WANTON] HAIDA TEXTS AND MYTHS 165 



like clouds. Mouse-woman took out soniethino- from her box also 

 and bit oH' a part. Now they put the mat over her and heoan to 

 rattle hei- hones under it. Tuderneath this Mouse-woman spit many 

 times. Tiien thev (i. e., Mous(>-woman) told Sciiio-.jirs dauiihter to 

 hurry: "(^uiek. Iiasten your mind, nol)le woman."* Then she, too, 

 said: "It is | for you to do so], noble woman. Vou had better hurry 

 yourself; it is uettin*:,- late." TIhmi sh<> pulled off the mat. Ah! their 

 mother-in-law ii;()t up. lie looked at his mother; l)oth [boys], in fact, 

 [did so |. " . ^ 



They had her oet into the canoe of the young-er and went up with 

 the tide to Gunwa, their father's town. The younger l)rother"s wife 

 hid her mother-in-law. They were anxious to see how their [sup- 

 posed] mother would act when they arrived. When th(\v g'ot near the 

 town, the wife of the youno-(»r oi'dered the canoes to be l)roug"ht close 

 together. The town was thrown into commotion. They reported to 

 each other that tlie chief's son and his younger l)rother, who had gone 

 away, had both married. The i)eo])le who came down to meet them 

 were like warriors going to light. In front came his mother putting 

 her belt on as she ran to carry up the things. She acted differently 

 from the others. 



Then the elder brother's canoe landed tirst, and Sqag.aTs daughter 

 stood near the basket. "'Come hither, woman. Cari-y up my ])asket." 

 Then she went to it and was going- to carry it with the strings around 

 her head. Sqiig.ai's daughter prevented her. She wished her to carr}^ 

 it the right way [with the straps around her breast]. When she carried 

 it, the weight made her stagger as she went up. She got into the 

 house with it. How huge it was! Afterward they at once carried up 

 the other things. 



After the}' had pulled up the canoe, the younger one's canoe also 

 came to the shore. A big basket was in it, the strings on which were 

 just like a knife. Mouse-woman stood near it. Then she called her 

 mother-in-law from the place where she was cariying things up. 

 "Come hither, woman. Carry up my ))asket." Then her mother-in- 

 law came to her, and was about to put the basket strings around her 

 head. Hut [the other] forbade her. And she did as she was told. 



When she started to carr}- it up the strings cut her head off. Her 

 head lay at some distance. At once Mouse-woman took a whetstone 

 out of her box, quickly got ashore, and put it between her head and 

 her trunk, which were drawing together. After she had ground her- 

 self to ])ieces foam was piled up on either side. 



Now she let out her mother-in-law. At that time they came down 

 in a crowd and got her. They did it because thej^ were glad to see 

 her. To kill her mother-in-law was the purpose for which Mouse- 

 woman let herself marry the boy, A crowd of people carried the 

 property up. Then she said to her husband: ''Leave me, I married 



