The Hunter Brother was very happy to have his Little Brother alive again.  He built up the fire and while they sat eating their long-delayed meal Little Brother told all that had happened to him.

[Footnote 1:  Susan who was telling this story offered no reason why he had not restored Duck, his own wife, to life.]

The sun was quite above the horizon before the meal was finished, and soon Hunter Brother was anxious to be moving on, so they took their way along the lake shore.  On their way they talked and laughed one with another and seemed to agree very well, until they had gone around the lake and reached where Tahoe City now is.  Here they quarreled and the Hunter Brother left Little Brother to return and go up the Big Mountain—­Tallac—­where he had heard there were many squirrels.  After his departure, Little Brother decided to follow him and get him to make friends again.  So he trudged along the lake shore until he came to Emerald Bay.

    There lying on the log at the edge of the lake, lay a
    water-baby.  It was asleep with its head resting on its arms
    and its beautiful, sunshine-golden-hair was spread over it.

“Oh,” said Little Brother, “I’ll get that beautiful sun-shine-hair as a present for my brother!” So he crept very softly down on the log, thinking to kill the water-baby before it awoke.  But he was not successful in this, for the creature opened its eyes as he laid his hand on its hair, and a furious fight ensued.  Sometimes it seemed as though Little Brother would be killed, but finally he was able to scalp the poor water-baby and get possession of the beautiful sunshine-golden-hair.  Every one can see where this fight occurred.  The red hill near Emerald Bay stands as a memorial of the struggle, for its color is caused by the blood of the slain water-baby.

Tucking his prize in his hunting shirt and hugging it close, Little Brother now went on, murmuring to himself, “Oh, my brother like this, my brother like this beautiful golden-sunshine-hair!”

But suddenly, as he was climbing upward, he noticed the water lapping at his heels, and when he turned to see whence it came, he found that the big lake behind him was rapidly rising, and even as he stood wondering, it arose above his ankles.

Then he remembered what he had heard of revengeful water-babies, but frightened though he was, he could not bear to throw away his prize.  However, he knew he must do something, so he plucked out a few hairs from the scalp and threw them into the ascending waves.  For a minute the water ceased to rise and he sped onward, but before long he felt the water at his heels again, and knew that once more he must gain a short respite by throwing out a few of the golden-sunshine-hairs.  And ever and again he had to do this until at last