416 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

because the sun tended to melt him. Accordingly, Raven was constantly
on his guard to throw cold water over the lad when it was too hot. One
day, when clouds and brilliant sunshine alternated, the two went to the
woods to gather firewood. Raven left Gum in the canoe while he went
into the forest, at intervals calling out to ask the lad whether he was all
right, and each time receiving a satisfactory answer. When he returned
to the canoe with his first load of wood he found Gum unharmed, so went
back for more without trepidation. Four times he brought back loads
of wood, and each time kept calling during his absence, and each time the
boy was allright. During the next trip, however, he received no answer,
and, hurrying back, found nothing left of Gum but a puddle in the bottom
of the canoe. In great grief he returned home. His friends asked him
where Gum had gone, and Raven told them of his loss.

RAVEN AND SOCKEYE SALMON?!

Once upon a time Raven went to the home of Sockeye Salmon, a very
beautiful woman, and sat down while she proceeded to prepare a meal for
him. First she built up the fire, then brought a basin, poured some water
into it, and washed her hands. Forthwith, a large number of salmon
appeared in the dish. She cooked these fish, taking care not to remove
the heads, and gave them to Raven for his meal. It was the first time he
had seen salmon caught in this way, and he had watched the proceedings
intently. He secreted in the roof of his mouth a bone from the back ot
the salmon’s neck, and at once his hostess began to feel ill.

“I think you have stolen something from the fish,” she said to him,
but he denied the charge indignantly:

“No, indeed! Not only am IJ innocent, I do not even understand how
to act dishonourably; it is contrary to my nature.”

Sockeye Salmon did not believe him, and insisted on searching his
mouth, but she did not take sufficient care to find the small bone hidden
against his palate. Then she became demented, for the abstraction of
the bone caused the loss of her sanity. The various people in the house
said to their guest:

“If she does not get that bone back she will soon die.”

They too searched Raven but without success. When there seemed
to be no hope for the insane woman he drew forth the bone from its
hiding-place and restored it to her. Sockeye Salmon at once recovered,
and soon afterwards Raven went home.

For some time Raven dreamt every night of the beautiful Sockeye
Salmon and, concluding that he could not be happy unless he married her,

*tBoas, p. 94, has recorded a somewhat similar story.