ON THE ETHNOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 547 



forest, so did not observe that a Ka'k'laitl, or huge witch, was stealing 

 upon them out of the woods. When she got to him she caught him up 

 and threw him over her shoulder into her big tso'maicin (basket made 

 from woven snakes). The lad retained his hold of his knife when she 

 dropped him into the basket. She next proceeded to where the other 

 children were huddled together in a territied group and threw them also, 

 one by one, over her shoulder into the tso'maicin, and cai-ried them off 

 into the forest. She had not proceeded far, however, when Tetke'tsEn, 

 making use of his knife, cut a hole in the bottom of the tso'maicin, and 

 dropped the smaller children one at a time through the opening on to the 

 ground. They made some little noise as they dropped, thus attracting 

 the Ka'k'laitl's attention. She called out to Tetke'tsen to know what it 

 meant. Said she, ' What is that sound (kumin) I constantly hear ? ' 

 Tetke'tsEn replies quickly, ' It is only the noise of your heels as you 

 walk,' and continues dropping the little ones through the hole, bidding 

 them run home as fast as they could as he did so. By the time the 

 Ka'k'laitl reached her dwelling in the forest none but the bigger children, 

 who were too stout to pass through the aperture, remained in the basket. 

 These she takes into her house ; after which she builds an enormous fire, 

 putting into it a great number of big stones. These soon got red hot 

 from the fierce heat. Next she takes some pitch and smears it over the 

 eyes of the children, so that they cannot raise their eyelids or see what 

 is going on. While she was busy over the fire Tetke'tsEn had warned his 

 companions against this trick of the Ka'k'laitl, and had instructed them 

 to screw up their eyes very tight ( Yd- Ya') when she attempted to pitch 

 them. Some of them were careful to regard his injunctions, but others 

 were heedless and closed their eyelids but slightly (mukm'uk). When 

 Tetke'tsEn's turn came he screwed his eyelids together so closely that 

 but little of the pitch got on the lashes, and, on trying a moment after if 

 he could open them, found to his great satisfaction that he could without 

 much difficulty. He then tells the others to open their eyes. Some of 

 the others are able to do so a little ; others are not able to separate their 

 lids or see at all. The Ka'k'laitl now places them in a ring round the 

 fire at some little distance from it. In the space between it and them 

 she then commences to dance and sing, arranging at the same time the 

 heated stones as she circles round the fire. The words of her song are 

 'ntsaqals ts std'okwitl.^ Tetke'tsEn replies, ' Come opposite me, grand- 

 mother, but keep your eyes closed or the heat of the fire will bui-n them.' 

 She continues dancing and singing till she gets between him and the fire. 

 Then he opens his eyes, and, springing forward, gives her a great shove 

 and pushes her into the fire, and she falls on the burning stones. ' Open 

 your eyes,' said Tetke'tsEn to the others, ' and come and help me keep 

 her down.' They respond to his call, and taking up the spare firewood 

 heap it upon her, covering her up entirely with it. She screams out, 

 Tied camps Tetke'tsEn ! TlCd camps Tetke'tsEn ! ' ' Take me out, Tetke't- 

 sEn ! Take me out, Tetke'tsEn ! ' Replied he, ' We are trying to, grand- 

 mother, but you are so heavy.' They continue to pile on more wood, 

 which, presently blazing up, consumes the Ka'k'laitl. But even when her 

 body is consumed her bones still cry out ' Tldl camps Tetke'tsEn ! ' for she 

 cannot die. They watch the fire burn down and then collect the ashes. 

 These Tetke'tsEn blows upon and scatters abroad, and they are turned 



' In good Sk-qu'mic thij word is stilO'tl or stauo'tl, not stu'Ohvitl. 



NN 2 



