pool of clear water. So he sent a ray from the Sun down through the
clouds and thereby drew up enough water to drink. But he did not swallow
the cooling water. He held it in his mouth and flew with it over the
whole earth which was void of form.
"He spat forth a drop of this water and it became the source of the
River Nass. Another drop from his mouth became the Stikine River, and
the third drop became the Taku River. Then followed the Chilkat, the
Alsek, and finally, all the great rivers of the North.
"But Raven found he would need more water for seas and oceans and lakes,
so he sat again, and by thinking and thinking he received the idea.
"It was not according to his wish to send a sunbeam to the pool of
eternal water in the House of Light, to bring up more of that pure water
to him, and he was happy when he conceived the idea that came to him.
And this it was:
"'If the rivers I made, run on eternally because their source came from
the House of Light, why shall I not guide them all to one great
meeting-place and call that the Ocean? But as they run to this one rest,
even so will I give them smaller rests along the way, and at these
resting-places they may spread out upon the bosom of the earth. These
rests will I call Lakes. Then there will come times when the Ocean,
which is continually filled from the eternal source of the Rivers, must
needs overflow its boundaries. And these overflows will fill up the
great holes in the earth. So these I will call Seas.
"'Even as the Sun sent his ray to carry me the drink from the pool that
is in the House of Light, so will I command the Sun and the Moon and the
Stars to govern the waters of the earth, and thus the Lights in the
Firmament of the Heavens will draw up any surplus overflows, that these
may turn to moisture in the cloudy coverings that wrapped the Lights
before they became fixed in the Firmament. The Clouds will rain down
refreshing drink upon all lands on the earth, that all things may
replenish themselves and so live eternally, in one grand bond of
Brotherhood, loving and helping each other, from the Great to the Small,
and from Small to Great.'
"And it was as Raven desired. So to this day, the Sun and Moon and all
the Stars work together in harmony to keep the Rivers and Lakes, and
Seas, and Ocean within their bounds and to replenish all things.
"But Raven found afterwhile that so much water flowing ceaselessly from
the Source, and the rain that fell from the Clouds upon the land, made
the earth so wet that it was not a good place to dwell upon. Then he
began to think and think again, of how he might create something to dry
up the surplus moisture.
"Now he was walking by a great ocean, one day, still thinking of plans
to dry away any unpleasant dampness, when he saw a Petrel sitting on a
rocky promontory.
"'Brother,' called Raven to the bird, 'how came you here?'
"'I? Oh, I was born when the waters were sent to earth. How came you
here--and where were you born?' asked the Petrel.
"'I? Oh, I was born before the world was thought of, so I have no
beginning and no end,' replied Raven.
"'Ha! Tis well said, but rings not true,' the Petrel jeered. 'No one
ever was before this world was created, and no one ever shall remain
when this world ends.'
"'I am Raven, Son of Raven, and because you know not the Truth of
Creation, but believe the Lie, you shall henceforth go about in a fog.
Your name shall be earth-made, and you shall dream dreams in this fog,
but you may not see the Light until that day when the whole world shall
be freed from all forms of darkness!'
"And instantly, a fog-cover fell over Petrel, because he knew not the
Truth told by Raven, Son of Raven. And the fog so hid from the eyes of
Petrel the Sun and Moon and Stars that came from the House of Light,
that he believed _them_ to be controlled by a Lie, also.
"But Raven learned that the fog he had called forth from the waters on
the earth made the place still more moist and not good for a place of
sojourn. Then he planned to dry it away quickly.
"Petrel, the earth-bound, was left groping in the fog for the Truth he
had scorned and now could not find, and Raven passed to a place where he
saw something floating on the wave not far from shore. He failed to
recognize it as of his creating, so he wished to reach it.
"While looking about for something to use to reach it, he saw a bird
with a very long bill, watching him. This bird was not like anything he
had created so he knew it must be an offspring of the fog, mist-made,
and related to Petrel.
"Raven then commanded this bird, 'Fly out over the water and bring back
yon floating object.'
"The bird with a long bill was a chicken-hawk, and it lived by killing
weaker and smaller birds than itself. Raven knew this was its way the
moment he saw it was mist-made, and so he sent it on this errand.
"The chicken-hawk dared not refuse to go after the bright object
floating on the wave, but he said to himself, 'I'll drop it if it is not
good for me to carry!'
"Raven knew this evil intent, and said, 'When you have taken hold of the
object, do not drop it till you have brought it ashore.'
