(1) kîtahtawê ê-ayâcik wîkiwâhk, wawêyîwak, ê-sipwêhtêcik, ayahciyiniwa ê-nitonawâcik, ê-wî-kakwê-kimotamawâcik otêmiyiwa, ahpô pêyakoyici ê-wî-nipahâcik ayahciyiniwa. êkosi itêyihtamwak. sipwêhtêwak; mitâtaht ayinânêwosâp ihtasiwak nêhiyawak ôki, oskinîkiwak.

(1) Once upon a time some people got ready and went forth to look for Blackfoot, to try to steal their horses from them, or, if one was alone, to kill the Blackfoot. That was their purpose. They set out; eighteen was the number of these Cree, young men.

(2) kîtahtawê sîpiy ê-otihtahkik, êkota ê-kapêsicik, ê-wî-nipâcik tipiskâki, ê-tipiskâyik kisinâyiw, ê-misponiyik. piyisk wâpan; misponiyiw.

(2) In time, when they came to a stream, they made camp there, to sleep that night. When night came, there was frost, and snow fell. Dawn came; it snowed.

(3) "hâw, mâcîk," itêwak oskinîkiwa; "pôni-mâyi-kîsikâki, iyikohk ka-sipwêhtânânaw." "nipahâyêko mostos, namôya ka-nôhtêhkatânânaw."

(3) “Now go hunt,” they said to the young men; “When the storm ceases we shall go on. If you kill a buffalo, we shall not go hungry.”

(4) tâpwê pêyak oskinîkiw pasikôw, ê-sipwêhtêt, ê-wî-kakwê-wâpamât mostoswa, ê-mâcît. pôti ê-pimohtêt, kâ-wâpamât ayahciyiniwa ê-pêyakoyit. pê-kîwêw owîcêwâkana ita kâ-ayâyit.

(4) So a youth arose and set out to look for buffalos, to hunt. There as he walked along, he caught sight of a lone Blackfoot. He came back to his companions.

(5) ê-takohtêt ômisi itêw: "niwâpamâw ayahciyiniw ê-pêyakot," itêw.

(5) When he got there he said, “I saw a lone Blackfoot,” he told them.

(6) êkosi wawêyîwak, ê-wî-kakwê-nipahâcik; ati-sipwêhtêwak, ê-itohtêcik ita ka-wâpamimiht. cîki ê-ihtâcik, wâpamêwak misatimwa ê-kîwêtisahwâyit. môskîstawêwak, ê-wî-kakwê-maskamâcik ôhi misatimwa. awa ê-wâpamât nêhiyawa ayahciyiniw, tapasîw, ê-sipwêtisahwât misatimwa. ê-pimipahtât, kisiwâk sîpiy ayâyiw, êkota ê-pinasiwêtisahwât ôhi misatimwa. êkota ê-wîkicik ôki ayahciyiniwak. êkota ê-sâkêwêcik ita sîpiyihk nêhiyawak, kâ-wâpahtahkik mîkiwâhpa. tapasîwak ôki nêhiyawak. wawêyîwak ayahciyiniwak, ê-têhtapicik otêmiwâwa, ê-nawaswâtâcik ôhi nêhiyawa. ê-pimipahtâcik nêhiyawak, kotak ê-pasahcâyik ê-sakâyik êkota ê-itohtêcik, kâ-wâpahtahkik kotaka mîkiwâhpa. mîna êwakoni ayahciyiniwa. êkota ohci tapasîwak. mîna êwakoni môskîstâkwak. êkwa mihcêtiyiwa, wiyawâw ayinânêwosâp ê-ihtasicik. wâpahtamwak ê-minahikoskâyik; êkota sêskisiwak.

(6) Accordingly they made ready to try to kill the Blackfoot; they set out one after the other and went to the place where the Blackfoot had been seen. When they were close by, they saw him driving home horses. They attacked him, to rob him of his horses. When the Blackfoot saw the Cree, he fled, driving on the horses. As he ran along, a river was near there; down to it he drove the horses. That was the camping-place of those Blackfoot. When the Cree came out upon the river, there they saw the tents. The Cree fled. The Blackfoot got ready and mounted their horses, and pursued the Cree. As the Cree, in their flight, came to another wooded gully, there they saw some other tents. These people too were Blackfoot. From here again they fled. These people, too, attacked them. By this time the others were many, and of them therefore only eighteen. They saw a spruce-grove; they fled into it.

(7) "hâw, oskinîkîtik, wâtihkêk," itwêwak ôki nêhiyawak.

(7) “Come, young men, dig a trench,” said the Cree.

