152 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

floor. The rope draws through itself, becomes untangled, and
the blood stains previously placed on it become apparent. The
kukusiut rehearse the decapitation a number of times until
every detail is perfect. Shielded by the gloom of the house,
one of the carpenters fastens a thin cord to the portrait-mask
and practises drawing it gradually towards X, who finally rises
as if restored to life by the return of his head. The mask is
actually concealed and X stands up at his natural height.
Since this is the feat which will be done in the presence of the
uninitiated, it must be worked out with precision. When the
marshals are satisfied that everything is in good shape they
permit the kukusiut to disperse. A similar practice is carried
out for the Stomach-Cutting dance if the marshals consider it
necessary. The night after the rehearsal the call comes to X,
who parades to every house in the village. On his fourth
circuit he carries a rope in his hand instead of a knife; the
kukusiut weep as they did on the previous occasion, and
any uninitiated who have seen or heard of the rite realize the
fate in store for X. The next day, xusiutalsap, a number of
kukusiut are dispatched for wood, and in the evening some of
the work is allotted and arrangements made for singing the
mourning songs and for the use of puppet-patrons by the
dnuyex. The marshals take advantage of the opportunity to
harangue their hearers.

“Take heed what you do,” they say. ‘‘d#guntam and the
other supernatural ones have sent down a powerful call to us.
Unless we make strong our spirits we will be unable to bear up
under the weight of it.”

Qothm passes without variation from the type already
described, andon the following night the kukusiut assemble early
for nebusam. When they have taken their places, the fire is
extinguished; then the uninitiated are called in and guided to
their places near the door.7* After an hour’s delay, punctuated
by the whistles, the fire is built up and X goes around it four
times, while the kukusiut beat furiously with sticks. X calls

78In Kimsquit only.