120 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

and the heralds keep telling all to be attentive. The chorus
for every Scratcher’s song consists of the supposedly meaning-
less words, ’aii, aii, as if a child were crying. Itissaid that the
same refrain is used for Scratch dances by every coastal tribe.
After this practice the singers chant forth X’s song more
loudly, the audience joins in, and he dances. The Scratch
dance differs from all other kusiut ones in that there are no
fixed movements, with the exception of keeping time to the
beating of sticks with the feet. The dancer sometimes bends |
down and forward, with arms closely pressed between his legs,
or he bends back with arms thrown upwards; to and fro and
back and forth he goes with high steps or short mincing ones,
with hops or jumps, his arms waving like the arms of a wind-
mill. The best Scratch dancer is the one who can put most
action and originality into his movements. The weird effect is
increased by moving the facial muscles to cause strange grim-
aces. Four kukusiut, two before and two behind, accompany
X. At intervals he becomes excited and seizes his own hair
as if in internal agony, whereupon his guardians press the back
of his neck and call Aoif to soothe him. His dance com-
pleted, he sits down, and no other performers follow him. The
presents provided by X and his relatives are then distributed,
those scratched and the song makers being the chief recipients,
although everyone receives something. Then there is the
usual meal, accompanied by admonitions from the marshals,
followed by X dancing once more to his song.

Unlike most kusiut ceremonials, this does not complete the
night’s rites. Accompanied by a number of kukusiut, X visits
every house in the village, and dances around the fire with
wildly waving arms while the whistle sounds eerily. Since the
musicians do not beat time, his dance is without rhythmic
qualities, otherwise it follows the lack of pattern just de-
scribed. When he is brought back to his own house, the fren-
zied beating of sticks is twice repeated to soothe him, and
water is thrown over him. Thus pacified, X goes to sleep and
the kukusiut quietly disperse.