59. Rattlesnake-Woman.1
At one time a woman of very handsome appearance and enticing manners used to wander through the mountains. When she saw a man, she went ahead to where he would pass, and sat in the way to offer herself to him. Captivated by her beauty, her charming manner, and persuasive words, every one fell a victim to her wiles. Her privates were the mouth of a rattlesnake, and every man who had connection with her was bitten, and died. Thus many hunters never returned home, and the bones of men were plentiful in the 'mountains where the woman roamed. At last Coyote met her on the south side of Thompson River, a little below Spences Bridge, transformed her into an ordinary rattlesnake, and threw her up the river. For this reason rattlesnakes are now numerous in the neighborhood of Spences Bridge, and above for some distance, but not below that place.
60. The Rattlesnakes and Mesa'i.2
Rattlesnake-of-the-North had a house in the Okanagon3 country, where he lived with his wife, Bow-Snake,4 and his brothers, Wasp and Bee. He had a set of new teeth and two old teeth. The former he kept for himself, and the latter he gave to his brothers, saying, “These will be your fangs. When you sting, people, it will cause soreness and swelling ; but those you bite will not die. With me it will be different. When I bite any living thing, it will die, but I will never bite any one without first warning him with my rattle, which I will always carry with me. A person who treats me respectfully, and says, ‘Pass on, friend,’ I will not harm; but those who laugh at or mock me I will kill.” Turning to his wife, he said, “You are a woman. It would not be right for you to have the power of killing any one.” This is the reason why the rattlesnake's bite at the present day is deadly, while that of the bow-snake is harmless; also, why wasps and bees have stings that cause pain and swelling.
Rattlesnake-of-the-North had many children, most of them sons. Rattlesnake-of-the-South also had many children. He lived across the sxai'aken River.5 Between the homes of these people lay a flat tract of country,
1. Compare with story of Xo'lakwa'xa (No. 78), and, also, with Uta'mqt, p. 221 of this volume; Shuswap, p. 650; also known to the Lillooet.
2 Name of a strong-smelling root eaten by the Thompson and Okanagon Indians. It is said not to grow on the Canadian side of the line.
3. On the British Columbian side of the line.
4. Also called milk-snake.
5. On the American side, in eastern Washington.
