9. WHAT THE STARS ARE LIKE
/.~here are different opinions about the stars. Some say the3'. are
balls of light, others say they are human, but most people say they
are living creatures covered with lumjnous fur or feathers.
,- One night a hunting party camping in the mount~lins noticed two
lights like large star~ moving along the top of a dist~Lnt ridge. rl'hey
wondered and watched until the light di.-;appeared on the other side.
'l'he next nig.ht, and the next, they Haw the light.-; again mo,'.ing ~long
the ridge, and after talking ov(~r the matter decided to go on the mor-
row and try to learn the cauHe. In the morning. they Htal'ted out and
went until they came to th(~ l'idg(~, where, after Hearching some time,
th(\}' found two I;trange (~r(~ature.-; about .1;{1 large (making a ('ircle ,vith
out.-;tr(~tched armH), with round hodieH covered with fine fur (Jr down)'.
feath(~rH, from which Hmall he~Ld.-; Htuck out like the headH of terrapins.
AH the hrcez<~ played upon thcHe feath(~r.-; showerH of Hpal'ks fle\v out.
rrhc hunter~ ~arricd the Htrang-e (~r<~atureH ha(~k to the ('amp, intend-
ing to t~Lke them hom(~ to the H<~ttlementH on their return. rl'hey kept
them Hcver~Ll dayH and noti<~(\.d that every ni~.ht they ,vould grow
brig.ht ~\'nd Hhil)(~ like great Htar.-;, although by day the3'. were only halls
of gray fill' , except when the wind st.irred and made the sparks fly out.
rrh<,.y kept very quiet, and no one thought of th<-'il' trying to escape,
whf:~n, on the Heventh l)ig.ht, they Huddenly rose from the ground like
b~\'IIH of fir<~ al)d were Hoon ahove the tops of the trees. Higher and
hi~.her they went, while the wondcring hunters watched, until at last
th<~y w<~rc onl.y two hright pointH of light if) the dark Hk)T, and then
the hunterH knew that thc,\. werc HtarH.