swA.NTON] HAIDA TKXTS AND MYTHS 277 



Ttie story about iiim who destroyed his nixe nephews 



[Tdld tiy \V;illir McCJregor of tlie Sea-lion-tmvn iicople.] 



A town chief began letting lijs nephews have his wife.^ Every time 

 he led one away, and he never came back. He had them go and 

 get an old dead tree which he said he owned, and they never came 

 back from it. lie let them [go after] bark and set a net for a cor- 

 morant which he said he owned, and they never came back. After he 

 had done this way for a while., nine were destroyed. 



And their younger brother came to know it. Then he began bath- 

 ing in the sea. After he had bathed for a while he became strong. 

 lie smashed anything he took hold of. He also twisted and pulled out 

 spruce liml)s. When he had become truly strong he liegan to make 

 various things. He finished two wedges. And he also took a 

 sg.u'nskaxaua shell. ^ He sharpened it. And he took a weasel skin 

 and feathers. And he pressed mud taken from the wx)ods hard 

 together in his hands and made a hole within it. He made it large 

 enough to get into. 



Then he put paint upon his face and sat on top of the house. After 

 he had sat there for a while his uncle came out. When he saw him 

 he went back. His uncle was always jealous. One came out to call 

 him in to his uncle. Then he went thither. 



When he entered a mat was spread out for him. And, after he had 

 given him some food, he said to him: ""Nephew, you shall marry my 

 wife." Then he lay with her. 



Next day he said to him: " Nephew, go and get a rotten tree I own 

 behind the town.'' He had his two wedges hidden about him. His 

 uncle went ahead of him. He followed. He opened a crack where 

 it lay. Something braced it apart. Then his uncle dropped a wedge 

 in and asked him to get it. Then he went in and got it. He knocked 

 out the brace. The crack came close together. Then he heard his 

 uncle rejoice [saving]: " Look at him whom I killed because he wanted 

 to marry my wife."* Then his uncle started off. 



Then he began to cut it from the place where he was. And he cut 

 a hole and came out. Then he split it open. He took his elder 

 brothers out. Then he broke half of [the log] hy jumping on it and 

 threw it around. And half of it he carried home on his shoulder and 

 threw it down hard in front of the house. That was his uncle's super- 

 natural power, they say. Again he slept with his [uncle's] wife. 



Next day his uncle said to him: ""Come! nephew, go with me to 

 get the cormorant 1 own which is sitting over yonder." Then he 



