boas] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 205 



"Yes," he replied. "They are dancing. If you want to see them, 

 go down and look up. Don't go in! Just look in at a knot-hole. 

 Take with you leaves of a small hemlock tree, and put them into the 

 knot-hole." Therefore the man went; and when he reached in 

 front of the large house, he heard a drum and singing, and he looked 

 with one eye through the knot-hole. He saw that the house was 

 full of eagle down, and all the Salmon people were dancing, wearing 

 garments set with abalone shells. 



When he took his eye away from the knot-hole, it was full of 

 herring spawn. Then he put the hemlock branch through the knot- 

 hole; and when he pulled it out, it was full of herring spawn. He 

 ate it and went home. The prince asked him, "Where have you 

 been all this time?" and he told him that he had been to see the 

 dancers. 



Now the man hail been there a long time. One day he felt home- 

 sick for his parents and his village, and lie cried all day long. Then 

 the prince came to him and asked him why he was crying, and he 

 told him that he was homesick for his parents and brothers and 

 sisters. Therefore the prince said, "I will take you up there after 

 a while, early in spring; for now the ice covers all the rivers, and no 

 one can go up Skeena River until the ice is melted." The prince 

 tried in every way to comfort him. They went to the place behind 

 the village; and the prince said to his friend, "I will take you to the 

 mouth of Skeena River, and then I wdl go back. I will stay here 

 as long as my Salmon father is ahve. You shaU tell this story in my 

 father's house when you get home. My Salmon father also said to 

 me, 'When the people of the canyon cut the spring salmon, let them 

 cut the head first, and the tail also, but don't let them break the 

 tail off with the hand. Just cut it right through with the mussel- 

 shell knife. Don't use a stone or bone blade. Otherwise thunder 

 and lightning and heavy rains will come upon them and bring dis- 

 aster to your people.' " After the prince had spoken, the man said, 

 "My dearly beloved prince, I do not want to leave you here. I 

 want you to go back with me to our home, lest your relatives and 

 your father make complaint against me if you do not come back 

 with me." 



Therefore the prince spoke again, and said, "I will go back with 

 you; and as soon as I arrive at home, I shall die, and then I shall 

 stay with my grandfather and his people." The friend compelled 

 him to go home with Mm. At the end of their talk they went into 

 the chief's house. That was the winter-time, ami the prince always 

 said to his friend that he should club one of the children behind the 

 town whenever he was hungry, and so his friend did so all winter long. 

 Early in spring the prince spoke to the Salmon people. "O father! 

 I wish to go as a scout and to see if there are any salmon in Skeena 



