Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 4 1886.djvu/14

 6 Hassagwāhq's best warriors. Now speak yet once again and tell what you have done with the bones of your victims." The Giant Witch replied that in the hollow of the mountain might be found a vast heap of human bones, which was all that remained of what was once the noblest warriors of Striped Squirrel's time.

When he was dead, Glūskap summoned all the beasts of the forest and all the birds of the air to assemble and devour the body of the Giant Witch.

Then Glūskap ordered the beasts to go into the cave and bring forth the bones of the dead warriors, which they did. He next commanded the birds to take each a bone in his beak and pile them together at the village of Hassagwāhq'.

He then directed that chief to build a wall of large stones around the heap of bones, to cover them with wood and make "equnāk'n," or a hot bath.

Then Glūskap set the wood on fire, and began to sing his magic song: soon he bade the people heap more wood upon the fire, and pour water on the heated stones. He sang louder and louder and faster and faster until his voice shook the whole village, and he ordered the people to stop their ears lest his voice should kill them. Then he redoubled his singing, and the bones began to move with the heat, and to sizzle and smoke and give forth a strange sound. Then Glūskap sang his resurrection song in a low tone: at last the bones began to chant with him; he sprinkled on more water and the bones came together in their natural order and became living human beings once more.

The people were amazed with astonishment at Glūskap's power, and the great chief Hassagwāhq' gathered together all the neighbouring tribes and celebrated the marvellous event with the resurrection feast, which endured for many days, and the tribe of chief Hassagwāhq' were never troubled by evil witches for ever afterwards.