The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1901-10-05

There goes the great chief of all the
birds, Koyouk," said /, Indicating al
eagle that was mounting slowly into
the blue sky. -.
The lad shook his head dissentingly
rIe Is a lazy thief, who robs homes,
birds Of fish," he replied. '"The wise
raven, TOO-lOo-ah, Is the true chief
Koyouk's opinion merited consilera
ton. All that l knew and much more
of the life and habits of Too-loo-ah
was familiar to this 16-year-oli boy
OF the lower Yukon. AS a little child
q. he had often listened while his mother
related folklore anecdotes Of its sa.
gacity and other less commendable at
tributes. He did not know that his
Young kinsmen in far-on Greenland,
halfway around the globe,-whose
y very existence, indeed, he did not sus-
pect,-were also entertained during
the long, dark winter night with sim
liar stories, nor that they. too, called
the black bird Too-loo-ah. But he had
j. heard that among the south coast Tin
kits an aristocratic clan proudly tracel
their ancestry to the bird whose
quantity modelled effigy aiorns their
totempoles; and this fact was of es-
pecial interest to him because a
carved, weather-beaten figure of a ra-
ven surmounted painted pole planted
beside his grandfather's wooden tomb
on q neighboring hilltop.
Among the hills behind the village
where Koyouk lived there is one Of
those peculiar geological formations,
an isolated finger or pillar OF dark
colored rock, like a druiiical monolith
on a cyclopean scale. which has with
stood the frost and storms Of untold
centuries. A similar column. although
Of far greater size and altitude, stands
on the northwestern coast Of Green
land, near Melville bay, and others
exist elsewhere. From time immemO-
rial the top OF the pillar has harbored
. pair of ravens. There successive
generations have reared their young.
secure from mOleStatlOn.
! Koyouk had acquired habit OF re-
sorting thither. Many wera the
pleasant hours he spent outstretched
on the thick, soft moss of an adjacent
slope. screened by the smoke Of
Smudge that kept off black hies and
mosquitoes while he watched the adult
birds tapping to and fro above him.
Sometimes he espied one returning
from foray, laden with salmon
Alchej from the village fish-racks
where the split fish were strung in
long, red rows. curing in the sun.
Koyouk's father. had he chanced to
discover the frivolous manner in
which his sons time was occupied,
would no doubt have quickly found
nsanb Of diverting his attention. But
no such thought detracted from the en-.
joyment with which Koyouk marked
~ Joyful clamor Of the young birds
In their lofty aerie while distribu.
tion Of the spoil was taking place.
The young naturalist was in his 18th
year when he first conceived the idea
OF scaling the pillar. Formerly he had
been content to view its occupants
from distance. but desire for more
intimate acquaintance now awoke In
him.. He had. moreover. potent
reason for wishing to obtain one OF
The fleiglings.
Koyouk was one Of those persons
Who are gifted with o wonderful COM !
pfehension Of and influence over AMI
nalA His father had given him one |
& 8 litter OF pups, and he hal taught |
y To perform a number Of feats that
aij great credit both to the teacher
md the CANNES Intelligence. En-
pouraged by this success. the boy
onged for an opportunity to apply a
Dimilar course OF instruction to a raw
D. For, he reasoned. Its superior
II carefully cultivated,
:ould not fail to result In the ultimate
Development of a feathered prodigy.
Almost Invariably, as he hal noticed,
he young were hatched before the
ee had left the Yukon and the ground
vas bare of snow. He lurked persist
'ntly about the aerie In hope that dur
ng the period of their tuition in the
lse Of wings one of them. might by
nance fall into his hands. But the
'igilant parents. although SO accus-
omed to his presence that they usual
paid no heed to him, seemed to
ivlne his new motive, and they
uarded their progeny with extraor-
mary zeal. This evidence OF subtle
isccrnment. to which he ascribed
hc birds incessant watcbfulness. In
reased his respect for their wisdom.
However, h. had devised feas-
Die scheme for making an ascent to
ho top OF the monolith. and he at
myth proceeded to put it into execu-
lon.
He repaired to the big rock one
unc afternoon. carrying an empty
our sack. his bow and arrows. ball
stout twinc. such as the Yukon
coplc nse In netting fish-traps. and a
Dil Of light but strong fibrous rope.
lis mother had mx.ic the rope by
n .3iuv with ;uSu;ta SEil1 and ma !