134 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

outside of the house above the central doorway. The middle
of the strip is pressed together so that it forms a projecting
point, some four inches in length. This sign is a warning to
the uninitiated that the kukustut are working within, and none
but a member of the society must enter or even pass on the
sidewalk outside the door.*® The central fire is moved forward
to leave a larger space than usual between it and the back-
room, and two mattings are raised to form two enclosures, one
in each of the rear corners.

All day the carpenters work feverishly, and in the evening
the kukusiut are once again summoned. When last performed,
the rite on gothm was curtailed, and informants could give only
an outline of the proper procedure. It appears that X’s two
songs are practised, as well as the two mourning songs sung by
the chosen women. Then all sit silent as if in grief, while the
women occasionally utter mournful ejaculations, dreading the
danger to which X will be exposed. At this juncture the unin-
itiated are summoned; they are impressed by the gravity and
obvious fears shown even by the members of the powerful
kusiut society. In the tense silence, one of the duuyex sud-
denly bursts forth:

“T will get my puppet-patron and bring him near so that
he will be available tomorrow.”’

He reaches up his arms and makes the motions of drawing
something towards him from above, while the kukusiut women
drone and the singers and others provided with sticks keep up
a clamorous beating on the floor. Presently another dnuyex
does likewise, and so on until as many as wish to do so have
drawn down their puppet-patrons. The heralds maintain a
running fire of comments to aid in impressing non-members.
The customary lengthy dancing of gotfum is omitted, and the
uninitiated are expelled at once. The kukusiut have the usual

ak it is necessary to make numerous puppets this band may be placed in
position the previous evening and the carpenters start work a day earlier on the
more important tasks.