The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-05-13
HOW the Cahrscs Obtained Fire.

The following legend is taken from ad-
vance sheets Of Bancroft's s.Native
Races The Cahrocs hold that when,
in the beginning, the Creator, Chareya,
made fire, he gave it into the custody Of
two old hays, lest the Cahrocs should
steal it. The Cahrocs, having exhausted
every means to procure the treasure, ap-
Piled to their old friend, the Coyote, who,
having maturely considered how the theft
might be accomplished, set about the
thing in this way: From the land Of the
Cahrocs to the home of the old women he
stationed great company Of animals, at
convenient distances, the strongest near
the dens Of the old beidames, the weak.
est farthest removed. Last of all he hid
Cahroc near the hut, and having left
the man precise directions how to act,
he tretted up to the door and asked
to be let in cut Of the cold. Sus-
pecting nothing, the crones gave him ad-
mittance; SO he lay down in front Of the
fire and made himself as comfortable as
possible, waiting for the further action Of
his human accomplice without. In good
time the man made furious attack on
the house, and the old furies rushed out
at once to drive off the invader. This
was the Coyotes opportunity. Instantly
he seized half burnt brand and fed like
comet down the trail; and the two
hays, seeing how they had been outwitted,
turned after him in immediate and furi-
Gus chase. It had gone hard then with
the hopes OF the Cahrocs il their four
legged Prometheus had trusted to his
single speed; but just as he began to feel
the pace tell on him, and just IS the
weird women thought they were about to
recover the brand, the Cougar relieved
him Of it Great was the satisfaction Of
the wise Coyote as he sank down, clear
ing his sooty eyes and throat and catch.
ing his breath. to see the great 1.-the cat
leap away with the torch, and the hags
gnash their choppy gums as they rushed
| BY, hard in pursuit, on the dim trail Of
sparks. The Cougar passed the brand to
the Bear, the Bear to his neighbor, and so
on to the end. Down the long line Of
carriers, the painting crones piled their
withered old legs in vain; only two mis-
haps occurring among al the animals that
made up the file. The squirrel, the last
in the trail but one, burned his tail 50
badly that it curled up over his back, and
even scorched the skin above his shout
ders. Last Of all, the poor frog, who re.
ceived the brand when it had burned
down to very little piece, hoped along
SO heavily that his pursuers gained on
him, gained fast and surely. In vain he
gathered himself for every spring, in vain
he stretched at every leap till the Jared
muscles cracked again. He was caught.
The smoke-dimmed eyes stood out from
his head, his little heart thumped
like a club against the lean fingers
that closed uron his body-yet
that wild croak wa8 not the croak
Of despair. Once more for the hope Of
the Cahrocs! One more struggle for the
Coyote that trusted him in this great
thing! And with gulp the plucky lit.
tie martyr swallowed the fire, tore him.
self from the hands that held him, leapcd
into river, and, diving deep and long,
gained his goal---but gained it mournfu
wreck, the handsome tail, which, Of al
his race, only the tadpole should evel
wear again, was utterly gone, left, like
that Of an O'Shanter's mare, in the
witch's grasp; only the ghost Of himsei
was left to spit out on some pieces 0
wood the precious embers preserved .
SO great cost. And it is because thu
frog spat out this fire upon those pieces
of wood that it can always be extracted
again By rubbing them hard together.