FEACHTENBEKG] ■ ALSEA TEXTS AND MYTHS 145 



open and her knife stuck out. And then the younger (boy) said : " Oh ! 

 Verily, my sister-m-law has a knife inside (her dress)." But his 

 mother tried to quiet him down (saying): "Yes, my son! Such is 

 the custom of all the women who live in Qai°'hausk* ; they haye all 

 knives inside (their dresses)." — ''But I see it just now m3^self." 

 Then that (disguised) woman began to fear very much (lest she be 

 recognized) . 



Then when their (dual) fern roots were dry they two began to dis- 

 tribute them all over the house. iVnd when they were through then 

 one of them went to the next house. And she was just stared at in 

 surprise when she went out. And when she came to the next house 

 she opened the door. Then when she was perceived, one old woman 

 said, " Hu hu liu\ This is the very first time that an Earth-person is 

 going to distribute (roots) up here." So that woman became exceed- 

 ingly bashful. Only (in so far) they two forgot themselves. The 

 two Snake women had not been asked whether they two distributed 

 (food) also (among the people of) the next house. So she just threw 

 away at them the bundle, the fern roots, and went back home. 

 And when she' came back she poked (the rest) into the fire. And 

 after they were through eating they two went upstairs in order to lie 

 down. And then not long (afterward) their (dual) husband arrived, 

 . . . whereupon they went to bed. But not long (afterward) 

 their (dual) husband turned over. So he turned over on his 

 back and began to sleep. And then not long (afterward) they 

 two went out and began to punch holes in all the canoes and also 

 (in) all (other) things, (even in) all the clamshells. They two 

 punched holes even in the buckets. And then when they two finished 

 (it) they went back (into the house). HoAvever, their (dual) husband 

 was (still) singing, "Come up here; make war upon me!" Finally, 

 after he fell asleep again, the younger (brother) arose and cut down 

 the head of his father. At the same time the elder brother cut off 

 the head of their (supposed) husband. (Then they two departed.) 



And then the blood (of the killed man) began to drip down to where 

 that old woman was lymg. Thereupon she began to shout: "My 

 daughter-in-law, aqua tea cadet.''' But nobody made any answer at 

 aU. So then she began to shout again; but in the same way nobody 

 called back to her. Then she lit the fire in (the house). And now 

 after it was light and when she saw (what happened), she said, "It 

 looks like blood." Thereupon the younger (boy) said: "Now what 

 dost thou mean (by saying) it looks like blood ? I thought thou didst 

 always maintain that it was just the fashion of the women from there 



5 qo'tsaux + -Mfc«. 



6 sis + -aux. 



' k-Ets+ -xan. 



» That is to say, "When did we ever before have our monthlies at two separate periods?" 



9 Etymology obscure. Evidently a particle. Rendered by the narrator "I thought that thou." 



9G653— 20— Bull. 67—10 - 



