434 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

On their return they asked Halibut for his help, and he agreed to join
a second expedition. This set off, many thousands strong, all the men
and all the animals. Warned by previous experience, they wore heavy
clothing, but in spite of it, many of them froze to death as they drew near
Cold Wind’s house. Those that finally reached it saw their enemy lying
on his back and blowing a cold current from his anus. The young and
brave men rushed in and pinioned their enemy on his back before he was
aware of their approach. Halibut took up his position outside the door.

“What do you mean by killing mortals?” he said. “I am going to kill
you for your evil deeds.”

Cold Wind suddenly exerted his strength, threw off the puny men who ~
were trying to hold him down, and rushed out of his house. But he did
not notice Halibut, who was lying down just outside, and stepped on him,
so that, slipping, he fell with a crash. This time everyone seized him so
securely that he could not escape.

A general cry was raised, “Kill him quickly”

“Please don’t do that,” said Cold Wind. “I will promise to blow for
only one month in the year.”

“No! No! Let us kill him immediately,” cried his captors.

“Tl blow only for twenty days,” offered Cold Wind.

“No! He must be killed,” said the warriors. ‘‘We don’t want to talk.”

Cold Wind, terrified, offered in succession to blow for only ten days,
four days, two days, and one day, but each proposal was greeted with
howls for his instant death. At last when Cold Wind offered to blow
gently in the mornings of one month, his captors agreed to release him.

That is why tsinindxwi, the cold wind of the early morning, blows in
March.

THE DEFEAT OF COLD WIND
(Second Version)

Long, long ago there was no summer and nothing grew in the land.
All living creatures suffered from the perpetual ice, so they decided to
attack Cold Wind who was responsible for this state of affairs. A raiding
party set out, comprising all the plants, all the mammals, all the fish, all
the birds, and all the men. They travelled to the north, where the cold
grew so intense that the party suffered severely from it. Near Cold Wind’s
house, Halibut spoke to his comrades:

“I can deal with him more easily than anyone else. When he comes
out of his house, make a noise to distract his attention, while I wriggle
on my back towards him, to trip him up.”

This plan was agreed upon. When they reached their destination,
Cold Wind came running down a ladder from his house to send more frost