172 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

kukusiut who listen as usual to words of advice from the
marshals.

X retires once more to his enclosure and throughout the
night the sound of his rattling apron can be heard. Here he
remains for four more days, except when making his round of
the village twice daily, or when attending the ceremony of
another kusiut. When a gothm comes, X does not imme-
diately put in an appearance, but waits until all other kukustut
have taken their places. Someone asks where X is, and a
herald is sent specially for him. He enters, and proceeds at
once to the left corner behind the fire where he stands through-
out all the dances, moving his feet as if marking time to the
music, but not altering his position. When all have danced,
both Aukusiut and uninitiated are invited to guess X’s secret,
and answers pour in rapidly. X heightens the interest by pre-
tending that someone has almost solved it before Anuyulikai-
laix “pulled back his thoughts,” as the Bella Coola express it.
He finally passes sunwise around the fire and returns home.

On the evening of the fourth day after the kukustut were
invited to X’s house, they are summoned there once more.
First they learn a new song, composed for the occasion, then,
as before, the uninitiated are called in and everyone tries to
guess the three hiding places. This is followed by the same
elaborate feast. Henceforth the kukusiut are called to X’s
house on every fourth evening, and a new song is composed and
food distributed on every occasion. X makes two rounds of
the village daily, and attends the gotfm of every kusiut. This
succession of dances may continue for a month or six weeks;
in fact, the deciding factor is usually X’s desire to distribute
no more food. In former times it is probable that the neces-
sity for an emaciation-producing diet was an important con-
sideration in choosing when to conclude the dance.

The time finally comes when X or his family wants the
riddle answered. The marshals discuss the matter on the
evening preceding one of the regular gatherings of the kukustut
in X’s house. Two important points must be settled. First,