Tskel dressed his brother up in the clothes he had worn himself when he was a boy, and he started. As soon as he was outside of the house, he was in the village.
The people were ready to burn the dead woman; men were piling up nice things to burn with her,—beads and shells and blankets. When they saw Tcûskai, some of the men asked: “Who is that nice-looking young man?” Others said: “There is Tcûskai; maybe he can make this woman alive again. His brother is strong; he can do anything he likes.”
They talked to Tcûskai, promised him many wives and nice shells and beads. At last he said: “I can bring the woman to life if I can find Yahyáhaäs and kill him. Then you will give me the chief’s daughter.”
He began to hunt for Yahyáhaäs. He went to the edge of the world, then traveled in circles, working in all the time. He ran on every mountain, every hill, and every tree. He ran under the ground and under rocks and into holes. In one day he went all over the world, but he didn’t find Yahyáhaäs.
The next day Tcûskai listened at every hole, as one would listen at a door to hear people talk or snore. Under a great flat rock on the top of a high mountain he heard Yahyáhaäs [[151]]snore. He crept under and saw him; then he went to the village, and said: “I have found him under a rock. Bring lots of wood and dry grass and pile up around the rock; when the rock is out of sight, set fire to the wood. Then stand around and throw in every stick and coal that falls out.”
They did this, and soon there was a terrible noise under the rock. The hills and rocks and the whole country shook. Yahyáhaäs burst; the rock blew into little pieces, and a big bird flew up to the sky. It was Yahyáhaäs’ spirit. The people went back to the village. Tcûskai stepped five times over the dead woman, and she got up. She was glad to be alive. The chief gave Tcûskai nice things, and gave him his daughter.
The next day Tcûskai went home. Soon he saw Skóŭks coming. She had on a Shasta dress, and had Shasta things in a bundle on her back, and on top of the bundle was the baby. Tcûskai went to meet her. He took the baby and ran around with it; he was glad.
Tskel said: “Don’t be silly. Act like a man!” Skóŭks laughed, for she liked Tcûskai.
Tcûskai told Skóŭks: “The chief’s daughter is my wife. Maybe they will come here to-day.”
Tskel was glad; he said: “My little brother is going to be a strong man; he will be stronger than I am.”