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Ô'?mâl marries the Daughter of the Killer-Whale

Then he considered what to do [looked at his heart]. Then he made up his mind. He was going to make love to the wife of Killing-at-North-End-of-World. He paddled in his folding canoe. All his younger brothers were in the canoe. They paddled, and hid near the house of

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[paragraph continues] Master-of-Salmon. (He thought,) "Come to get fire-wood, come to get fire-wood, come to get fire-wood, slave of Killing-at-North-End-of-World!" He came paddling along, looking for fire-wood. Then he discovered fire-wood. "Where do you look for it?" (said) the slave of Killing-at-North-End-of-World, speaking to nobody. He went ashore and took his wedges and split the wood. Then Ô'?mâl was inside of that tree. The slave of Killing-at-North-End-of-World split the wood. Then the wedge jumped out. The wedge was spoiled. He looked at his wedge. Behold! the point was bitten off by Ô'?mâl. "Take it out, take it out, take it out!" he said.

(The slave) took another wedge and split wood. Then his wedge was spoiled again. Then that slave of Killing-at-North-End-of-World began to cry, "Haai'! I am in for it! This wedge of Killing-at-North-End-of-World, that has never been blunted since first daylight appeared in our world, is spoiled. Surely I am in for it. I am going to be struck by Killing-at-North-End-of-World on account of his wedge here." Now all his four wedges were spoiled. Then Ô'?mâl came out and spoke. "O slave!" said Ô'?mâl, "why are you crying," Thus he said to him. "I am crying on account of this wedge of Killing-at-North-End-of-World. Surely I am in for it. I am going to be struck by him on account of this wedge."--"Why do you cry? Come, and let me put my tongue at its end!" Then he gave it to Ô'?mâl, who put the point, on to the wedge, and it was whole. "Why don't you look at the heart of the wood [eye]?" said Ô'?mâl to the slave of Killing-at-North-End-of-World. Then he wedged the heart [eye] of the fire-wood. Then it fell. It just fell to pieces. Then he loaded his canoe. "O slave!" said he to the slave of Killing-at-North-End-of-World, "does not the wife of Killing-at-North-End-of-World

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sometimes meet you?"--"She meets me sometimes," said the slave of Killing-at-North-End-of-World. They paddled. Then he went into the piece of fire-wood that was lying crosswise on top of the wood. (The slave) paddled. He landed, and the wife of Killing-at-North-End-of-World came and took the fire-wood. She was not yet out of the sea when Ô'?mâl embraced the woman. Then she threw down (the wood) and stared at it. "Take it up, take it up, take it up!" (thought Ô'?mâl.) Then she took the wood up in her arms, and Ô'?mâl embraced her; but she did not throw it down, although he had embraced her. She entered the house. Then Ô'?mâl came out and lay down with the woman, the wife of Killing-at-North-End-of-World. Then he caught sight of Killing-at-North-End-of-World. Behold! he was coming around the point, (his canoe) filled with seals. Then Ô'?mâl said, "Get ready. Go on, and see where you go." Then he arose and went into the post of the house. Then Killing-at-North-End-of-World entered. There were four of them. They were stout. Then Killing-at-North-End-of-World caught sight of Ô'?mâl. "Why are you in this way here in the house?" said Killing-at-North-End-of-World to Ô'?mâl. "Come, come out!" Then Ô'?mâl came out of the post and sat clown on the floor. Then Ô'?mâl spoke, and said, "Why are you this way?" Thus said Ô'?mâl to Killing-at-North-End-of-World. "You are too stout."--"We are that way."--"Don't be that way! Go to my younger brothers." Thus said Ô'?mâl.

Then his younger brothers were called, and they came. They jumped into the house. "How pretty they are!" said Ô'?mâl. "All my younger brothers are this way." Thus said Ô'?mâl. Then Buffle-Head-Duck came into the house. He did not walk rightly. He was stout. "Wa, wa, wa; wa, wa, wa!" said Ô'?mâl. "He is the only one

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who has not been cut open." Thus said Ô'?mâl. Come, brother!" said Ô'?mâl. Buffle-Head-Duck came and lay down on his back. Then he was cut open, and his stomach was thrown away. They covered him when he was dead. Harlequin-Duck was in hiding, and he jumped out. Then Buffle-Head-Duck was really dead, but Harlequin-Duck pretended to be he. Harlequin-Duck lifted the cover and jumped out. That took a short time. It was not long.

"Go on, take pity on us!" said Killing-at-North-End-of-World. Then he lay down on his back, and he was cut open with a knife. He was dead, and also another one, and again another one, and still another one. Then (Ô'?mâl) took up his past wife, the daughter of Master-of-Salmon, and took her aboard his canoe and paddled away. Thus he obtained the wife of Killing-at-North-End-of-World, and Killing-at-North-End-of-World was dead. Then Master-of-Salmon and his tribe launched their canoes and paddled after Ô'?mâl.

Then Ô'?mâl nearly reached the shore. "Go on, paddle!" Ô'?mâl was told. Then he paddled with his one-day paddle. Then they went far away over the water. Then he sat down again with the past wife of Killing-at-North-End-of-World, the daughter of Master-of-Salmon. Then the salmon and Ô'?mâl caught sight of these mountains. Ô'?mâl arose and pointed about. Then he turned to the water and let the salmon go (to the rivers).


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