(8) âsay wâsakâm ayâyiwa ayahciyiniwa. âsay mâci-pâskiswâwak; wiyawâw mîna pâskiswêwak. êkwa nôtinitôwak. wâtihkêwak mistahi ôki oskinîkiwak, êkota ê-apicik wâtihk.

(8) By this time the Blackfoot were all around. Now they began to be shot at; and they, too, shot at the others. So they fought each other. Those young men dug a large trench, and they stayed in the trench.

(9) ômisi isiyîhkâtêw ôma wâtihkân: "mênisk" isiyîhkâtêw. ôki kâ-âyimisicik êwakonik ômisi isiyîhkâsôwak: "ê-nâpêhkâsocik" isiyîhkâsôwak, namôya ê-pîhtokêcik wâtihkânihk, êwakonik ê-âhkamêyimocik ê-nôtinikêcik.

(9) Such a trench is called “earthwork.” The men who fight so as to be feared are called “braves,” those who do not go into the pit but courageously fight.

(10) piyisk kinwêsk nôtinikêwak. piyisk tipiskâw. ê-tipiskâyik, kotaka mîna takosiniyiwa ayahciyiniwa, êkoni mîna ê-nôtinikocik. piyis wâsakâm êkota kotawêyiwa, "êkâ ta-sipwêhtêcik," ê-itêyimikocik.

(10) They fought for a long time. At last night came. At nightfall some more Blackfoot arrived, and these too joined in the fight against the Cree. Finally they built fires all around, intending to bring it about that the Cree should not leave that place.

(11) piyis wâpaniyiw. namôya nipâwak, ê-nôtinikêcik. âsay mihcêt nipahêwak ayahciyiniwa; wiyawâw nama kêkway nipahikwak ôki nêhiyawak. piyisk ê-sâkâstêyik, kotaka mîna takohtêyiwa ê-pê-nâh-nâtamâtoyit, ê-pê-wîcihitoyit, ê-wî-kakwê-mêscihikocik. mâka nama kêkway nipahikwak; cêskwa wiyawâw mihcêt nipahêwak. êwako kapê-kîsik nôtinitôwak, piyisk ê-wî-tipiskâk, nisto piko nôtinikêwak nêhiyawak.

(11) At last day dawned. They did not sleep for fighting. By now they had killed many Blackfoot; the latter had killed none of the Cree. When daylight came, again some other Blackfoot arrived, to relieve the others, and help them try to massacre the Cree. But they killed none at all of the Cree, while the latter killed many of them. They fought all that day, until, toward nightfall, only three of the Cree were still fighting.

(12) ômisi isiyîhkâsôw awa nêhiyaw kâ-âyimisit ê-nôtinikêt: wîhkasko-kisêyin isiyîhkâsôw. êkwa kotak mistahi-maskwa isiyîhkâsôw. êkwa kotak napatê-kîsik isiyîhkâsôw; êwako nôhtâwiy.

(12) This was the name of the Cree who fought most redoubtably: Sweet-Grass was his name. Another was called Big-Bear, and the other was called Half-sky; he was my father.

(13) êkwa ê-tipiskâyik, âsay mîna kotaka takohtêyiwa ayahciyiniwa. âsay mâka mihcêt nipahêwak ayahciyiniwa. êkwa mistahi ê-tipiskâk, nêstosiw mistahi-maskwa; pîhtokêw wâtihkânihk, nîso-kîsikâw, kêkâc nîso-tipiskâw ê-nôtinikêt, kâ-nêstosit. nîso piko êkwa nôtinikêwak nêhiyawak. wâsakâm kisiwâk ê-pê-itohtêyit ayahciyiniwa, iskotêw ê-tahkonamiyit, êwako ohci ê-pakamahokocik, "ka-kakwê-kîsisôwak," ê-itêyimikocik, piyisk, mistikwa wâsakâm ê-kî-astâcik omêniskiwâhk, piyisk êwakoni saskitêyiwa; mâka namôya kîsisôwak. kîtahtawê awa napatê-kîsik kâ-isiyîhkâsot êwako ospiskwanihk, ôhi otîhiya êkota, pahkihtiniyiw môsasiniy, ayahciyiniwa ê-pâskisokot; mâka namôya pîkopayiyiwa wasakaya, namôya ê-kî-pikwâhokot; mâka oskan pîkopayiw. êkosi êkwa namôya kî-miciminam pâskisikan. ospiton napatê namôya âpacihtâw. êkwa pôyôw kâ-nôtinikêt; êkwa pêyakôw wîhkasko-kisêyin ê-nôtinikêt.

