"I wonder if they were any relation to King Tut of Egypt," Jack interrupted.
"Maybe," Mr. Leeds laughed. "At any rate, they were not poor relations for, according to the legend, they were possessed of almost fabulous wealth, gold and precious stones, being as common as are iron and glass with us."
"But where did they get them?" Bob asked.
"Well, if there was any truth in it, they must, of course, have brought their wealth with them from far off Alaska. But gold and jewels they had in abundance. But the pride of the tribe was Rippling Water, the daughter of Mato-wopa-geya, chief of the tribe. She must have been a wonderful girl. Straight and supple as a young sapling, with a wealth of raven black hair, she could outrun and out-paddle any of the braves of the tribe, so the legend ran.
"But one day trouble, unbeknown to them, appeared in the person of a young brave from another tribe. He came, he saw and was conquered in so far as the maid was concerned, but, alas, he did not conquer. Rippling Water's heart had, for many moons, been in the keeping of Wawiekumig, a young brave of her own tribe, and she turned a deaf ear to the wooing of the stranger. Unfortunately, the strange brave, being the son of a mighty chief, had always had his own way and, instead of accepting her refusal as a gentleman, he went away vowing revenge. Nor was it long in coming. Before another moon had passed a band of warriors, outnumbering the Tutehonekut'qui many times, fell upon them and wiped them from the face of the earth."
"Did they kill the girl?" Jack asked.
"The legend states that she was the only one left alive and she was dragged away by the stranger. But it also states that she died soon after and that often, on a moonlight night, her spirit has been seen and heard bewailing the fate of her people."
"Did they get the gold and jewels?" Bob asked.
"According to the legend they did not."
"Then what became of it?"