910 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [hth.ahn.31 



behind when you sent me to get your stone hammer? Here it is!'' 

 said he, as he gave it to him. The old man took it, and said, "I was 

 going to get some help to get you out of the crack after the spreading- 

 stick jumped out." Then Q !a'nexe £ naxw went ahead of the old man 

 to the canoe; and on the way he picked up some pieces of wood and 

 hid them under his armpits. Then he jumped into the bow of his 

 canoe and lay on his back, and began to carve the pieces of wood 

 into dolphins. He made four of them. Then the old man went into 

 the stern of the canoe and paddled away. 



After they were halfway across the head of the inlet, Q!a'nexe £ naxw 

 whispered to the carved dolphins, ' ' When I throw you into the water, 

 you must turn into dolphins and go away for awhile; then you must 

 come and jump on my father-in-law, and keep on jumping until he is 

 dead." This he said to the carved pieces of wood as he put them 

 secretly overboard As soon as he let them go, they all turned into 

 fishes and began to jump away from the canoe. They went away for 

 a while; then they came to where the canoe was, and began to jump 

 close to the stern. Suddenly they all jumped at the old man and 

 killed him. 



Then Q !a'nexe £ naxw went home to his wife, who said to her hus- 

 band, "Where is my father?" He answered, "Your father has gone 

 to the place where he wanted to send me; for he tried to kill me with 

 that log, and I made him die instead of me. I will go now and do 

 what I have to do." 



So he left her; and the first man he saw was Land Otter (Waxnl- 

 £ mit'). He was hard at work sharpening his spear. Then Q!a'nexe- 

 £ naxw asked him what he Was doing; and he said, "Who are you and 

 where did you come from? You are the only one who doesn't seem 

 to know that Q !a'nexe e naxw is coming to do mischief to the people of 

 the world. Now, all are getting their fighting-spears and knives 

 ready to fight him with." And Q !a'nexe £ naxw said, "How will you 

 fight him with that thing?" and he said, "I will spear him with it." 

 And Q !a'nexe £ naxw said, "If I were you, I would pu t that spear behind 

 me, and I would fall on him backward with my full weight." Then 

 Land Otter said, "Take it and show me how you would put it on!" 

 So Q !a'nexe £ naxw took the spear, and said, "Turn your rump this 

 way!" and Land Otter turned his rump to him. Then Q !a'nexe £ naxw 

 stuck the spear into it, and slapped on each side of it with each 

 hand, and said, "Hereafter you shall be a land otter." Land Otter 

 walked off for a little way. Now and then he would look back at 

 Q !a'ncxe £ naxw. Then he went into the woods, and Q!a'nexe £ naxw 

 walked ahead for a while. 



Then he saw Raccoon Man (La'pisim'), who was also sharpening 

 his spear; and Q!a'nexe £ naxw asked him what he was doing. Raccoon 

 said, "I am sharpening my fighting-spear, to have it ready to fight 