(13) Then, at night, still more Blackfoot arrived. But by this time they had slain many Blackfoot. Then, late in the night, Big-Bear got tired; he went into the pit, wearied from having fought two days and almost two nights. Then only two Cree were fighting. As the Blackfoot came close from all sides, bearing fire, with which they struck at the Cree, meaning to burn them, at last the sticks which they had placed round their earthwork caught fire, but the Cree were not burned. Then at one time he whose name was Half-sky, a bullet hit him in the back, here at his shoulder-blade, as the Blackfoot shot at him, but his skin was not broken, he was not pierced by the bullet; but the bone was broken. So now he was not able to hold a gun. He was not able to use his arm on that side. So he ceased fighting; now Sweet-Grass was alone in the fight.

(14) piyisk kisiwâk êkwa ayâyiwa ayahciyiniwa. kîtahtawê wîhkasko-kisêyin kâ-wâpamât kisiwâk mistikwa ê-cimasoyit, êkota ê-pê-nahapiyit, ê-âkôsimoyit, ê-misikitiyit mistikwa. êkota ohci wâpamêw ê-pê-mihcêtiyit ôhi ayahciyiniwa, êkwa ê-wî-kakwê-otihtinikocik owâtihkâniwâhk. pôti awa ayahciyiniw kâ-nîkânohtêt mistikohk kâ-apit. awa nêhiyaw itê kâ-ôh-ayât êkotê ohci, awa mistik kayâs êsa ê-kî-kîsisot, wâpamêw ôhi mistikwa, ê-kî-wâsahîhkasoyit. êkosi êkwa ôta pâskiswêw mistikwa awa nêhiyaw. ôtê sâpopayiw awa ayahciyiniw; wâskikanihk pahkihtiniyiw môsasiniy; nipahâw. êkosi ôhi otôskinîkîma owîcêwâkana kahkiyaw tapasîyiwa, ê-nipahiht ê-okimâwit awa ayahciyiniw. êkosi êkwa pôni-tasinamwak; pôni-nôtinitôwak.

(14) At last the Blackfoot were quite near. Then, at one time, Sweet-Grass saw, where a tree stood close by, that a Blackfoot came and crouched near it, shielding himself behind it, behind the big tree. On that side he saw the Blackfoot coming in numbers and making ready to storm them in their trench. There, by the tree, sat the Blackfoot who marched in the lead. From where he was, that Cree saw that tree, and saw that it had of old been burned, struck by lightning. So the Cree shot at the tree itself. The Blackfoot was pierced to the heart; the bullet entered his breast; he was killed. Then his followers and companions all fled, when the Blackfoot chief was slain. Thereupon they ceased firing; they ceased fighting.

(15) kîtahtawê kâ-matwê-pîkiskwêt awa ayahciyiniw ê-nêhiyawêt; "awêniki kiyawâw?" êkosi itwêw.

(15) Then the Blackfoot called out, in Cree; “Who are you?” he asked.

(16) "nêhiyawak."

(16) “Cree.”

(17) "âtiht okimâwak ninisitawêyimâwak."

(17) “I recognize some chiefs.”

(18) êkosi ômisi itwêwak nêhiyawak: "nama awiyak okimâw ôta," itwêwak nêhiyawak. âta nîso okimâwak nêhiyawak: wîhkasko-kisêyin êwako pêyak okimâw; êkwa kotak mistahi-maskwa, êwako mîna okimâw; mâka namôya wî-wîhtamawêwak.

(18) Then thus answered the Cree: “There are no chiefs here,” they said. To be sure, two of the Cree were chiefs. Sweet-Grass was a chief, and Big-Bear also was a chief; but they did not want to tell him this.

(19) piyisk awa ayahciyiniw matwê-pîkiskwêw, "tânitahto kinipahikawinâwâw, nêhiyâtik?" êkosi itwêw.

(19) Later the Blackfoot called; “How many of you have been slain, O Cree?” he asked.

(20) "nama kêkway," itwêwak nêhiyawak.¹

cikêmâ nama kêkway nipahâwak nêhiyawak. "kiyawâw mâka?" itêwak nêhiyawak.

(20) “None at all,” answered the Cree. And in fact, none of the Cree had been killed. “And you?” the Cree asked them.

(21) ômisi itwêw ayahciyiniw: "têpakohp mistahi ê-okimâwicik kaskitêwayasitak kâ-nipahâyêkok;" "êkwa mihkoyiniwak nikotwâsik okimâwak kinipahâwâwak;" "êkwa sasîwak nêwo okimâwak kinipahâwâwak; êkwa pîkanôwînawak nîso okimâwak." "namôya mihcêt ôta ayâwak pîkanôwînawak; mâka ôki kotakak kâ-wâh-wîhakik, itôwahk mihcêt okimâwak kinipahâwâwak." "êkoyikohk wî-pôyôwak;" "êkosi kikostikowâwak." êkosi itwêw awa ayahciyiniw.