"So the chicken-hawk left in no good humor, and flew out to the wave,
where he found a mass of fire floating there. He was a coward, such as
all mist-made creatures are, and he feared to bring in the great ball of
fire, yet he dared not disobey the command of a superior being like
Raven. So he tore off a mouthful only, and that is how he came to be so
badly burned. Had he caught hold of the whole mass of flame, the
outside of which really had been cooled as it rolled about upon the
waves, he could have escaped without an injury.
"He brought the piece of fire to shore, and Raven said, 'Because you
were cowardly and obeyed me only through fear, your beak shall remain
forever burned off and short as it now is.'
"And so it is to this day, and shall be until Light redeems all things.
"Raven then took some chips of red cedar and some white stones, and
mixed them in the fire. These were distributed over all the earth, so
that many great forests grew up from the cedar shavings, and thus
absorbed the surplus moisture on the land. And mighty volcanoes were
formed of the red-hot stones, and these, in consuming the water under
the surface, steamed and spewed forth the massive rocks and varied-hued
stones that gave peaks and cliffs as pleasant places for deer and sheep
to roam upon.
"Thus, with the face of the earth so beauteous, Raven sat down and
rejoiced. But Petrel and Chicken-hawk were left to wander in the fog.
"Finally, Raven's mother died, and he sorrowed greatly, for she saw not
the Great Light that he had established to overcome the darkness of
Death. Still, because she had always dwelt in the House of Light and had
given birth to Raven, Son of Raven, she was given an honorable place in
the Firmament of Heaven.
"And Raven, as the custom was in the realm where his mother had lived,
prepared a great feast in honor of his mother. But he began thinking how
he might honor her in a different way. So he cut a witch-hazel wand with
which to point at anything he wished to use in the preparation of this
feast. Thus he collected wood and stones and many things on the face of
the earth. And when all this was assembled he built him a great house.
"Then he called the rain and sunshine to hide the house until he was
ready for the feast. He then sat down to think and think, and this is
what he thought, and what came of it.
"'I want fish to swim in the waters, and birds to fly in the skies, and
creatures to live in the forests, and beings to live on the land, to be
found in this house when it is opened. And they will all be perfect,
lovely, and good, to live with this creation I have made.'
"Thus, having thought all these things, Raven stood up and stretched out
his hand that held the wand, and pointed it over the house that was
hidden as yet by rain and clouds.
"And, suddenly, the rain ceased its downpour, the sun smiled, and the
house stood revealed in all its beauty. Then Raven sang:
"'This made I for an honor to my mother!'
"And as he sang his song of honor and praise, the house opened and all
manner of living creatures came forth--beautiful, perfect, and an honor
to the earth upon which they would dwell.
"So it is that even to this day, when one makes a feast to honor a dead
person who will sit in a place in the firmament, the house of the living
is opened to all, from the greatest to the least of the earth.
"When the feast was over Raven wished to leave an eternal monument to
his mother, the Virgin who gave birth to the Light, so he called to him
the four winds to help.
"'South Wind, in the spring and summer when all the sun's rays are warm,
blow gently upon the earth and sing of my mother.'
"'North Wind, sit on top of the ice-mountain yonder, and when the earth
is chill and sorrowing for my mother, blow fiercely from your snow-laden
hills and sing over her grave.'
"'East Wind, when the earth-people weep salt-water over the biers of
their dead, and sigh because of their loss, sing to them of my mother.'
"'West Wind, when you blow gently, and tell the earth that storms and
cold and sorrow may come but Light shines in the end to bring them joy
and peace, sing low and sweetly of my mother.'
"Thus the four winds came to earth to sing to the peoples dwelling here,
and every one heard of the mother who gave birth to Light--Raven, Son
of Raven.
"But after all these things were done, Raven sat down and thought and
thought deeply, and as he thought he called upon his father, the Great
Raven, the All-in-all, for advice.
"And having received advice, Raven stood up and lifted his hands to the
Heavens, and sang with a loud voice:
"'I shall make men in my image and likeness, and they shall dwell in the
Light and be given dominion over all this earth I have made for my joy
and pleasure. Thus we shall be happy and live forever!'
"So Raven made all men like unto himself. They were good and perfect and
beautiful and they all dwelt in love in the Light. And thus they dwelt
many, many days, and were happy.
