Page:Tlingit Myths and Texts.djvu/64

Two persons very fond of hunting were in the habit of washing in urine, as was usual in old times when one wanted something very much. Then they went to a sea-lion rock, and one of them threw his spear at a sea lion but the point broke off the handle. The animal was the sea-lion-chief s son. Afterwards the man who had done it was drowned, but his companion reached the sea-lion rock in safety. He looked about for his friend, but could not see him, so he went up on top of the rock, lay down, and, pulling the grass over himself, fell asleep. While he was asleep and dreaming, some one came to him and said, "I come to help you." He awoke, but there was nothing visible except nesting birds flying about the island. Then he again fell asleep, and again he heard some one come to him and say, "I come to help you. The place you have drifted upon is a house. When you hear the noise of a shaman s beating sticks, go straight to the door of the place from which it comes."

Soon he heard the noise of the sticks, as the man had forewarned him, just a little below the place where he was lying. He stepped forward quietly, and lo! he came to the door of a fine, large house. Inside of this he saw those who were beating the sticks and a man lying sick "with pneumonia," out of whom the string of the spear hung. Then he crept in quietly, hiding behind the people, and said within himself, "If it were I, I would push that spear in a little farther, twist it to one side and pull it out." Upon this everybody said, "Make way for him. This shaman says he can take the spear out by twisting it and then pulling out." He said to himself, "I guess I can do it," so he let them have their way. Then he came out in the middle of the house, pulled his blanket about himself, used his hand like a rattle and ran around the fire just like a shaman. When he went to the spear and moved it a little, the sick man cried out. After that he let it alone for a while. He wished very much that they would give him in payment a large animal stomach which was hang ing on a post. So the man s father said, "Pay it to him."

Now he tied his blanket tightly about himself and said, "Bring in some water." Then he ran around the sick man again, and, when he came to where the spear was, he summoned all his strength, pushed it in a little, turned it round slightly and pulled it out. At once he pushed it into the water in the customary manner and blew eagle down upon it, when all of the white matter came out of the wound and the sick man got his breath. After that he hid the spear quickly from the eyes of the people.

When he went out, the man who had first come to his assistance came again. This was the puffin (xik). It said, "Take that big stomach, get inside, and go home in it. After you get inside do not think of this place again. He did as the puflin had directed, but, when