pack of marmots to his own camp, where he said to his wives, “I have had good luck this time, and have brought you some meat; but you must make a camp for me some distance away, as I want to be alone. If I sleep with you, my bad luck may return." His real reason was, that he might be alone, and thus be able to cry without being noticed. The women made a camp for him a little ways off, arranged everything nicely, and put a block of wood under his pillow. That evening they fed the children with some roots. One of them cried for fat; and the women, fearing their husband had heard it, said, “It is roots the child means. How could he know about fat? He has never been used to eating it." Their husband went over to his camp, and they could hear him crying. After a while he fell asleep, and they could hear him snoring. The two women then went over and clubbed him to death on the head. Before he died he cried, "You have killed my sister, and now you kill me!" (This is why men sometimes take a fancy to their sisters, and even cohabit with them. Had not this man in mythological times become enamoured of his sister, men would not do so now.)

The elder sister now proposed that they should go to where their late husband's brother lived, and tell him what had happened. He was unmarried and lived alone. The younger sister was afraid, saying that he would kill them; but at last she agreed to go. They gathered all their meat together, and took all the marmots from the traps, and made a cache of all. Then they burned the body of their husband and departed. When they drew near their brother-in-law's camp, the elder sister said, "I am not afraid. I don't care if he kills me. I shall go and see him." She went into the camp, carrying her baby on her back, and told the man of the killing of his brother and sister, giving him full details. He said to her, “You have done right. My brother did evil, and acted like a dog." The woman told him that her sister was afraid, and remained some distance away with the children. He said, "Tell her to come in. She need not be afraid. I do not blame you for what you have done." She went into camp with the children, and the two sisters became the wives of their brother-inlaw.

15. STORY OF THE WATER-MAN.2

Some people who lived near a lake were troubled by a water-man who lived in the middle of the lake. He fooled and ate people. In the centre of the lake could be seen numerous very long strings, like weeds, on the surface of the water. This was his hair. On the edge of the lake was a thing growing, in substance like a stick, and in shape like a man's penis. This was his penis. The people had tried many

1 See Eskimo (Nelson, RBAE 18: 467); Russell (JAFL 13:15); Jetté (JAI 38 : 341). 2 Tsetsa'ut (Boas, JAFL 10:48).

times to break it, but could not accomplish it. They practised bathing in cold water to make themselves strong, so that they might break it, but without avail. Among the people who were making medicine that they might attain power to break it was an orphan boy who lived with his uncle, who had two wives. His uncle and the younger wife treated him badly. Each succeeding night the boy tried to break the penis, and at last one night he accomplished the feat. He put it together again, and said nothing. Next morning his uncle, accompanied by many men, went to try again, and it broke easily. All were glad, and went back to camp rejoicing. They composed a song on the occasion. They thought they could now conquer the water-man.

Next morning they went in a large canoe to kill the water-man. The boy's uncle stood in the prow of the canoe to do the killing. When they embarked, he had told the boy to go home, as he would be of no use; but the boy went, nevertheless, and sat in the stern of the canoe. His uncle seized the water-man by the hair, and was about to strike at him, when the latter moved his head; and he fell out of the canoe, and was at once killed by the water-man. The boy then arose, and, running forward to the bow of the canoe, seized the water-man's hair and killed him. He struck off his head as easily as cutting fat. The people then returned, singing a song of victory and a death-chant together. The boy's uncle's wives heard the singing, and began to paint themselves, as they thought their husband was the victor. The elder was doubtful as she heard the two kinds of songs; but the younger one kept on painting herself, although the paint constantly scratched her face. The boy had made it do this.

When all the people learned of the boy's victory, they made him chief, and he became renowned throughout the country. He took his uncle's elder wife to be his wife, but would have nothing to do with the younger one."

16. the deceitful wife.

