170 llUKEAtt OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bvll.-'O 



looked on. She (i. e.,(Ta'oax) threw a fat piece of meat to him | say- 

 ing]: ''Here is some yhosts' food for you to taste."" 



He went out. 'riicii he threw awa}' th(^ burning coals and ])addled 

 across. He reached home, but instead of eating the fat he carried it 

 up. He entered his master's house and said: ''Say! did you kill 

 Ga'oax ? " At once they called all the town people, and they questioned 

 one another: "Did you kill Ga'oax T' Some said ''Yes;" some, "No." 

 Some thought that she had got safely into the woods. 



While they were still in the house one, full of mischief, ^^ bit off some 

 of the mountain goat meat. They looked to see him drop dead Avhere 

 he stood. Presently he said: "Why, it passed into me all right. All 

 of you taste it. Swallow it. This is human beings' food." 



One among them said: " Well! let us gamble with them. Then you 

 can see whether Ga'oax got safely into the woods." With that inten- 

 tion they went to ]jed, and next day, early in the morning, the town 

 chief launched his canoe. The town, the chiefs and the middle-aged, all 

 went. They went across. 



After they had landed there they went into the middle iiouse, and 

 those who were gambling put awa}^ their gambling sticks. At once 

 they began gambling with these instead. The town chief started to 

 gamble with the elder brother. But Ga'oax spread out grizzly bear 

 skins around the inside of the house. She and the young people 

 began to give them food. 



The elder brother was left-handed. He had laid the gambling-sticks 

 down on that side. On the same side lay his bone club. After gam- 

 bling had gone on for some time he stopped the town chief, who was 

 handling the sticks. "You are cheating me" [he said]. And he 

 replied: "No, indeed; I am not cheating you." In spite of that he 

 insisted upon it for a long time. After they had disputed for some 

 time, the town chief threw line cedar bark into his face. Then he 

 struck him on the head with his war club. He killed him. 



The house was in an uproar. They picked up their weapons, ajid 

 the Metlakahtla people as well. They began to tight. While the 

 lighting went on the two sisters walked about among them. Although 

 they were struck with the spears, the latter always broke upon them. 

 After the tight had gone on for a while one had an arrow point l)reak 

 off in him. He was wounded badly. When he was about to lie down 

 the elder sister sucked his wound and sucked it out. Then the other 

 sucked it, spit upon her hand, and rul)b(>d on the wound. Then he 

 got up again and fought with them. 



The tight went on until the dawn of the next day, and continued 

 then and the da}' after. Now they began to drive the people of 

 QIado' back. When that happened the youngest brother ran over to 

 the house, drew something upon a partly used wooden wedge, said to 

 it: "Carry the news to my grandfather," and threw it into the fire.^^ 



