swANTONl HAIDA TEXTS AND MYTHS 255 



the simro in front of its den. After they had held their si.ster in front 

 of it for a while, it came out, and they drew her out before it. 



When the snare was even with its middle they pnlled it up. They 

 also pulled in their sister quickly and spit medicine upon her. At 

 once their sister seized the end of the rope. After they had pulled 

 against it for a while and l>egan to be pulled down on top of each other 

 the cord broke, and they fell backward in a heap. Then they went 

 home. 



And after they had thought for a while what thej' could use with 

 which to catch it the}^ began digging roots. The}^ traveled around 

 upon the island of CxAsq".* Upon it they got roots. And they also 

 twisted those. When the rope was long, they went to it again. They 

 again used their sister as bait. Again they put the snare in front of 

 it. When it put its head through, they slipped the knot down to its 

 middle. Again thc}^ pulled their sister in quickly, again they spat med- 

 icine upon her, and again she seized the end of the rope. After they 

 had been pulled down many times, as they held this, it broke, and the37^ 

 fell ])ackward in a heap. Then the}^ went awaj^ again. 



And they took dry strings l}" ing upon the beach. As they went 

 around the island they carried them along. After that they spliced 

 them. At once the}^ twisted them. When it (the rope) became long, 

 they went over there again. Again they used their sister as bait. 

 When that also broke, they gave it up. Nothing was left that they 

 could use. 



And, after they had lived there for a while, a wren chirped in the 

 corner of the house. It said "Guda'dixa-i'"' ('\sinews").''' Then they 

 felt strange about what it said, and all made blunt-pointed arrows and 

 bows. Then they began traveling about upon the island. Each kept 

 coming in with three or four [wrens]. At once their sister pulled out 

 the sinews, after which they twisted them together. It was slender. 



When this was long they went to it again. They set the snare 

 in front of it. Again they used their sister as bait. When he again 

 came out they slipped the knot over him. They pulled their sister 

 away quickly and spit medicine upon her. At once she was pulling 

 along with them. All pulled upon it. It stretched out smaller. But 

 when it touched the face of a rock, that fell over. They were sajang: 

 "Think yourself wren sinews."® 



After they had pulled at it for a while, something cracked at the 

 bottom of the island, and they pulled it up. They cut its belly open. 

 They cut human bones out. Then they laid the bones together. If 

 one part were missing, they l)roke ott" pieces of old limbs of trees and 

 put them in instead. Immediately La'ga-na'qati spit upon it. And they 

 said to them: " Goto the places where you used to live." They killed 

 him, and they went home. That was Supernatural-eel, they say. 



