Then she reappeared,
bearing a babe, a beautiful child, but his little eyebrows were of
stone. For the Spirit of the Mountain had taken her to himself; and
when she greatly desired to return to her own people, he told her to go
in peace, but forbade her to tell any man who had married her.
Now the boy had strange gifts, and the wise men said that he was born
to become a mighty magician. For when he did but point his finger at a
moose, or anything which ran, it would drop dead; and when in a canoe,
if he pointed at the flocks of wild ducks or swans, then the water was
at once covered with the floating game, and they gathered them in as
they listed, and through that boy his mother and every one had food and
to spare.
Now this was the truth, and it was great wonder, that Katahdin had
wedded this girl, thinking with himself and his wife to bring up a
child who should build up his nation, and make of the Wabanaki a mighty
race. And he said, "Declare unto these people that they are not to
inquire of thee who is the father of thy child; truly they will all
know it by seeing him, for they shall not grieve thee with
impertinence." Now the woman had made it known that she would not be
questioned, and she gave them all what they needed; yet, for all this,
they could not refrain nor restrain themselves from talking to her on
what they well knew she would fain be silent.
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