COYOTE BEGAN at the ocean, at the mouth of the Columbia River, where lived an at'at'a'hlia, an evil creature who was constantly destroying people by tying them upon a baby board and sending them adrift into the foggy distance, with the command, "Go forever!" After a time the baby board came floating back to her, and upon it there waas nothing but bones, for on its voyage it had been to a place of such intence heat the the flesh was melted away. On that shore sat many people awaiting their turn to be set adrift. Their hearts would have run away, but the power of the at'at'a'hlia held them there.

Then Coyote came among them, and after watching the evil one for a time, he told them, "I will try that, and soon I will return." So he was tied to the board, and as he started to drift out into the fog, the old woman said, "Go forever!" But all the people cried out, "Come Back Again!"

After a while the watchers could faintly see the board drifting closer, and they wondered if Coyote had been powerful enough to survive: and when it touched the shore they saw that he was alive, and all the people were glad. Then, to prove which was the stronger, the woman was placed on the board and sent out into the fog, while Coyote and all the people shouted, "Go forever!"

In time the board came drifting back with nothing but her bleached bones upon it. The people were happy that the evil one was destroyed, and they urged Coyote to take from their number a wife. But he said: "No, I do not want a wife. I am to travel up the river."