164 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

“I want a strong man. I want so-and-so,’ naming a
kusiut of powerful physique.

The man so designated comes forward, passes once, sun-
wise, around the cord, seizes it with both hands, and strains
to pull up the fungus. Sometimes he fails to make it appear
at all, or he may be able to produce the upper part of the fore-
head, and he soon returns to his place, baffled. The unini-
tiated realize that it is a mere fungus, and the puzzle to them
is how X can lift it so easily when another fails. The explan-
ation lies in the long rope, of which they are unaware, passing
down through the floor of the house to the space between it
and the ground. Here are concealed four strong kukustut
whose duty is to hold the end and allow it to be hauled up to
a distance indicated by whispered instructions. It would
be a major disaster should they become careless or should the
rope break. A second kusiut is called forward, but has no
greater success than his predecessor, and a third and a fourth
also fail. The heralds keep up a running fire of comments;
for instance, if one man is able to raise the forehead into view
they remark on the fact, saying that he must be a good man
to whom the supernatural beings are favourably disposed. If,
on the other hand, the cord is drawn down, removing the skin
from the palms of the would-be puller, they comment unmerci-
fully on the dislike manifested toward him. When four kuku-
siut have tried and failed, X again demonstrates his strength,
or the willingness of the supernatural beings to respond to his
pulling, by lifting the fungus and dangling body into view.
Once more a herald calls out:

“The kusiut wants someone to pull.”

The challenge is now open to anyone, member of the society
or uninitiated, and one after another comes forward, circles the
rope, and tries his strength—but without avail. Even the awe
of the Ausiut dance hall cannot restrain the mirth of the spec-
tators when the rope is quickly pulled below, a painful experi-
ence as the writer knows to his cost. Often it is a little girl