542 REPORT—1899. 
house the Shaman came and asked him what he could do for him. The 
young man answered that he sought to become a Shaman, and desired his 
aid and advice to that end. ‘Very good,’ said the Shaman, ‘I am willing 
to help you on certain conditions. You must become my servant for a 
time, and must undertake to perform certain tasks which I will set you. 
Tf you succeed in accomplishing these I shall see that you are fitted to 
become a Shaman, and will initiate you into the mysteries of my profes- 
sion, and will also bestow upon you one of my daughters for wife.’ ‘On 
these terms,’ broke in the youth, ‘I am willing to become your servant, 
and attempt the tasks you may set me.’ ‘Stay a while, my friend,’ said 
the Shaman, ‘you have heard but half the conditions. If you fail to 
accomplish either of your tasks you will be cast to the fierce beast in the 
den yonder,’ and he pointed to a huge and fearful-looking creature which 
was penned up near the house, and which now roared horribly as the 
Shaman spoke. The sight of this ravening beast might have deterred a 
less determined man than this youth, but remembering his dream and the 
power which was his by virtue of the old woman’s root, he again declared 
his eagerness to essay the tasks and enter upon his novitiate. ‘ Very 
good,’ said the Shaman with a wicked smile, ‘to-morrow morning you 
shall begin your work. Come and I will show you your first task.’ And 
with that he led him to the forest. ‘To-morrow before sunset you must 
clear and prepare for planting seventy “fathoms” square of this land,’ 
said the Shaman when they had reached the timber. ‘ Very well,’ replied 
the youth, to the Shaman’s astonishment, who expected to hear him ery 
out and declare such a task to be impossible for any man ; ‘I will do the 
work provided you supply me with proper tools.’ ‘There are plenty of 
mattocks in the house,’ said the Shaman ; ‘I will have them brought to 
you and you can choose your own.’ When the tools were placed before 
the youth he laughed at the Shaman, as the old woman had bidden hin, 
and said they were children’s tools, and that he wanted a man’s tool. 
‘What kind of mattock do you want ?’ then exclaimed the Shaman, more 
astonished than ever at the manner of the young man. ‘I will give you 
whatever tool you require.’ ‘Very well,’ then said the youth, ‘have a 
mattock made for me that will require the united strength of twenty men 
to move it, and I will clear your land for you.’ The Shaman, marvelling 
much at the confident manner of the youth before him, promised that the 
tool should be ready for him at sunrise next morning. On the morrow 
the young man was up before daybreak. He went to the stream and 
plunged into the cold water ; he then exercised himself after the custom 
of the Indian youth of the old times, after which he made his breakfast 
of the koakoe’la root. This, not being very large, only served to whet his 
appetite ; and when the Shaman presently invited him to sit down to 
breakfast with himself and family, the savoury smell of the fish and 
venison sorely tempted him to comply, but remembering the admonition 
of the old womar he thrust aside his desire, turned his back upon the 
meal, and went forth to his task. He had no sooner left the house than 
he felt a rush of energy and strength to his body and limbs, and catching 
up the newly made mattock swung the huge implement with ease round 
and round his shoulders. Without loss of time he betook himself to the 
forest, and such was the marvellous power of the koakoe'la root that ere 
the sun had reached the zenith he had cleared the piece of land and felt 
little the worse for his task. He now returned to the house, and the 
Shaman, seeing him coming, wearing a bold and self-confident look, 
a 
