358 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 



house, the hunters caught them. They took hold of the young man, 

 Chief Txa-dzl'°kik. They asked the new chief what he was doing 

 there, and he told them that he intended to slay the great Nes-balas. 

 Therefore they took him into the house of their chief, and they told 

 Nes-balas what he had said. Then the'great chief told them to take 

 the men outside and to bring in their heads. The hunters obeyed. 

 They slew them outside and brought in their heads. Then they put 

 each body on a pole, and hung their heads in the smoke hole. They 

 took their canoe and put it up stern downward. 



Then all the tribes learned that the men who sought the life of the 

 great chief Nes-balas had been killed, and war broke out between 

 them. The G"i-spa-x-la'°ts killed the three brothers, Gagayam n !e'°x, 

 Gaina,', and Gauga'°l. Only one boy remained alive. His name was 

 Wi-gwina'°t. 



At this time the great chief Dzeba'sa had died in his old age, and 

 Gan-dE-ma'xl also died, and Dzeba'sa's nephew succeeded to his 

 place. Nes-balas's sister took her mother's name, Gan-dE-ma'xl, 

 and the youngest brother of the three princes that were slain suc- 

 ceeded Txa-dzi'°kik. 



Then Chief Nes-balas made a great feast for the chiefs of all the. 

 Tsimshian tribes, and announced that his sister would take her 

 mother's name. 



She was a great dancer, and had a new song. These are the words 

 of her song: 



Good weather is following a hard frost, heavy rains and storms. 



This meant that they woidd not have any more fighting between 

 the brothers; and they invited all the noble women; and the mother 

 of the three brothers who had been killed was present at the feast. 

 She heard the words of the song, and took a little comfort because she 

 knew now that her last son would not be slain. 



After some time the young chief went with four companions in his 

 canoe to hunt ducks around the Island of Metlakahtla. This young 

 man was Txa-dzi'°kik. He intended to kill Nes-balas; but he could 

 not do it, because Nes-balas had many friends who watched over 

 him and protected him. The boy's heart was not right toward him. 



After a while Nes-balas became sick, and it was not many days 

 before he died. Then all the Tsimshian tribes lamented, but the 

 tribe of Txa-dzi'°kik was happy. Their young chief invited the 

 young men to have a game in his house every night, and they had a 

 good time, shouting and laughing because the great chief Nes-balas 

 had died. Many days had passed after the mourning of the tribes. 

 The younger brother of Nes-balas, Xbi-ye'lk, succeeded to his place. 

 He also took the name Nes-balas, gave a great feast, and invited 

 all the chiefs of everv tribe. 