"But the fog which had been called out for Petrel's error harbored many
birds of evil omen, and these, guided by Petrel, swept through the fog
and attacked the Men of the Light. The fog covered all things and caused
every one to grope about, seeking to find one another and escape from
the mist that hid the Shining Light.
"And thus any one who had the slightest degree of fear or greed or
malice or lying in his heart, breathed in the fog and thenceforth lived
in a dream. They were thenceforth born of the fire of wrath that the
Chicken-hawk tore apart from the floating mass, and were consumed with
fear. They lived their days in the fog that came upon Petrel when he
believed a lie, and they suffered and sorrowed and died, all in a dream
caused by the fog; and afterwhile these mist-men forgot there ever had
been a perfect earth created by Raven, Son of Raven, where love and
beauty and joy rule everything.
"So Petrel ruled his world of fog, where hate and sin and death were his
servants, and thus it happened that a Petrel is the sign of storm and
trouble and blinding mist, but the Raven is known to be wise and patient
for it knows where its Light dwells.
"So Raven sits, and patiently waits for Petrel's dreams to lose
themselves in the fog, for such will surely come about. And as the
Lights ruled by Raven shine stronger, the fog grows fainter and still
lighter, until breaks the Day when all mist vanishes and Raven's
Creation is seen forever beautiful and perfect."
When Mr. Gilroy concluded his beautiful legend, the scouts were silent.
It was the greatest praise they could bestow at the moment, for the
story was not one to call forth applause and noise. Then they began to
speak, but in soft voices.
"And to think that this story of creation, so similar in many ways to
our Bible Stories, was handed down from ancient days," remarked Mrs.
Vernon, thrilled by the realization.
"I find many interesting similarities between our Bible and the Holy
Legends reverently told by the Esquimaux. But this one always struck me
as being as fine as any. That is why I told it," explained Mr. Gilroy.
Then their Camp Entertainer, as Julie now named Mr. Gilroy, bid them all
good-night and went up the trail. And the scouts were soon in bed, their
last waking thoughts being of Raven, Son of Raven, the All-in-all of
Creation.
CHAPTER SIX
LOST ON THE TRAIL
A few days after the girl scouts' visit to Grey Fox Camp, they were
agreeably surprised by having the boys visit them. Mr. Gilroy was with
them, and as each boy carried an ax and a woodman's knife, the girls
knew they came to work.
"We decided to cut a shorter trail over the crest, and as to-day is so
cool, we thought it would be a fine time for work," explained Alec, the
leader in the boys' camp.
"One day's as good as another! We're ready to help any time," replied
Julie, as leader of the Girl Scouts' Troop.
"Why didn't you let us know, then we might have blazed the trail up our
side of the mountain, and you boys would have worked from your side.
When we met on top, we might have celebrated with a feast," ventured
Mrs. Vernon.
So the girls ran for axes and knives, and all began work together, back
of Dandelion Camp. They cut and chopped, and blazed a fine trail up past
Silver Falls, where the doe had called to her mate the first night the
girls were at Camp, and so on to the top of the mountain. But it took
the greater part of that morning to go as far as they did.
"We'd better stop here, and go back to see how the trail seems,"
suggested Mr. Gilroy.
"Why not finish the job, now that we're on top?" asked Alec.
"Because you boys can easily blaze from here on to your camp, and I am
beginning to worry lest my dinner is burning," laughed Mr. Gilroy.
"_Your_ dinner! Where's the Indian cook?" asked Alec.
"He's cooking for fifteen! I have invited guests coming to dine at the
bungalow this evening," returned Mr. Gilroy, meaningly.
"Oh, hurrah! Isn't that fine? Now we won't have to wash any
supper-dishes!" exclaimed Ruth, who still disliked doing dishes.
The girls laughed, for they understood, but Alec said, "Why talk about a
supper so distant! I'd rather plan about something to eat this minute."
"So would we all. I guess we are nearly starved," said Ned.
"Why not stop work and cook a few steaks?" suggested Bob.
"You boys have done all the talking about something to eat, but the
girls said nothing. Maybe they are not hungry!" ventured Mr. Gilroy.
"Hungry! We're too _weak_ to speak," sighed Julie, rubbing the spot
under her belt.
"I can eat reindeer moss without its being cooked," said Amy.
"That settles it! Cook we must, but what?" declared Joan.
"Well, some of us will hunt up the mushrooms; some must gather bracken,
some, the lichen; and Gilly can hunt up the coffee beans, _alias_ roots
and acorns," said Alec.
"What will _you_ be doing, meantime?" retorted Mr. Gilroy.
