The story of one who saw an eagle town
[Told by Abraham, of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o, to whom it was related by an old man of Ninstints.]
He began gambling. After he had lost for some time he lost all of his property. Then he began to bid the property of his clansmen.[1] When he had lost a great deal of that as well he was ashamed to enter the house.
By and by he went to the end of the town. It occurred to him to go into the woods. Then he did so. Then he thought of climbing a mountain. At once he went thither. Before him eagles wheeled about upon the mountain. Presently he came to a big town.
He saw eagles sitting upon something like a pole in front of the town. They were looking into the sea for something.[2] Then he began to live with them. With the feather on the very tip of his wing one of them wiped something common out of his eyes. And in the evening they said they were going fishing. Then they killed a whale. Every evening they killed one whale.
By and by he started out fishing with a net. Then they told him not to put the whole net into the sea. And, when he fished with them, he let out two meshes. When he got something in it that time, it carried it away. He did not worry about it. Some time after this he descended to his home. Then he again began gambling. At that time he won. At once he paid all his debts.
Originally this story must have been considerably longer. [[282]]
[1] Or “friends;” Haida, łta′x̣ulᴀñ. [↑]
[2] The story-teller also said that there was a great pile of bones here from the animals the eagles had killed and eaten. [↑]