A woman had two husbands who were brothers, and their mother lived with them. She and her mother-in-law shifted camp while her husbands went hunting. When about to make camp, she noticed that she had forgotten her needle-case in the last camp, and she went back for it. On her return she fell in with a war-party of many men, who intended to attack her people. They had connection with her until she became quite exhausted. They told her not to tell the people, gave her a lot of ptarmigan, and let her go. She carried the birds to camp and gave them to her mother-in-law. The latter asked her 1 See Tlingit (Swanton, BBAE 39: 145, 289).

A Tahltan story, "The Deserted Orphan and the Goat Chief," is similar to the end of this story.

Notice the common reference to women with two husbands in Kaska. It appears also in Tahltan myths. This does not occur in any Salish stories that I have collected.

how she came by them, and she told her that she had killed them with stones. The old woman examined them, and saw that they had been killed with arrows. She said to her daughter-in-law, "Get some water for your husbands; they will be coming home soon." When she had returned with the water, she immediately lay down and slept, for she was very tired. Just when the men were coming, the old woman spilled the water, then woke up her daughter-in-law and sent her for more water. She noticed that she was very lame. While she was gone, the woman showed the birds to her sons, who at once knew there was something wrong. They had brought home some fat cariboumeat. They told their mother they would have a last big feed together, and that when the meal was finished she must go out and try to escape. They cooked and ate a hearty meal. When the repast was over, the old woman took the pails, pretending that she was going for water. She left the camp, and ran off into the woods. The men built up a huge fire so as to intensify the darkness surrounding it. They then attacked and killed their wife, because she had deceived them. The war-party heard her cries and rushed into the camp. The brothers ran out in the darkness and escaped. This is why since then women have been deceitful and hide their actions and wrong doings.

17. THE OWL-WOMAN.1

A woman lived with her daughter, who had two husbands who were brothers. She was visited by two men who, she thought, were her sons-in-law. She made up her mind to get rid of her daughter and have her sons-in-law for herself. She told her daughter to climb up a tree where the owl lived, and get some owl-feathers for her. Her daughter refused, saying that she was afraid she might turn into an owl; but her mother persuaded her that there was no danger. When half way up the tree, the girl's clothes dropped off, and feathers began to grow on her, and she became an owl. The old woman dressed in her daughter's clothes, fixed up her face and hair to make herself look young, and then sat down in a new camp she had made to await the coming of her sons-in-law. After they came home, she remarked as she was eating, "I am young yet, see how sharp my teeth are!" and again, as she got up, "I am young yet, see how quickly I can get up! I am like a young woman." The men noticed that she got up slowly like an old person; and this, with the remarks she had made, caused them to be suspicious. They pulled back her head and her hair, and recognized her as their mother-in-law. Thinking she had killed their wife, they killed her, and then went to their old camp. On the way they passed the tree where their wife was, and saw her. A similar story is found among the Tahltan. 2 See RBAE 31 : 605 (No. 64), 861.

They begged of her to come back to them; but she answered, “No, you have killed my mother, so I shall remain an owl."

18. THE DOG-MAN AND DOG-CHILDREN.1

A family consisting of parents and daughter lived together. They had an old dog who always lay at the entrance of the lodge. Whenever the girl went outside, she had to step over the dog. One day they moved camp, and as usual put a pack on the dog. When they reached the camping-place, the dog was missing. The parents sent the girl back to look for him. She met a good-looking man accompanied by a dog carrying a pack. He asked her where she was going, and she told him she was looking for their dog, who had gone astray with his pack. He answered, "This must be your missing dog. I found him, and am bringing him along." The girl, becoming fascinated with the man, ran off with him, and camped in a different place. The man hunted, and always obtained plenty of game. He told his wife, "When you throw away bones, never throw them far." The woman noticed that when her husband hunted, she always heard barking where he was. She asked him about this, and he answered that he knew nothing of the barking. She also noticed that the bones she threw out were always eaten up or gone in the morning.