"Oh, I'll just remove that package of flour from your pocket and use
this strip of bacon that I lifted from Dandelion larder; and when the
steaks come back, I'll have bread and fat ready over a fine fire."
"Bacon! When did you manage to steal that?" demanded the Captain,
amazed.
The boys laughed, for Alec's clever sleight-of-hand was an endless
source of fun for them.
"Don't all hunt together. Divide your strength and see that results come
back with you," advised Alec, rolling up his sleeves preparatory to
starting his fire.
"I can't fish like the other boys, so I'll go with the girls who are
going for the beefsteaks," said Dick.
"All right. And where will you go, Captain?" asked Alec.
"If Gilly is sent for coffee, I shall hunt for tea. I do not care for
his brand of coffee, but I _do_ know where to find the ingredients for
a nice fragrant cup of tea."
A laugh circled the group, and Mr. Gilroy said, "All right. Now see to
it that you don't ask for a drop of my coffee, hereafter."
So they separated, some of the scouts going with Mrs. Vernon; Bob and
Ned going for trout; Hester and Amy with Mr. Gilroy; and Julie, Joan and
Judith with Dick, for mushrooms.
After breaking a way through a dense jungle, the latter four scouts came
out to a small clearing, but they had not seen any mushrooms.
"What a fine baseball diamond this clearing would make!" said Julie, as
they looked around.
"And there are some chestnut stumps--on the far side of the clearing!"
exclaimed Dick, crossing to the spot.
But they found no mushrooms on the stumps, much to their chagrin.
"There'll be other trees about here, where we're sure to find what we
need," said Dick, eagerly.
So into the woods they plunged, winding about here and there, but not
finding what they sought. None of them thought to blaze a trail as they
wandered, consequently had no means of telling how far or in what
direction they had gone before Dick found a few small mushrooms.
"Only enough for a few of us. We need more than these," he remarked.
"There's sure to be more where these are. Let's keep on hunting," urged
Julie.
So they kept on winding through the underbrush, but with no good
results. Finally Dick found a plant that he believed to be a wild
potato.
"No, it is not. It hasn't the leaves or blossom of the Indian potato,"
declared Joan.
"That may be, but when it grows old it dries up, you know," argued Dick,
beginning to dig at the root.
The girls wandered about seeking for signs of more mushrooms, but could
find none. Then Dick stood up and stretched his back-muscles.
"My that was tough digging when you have no tool. And it wasn't a potato
after all."
"Well, we've been gone a long time now. Suppose we go back with what we
have," said Joan.
"Yes; even if we can't fill up on steaks to-day, let us eat more of the
greens," added Judith.
So they turned to go back to camp. They climbed over the boulders
similar to those over which they had already climbed, over similar
fallen timber, and finally came to a stream.
"I don't remember a brook when we came," remarked Julie.
"Neither do I," added Judith.
"All places look alike when you're hunting anything. We may have crossed
a bog or a brook and never have noticed it," said Dick.
"Oh, I would have noticed it! I wouldn't be such a poor scout as not to
know where I was going," returned Julie, defensively.
"Now, Dick, I'm sure there was no bog where we came through, but here's
one right ahead of us," called Joan, who was a few paces ahead.
"No, there was no bog!" affirmed Julie.
"Did you bring a compass?" now asked Dick.
"No, we never thought of being lost," murmured Julie.
"We're not lost, just strayed a bit," Dick assured them.
"'Lost, Strayed or Stolen'--it's all the same if we have to miss our
dinner," sighed Joan.
They managed to cross the boggy spot and then trailed to a place that
Dick claimed was the clearing. But it turned out to be a little fen made
by a tiny spring.
"What we should have done was to leave our marks as we came
through--broken twigs, or trampled grass, or some such signs," said
Julie.
"But we didn't, and now is no time to talk of it!" Dick said
impatiently, for he began to realize that they really were lost.
"We can begin right now, however, and then not keep circling around
without recognizing that we were there before!" snapped Julie.
So the girls began, then and there, to leave their signs as they
followed after Dick, who really knew not where he was leading.
"Had we better separate and go in different directions to hunt the
camp?" asked Dick finally.
"Mercy, no! Better be lost together than get lost each one alone!"
exclaimed Joan.
"Sort of 'United we stand,' etc.," chuckled Julie, in spite of her
concern over not finding the way.
