They then tied up the slaves. And an old man living down toward the shore added lies to it. He said that canoes had come below and gone away from him. By and by a shaman who was there performed. He had a knife in his hand. They sang a song for him there. Some spirits straightway went out of him. He said he could not find anything terrible by striking with his knife.
A brave chief of the Town-of-Djī′gua people had his house at a distance from them. They shouted to encourage him as he came from it. They made a sound [like a snare drum] in front of the houses: “A-a-a-a-a-a wa-a-a-a-a-a.” He came down with a knife to meet anyone [who might be there]. He passed down the trail that leads from the upper inlet and came quickly out upon the trail on the side toward the sea.
At that time some went away from the fort. They carried the news to Skedans. They came quickly the next day to help them. And they landed there. There they gave them a great deal to eat.
When fall came they were at Tꜝā′łdī. In the summer after the following winter a slave that they had, whom young men used to watch, [[440]]began to defecate in bed so that they were afraid of him. He did this because he had planned to get away. By and by he escaped with four women. And they launched canoes and looked for him. They could not find him anywhere. He went off with a gun, a cartridge box, and a blanket.
And some Masset chiefs were also there. They had expected to trade [the runaways] for some Kloo people that they had taken. Those also went away. They then took two slaves from Qōgī′s.[24] There they also took up weapons against each other.
Afterward, when the planting was over and the salmon berries were ripe, they started southward. They again fished for halibut. Not the smallest human being remained behind. And, after they had gone along for a while, they landed at the place where they were always accustomed to fish. They fished there. After the fishing had gone on for a while they stopped and went away. They then landed at a certain long sandy beach.
And Gîtku′n sent some young men after something that they had forgotten at the place where they had fished. A part of them also went after salmon berries, and some hunted. And, while they (the young men) were on the way one discovered mats belonging to the Bellabella spread out to dry at the foot of the trees standing back of the shore. And the two who were sent in search reached the place where those were sleeping from whom they had parted and escaped. They came to know about the enemy.
He (the head man) went at once toward the place where they had landed. And he discovered enemies about that place. The Town-of-Djī′gua people immediately went thither in two big canoes. And Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o followed. And, when those who had gone, came into the inlet they saw the enemy unobserved by the latter. They then got off their canoes for them. And before they got opposite some one shot at them. They then began shooting into them.
Then they pursued [the Bellabella] who led them along to where there were eight more canoes in the woods. And the Town-of-Djī′gua people began to watch in front of the canoes. At evening Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o also came there. After they had been there for a while, Lda′ogwañ[25] called out from among the Bellabella: “Father, are you in one of those canoes? I am Lda′ogwañ.” Then Waters asked: “Why is there such a crowd of people?” “Some want peace; part want war.” And he said to his daughter: “People always use feathers in making peace. They are inviolable.”
After she had talked [to the Bellabella] they heard the sound of a canoe in the darkness. Then two persons put feathers on the chiefs. And one of them asked for Gîtku′n, but they pointed out to him a different one.[26] He then put feathers on him first. But afterward he put feathers on the chiefs. [[441]]