[Told by Abraham of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsgo, to whom it was related by
an old Ninstints man]
Some people were abandoned at Stasqa′os, including a man, his wife, and
his mother-in-law. The latter owned some salmon eggs. When it became
cold and he was very hungry he wished his mother-in-law would cut them
open, and he brought in firewood. After he had built a large fire he
thought he would get something from his mother-in-law. He was
unsuccessful. He was hungry many mornings and brought firewood to his
mother-in-law, all the time expecting to get the salmon eggs.
By and by, when the snow was gone, he sent his wife out to get spruce
roots for himself. While his wife was digging spruce roots she heard a
puppy bark within the earth. Then she started to dig it out. She dug
out a little puppy. And she went home with it. Then they reared it. It
grew up very fast.
One morning, when they got up, two large fish lay outside. They ate
them. Next morning some lay there again. The number increased. After
the fish had been found there in this way for a while half a halibut
lay there. Another time a whole halibut lay there. After there had been
halibut for some time porpoises began lying there. After that had
happened for a while hair seal began lying there. After they had been
found lying there for a time a whale’s tail lay there. Again half of a
whale lay there. The dog also became large.
After this, when they became tired of eating grease, she cut open the
salmon eggs. His mother-in-law gave some to him. He did not look at
them.
When his mother-in-law had become tired of eating grease she went after
things found at low tide. Then he covered all the chitons with rotten
whale. Instead of eating them his mother-in-law went in and sat down.
There came to be whole whales [lying on the beach]. Stasqa′os beach was
all covered with whales.
Then, unbeknown to her son-in-law, she collected urine. She put hot
stones into it, and, while the dog was out at sea and her son-in-law
was sleeping with his wife, she poured it into the sea. At once a great
east wind arose. When daylight came the wind increased.
Then he saw the dog’s ears show at intervals above the water in front
of Stasqa′os. [551] After he had looked for a while they disappeared
around Gᴀ′ñxet-point. [552] After that the waves carried it along the
west coast out to sea. Presently it tried to climb ashore at a steep
place near Qꜝā′łgwa-i. [553] Its claws scratched great marks upon the
rocks. They call that place “Dog-slipping-back.” The waves carried it
away from that also. After it had become very tired, The-one-in-the-sea
[554] called it in. [555] It settled down in his house.
See notes to two preceding stories. Compare story of How one of the
Stasa′os-lā′nas became wealthy.