SWANTON] TLINGIT MYTHS AND TEXTS 235 



came right up on the beach, and the}^ clubbed it to death. They 

 had all kinds of food in their house and were continually drying 

 meat and skins. The house became so full, in fact, that they had to 

 build a larger one. 



By and by their uncle said that he wanted some eagles, and the boys, 

 of whom there were eleven, went out with their bows and arrows, and 

 each brought one in. Then each of them had an eagle's tail fan for 

 himself such as were formerly" used in dancing. They also killed all' 

 kinds of birds and secured plenty of marten sldns and w^easel skins. 

 Of these latter the uncle sewed together a marten-skin robe and a 

 weasel-skin shirt for each boy as well as one for himself. 



One time Dancer and his nephews went a long distance beyond 

 their village and found a box, beautifully carved and painted, lying 

 upon the beach. They said to one another, "There must be people 

 living over this way." At that time they did not kn'^w anything 

 about the Tsimshian. Keeping on farther, they saw still more signs 

 of people, and fuially they came to a Tsimshian town. 



Then they returned to their own place, and afterward the uncle 

 felt that some people whom they knew were coming to see them. 

 These people were his brothers-in-law^, who had been hunting for him 

 continually and had just started out once more. When their canoe 

 came m sight, Dancer said, "There is a canoe coming right along there 

 in the direction we came from." He had composed some songs while 

 lie was there, so he said, "You boys must dress yourselves to dance 

 for the people in that canoe." When the canoe got closer he went 

 outside and shouted, "That canoe must stay out there. Don't come 

 in right away." So the canoe stopped, and after a while the boys 

 came out and danced for the canoe people while he sang. The men 

 in the canoe recognized Dancer but not the boys, who had grown up 

 very quickly into fine-looking men. After that they invited the canoe 

 people up to the house. They entered, and all the time they were 

 there kept looking at one another and whispering, wondering what 

 Dancer had done w^ith their children. But, though they camped 

 there one night, they did not ask for them. 



Next morning, however, just before they got into their canoe. 

 Dancer said to each man in turn, "This is your boy. This is your 

 boy." 



Upon that his brothers-in-law said to him, "We will be right back 

 to see you again. We will come and live with you." Then they went 

 back to their village, and told the news, and the mothers, who had 

 been mourning for their children, felt very happy to know that they 

 were alive. Dancer's sisters, their husbands, and all their people 

 came over to him. Dancer and liis nephews had been watching for 

 them and counting the days until they should return. Dancer's 

 wife liad not married again and was very anxious to see her husband. 