They kept on forcing a way through the thick bush and resting now and
then when they found a little clearing; but finally Judith cried:
"You'll have to go without me! I'm so weak from hunger I can't walk
another step."
"Girls, suppose we stop and cook the steaks?" asked Dick.
"I say so, too," agreed Julie.
So they cleared a little space in the woods and with two rubbing-sticks
soon produced fire. While two of the girls were doing this, Dick washed
the mushrooms in the little spring they had seen, and then sliced them
with his knife.
"We haven't any salt or bacon, but they'll taste good to starved
wanderers," said Dick, holding one over the fire to cook.
Each girl spiked one on a sharpened stick and held it out to broil. When
the mushrooms were cooked they each ate until they felt better. Then
Dick made a suggestion.
"Making this fire gave me an idea. Why not make 'two smokes' for
signals. If Alec or any one else is looking for us, they can see them."
"Why didn't we think of that before! Fine idea, Dick," said Joan.
"What will 'two smokes' mean?" asked Judith.
"Means 'we are lost,' come find us," said Dick, busy with two heaps of
firewood.
"But you can't signal here under these trees, Dick! We've got to find an
open place where the smoke can rise up above the tree-tops, you know,"
advised Julie.
Dick realized he had been caught napping by a girl, and he didn't like
it very much but he could not show his annoyance, for Julie was right.
So he stood up and said: "I'll shout as loud as possible,--maybe they
will hear us." So he shouted until he was hoarse.
"In this dense forest, where the trees break every sound, the smoke
signal is as good as any other. Let us find a clearing," suggested
Julie.
So they sought again, and soon found an open spot where the sky was
visible without any obstructing tree-branches overhead.
"Why, this looks like the same clearing that I said would make a fine
baseball diamond," declared Julie.
"So it does! And here is a broken twig where we went out," said Joan.
[Illustration: "We are lost, come find us" ... Page 98]
"Then we can't be many miles from home," laughed Julie, her spirits
rising again at the slightest encouragement.
They made two smokes, however, and waited to watch the thin spirals rise
above the trees, side by side, until they dispersed in the blue ether
far overhead. But no sound came in answer to the signals.
"Maybe no one remembered the smoke idea," ventured Judith.
"And they'd have to be in the open, or climb a tree, to see it,"
asserted Joan.
"Maybe they made signals, too, and are waiting for us to answer them.
Did you bring a rifle, Dick?" said Julie.
"No, none of us did. But I can climb one of these trees and see if the
others made any smokes."
"Choose that towering pine,--you ought to be able to see everything from
that high top," advised Julie.
So Dick climbed the tall pine, but after he had reached the top he saw
nothing that might lead him to find the other campers. He shouted and
whistled as shrilly as he could from the lofty perch, but no answering
sound came to his ears, so he slid down again.
"See anything at all, Dick?" asked Julie, the moment he came down.
"A great sea of waving green tops, one wave back of the other, without a
break," said he.
"Well, what now? Shall we keep on hunting for the way back from this
clearing, or just sit and let them find us?" asked Joan, despondently.
"You know they say a flock of ducks will always fly towards water. Now,
I saw some ducks flying in one direction when I sat up in that tree,"
remarked Dick.
"Then you _did_ see something other than waves of green! Why didn't you
say so!" snapped Julie, impatient with his poor scouting sense.
"I thought they might be flying down towards Little Moose Lake, where
Dandelion Camp is, and we want to find our party," said Dick, in
justification.
"Anything to get out of this tangle. We'd just as lief wind up at
Dandelion Camp as elsewhere," said Joan.
"All right then, follow me and we will go in the direction the birds
flew," said Dick, and he started down hill.
Down and down they tramped, chopping away smaller obstructions, until
they were stopped by a wide fen that belted the section. Advance was
impossible, for every time one tried to step upon the ooze the foot
would begin to sink in.
"Oh, how awful!" wailed Judith, ready to cry.
"How can we cross? If only we could find a fallen tree that happened to
fall right across," sighed Joan.
"If only we had a drink of cold water I'd be thankful," declared Julie,
mopping her warm face.
"That's the easiest part of the whole trouble," quickly said Dick.
"What do you mean? I wouldn't drink that slimy liquid for anything,"
said Julie, frowning at the water.
"Now, just wait a second and you'll see what I can do with that water!"
bragged Dick, glad to redeem his reputation as a scout.
With hands and a stick he quickly dug a hole to the depth of the marsh.
Then he squinted carefully at his well, then at the marsh, and back
again. The girls watched him curiously.