“When the villagers heard the story they promised they would not kill any sheep that year, but hunt for grizzlies and deer for food. They broke their spears and other weapons and threw them over the side of the cliff, and as they did so the horns fell off and the sheep-skin disappeared from the young man’s form. And he stood forth strong and courageous as ever; his people found he smelled like the things that grow up on top of the mountains where the wind and sky and earth are pure and sweet.
“The people were happy and escorted him to the village. The moment he saw the sheep-skins lying about he said: ‘Dampen these and hang them up on poles with feathers stuck to them. Place them facing the rising sun as I promised the ram we would do.’
“When the skins were ready to mount the young man painted each face red and stuck eagles’ down on the backs. As he hung each skin facing the sun he said: ‘You are in just the position your Chief ordered, now fly away.’
“Early the next morning the fort shook as with a mighty earth-quake and every piece of flesh that had been eaten from the sheep-skins was replaced by new flesh, and as the young chief opened the door of his wigwam the sheep-skins, now plumped out and alive again, ran away towards the mountain.
“But, strange to say, the sheep-skins had been so long with the people that many of them had beards when their skins filled out again. And many of the sheep forgot their mountain habits and wandered about at the foot of the cliffs, so that they became tame and lived with men ever after.
“After the sheep were sent back to the mountains, the Man-of-the-Shining-Sun on the Mountain Peak sent a good spirit to the young chief who had obeyed and kept his promise. The spirit would be his strength so that he could do anything he wanted done.
“At the gift presented to their young chief the people rejoiced greatly, and made him a pair of snowshoes, a shaman’s mask, and many bows and arrows. Then the chief ordered the people to come to him. They were then at Fort-by-a-small-lake, which was west of Juneau City, and there they built a big house for the chief with a good spirit. On the door-posts of this house they carved the signs of the Great Dipper. Then the shaman fasted four days and four nights and when the constellation appeared and blessed the people, those people were called Wain House People and have been so called ever since.”
“There isn’t much hidden truth in that legend,” said Zan, who felt disappointed with the story.
“I liked it, all right,” said Elena.
“It’s a queer tale—some of those Indian stories are so impossible as to be ridiculous,” commented Hilda.