Harry Achenam | Harry Achenam |
(1)kîskihkomân ê-okimâwit.1 |
(1)Of Cut-Knife's chieftainship. |
(2)êkwa mîna pêyakwâw iyahciyiniwak pê-sipwêhtêwak, nêhiyawa ê-pê-nitonawâcik. mitâtaht niyânanosâp ihtasiwak. tâpwê miskawêwak. êkosi kimotamawêwak otêmiyiwa. |
(2)At another time some Blackfoot set out hither to seek out the Cree. They were fifteen in number. They found them. So they stole their horses from them. |
(3)êkosi ômis-îtêw awa okimâw otôskinîkîma: «mahti nik-êtohtân mîkiwâhpihk. nika-kakwê-wâpamâwak nêhiyawak.» |
(3)Then that chief spoke thus to his men: «Now I shall go to the tipis. I shall try to see the Cree.» |
(4)êkosi tâpwê kî-itohtêw pêyak mîkiwâhp ê-wâsaskotêyik. paspâpiw. pêyak ay-aspatâskopisoyiwa. êkosi otinam opâskisikan; paspi-pâskiswêw; nipahêw. êkosi tapasîwak. wâhyaw ê-ayâcik, ôhi nîso otôskinîkîma kîwêtisahwêw, okimotiwina ta-kîwêhtatâyit. |
(4)So then really he went to a tipi where there was a light. He peeped in. One man was inside, resting with his feet in a loop tied to the lodgepoles. So he took his gun; he shot at him through an opening in the skin tipi and killed him. Then they fled. When they had gone a long ways, he sent his men home, to take home with them his booty. |
(5)ômis îtêw: «kîwêk. nitawi-âcimok. kêyâpic namoya nitêpêyihtên ôma kâ-tôtamân.» |
(5)He said to them, «Go home. Go tell what you have seen. I am not yet satisfied with what I have done.» |
(6)tâpwê kîwêyiwa. |
(6)Accordingly, they went home. |
(7)êkosi wiyawâw pê-sipwêhtêwak; pê-mâhohtêwak. kîtahtawê pêtisâpamêwak ê-pâpiciyit. êkosi askamawêwak ôta cîki ê-pimipiciyit. pâskiswêwak; pêyak nipahêwak. êkosi tapasîwak. |
(7)At that they all set out hitherward; they came marching down river. Presently they saw the others moving camp toward where they were. So they lay in wait for the others to pass by close to where they were. They fired at the others; they killed one. Then they fled. |
(8)âsa mîna pê-mâhohtêwak. |
(8)Once more they came down river. |
(9)kêyâpic pêyakwâw nânitaw ninôhtê-tôtawêwak,» itêw otôskinîkîma. |
(9)«Once more I want to do them some harm,» he told his men. |
(10)kêyâpic ê-pê-nitonikêcik, kîtahtawê ê-sîpîsisiwiyik kapêsiwak. êkota cîki mis-îspatinâw. kîkisêpâ pêyak âmaciwêtâcimôw, ê-asawâpit. nâtakâm itiskwêsin. êkwa nahiyawak âcimâwak waskic-ôsi mitoni ê-mihcêtokamikisicik.2 |
(10)As again they came seeking the enemy, then at one time they were camping in a place where ran a little creek. Close by there was a big hill. Early in the morning one man crawled up the hill to keep a lookout. He lay facing north. Now the Cree are said to have been in a camp of many tents. |
(11)êkwa pêyak nâpêw kî-kiskiwêhamâsôw, ê-pawâtahk ayahciyiniwa ê-miyikôwisit. mitoni kîkisêpâ wawêyîw; otêma otinêw ê-mîhkawikiyit. êkosi ê-kiskêyimikot wîstâwa ê-wî-sipwêpayit, wawêyiyiwa, ê-wîcêkot. êkwa kotak oskinîkiw-iyinîs, nistiwak. ôma kâ-wîkicik, êkota ohci kwayask âpihtâ-kîsikânôtâhk, nânitaw mitâtaht tipahaskân, mis-îspatinâw. sêmâk êkota ispayiwak, ôma k-êspatinâk, piko êkota kita-itohtêcik. êkosi ohpimê ati-pimipayiwak, «nimitaw ohci kik-ôtihtênânaw,» ê-itwêcik. ê-ihtatêyihtahkik kîkway, nimitaw ohci