And even though, as I said, these things I'm going to tell you were not long ago, the world was much different then than the degraded and dissolute world we inhabit today. The surfaces of the streams were alive with salmon, who constantly dream of the open sea, and so unite the fresh waters with those of the great whulge.
The people hereabouts, being afraid of the beast, as is shown in the name they gave him, which means "demon," stayed far away, but even at a distance they could see the sunlight glinting off his golden scales as he sunned himself on his rock, which was called Tomanawos, and at night they could see the supernatural purple glow of his eyes shining through the forest darkness.
Then a young Chimakum warrior named Guarlo decided to put his fear aside and visit Noquiklos on his rock. He wanted to learn the secret of the animal's power, which had all humans living in fear of him.
Like all other Chimakum children, Guarlo's mother had warned him not to go near "the rock in the lake, or Noquiklos will eat you." But he wrapped his fear up in an otter skin, and stowed it in the rearmost nook of his canoe, and so paddled out to the rock Tomanawos. But the dragon was nowhere to be seen.
Guarlo beached his canoe in a perfect stillness; not even a breeze was stirring. He walked toward the stone cliff on the rock's landward side, and found a narrow cave opening about as tall as himself. Inside he saw the purple glow of the dragon's eye, and launched an arrow at it, but the beast easily dodged it, and a second shaft bounced harmlessly off the dragon's scales.
Guarlo realized his puny human-being weapons were useless against Noquiklos, and he gave up the fight. With resigned dignity, he backed away from the cave mouth, lay down on the flatness of the rock called Tomanawos, and composed himself to fearlessly meet his death.
--30--
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