boas] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS . 69 



the place where he was encamped. TxamsEm invited him up, and 

 they were about to eat there. Then TxamsEm went to get fuel and 

 to look for water. They began to eat; and after they had eaten, 

 Lagobola said to his friend, "What are you going to drink, TxamsEm ? 

 Are you going to drink from the root of the little alder tree?" 1 — 

 "Yes, my dear!" said TxamsEm. After they had eaten, TxamsEm 

 took his bucket and went to the root of the little alder tree, and found 

 no water there, for Lagobola had dried up all the water of the brooks. 

 TxamsEm knew at once that Lagobola had caused the water to dis- 

 appear. Therefore he put his one foot on Dundas Island, the other 

 on the mainland at the mouth of Skeena River, filled his (basket) 

 bucket, and took the water to Lagobola. Then Lagobola drank, 

 and tasted the water of Skeena River. 



On the following morning TxamsEm and Lagobola started to hunt. 

 TxamsEm said, "Go round outside Dundas Island, and I will go 

 inside." Lagobola consented to this; and while they were going 

 along, Lagobola took off his hunting-cap, and a fog arose. He put 

 it upside down in his canoe, then a thick fog lay on the surface of the 

 water. TxamsEm lost his way and paddled about, but his brother 

 Lagobola did not paddle. His canoe was just drifting about. Then 

 TxamsEm was scared. He cried, and called his friend. "My dear 

 Lagobola, I know your supernatural power is stronger than mine. 

 Take pity on me, my dear!" He called out to him again, but 

 Lagobola did not answer. Again he called, and began to cry. 

 He said, "O my dear brother!" Then Lagobola shouted, and said, 

 "What is the matter with you?" Lagobola gathered the fog, took 

 it off from the water, and put it in his cap. Then he put the cap on, 

 and soon the fog cleared away. Then Lagobola asked TxamsEm, 

 "Why are you so full of fear ?" TxiimsEin said, "I did not cry, I am 

 only singing in my canoe." They paddled along toward the main- 

 land, and came to the mouth of Skeena River. Then they went up 

 the river, each in his own canoe. When they reached the point 

 where the current runs down, TxamsEm said, "Let us gamble here!" 

 Lagobola agreed, although he did not care. He said to TxamsEm, 

 "What kind of game shall we play?" TxamsEm replied, "Let us 

 have a shooting-match!" So Lagobola consented. TxamsEm had 

 said, "Whoever hits this crack shall win the game — either I or you." 

 He prepared a rock and split it, so that they might shoot at it. "Let 

 us stake Skeena River against Nass River!" Then his brother 

 Lagobola agreed. Lagobola had a nice box-quiver, but TxamsEm had 

 just made a bow andarrow. TxamsEm took two stones, on which they 

 sat down. They talked to each other. TxamsEm wished to sit nearer 

 to the water than his brother. Lagobola said, "You shoot first, my 



