50 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 39 



20. thp: unsuccessful hunters 



Two persons very fond of hunting were in the habit of washing in 

 urine, as was usual in okl times when one wanted something very 

 much. Then they went to a sea-hon rock, and one of them threw his 

 spear at a sea hon but the point broke off the liandle. Tlie animal 

 was the sea-hon-chief's son. Afterwards the man wlio had done it 

 was drowned, but his companion reaclietl the sea-hon rock in safety. 

 He hooked about for his friend, but coukl not see him, so he went up 

 on top of the rock, hiy down, and, pulhng the grass over himself, fell 

 asleep. While he was asleep and dreaming, some one came to him 

 and said, ''I come to help you." He awoke, but there was nothing 

 visible except nesting birds flying about the island. Then he again 

 fell asleep, and again he heard some one come to him and say, "I 

 come to help you. The place you have drifted upon is a house. 

 When you hear the noise of a shaman's beating sticks, go straight to 

 the door of the place from which it comes." 



Soon he heard the noise of the sticks, as the man had forewarned 

 him, just a little below the place where he was lying. He stepped 

 forward quietly, and lo! he came to the door of a fine, large house. 

 Inside of this he saw those who were beating the sticks and a man 

 lying sick "with pneumonia," out of whom the string of the spear 

 lumg. Then he crept in quietly, hiding behind the people, and said 

 within himself, "If it were I, I would push that spear in a little 

 farther, twist it to one side and pull it out." Upon this everybody 

 said, "Make way for him. This shaman says he can take the spear 

 out by twisting it and then pulling out." He said to himself, "I 

 guess I can do it," so he let them have their way. Then he came out 

 in the middle of the house, pulled his blanket about himself, used his 

 hand like a rattle and ran around the fire just like a shaman. When 

 he went to the spear and moved it a little, the sick man cried out. 

 After that he let it alone for a while. He wished very much that they 

 would give him in payment a large animal stomach which was hang- 

 ing on a post. So the man's father said, "Pay it to him." 



Now he tied his blanket tightly about himself and said, "Bring in 

 some water." Then he ran around the sick man again, and, when he 

 came to where the spear was, he summoned all his strength, pushed it 

 in a little, turned it round slightly and pulled it out. At once he 

 pushed it into the Avater in the customary manner and blew eagle 

 down upon it, wdien all of the white matter came out of the wound 

 and the sick man got his breath. After that he hid the spear quickly 

 from the eyes of the people. 



When he went out, the man wdio had first come to his assistance 

 came again. This was the puffin (xik). It said, "Take that big 

 stomach, get inside, and go home in it. After you get inside do not 

 think of this place again. ' ' He did as the puffin had directed, but, when 



