BOAS] TSIMSHIAN TEXTS 227 



there will be a hole."" The othei- end of the pole was provided with a 

 sharp })laok bone point. The boy. after having- received these gifts, 

 left his parents. 



Once upon a time the young man fell in with a powerful man whose 

 name was Wud'ax-niExmil'Ex (Large-ears). This man asked him, 

 "What weapons do you use for killing gamer" The boj' replied, 

 "I do not use any weapon. I run after them, and they fall down. 

 What kind of weapon do you use for killing game V "I do not use 

 any weapon. I have supernatural powers."" Asi-hwi'l was desirous to 

 know how Large-ears killed his game. They went a short distance 

 together, and came to a place where there were many goats. The 

 youth said, '" Let me see how you kill goats."" Large-ears took a pair 

 of long mittens from under his blanket. He put them on and clapped 

 his hands. At once all the goats fell down the steep sides of the moun- 

 tains. Thej' went to another mountain where they saw a number 

 of goats. Then Large-ears said, ''Now, let me see how you kill 

 mountain goats." Asi-hwi'l pulled his bag from under his blanket, 

 took the dogs out, and said. ''Red, red, red! Spotted, spotted, spot- 

 ted ! ■' Then the dogs grew large — one went to the right, and the other 

 to the left — and they liegan to bark. The goats fell down at once. 

 Then Asi-hwi'l put on his snowshoes. and walked right up a vertical 

 c-litt'. When Large-ears saw this, he was surprised. They parted, 

 and each went home. When Asi-hwi'l came to his father, he told 

 him what had happened, and his father praised him. 



After some time Ho'uX said to his wife and to her sister, "Your 

 brothers are coming to look for jou. Therefore I must hide in the 

 woods." A short time after he had left, the brothers came. When 

 they .saw the house full of meat, they were surprised. Then the women 

 gave them to eat. On the following morning the brothers left, carr^'- 

 ing along some meat which the sisters had given them. As soon as 

 the3f left, Ho'uX returned. The sisters told him that their brothers 

 had asked them to return home. Then HS'uX said, "Let us part. 

 You may return to your home; I will return to mine." On the follow- 

 ing morning many people came to fetch the women and the boy. 

 The^' took them to G'itxade'n. The lioy's uncles gave a feast, and 

 his mother told them the boy's name, Asi-hwi'l. The people 

 bought meat of them, and paid for it with elk skins, which Asi-hwi'l 

 used in giving a potlatch. 



A superuatui'al ))eing who lives in heaven saw that Asi-hwi'l was a 

 gi-eat hunter. He covered one of his slaves with ashes, .so that he 

 looked like a white bear, and sent him to Nass river. The hunters 

 set out to kill the bear, but they were unable to reach it. AVhen the 

 bear came to G'itxade'n, Asi-hwi'l put on his snowshoes, took his bag 

 and his pole and pursued it. The bear reached Leading point. There a 