One night she pretended to sleep, and watched. Her husband arose, and soon afterwards she heard something eating the bones outside. She looked, and saw that it was an old dog. She now knew that her husband was a dog or dog-man, and, taking a club, she struck the old dog on the head and killed him. She then went back to her parents and told them she had been living with a man, and that she was pregnant. Her mother, thinking she would have a nice baby, prepared for it by making a fine marten-skin robe, and a nice bed for the baby to be born in. The girl gave birth to seven pups; and her mother became so angry and disgusted, that she snatched away the robe, took away all the food and everything in the lodge, and left the place. Her father and all the people also deserted her.

1 The narrator said that he thought this story may have come from the Tahltan to the Kaska some time ago, as both tribes have the story localized in the Tahltan country. See RBAE 31: 785 (Bellacoola, Chilcotin, Comox, Kwakiutl, Nootka, Quinault); Carrier (Morice, TCI 5: 28); Cheyenne (Kroeber, JAFL 13: 182); Chinook (Boas, BBAE 20: 17); Dog-Rib (Petitot 311; Franklin, Second Voyage, p. 308); Eskimo (Rink, Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo, 471; Boas, RBAE 6:630; Murdoch, American Naturalist, 1886 594; Boas, JAFL 7: 207; Holm, Meddelelser om Grönland 39: 270); Fraser Delta (Boas, Sagen 25; MAFLS 11:130); Hare (Petitot 314); Kathlamet (Boas, BBAE 26 155); Lillooet (JAFL 25: 316); Squamish (Hill-Tout, BAAS 1900 : 536); Thompson (Teit, MAFLS 6: 62, JE 8: 354, MAFLS 11: 30); Tlingit (Krause, Die Tlinkit Indianer, p. 269); Tsetsa'ut (JAFL 10: 37); also Coos (Frachtenberg, CU 1 : 167). Known to the Tahltan.

VOL. XXX. NO. 118.-30.

The girl lived by picking berries. When their mother was away gathering food, the pups turned into children and played together. There were six boys and a girl, and the girl always watched while the others played. The mother noticed, when she came home, that the brush on the floor of the lodge was disturbed and turned over, as if children had been playing; and she thought it strange that dogs should do this. She picked up some rags and made them roughly to resemble clothes, which she stuck up within view of the lodge one day when she was out. The girl watched this, thinking it was her mother. The latter crept around behind, seized the dog-skins the children had discarded, and threw them into the fire. The girl, however, managed to get on part of her skin, and thus remained half dog. Later the mother managed to get the rest of her skin, and she then became like her brothers.

The dogs were now really children, and they grew up fast. The young men hunted, and always brought back plenty of game. They had the power of scenting game, as dogs do, and therefore were very successful in hunting.

Now, the mother was suspicious that one of her sons slept with his sister, and she determined to find out which one it was. She smeared pitch all round where her daughter slept, and next morning she noticed the side of her youngest son marked with pitch. She was sorry about this, and began to travel with her family. When about to cross the Stikine River in the Tahltan country, she said to the girl, "Look at your brothers bathing in the river down below!" As soon as she looked, all were changed to stone, including the mother. Some were ashore at the time, and some were in the river. All of them are now rocks to be seen at this place.1

19. STORY OF LYNX-MAN.2

Once a long time ago a man was hunting in the mountains with his wife. At that time there was no game in the low parts of the country. People lived on sheep, marmots, and ground-squirrels, all of which abounded in the mountains. The man wanted to procure some eaglefeathers: so, taking a rope with him, and accompanied by his wife, he went to a cliff where there was an eagle's nest. He tied the rope around his waist, and got his wife to lower him down. Just when he had reached the ledge where the nest was, Lynx-Man appeared at the brink of the cliff, and ordered the woman to let go the end of the rope. Being afraid, she did as directed. Lynx-Man then took her away to a place in the bottom-lands where the brush was very thick and there were many Jack pines. Here he set many snares, and always caught plenty 1 Tsetsa'ut (Boas, JAFL 9: 257).

2 A similar story occurs among the Tahltan.