[hill-tout] SQUAMISH INDIANS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA 87 



sumed, and no more could be got. Starvation and cold assailed them on 

 every side, and soon the children and old people began to die in scores 

 and hundreds. But still the snow came down and the misery of those 

 that were left increased. Dead bodies lay around everywhere, dead and 

 dying lying together. (Here the old man's voice was hushed to a plain- 

 tive wail, and the faces of his audience were an eloquent index of the 

 tragic interest of this story of their ancestors' misfortunes.) Everything 

 that could possibly afford sustenance was eagerly sought out and eaten. 

 The hair w^as scraped from their store of skins, and the latter, soaked in 

 the snow to make them soft, were then torn into pieces and devoured. 

 But soon even this source of supply failed them, and their only hope now 

 lay in the approaching salmon season. But when this long-looked-for 

 relief came it was found that the salmon were so thin that there was 

 nothing on them but the skin and bones. It was impossible to cure 

 salmon of this description ; moreover, they did not come in their usual 

 numbers, and soon this miserable suppl}- failed them also. By the help 

 of this poor diet the more hardy of them managed to keep body and soul 

 together for some time longer, but all who were sickly and weak gradu- 

 ally died off, so that in a little time there remained but a few only of the 

 whole tribe alive. All this time the snow had continued to fall, though 

 it was long past the beginning of summer ; and now even the salmon 

 skins and bones were consumed, and all had died of starvation but two, a 

 man and his daughter who lived apart bj" themselves. These two it 

 seems had managed better than the rest. They were the fortunate 

 possessors of a dog, which they killed after the salmon had failed them, 

 and this they ate, bit by bit, as long as it lasted. They also burrowed 

 down through the snow to the moss beneath, which they gathered, and, 

 after wiping the slime of the salmon on it for flavouring, they then made 

 soup from it. This, together with the dog, had enabled them to outlive 

 all the rest of the tribe. But still the snow came down, and now they 

 also had exhausted their resources and nothing remained to them but to 

 lie down and die as the others had done. As ihey sat lamenting their 

 lot, the man happened to look soundwards, and then he saw a large fish- 

 hawk swoop down upon the water and rise again with a large salmon in 

 its claws. Hastily getting out his canoe he launched it, and Avith his 

 bow and arrows ready at hand, he paddled out to sea and presently got 

 within range of the eagle and shot an arrow at it. The arrow went 

 home and the bird fell with the fish still in its claws. He quickly 

 secured both and returned to his daughter Avith them. By means of this 

 fish and bird they were enabled to sustain themselves for some time 

 longer, and by the time this food was consumed a great change began to 

 take place. The snow at last stopped falling and the sun appeared, and 

 a great and rapid thaw .set in. In a short space of time the great white 

 <;overing of snow sank down and the long-hidden trees, and streams, and 



