488 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

fortunes, how all their people had been murdered by an old woman who
had sucked out their brains through their ears, and how she was even now
pursuing them.

“T know about her,” their host answered.

This was the first inkling he had received of the crimes she had com-
mitted on earth.

Shortly afterwards Swutgu?xd/s came along, panting and tottering on
two walking-sticks.

‘I am tired,” she said, but A/guntdm said sternly:

“IT know now about all the evil you have wrought on earth.”

He took a whip and beat her unmercifully. When he had finished he
opened his door, and tore her to tiny shreds which he threw outside,
saying:

“Henceforth you shall be mosquitoes.”

The fragments floated down to Kimsquit, where ever since there have
been numerous mosquitoes. Then A/guntim said to the five:

“Don’t be down-hearted about the loss of your friends. I will help
you. Spend the night with me, but tomorrow, when I send you home,
I will give you something to restore the dead.”

Next morning after breakfast he gave the eldest youth a small quan-
tity of what looked like water, a drop of which he told him to put into each
ear, each nostril, and the mouth of every dead one, for restoration. They
were then told to return to earth on the road by which they had come,
which would be made easy for them. It was as he had said; thanks to
Afguntim’s care, they reached earth in two days and one night. As soon
as they came to their village the eldest boy first restored his parents, after-
wards all the other people; to them it seemed as if they had only been
asleep; none of them realized he had been dead. The eldest boy became
wealthy through presents given to him in gratitude by those he had
restored.

A

THE WOMAN WHO MARRIED WOLF

Once upon a time there was a young girl who was secluded in the
corner of her house following puberty. Growing weary of her imprison-
ment, she one day slipped out through the hole in the floor to pick berries
in the forest. Here she met a handsome young man who made love to
her; at first she spurned him but at length gave in, and, immediately
afterwards, the youth suggested that she return with him to his home,
saying she could go back when she so desired; to this she agreed. They
soon reached his house within which was his father, Wolf, who wore a
wolf blanket and had a wolf’s tail; only his face was human. As the old
man moved around the house his tail almost went into the fire.