môskîstamwak. cîki ê-ayâcik, kâ-wâpahtahkik ê-pikihtêk ispatinâhk, nâtakâm ohci, ê-sakâyik. êkota kiskêyihtamwak, pîtos-iyiniwa. pêyak nawac piko kostam kit-êtohtêt; mâka namoya kî-wî-nakîw. cîki ê-ayâcik, kâ-wâpamâcik ê-otihtapisiniyit, nâtakâm ê-isi-asawâpiyit, mâka ê-nipâyit. ôki kâ-nâ-nawacîcik namoya astâsiwak; ayis pêyak asawâpiw. mâka nipâw. âsay wîskawahâwak, kisiwâk ê-otihtâcik ôhi kâ-pimisiniyit, kâ-pêkohâcik. ê-ohpiskwêpayihot, âsay kâ-wî-pâskisokot. êkosi tapasîw sakâhk. âta ê-pâskiswât awa nêhiyaw, patahwêw. |
(11)Then a certain man acted as leader, the Spirit Powers having given him some Blackfoot in his dream. Very early in the morning he made ready; he took his swift horse. Then when his brother-in-law knew that he was going to ride forth, he made ready and went with him. So did another, a young lad; there were three of them. From that place where they were camping, about ten miles straight to the south was a big hill. They rode straight for that hill; it was their only goal. But then they rode past it on one side, saying, «We shall approach it from the south.» Where they thought there was anything, from the south they went at it. When they got near, they saw smoke rising north of the hill, where there were woods. There, they knew, were enemies. One feared a bit to go there, but he did not care to halt. When they got near, they saw that man lying prone, keeping a lookout toward the north, but he was asleep. Those who were preparing meats were not on their guard, for one was keeping a lookout. But he was asleep. They had already come close from different directions to him who lay there, when they waked him. As he raised his head, they were already about to shoot at him. So he fled for the woods. Although that Cree shot at him, he missed him. |
(12)êkosi awa nêhiyaw itisahwêw owîcêwâkana, ta-nitawi-wîhtamiyit mîkiwâhpihk. |
(12)Then that Cree sent his companions back to the camp to tell. |
(13)«niya nika-kanawêyimâwak,» itêw. |
(13)«As for me, I shall keep them in sight,» he told them. |
(14)êkosi tâpwê ê-tapasîcik ôki ayahciyiniwak, nâtakâm itâmôwak. |
(14)Then really those Blackfoot fled, heading north. |
(15)awa kâ-kanawêyimât wîhtamawêw, «mîkiwâhpihk kititâmonâwâw!» ê-itât. |
(15)He who was keeping them in his sight told them, «You are fleeing for your camp!» |
(16)kâ-kîhkâmik ê-pêyakot kâ-kanawêyimât. êkosi mitâtaht nistosâp ihtasiyiwa. âskaw pâskisotôwak. tahki pimipahtâwak ê-tapasîcik. |
(16)The others kept reviling the lone watcher. There were thirteen of them. From time to time they exchanged shots. They kept running along in flight. |
(17)êkosi têpwâtêw, kîhtwâm ê-wîhtamawât, «mîkiwâhpihk kititâmonâwâw!» _ «kikiyâskin, atimo-nôtokêsiw! Kimahpinân,» ê-itikot.3 |
(17)Then he called to them, telling them again, «You are fleeing for your camp!» and, «You lie, you cur of an old woman!» they answered him. |
(18)kîtahtawê kâ-pêtisâpamâcik mitoni ê-mihcêtiyit. êkosi sêmâk ita ê-âyimaniyik itâmôwak. êkota wâtihkêwak. êkosi pita mâwacihitôwak. âtiht namoya kî-apiwak, ê-otami-mâ-mâcîcik. âta wiya tahto kâ-takohtêcik ispîhci-nôtinêwak. êkosi mitoni kanawêyimêwak êkâ ta-tapasiyit. êkwa ôki kâ-mâmawôhkâhcik mitoni âhkamêyimôwak ê-osîhtâcik mênisk; mîna âhkamêyimôwak ê-nôtinikêcik mitoni. onâpêhkâsôw-iyiniw awa kîskihkomân. kapê-kîsik nôtinitôwak. piyisk tipiskâyiw. |
