4 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

initiate pass between the central fire and the raised platform
behind it, where the dancer is usually concealed, his spirit will
be attracted to this material object. Even though the per-
former is in another house at the time, he at once senses what
has happened and asks who has lost his spirit. The guilty
person, believing that he will die unless it is returned to him,
always admits what he has done. The dancer, accompanied
by several attendant kukusiut, proceeds to the raised platform,
presses his cupped hands four times against it, and by sucking
with his mouth pretends to draw forth the spirit. But since
the dancer has a direct call (II, p. 6) from his supernatural
patron (II, p.6), he cannot come in contact with the uninitiated
without danger to the latter, so he transfers the supernatural
element to the leg of another kusiut, who is not dancing at the
time, by pressing four times. This assistant then returns it to
the owner by kneading it four times into the back of his neck.
The reckless uninitiated person suffers no harm, but is more
careful in future.

Another belief is that if a non-member even walks close to
the doorway of the house during the four days, or more, that
a dance is taking place, his spirit is attracted to the dancer,
wherever he may be at the moment. Consequently the unini-
tiated use the beach path instead of the sidewalk. Accounts
differ as to what results from the transgression. According to
one, the dancer falls down as if dead, due to the contact be-
tween something non-sacred and the power with which he is
imbued. It is at once recognized what has happened and any
kusiut can draw forth the spirit by placing his two hands,
shaped like a cup, against the dancer and sucking violently.
While so doing he calls 40H loudly and any kukusiut present
beat time furiously. As soon as the alien spirit has been re-
moved, the dancer recovers. Still holding his hands cupped
together, the extractor now proceeds to the house of the non-
member and returns the latter’s spirit by kneading it into the
back of his neck. If this were not done, the loser would soon
become mad, try to eat dirt, and die. According to another