boas] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 73 



After the evening meal, he called to his slave to go with him to 

 refresh themselves for a while. They did so; and when they were 

 behind the house, he opened his mind to the slave. He said, "I 

 saw a house full of dried codfish, so I will pretend to die. When you 

 go in, I will lie down, and somo of the codfish oil will drop into my 

 eye. Then I shall pretend to die of this cause; and when you tell the 

 people that I am about to die, you shall order the people to move 

 and to leave everything behind. Then, when you put me into the 

 grave-box, don't tie it too tightly." Thus spoke TxamsEm to his 

 slave. They went in again in the evening. Now, TxamsEm lay 

 down, looked up, and soon some codfish oil dripped into one of his 

 eyes. He pretended to be very sick, because he wanted to have all 

 the codfish in the town. The same night, after a short time, he pre- 

 tended to die. Then all the people wailed for hini. The slave ran 

 out and cried, "Move, great tribe, because the great chief died of 

 the codfish oil!" The people did so. In the morning they moved, 

 and left all the dried codfish and everything behind. The slave put 

 him into a box, and tied it up with cedar-bark rope. When all the 

 people had left,TxamsEm asked from out of the box, " Have they all 

 left ?" The slave said, " No." The slave left the box, went to every 

 house, and ate the best codfish he could find. Then TxamsEm became 

 very desirous of eating it. The slave had tied up the box, and 

 TxamsEm was anxious to get out, but he was unable to open the box. 

 So the slave ate all the codfish he wanted. Then, when the slave 

 had enough, he went to the box, undid the rope with which he had 

 tied the box, and TxamsEm came out with sad countenance, and ate 

 the codfish that his slave had left. They staid there a little longer, 

 until they had devoured all the codfish in the whole village. 



(18) TXA'MSEM KILLS HIS SLAVE ' 



They went on and on, until they arrived at a large village. Then 

 TxamsEm ordered his slave to say the same as he had at the last 

 village, where TxainsEm had pretended to die. TxamsEm walked 

 along the beach in front of the town. Then his slave shouted, and 

 said, "Do you know that a great chief is walking along the beach in 

 front of your town, great tribe ? He wears a costly pah of abalone ear- 

 ornaments." Then the whole tribe sallied forth from then houses 

 to see the stranger. One of the head chiefs invited him in, and he 

 entered with his slave and sat down. The chief gave them to eat. 

 First they ate dried salmon, and then the waiters served them crab- 

 apples mixed with grease. Then the chief of the house said, "Lgum, 

 ask your master if he wishes to have crabapples from Galax." 

 When TxainsEm saw these excellent crabapples, he was very desirous 

 of eating them. Therefore he said to his slave in a low voice, "Tell 



