swAXTOx] TLINGIT MYTHS AND TEXTS 143 



for the night. They were unable to sleep, however, on account of the 

 strange noises about their camp as if people were talking in very low 

 tones. Still the}^ could not see anything. They would say to one 

 another, "Do you hear that?" ''Yes," they answered. Itwascaused 

 by the two high-caste white land otters who were talking to Tuxstri"s 

 spirits. 



Next morning the men arose very early, and the eldest said to the 

 one next in years, "Get up. I have had a queer dream. I dreamt 

 that we had a deer and that we were taking our deer to the land- 

 otter den." Then one of them answered, "You have had a lucky 

 dream. Let us start right away." So they took the canoe down 

 and set out. Going along on the opposite side of the point on which 

 they had camped, they saw the two white otters swimming in the 

 water. The shaman's spirits had been holding them. Then the men 

 said to them, "Stay there. We have hatl you for a long time now." 

 So the otters remained where they were, and they caught them and 

 put feathers upon their heads. They were making deer of them. 

 They took them home to the fort in which they dwelt and carried 

 them in. iVll the people danced for them. And that night, after 

 they had retired, the people dreamt that the land otters were dancing 

 the peace-making dance. Some of the people said, "They really 

 danct," but others replied, "No, they did not dance. We only 

 dreamt it." Still they dressed up to dance in return. All were 

 fasting, as was customary when peace is about to be made. They 

 also fed the land otters and waited upon them very carefully. 



By and by the shaman said that the land otters were coming, so 

 the people made ready for them. They soaked a very bitter root, 

 called slikc, in water for a long time. Some said, "They are not com- 

 ing. The shaman has made that up," but others believed him and 

 got ready. Finally the shaman said, "To-morrow they will be here." 

 The next morning it was very foggy and they could not see far out, 

 but they heard a drum beating. At length the land-otter-people 

 came ashore, and they helped them carry their things up to the 

 houses. One of these land otters had two heads, one under the other. 

 It was Tats!idigu'L. All said, "We depend on Tutslidigu'L." Then 

 numbers of land otters came into the house, but, as soon as Tuts!- 

 idigii'L appeared at the door, everybody there but the shaman fell 

 down as if dead. The shaman in turn filled his mouth with the ])oi- 

 sonous water they had prepared and spit it about upon the otters, 

 rendering unconscious all that it touched. The land otters, however, 

 shouted, "Keep away from Tiits!idigii'L. Let him do his work." vSo 

 Tuts !idigu'L danced, saying, " Ha, ha, ha." When they started a song, 

 the land otters mentioned Tuts!idigu'L's name in the manner of the 

 Indians. When they were through with their dance, all of the people 

 woke up, and the land otters also came to. But, when the human 



