grouses wished to see him, and crossed the river on the ice. While 

 going across they said, "'Ps, ps, ps, ps!" The children in the 

 chief's village heard the noise, and saw four young Grouses com- 

 ing. The}' threw stones at them. Then the Grouses flew back. On 

 the following day the young Grouses tried again, but were driven 

 back by the children. They tried every day. Then tlie people said 

 to one another, ''Next time when the Grouses come, we will not dis- 

 turb them." On the following day they came again, and went right 

 to the old chief's house. The chief opened the door, and they entered. 

 He .spread a mat for them and they sat down. All the people came to 

 seethe birds. Finally an old man spoke to the chief. "Don't you 

 remember that you lost your daughter some years ago ' The birds 

 must be her children, because they know your house." Then the old 

 chief said to the birds, ''Tell your father that I invite him and all 

 his people to a feast to-morrow, and ask your motiuu' also to come." 

 Then the birds ro.se and left the house. They returned over the ice. 



On the following morning innumerable Grouses came aci'oss. The 

 ice was black with birds, and among them was the chief's daughter. 

 Then they entered the chief's house. They sat down on the flooi" and 

 many had to sit on the posts and beams because there was not enough 

 room on the floor. When the l)oys saw this, they shook the posts, 

 and the birds flew from one side of the house to the other. The chief 

 made a feast and gave them dry salmon and berries. Then he spoke, 

 "I am old, and unable to .split wood. Will not my son-in-law please 

 stay here and help meT' His daughter repeated his speech to her hus- 

 band, who replied, "Ps, ps, ps, ps!" and thi' other birds spoke to him 

 in the same manner. Then tiie chief's daughter said that the birds 

 would go and split wood on the following morning. 



On the following morning the chief opened the smoke-hole of his 

 house. Then his son-in-law delivered a speech, and flew out, followed 

 by all the birds. When they had gone, the chief's daughter swept 

 the house. About noon the noise of the birds was heard again. 