(18)Presently they saw them coming in great numbers. Then at once they fled into an inaccessible spot. There they dug a trench. Meanwhile the others assembled. Some had not been at home, but off hunting. Nevertheless, as many as had come, meanwhile fought them. And they kept close watch, that they might not escape. And those who were being besieged worked zealously at building an earthwork; and they fought with all their might. The bravest was this Cut-Knife. All day they fought. At last it grew dark. |
(19)mîna kapê-tipisk êkwa wîhtamawêwak, «kîkisêpâ kik-ôtihtinitinân!» |
(19)Then all night long they told them, «In the morning we will get hold of you!» |
(20)pêyak sîpîsisihk itêhk-êsi ê-at-îtohtêt, kâ-wâpamât ê-pimitâcimoyit, ê-mostâpêkasêyit, ê-wî-kîmâmoyit. êkosi ê-wâpamikot, sêmâk pasikôyiwa. otihtinitôwak. mitoni misikitiw iyahciyiniw. êkwa awa nêhiyaw apisîsisiw. wiya nêhiyaw nôhkomân ayâw; êkosi iyahciyiniw nama kîkway. êkosi ê-wâpahtahk ta-sâkohiht nêhiyaw, omôhkomân kwâhciwêpinam. iyahciyiniw ê-wâpahtahk môhkomân, êkotê at-îtohtahêw. âta mitoni wî-kakwê-sâkohêw wiya. ayis kîspin takohtahikoci omôhkomân ita k-âstêyik, êkosi êwako kit-ôhci-tâ-tahkamikot. êwako ê-kostahk k-ô-wêpinahk. kayâs ôma kâ-kî-itahkamikahk, nânitaw kêkâ-mitâtahto-mitanaw askiy. mêkwâc ê-mâsihitocik, ê-cîs-cîstikwêpitikot, mâka namoya kî-pakamisimik.4 mîna ê-pa-pakamâpahokot, mitoni êkwa mâkohik. kîtahtawê pêyak k-ôtihtikocik. êkota tahkamêyiwa. nipahêwak. |
(20)A certain man, going along in the direction of the creek, caught sight of one of them crawling along, naked, trying to slip away and flee. As soon as the latter saw him, he rose to his feet. They came to grips. The Blackfoot was a very big man. And the Cree was small. The Cree had a knife; the Blackfoot nothing. So when the Cree saw that he would get the worst of it, he flung away his knife. When the Blackfoot saw the knife, he tried to take his opponent toward it. The latter tried with all his might to check him. For if the other got him to where his knife lay, he would stab him with it. It was in fear of this that he had thrown it away. It is long ago that this happened, about ninety years ago. While they were grappling with each other, his opponent was choking him, but did not succeed in getting him down. And his opponent kept beating him in the eyes, and was putting him to desperate straits. At this point another man came to where they were. He stabbed the Blackfoot. They killed him. |
(21)êkosi ôki kotakak kîkisêpâ otihtinâwak. mosci tâ-tahkamâwak. |
(21)Then in the morning those others were reached. They were stabbed in hand-to-hand conflict. |
(22)êwako ispatinâw kîskihkoman otasawâpiwin, mîna ôcênâs kîskihkomân isiyîhkâtêw. êwako ayahciyiniw mihcêtwâw kî-mâyi-tôtawêw nêhiyawa. mitoni êsa kî-takahkâpêwiw. |
(22)That hill is Cut-Knife's Lookout, and the village there is called Cut-Knife. That Blackfoot many times did damage to the Cree. He appears to have been a splendid man. |