HOW DOCAS WENT FISHING
ONE day Massea came up to Docas.
“To-day we will go fishing,” he said.
Then Docas ran away to find his playmates.
“We are going fishing! We are going fishing!” he cried.
Then all the children began to dance and jump.
“We are going fishing! We are going fishing!” they screamed. For the children were glad when the fishing days came.
But first Massea must drive stakes across the bed of the creek just below the boys’ swimming hole.
And he must drive them very close together, for he wants to keep the fish from swimming through.
After Massea had made the fence, Docas called to Heema, “I’ll race you up the creek.”
“You will have to hurry or I shall beat you,” answered Heema.
Then they both started to run along the bank of the creek.
“Come, Alachu. You may go, too,” said Ama.
All the women and children in the rancheria went also. They walked along the bank of the creek for about a quarter of a mile, then Alachu cried, “I see Docas. I see Heema.”
Docas was standing on the bank. “Watch me!” he called to Alachu.
He dived off the bank and disappeared in a large hole.
“Mother! mother! Docas is drowned!” cried Alachu.
Ama smiled and answered, “Wait and see.”
In a minute more Docas’s head popped suddenly out of the water.
Then the women and children walked out into the middle of the creek and began to wade down it.
Alachu heard a shout and saw Heema getting ready to jump.
“Be careful; I am afraid you will jump on top of me,” she cried.
There was a big splash, and Alachu gave a scream as the water splashed over her. Heema was standing in the water a few feet away.
“A water fight! We’ll have a water fight!” cried the children.
Then we will spear them“Then we will spear them.”
“Then we will spear them.”
“Then we will spear them.”
They jumped about in the water. They splashed it all over each other. They laughed and shouted and made all the noise they could.As they stopped for a moment to take breath, Docas said, “See the fish swim down the creek. They are scared.”
The battle lasted until the rancheria was in sight, and by that time all the fish were in the swimming hole. Then Massea said, “Now we must build a fence above them.”
When the fence was built, Docas said, “Now the fish cannot swim away, for there is a fence below them and a fence above them.”
That night Massea said, “We will build fires on the bank of the creek. The fish will come near to look at the light; then we will spear them.”
And so it happened. The men speared enough fish that night to give them something to eat for several days.