SWANTON] TLINGIT MYTHS AND TEXTS 137 



let US gamble more," tliinking that he would get all of his goods back. 

 The poor man, however, saitl he was tlu*ough l)ut would be willing to 

 gamble with him the next day, and he left his opponent sitting there 

 feeling very badly. The same day, however, liis opponent went over 

 to liim again and again asked him to gamble. "Oh! let us wait 

 until to-morrow," he said, and he spoke kindly to him. Finally they 

 began again. Whatever words the poor man used toward liis oppo- 

 nent at this time, people use at tliis day. By and by he said to the 

 chief, ''Let us gamble for food next. I want to feed my people." 

 Then the rich man was angry, sat down, and began gambling with 

 him for food. Again his opponent won everything and said, ' 'That 

 is enough. We have plenty of time to gamble. We will gamble 

 some other day." So they stopped, although the chief would have 

 persevered, and the poor man invited all of his friends in order to 

 give them the food he had won. 



Next day the chief again brought over his gambling sticks, and 

 they recommenced. Whenever the poor man saw that his luck was 

 turning, he would jump Up, run around the circle of people, who 

 were watcliing him closely, run to a little creek near l)y, wash his 

 hands very clean and return to gamble. He did that over and over 

 again wliile he was gambling. Sometimes he would run off and chew 

 upon a piece of dried salmon. Then he could see the devilfish smoke 

 much better. This time they staked slaves, and he won quite a 

 number, after wliich he jumped up, saying that he had gambled 

 enough. The cliief begged liim to continue, but he said, ' 'No, we 

 have gambled long enough. I will gamble every day with you if you 

 desire, but tliis is enough for to-day." 



Next morning they gambled again. A big crowd always followed 

 him to the gambling ]:)lace because the way he acted was new to them. 

 He would jump up, call certain of his lucky sticks by name and say, 

 "Now you come out." Before he began gambling he mixed Ms 

 sticks well together and said, "The asq'.anca'dji sticks will come 

 out." So they came out, flew around and around his head and set- 

 tled among the other sticks again. He was the only one who could 

 see them. 



By this time the chief opposing him had become fairly crazy. He 

 had nothing left but his house, his sisters' children, his wife, and him- 

 self. He wanted to stake his sisters' children, but his opponent said 

 that he would not gamble for j^eople. Then the chief caught hold 

 of him and begged him, and his own friends came to him and said, 

 "Why d<m't you gandjle and win those friends of his? You are very 

 foolish not to." "I do not want to gamble unless I can win some- 

 thing," he said. "What good will those people be to me? I can not 

 do anything with them after I win them." ' 'You will have the name 

 of havinir won them. Remember what lie did to vou. He did not 



