338 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY I ETH. AUN. 31 



While they were laughing and joking and making merry around 

 the large fire, the middle-aged woman took her two grandchildren 

 and said to them, "Let us hide under the fallen tree yonder, lest 

 misfortune come upon us if we stay with these foolish young people 

 here!" so they crept away and hid under the fallen tree. 



Before they reached there, they heard a terrible noise proceeding 

 from the old burial-ground, and a dreadful mourning voice, which 

 said, "Let me have it!" Then the old woman took her two grand- 

 children, put them under the log, and spread her mats over them. 

 She herself went back to where the young people were. Then all the 

 young men stopped their joyous singing and shouting, and terror 

 came into then- hearts. The old woman said, "Now, young men, 

 call him again!" but they were all silent. 



Behold! the Ghost was coming — the skeleton of Brown Eagle— 

 with arms stretched out in front,and saying, "Let me have it!" His 

 head was just the skull, with dark, empty eye-sockets. The young 

 women were very much frightened, and the young men as well. Now 

 some of them ran into the large fire, and were burned there; and when 

 the doleful sounds of the Ghost were coming nearer, the rest of the 

 young people ran to and fro, feeling full of fear. They all tried to 

 escape, but the Ghost took their breaths, and at last they all lay dead 

 around their large fire. Only the old woman and her two grand- 

 children were saved out of the many young people. 



Early the next morning the old woman arose and went to where 

 she had hidden her two grandchildren. She called them, and went 

 first to the large fire. There they saw many dead bodies lying 

 around the fire. Many of them were scorched in the ashes. Then 

 they went down to the new village and told the story to the people. 

 Therefore the parents of all the young people went, and arrived at 

 the place; and they saw the bodies of all the young people lying 

 around the ashes, some of them scorched by the fire. So they all 

 wept over them and carried them down to their new village. 



The wise men said to the parents of those who were dead, "Call 

 all the shamans, and let us hear what they have to say!" So they 

 called them all into the house where the dead bodies lay, and they 

 put all the bodies in good order. Then all the people of the village 

 came in. When the shamans were working with their supernatural 

 powers, a new shaman said, "Let us have a great war witli theGhost, 

 because the souls of these young people are living in the house of the 

 chief of the Ghosts! Tonight all the Ghosts will assemble in their 

 chief's house. Therefore let us go there before, that time. If we do 

 not get them tonight, then all our young people will be dead for good." 



Therefore all the shamans consented, and before dusk they put on 

 their armor and took their weapons; and they went forth from the 



