The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-12-06

cloud,
Don't be afraid" he said; Il am the
Thunderer, the protector of men and
the enemy of their enemies. The old
man of the pit is not a man at all,
and you must help me to kill him. AS
long as he stays underground he is safe.
so you must get him out"
Il will try" said the Indian. Then
he went back and said to the old man:
II have killed a monstrous bear. as fat
as at the beginning of winter, with
enough meat on him for month of
feasting. But l can't. drag him home
by myself. SO you must come and help"
'Never!' said the old man. and his
hair bristled like bodkihs. But in few
minutes he began to lick his lips. and
said: go out and see if there's speck
of cloud in the sky
The young man went up to see. 'Not
a speck," he called out. Then the old
man climbed up. and the two of them
tramped away through the woods The
old man went so fast, though the snow
was soft and deep and he had no snow
shoes, that the young man could hardly
keep up with him; and when they got
to where the dead bear lay the old man
threw the carcass over his shoulder as
if it was only a muskrat and started
walking home again faster than ever.
AS he went, little speck of cloud ap-
peared in the sky, and got larger and
larger. The old man walked faster and
faster; but the cloud got SO big and
| black that You would have thought the
sun was setting before noon; and the
old man screeched and dropped the
bear meat, and turned into what he
was-a horrid. speary porcupine.
The cloud opened in the middle, and
down flew the white Thunderer, shin
| ing SO bright that you couldn't look at
him; and he few at the porcupine.
The porcupine shot out all his spears
at him. but they only stuck in the Thun-
derer's woolly coat, and the naked por-
cupine was scorched up to a cinder.
The ThunGerer was SO p.eased that
he gave the young Indian a white dress
and wings like his own. The young man
flew home to tell his mother he was not
dead; but after he had lived in house
for a week he said a fortnight would
be seven days more than he could stand.
So he put on his wings and became a
Thunderer himself.
"That was jolly" shouted Rennie.
sand did they go about together hunt
ing porcupines"
"Ho!" said Ossawippi. contemptuous-
ly. 'Porcupines were nothing to what
they hunted. They would as soon hunt
flies as porcupines. now there were two
of them. Besides, the porcupine was
dead, and the others didn't count. Why
they hunted the great sea-snake him
self"
''Tel. me about it! Tell me about it!'
cried Rennie, and he threw himself
down at Ossawippi's feet and listened
with eyes and ears and mouth to this
story:
Once upon a time there were two
brothers who went off for a big hunt
ing and put up wigwam in the for
est; and one of them was hne ant
foolish, but the other was ugly apt
wise. Next morning the fine one said
"Will you hunt to the east?' Eyes,
said his brother "Then I will hun
to the west," said the fine one, and of
he went. In the evening he came
home with not so much as a squirrel
and his arrows all clean and dry il
his quiver. He ate some of his broth
er's buck meat and went to slee]
without word. Next day the SAM
thing happened. So on the third da.
his brother only pretended to g
hunting to the east, and turned rount
and followed behind the trees to th'
west.
Presently the handsome hunte
came to a lake, and he left his bov
and arrows on the bank and dived i,
and swan across; and his brother raj
round the edge calling to him, bu
he did not seem to hear. Then h
came out of the water and went on
running like a deer; and his brothe
followed his track till it stopped OF
the edge of the sweet-water sea, AM
there was neither sight of him, no
sound. nor scent. The wise brothe
waited TIL evening. and then the fin
one came out Of the sea and bega1
to run back into the woods. His Goa
and leggings were dry, but the Sc
was in his eyes. His brother calle
him, but he did not turn or answer
and then caught hold of him; and tn
sea went out of his eyes, and he awok
and trembled.
What did you go into the sea for?
asked his brother.
''The great sea snake invited me
and he shows me wonderful things
: more beautiful than dreams. Ever
day he shows me something fresh, an
feasts me on strange animals tha
taste hundred times finer than ven
. isop"
"But what price do you pay" sal
his brother. in great fear.
Nothing at all. I only have t
watch when the great sea snake come
out of the water to see if there ar
any clouds in the sky. Now | am &C
ing back to him: but if ever YOU wan
to see me, just lay new pipe an
Trash f,L.ooo IN tho shore and "a