There were four underground houses at Spuzzum Creek, two on the south side of the stream, and two on the north side. One of the latter was inhabited by xaxa'. A father and son belonging to one of the houses on the south side of the creek were away hunting in the mountains down the river. At that time the people of Spuzzum did not know of any other people living farther down the river.
In the course of their wanderings, the two men came upon a village of strange people. On approaching, they were welcomed and treated kindly,
although their languages were mutually unintelligible. They must have belonged to the coast tribes. They saw many strange things there, among them a copper hammer, to which they took a great fancy, and, before departing, purchased it, as well as an elk-horn chisel.
On reaching home, they showed their wonderful purchase to their friends; and the people of all the houses, including the xaxa' people, flocked to see it. After all had examined it, they repaired to their respective houses and went to sleep; but none of those who had looked at or had touched the copper hammer awoke again. They all died that night.
Now it happened that at the time there were two young men away training in the mountains. They belonged to one of the houses on the south side of the creek; and on their return home, they found all the people dead. They entered the other house, and found all the people dead there also; then they crossed the creek to the house of the xaxa', but found them dead likewise. Then they repaired to the remaining house, where the people were also dead excepting an old woman and her two young grand-daughters, who were the only people who had not gone to see the wonderful copper hammer and the chisel. The two young men were very glad to find some one alive, and took up their abode with the survivors. They all lived together in one house.
After the girls had come of age and had finished their training, their grandmother said to them, "You must marry these two men who have helped to support you so long. You must become their wives and beget children, so that we may not become extinct in this place.' Therefore the girls married the two men, and they had numerous children, from whom it is said most of the Spuzzum people are descended.
A Thompson Legend