That moment he became as red as she was. She said: “I am a spirit and hereafter you will be a spirit. Sometimes we will help each other.” As soon as he looked at her, he went off to the mountain. Each spirit went its way and both will live always. PITOÍOIS CHARACTERS Kāhkaas Stork Kûlta Otter Pitoíois Tskel Mink Wûlkûtska Marten Pitoíois and her two brothers lived together; their father and mother were dead. Pitoíois was beautiful; she had a long neck, and her hair was black and so long that it touched the ground. She was the fastest worker in the world. She was always digging roots. With one dig she could bring up a whole basketful. In a day she dug over a large plain as though it had been ploughed. She piled up the roots, thought “I want them in my basket,” and they were there. Pitoíois’ brothers were great hunters; while she was digging roots, they were hunting for deer, but they never got out of sight of their sister, for they thought Wus might come and bother her. Wus was always watching Pitoíois, but he didn’t go near her; he was afraid of her brothers. One day Pitoíois’ brothers asked: “Are you through digging roots in the places we found for you?” “Yes, I am ready for another place. Are there many places around here?” “There are a few more. Are you tired?” asked the elder brother. “I am not tired, but I’m afraid; I always feel that somebody is looking at me.” “Who are you afraid of?” asked her brother. “Of Wus. I know that he is watching me all the time.” “Though we are off on the mountains we always see you,” said her brother. “Nobody has been near you. There are two more plains to dig over; then we will go away from here. Sometimes I see a smoke on a mountain, but it is far off.” Pitoíois dug all the roots and pounded them up. Then the brothers moved to a new place. They made a brush house and went to look for a deer. The next morning Pitoíois began to dig roots in a place where her brothers could watch her. The elder brother had such powerful eyes that he could count all the trees, all the brush, and all the plants; he could count everything. He looked far off in the east and saw somebody dodge behind a tree. It was Wus. When he saw him, though the sun wasn’t in the middle of the sky, he went to his sister and took her home. “I don’t know why I am so afraid,” said Pitoíois. “I feel worse every day, but I never see anybody.” “To-day I saw somebody off on the mountain,” said her brother. “That’s what I thought!” said Pitoíois. “Every day I feel that somebody is looking at me; to-day I was frightened.” Wus camped on the top of the mountain. He thought: “I wonder why those men never leave their sister? I can do anything I like; I am Wus. I will make them forget her.” He began singing, sang a beautiful song. All day and all night he sang, to draw their minds out of them, and make them forget Pitoíois.