STORIES 435

and cold to destroy the reckless creatures who had dared to oppose him.
While he was climbing down, the attackers called out, attracting his
attention, so that Halibut was able to wriggle, unobserved, to a place at
the bottom of the ladder. As Cold Wind trod upon him, Halibut moved,
and his antagonist fell to the ground. He was seized by his enemies
before he could rise to release more cold.

“What have you against me?” he asked them. “I visit you only twelve
months in the year.”

“That is too often,” his captors replied, as they stretched him out on
the ground to kill him.

“Tf you spare me I will visit you for nine months only,” Cold Wind
made offer.

Again he was told that was too much, and he must be killed. Cold
Wind, terrified, proposed coming for shorter and shorter periods, six
months, four months, two months, and finally for a single month, but each
offer was refused, and followed by threats of instant death. Atlength the
captors accepted his agreement to come only in the early morning.

That is why, to this day, the cold wind comes only in the early
morning.

Suing STORIES

Of the supernatural animals which the Bella Coola believe
inhabit the wild glens and mountains of British Columbia, that
which figures most prominently in their mythology is the
smmg. There are four slightly different varieties of this
monster. The most common is regarded as being about the
size of a large grizzly bear, but with long front legs and short
hind ones, on which it can run in upright position when it so
desires. Its legs terminate in large talons resembling those of
an eagle, with the thumb set opposite to the fingers; its pelt,
long and fleecy, is of a grayish-blue colour. The monster is
able to roll its eye-balls completely over, and, when the reverse
side is exposed, there shoot forth dazzling beams of light which
‘strike senseless anyone on whom they fall. It uses its eyes
forhunting. The most peculiar feature of the s7ug, however,
is that it carries on its back a basket provided with spikes
inclined inwards and downwards at such an angle that any
living creature thrust within is unable to escape. The basket