78 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

quarry into a converging “v’”’ of hunters, or someone may lie
down as bait to attract the Cannibal so that the other lurking
pursuers can secure him. No effort is spared to make the man-
hunt realistic. Then they carry the captive, struggling and
biting, to the canoes and set out for the village. The prelim-
inaries are lengthened or curtailed until the tide is favourable
for the navigation of the craft; about two hours is the usual
time consumed. When in mid-stream, the cry, ye--, is
again raised; the supposed Cannibal has once more escaped!
All this time X himself has been hiding in or near the village,
and he now appears. Instantly the kukusiut left in the neigh-
bourhood set off in pursuit, those returning on the canoes hurry
their passage and join the chase. After a struggle they succeed
in capturing X and bringing him to the village.

The Cannibal acts like a demoniac animal, struggling,
kicking, and biting as if his adventures had entirely destroyed
his reason. He drags his captors, a number of strong kukusiut,
to the various houses, and they are barely able to restrain him
within the doorways and to force him out, biting and raving
at them. A skilful actor is able to impress the uninitiated to
a considerable extent, and of course he is supported by his
associates. When every house has been visited, X is carried
back to his own and a herald summons all the kukusiut to cure
him. The uninitiated are allowed to crowd near the door to
watch.

The assumption is that X has had the nature and instincts
of an animal enter into him; if this cannibalistic incubus‘? can
be driven out by beating time, he will be restored to sanity.
Two long, thin sounding-boards have been prepared previously,
as well as a number of birch sticks with which the kukusiut beat
time. One man stands up to lead the drummers, and the sticks
rise and fall in unison with his movements, in the manner
previously described. At first X prowls around the house,

‘’This expression will be used henceforth as an interpretation of sa-dpsta, the
power in form of an animal which, having entered a man, compels him to eat
strange foods.