boas] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 103 



the meat and wrapped it over the fat around his staff; and when 

 the staff was full, he squeezed it, and it was thin again. He did this 

 four times, and all the meat was finished. 



Then TxamsEm gave it to the young man, saying, "Go back 

 home!" The man replied, "I do not know my way, for it is far off. 

 I do not think I shall ever get back to my house." Therefore 

 TxamsEm led him up one of the mountains, and pointed out a certain 

 direction. He said, "You shall go in the direction in which I point. 

 Follow that narrow trail yonder. This trail leads to your house. 

 You will soon get home." Then the young man said, "I have been 

 traveling for many days. How can I get home quickly ? ' ' TxamsEm 

 replied, "I will smooth your way for you. You shall reach home 

 tonight. Keep your eyes on the narrow trail; and if you hear any- 

 thing beldnd you on the way like thunder or terrible noises, don't 

 look back, lest peril befall you. Keep your eyes on the trail until 

 you reach above your village. Then you may look back, and you 

 shall know what has happened." TxamsEm said also, "Have pa- 

 tience, young man! Don't look behind you!" and he made the 

 young man promise not to look back on Ids way down to Ids home. 



Now he was ready, and TxamsEm told him to go as quickly as possi- 

 ble. The man took his gun on his left shoulder and TxamsEm's 

 staff in Ids right hand. TxamsEm said, "Go quickly! My dogs will 

 soon come and they might devour you." Therefore the young man 

 went, and kept Ids eyes on the narrow trail. The trail went, along the 

 middle of the large plain; and while he was running along, he heard 

 a great noise like the rolling of thunder, but the young man kept on 

 going. He heard other terrible noises close behind, like the noise of 

 mountain-slides, and the earth was quaking as he went along, but 

 he kept Ids eyes on the narrow trail. He heard more terrible noises 

 close behind, and he ran as fast as he could to escape from the terrors 

 beldnd him, and the ground continued to tremble. He was full of 

 fear, but he kept on, and before the sun set he arrived above his 

 village and stood there. 



Then he looked back, and high mountains appeared where he had 

 come from. TxamsEm had smoothed these mountains where the 

 young man had passed ; and as soon as the man had passed a mountain, 

 the mountain stood up again as it had been before, and that made 

 a terrible noise, for all the mountains arose again in their own places. 

 There was no large plain and no narrow trail to be seen. Oidy high 

 mountains covered the country beldnd the man. He wondered on 

 account of what had happened to him. He stood there a while, 

 thinking that he had been in a dream, but still he held the staff in his 

 right hand, and his own gun on his left shoulder. He made up his 

 mind to go down to his village, and laid down the staff and his rifle. 



