ON THE ETHNOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 533 



spot where the girls had roasted their fern-roots. All around him lay 

 the discarded cores. The sight of these was too much for the young 

 man's hungry stomach, and he sought to appease his cravings for food by 

 gnawing at some of them. This occurred towards the end of his ti'aining. 

 When he had completed his k-waiyd' sot he returned to the village. Now 

 when the elders of the village learnt that the girls had been in the woods 

 roasting SQo'tluk- near where the youth was undergoing his training it 

 entered their minds that he might break his fast upon the remains of 

 their meal. So when he returned home his parents undertook to test 

 him. They did this by di-awing scarifying knives all over his body. In 

 the process one of the fern-root cores was drawn out of his flesh, at sight 

 of which his father was shocked and scandalised. He informs the people 

 of his discovery, telling them he is greatly ashamed and grieved at his 

 son's wicked deception. It is decided that he must go back to the woods 

 and go through the whole procedure from beginning to end over again. 

 So he returns to the training-ground and enters upon a second course of 

 fasting and exercise. No one expresses any sorrow for the youth except 

 his old grandmother, who cries when she learns that he is sent back in 

 disgrace to repeat his trying ordeal once more. Among the pei'sonal 

 belongings of the young man was a little dog which was much attached 

 to him. This dog the old grandmother called to her side one day, and 

 told it that the people had determined to go away from the village and 

 abandon her grandson, who had disgraced them by breaking his fast 

 during his kwaiya'sot. ' When your master returns,' said she to the dog, 

 ' he will find the village deserted and all the fires out. I am A'ery sorry 

 for him and want to help him all I can. I intend to keep all the cores of 

 my Sqo'tluk and make them into charcoal and bury it in a big clam-shell, 

 and when my grandson returns you can tell him where to find it, so that 

 he will not be without fire.' You must stay behind when the people go, 

 and wait for your master and do as I instruct you. When I have buried 

 it I will show you the spot.' 



It was as the old woman had told the dog. The whole village felt 

 that they could not harbour a youth who had brought such shame upon 

 them, and so, at the suggestion of Sk-auk-, the Raven, they determined to 

 go away to another camp and leave the youth to his own resources. To 

 make their desertion of him the more complete and exemplary, when they 

 are ready to start they take water and pour it upon all the fires and so 

 put them dead out. Just before they did this the old grandmother, unob- 

 served by any one, converted her fern-root cores into charcoal and buried 

 it in a clam-shell near one of the posts of the dwelling, and bade the dog, 

 which was observing her, remember where to bid his master look for it. 

 They all now go away, taking their belongings with them, the little dog 

 alone remaining behind. Some time afterwards the youth, having com- 

 pleted his course of training, returns once more to his home. When he 

 perceives the abandoned state of the village he quickly comprehends what 

 has happened, and walks up and down, crying, feeling heart-broken at 

 their desertion of him. His little dog tried again and again to attract his 



scarcity and famine the Indians had frequent recourse to these roots, and dug up 

 and ate large quantities of them, the old people and children having little else 

 indeed to subsist upon. 



It would appear from the precaution here taken by the old grandmother that 

 the preservation of fire was a matter of supreme importance in the early days of the 

 tribe, and the procuring of it afresh a task of much difficulty and trouble. 



