146 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. .'iO 



teasetl him by j^ushing him over, when he woukl not do a thinjz; in 

 return. He was very slow. The man's real name was DiiktIu'L! 

 (Black-skin), but they nicknamed him Atqaha's!i. Ilis real name 

 may also have l)een a nickname orij^inally, ap]:)lied to him because he 

 was ugly. 



At the same time Black-skin was merely feigning weakness, and, 

 though he continuetl to lie in bed when the others bathetl, at night 

 after all were asleej), he would steal off antl do the same thing himself 

 for hours and hours. He remained in so long that he had to float to 

 rest his feet. On coming out he woukl throw water on the ashes of 

 the fire so as to make it steam and lay his mat on top. That was the 

 only bed he had. The people thought that he was a low, dirty fellow, 

 but in reality he kept himself very pure and would not lie or steal. 

 He did not say a word when they made fun of him, though he was 

 strong enough to have done almost anything to them if he had so 

 desired. When they sent him after big pieces of firewood he acted as 

 if they were very hard to lift, and they thought he was so lazy that 

 they gave him very little to eat. 



The people went on in this way, bathing every day with their chief, 

 while Black-skin bathed at night. After they were through, the 

 village people would make a big fire, take breakfast and then go after 

 wood. As soon as the people came up. Black-skin moved into a 

 corner and slept there. One night, while Black-skin was bathing, he 

 heard a whistle that sounded to him like that of a loon. He thought, 

 ''Now that I am seen I better let myself go." So he went toward the 

 place where he had heard it and saw a short, thick-set man standing 

 on the beach clothed in a bear skin. This man ran down toward him, 

 ]>icked him up, and threw him down upon the beach. Then he said, 

 "You can't do it yet. Don't tell anyone about me. I am Strength 

 (Latsl'n). I have come to help you." 



Toward morning Black-skin came in feeling very happy, for he 

 thought that he had seen something great. He kept thinking of 

 Strength all the time. He could not forget him, but he was quieter 

 than ever in his demeanor. When they were playing in the house he 

 would never pay any attention, and, if they said mean things to him, 

 he let them go on unnoticed, although he belonged to the family of the 

 chief. Anything they wanted they asked him to get, and he got it. 

 In olden times the boys used to wrestle in the chief's house while their 

 elders looked on, and they would try to get him to ^\Testle also. 

 Sometimes the little boys would wrestle with him, and he pretended 

 that they pushed him down. Then they would make fun of him 

 saying, ''The idea of a great man like you being thrown by a child." 



T\Tien he went in bathing again, this man felt very happy for he 

 knew that he had strength. Anything hard to do, when he looked at 

 it, appeared easy to him. That night he heard the whistle once more. 