(21) Thus spoke the Blackfoot: “Seven great chiefs of the Blackfoot you have slain; and six Blood chiefs you have slain; and four Sarsi chiefs you have slain, and two Piegan chiefs. There are not many Piegans here, but of those whom I have named, of them you have killed many chieftains. Now they will cease; they fear you now.” Thus spoke that Blackfoot.

(22) êkosi tâpwê pôni-pâskisotôwak.

(22) Then really they did cease shooting at each other.

(23) êkwa ôki nêhiyawak pêyak nâpêsis êkota ê-wîcêwât, wâtihkânihk ê-kî-apit awa nâpêsis, "mahti nika-wâpamâwak ayahciyiniwak," itwêw awa nâpêsis.

(23) And among those Cree a young lad who was with them and had stayed in the trench, “Let me go look at the Blackfoot,” said this boy.

(24) "êkâ wiya!" itik owîcêwâkana.

(24) “Do not!” his comrades said to him.

(25) âhci piko wayawîw wâtihkânihk ohci. kîtahtawê kâ-matwêwêyik; kîpiwêpahwâw, wâwikanihk ê-tawahoht, ê-kaskâwikanêhoht. êkosi otinêwak, ê-ahâcik wâtihkânihk.

(25) Nevertheless he went out of the trench. At once a shot rang out; he reeled over, struck in the spine, the bone shattered. They got him and laid him in the trench.

(26) "êkosi kâ-kî-ititân; osâm namôya kipa-pêhtên," ê-itâcik ôhi nâpêsisa; "kî-tâpwêhtaman, namôya kâ-kî-tawahokohtayak," itêwak.

(26) “This is what I told you; but you did not listen,” they told him; “If you had obeyed, you would not have been wounded,” they said to him.

(27) êkosi êkwa pôyôwak. êkwa kîwêwak ôki ayahciyiniwak.

(27) Then they stopped. The Blackfoot went home.

(28) êkwa nêhiyawak ay-apiwak êkota, "mâskôc tâpwê kipônihikonawak," ê-itwêcik.

(28) The Cree stayed there, saying, “Perhaps they really have given us up.”

(29) kîtahtawê pêyak awa nâpêw, "mahti nika-wâpamâwak; mahti tâpwê kê-kîwêcik," ê-itwêt, ê-sipwêhtêt.

(29) Presently one man said, “Let me go look at them; suppose they really will turn out to have gone home,” said he and departed.

(30) pôti namôya wâpamêw, ê-kîwêt. nôhtêyâpâkwêwak, nîso-kîsikâw nîso-tipiskâw êkâ ê-minihkwêcik, êkâ ê-mîcisocik, namôya ê-nipâcik. êkosi pasikôwak ê-wî-sipwêhtêcik.

(30) He did not see them; he came back. They were thirsty, not having drunk for two days and nights, and having neither eaten nor slept. So they got up to go away.

(31) "ê-wî-nakasiyêk cî?" êkosi itwêw awa nâpêsis.

(31) “And are you going to leave me?” asked that boy.

(32) ayisk namôya kî-pimohtêw awa nâpêsis.

(32) For he was not able to walk.

(33) "namôya," itik owîcêwâkana; "ê-nôhtêyâpâkwêyâhk." "miskamâhko nipiy ka-pê-nâtikawin," ê-itâcik ôhi nâpêsisa, ê-wayêsimâcik, ê-pê-kîwêcik, ê-pê-tapasîcik.

(33) “No,” his companions answered him; It is only that we are thirsty. When we have found water, you will be fetched,” they told him, deceiving him, for they were going to flee for home.

(34) êkosi kahkiyaw pimâtisiwak, wîkiwâhk ê-takohtêcik. awa wîhkasko-kisêyin oskotâkay wâpôwayân nistomitanaw nîsohayiwâk tahtwayak, êkosi nama nânitaw mâ-misiwê ê-pikwâhoht.²

(34) So they all stayed alive and reached their village. Sweet-Grass' coat and blanket had thirty-two bullet-holes, but in no spot was he wounded.

(35) êkosi êwako âcimowin. namôya kayâs. mâskôc mitâtahtomitanaw askiy.

(35) So goes this story. It is not old Perhaps a hundred years.

Footnotes

¹KR: Book has the three sentences of this paragraph on separate lines and indented as paragraphs, but with no paragraph number.

²LB on tahtwayak: The word “it was pierced” was not spoken, but supplied by gesture.