556 REPORT—1899. 
hand over the blankets and meat the four dozen of each was reduced 
apparently to two dozen each. ‘It is still too big,’ said he. ‘Shut your 
eyes again and I will make it smaller still.’ He did the same as before, 
and the two dozen blankets and pieces of meat were reduced to the com- 
pass of two of each kind. ‘Now,’ said Spider to his grandson, ‘I will 
tell you what we intend todo. We are going to put you and your pack 
in this cradle, and cover it up and let you down through a hole by the 
Spa’tzin ropes to your own country again. But you must be careful to 
heed my instructions and do exactly what you are told, and then all will 
go well with you. Between us and your country are three different zones 
or lands through which you must pass to reach your own. The first of 
these is the land where we now are. This is Cloudland. After that comes 
Water-land. That is where the rain comes from. Next to that is Fog- 
or Mist-land. After that comes the Earth, your country. Now when we 
let you down from this place, after you have descended some distance you 
will feel the basket stop. You must on no account get up or look about 
you. Lie down in your basket and rock it from side to side. In a little 
time you will break through the obstruction and descend again. This 
will occur in your descent four times. Do as I have told you each time, 
After the fourth stoppage you will find that you descend no more. Open 
your basket then and get out, and you will find yourself in your own 
country. When you get out pull the rope four times, and I shall then 
know you have landed all right, and we wiil pull up the basket again. 
Now get into the basket and lie down, and we will cover you up. Take 
this sword with you,’ continued he, ‘as a present ;’ and the grandfather 
gave him a long stone sword. The youth now got into the basket, and 
when they had covered him up the old man lifted up a large stone that 
lay at the base of the ladder and disclosed a deep hole. Down this 
Ska’kit and his wife, standing on either side of the hole, let the basket 
containing N’tlikcu’mtum and his presents by the Spa’tzin rope. When 
the basket had descended about a half-score feet it stopped, being buoyed 
up by the resistance of the wind that blew up through the hole. Finding 
the basket would not descend, notwithstanding the rocking of N’tlk- 
cu/mtum, Ska'kit bade his wife stoop over the hole and make the basket 
heavier. The old woman thereupon squatted down over the hole and 
scratched her thigh and leg till the blood ran freely and dropped down 
upon the basket cover, but before it reached the basket it was changed 
into big flakes of snow. This so weighted the basket that it was able to 
overcome the resistance of the wind and descend again. Ska’‘kit and his 
wife now commenced to dance and sing as they lowered the basket. The 
basket remained stationary, he threw open the lid, and on looking out 
found himself in a fine country. So he steps out and perceives that the 
basket had landed on a large flat stone, close by what is now known as 
Lytton Creek.! He now pulled the rope four times in succession, and the 
basket is presently withdrawn to the upper regions again. He now takes 
2 The old Indians point out a stqne near the creek which they believe is the 
stone mentioned in the story. 
