(1) kîtahtawê ita ê-ayâcik, ê-wîkicik nêhiyawak, mâwacihitôwak ê-sipwêhtêcik oskinîkiwak, ayahciyiniwa ê-nitonawâcik, ê-wî-kimotamawâcik otêmiyiwa misatimwa, kîspin mâka wâpamâtwâwi, pêyakoyici, ta-nipahâcik; êkosi itêyihtamwak. êkwa kâ-wâpahk, kâ-pimohtêcik, têpakohp tahtwâw ê-nipâcik, êkoyikohk wâpamêwak ayahciyiniwa ita ê-wîkiyit. êkosi kâsôhtawêwak; namôya wâpamikwak. êkwa ê-itohtêcik, ê-tipiskâyik, ê-otihtâcik ita ê-wîkiyit, apiwak êkota, cîki ita kâ-ayâyit. nîso nâpêwak itohtêwak mîkiwâhpihk, misatimwa ê-kimotamawâcik, ê-nipâyit.

(1) Once where some Cree lived, the young men assembled to go out looking for Blackfoot, in order to steal their horses from them and, if they saw one alone, to kill him; that was their intent. So on the next day they set out, and when seven times they had slept on the way, they saw some Blackfoot encamped. They hid from them; the others did not see them. Then, at night, when they went there and reached the others' camp, they sat there close to where the others were. Two men went to a lodge and stole the horses while the owners slept.

(2) êkosi owîcêwâkaniwâwa ê-mâh-miyâcik, ômisi itwêwak: "têhtapik; tapasîtân."

(2) Then, when they gave them to their comrades, they said, “Mount; let us flee.”

(3) êkosi tâpwê têhtapiwak, ê-wî-sipwêhtêcik. nîso oskinîkiwak âtawêyimêwak; pakwâtêwak ê-mâyâtisiyit misatimwa. pakitinêwak; namôya wî-tapasîwak.

(3) Accordingly they mounted to depart. Two youths were dissatisfied with the horses they had got; they did not like the horses, because they were ugly. They let them go and would not flee.

(4) "tânêhki êkâ kâ-tapasiyêk?"

(4) “Why do you not flee?”

(5) "â, namôya niwî-tapasîn." "kiyawâw tapasîk."

(5) “I shall not flee. Go, you others.”

(6) tâpwê tapasîwak ôki kâ-têhtapicik. kotakak nîso nâpêwak mîna êwakonik namôya tapasîwak. nêwiwak êkwa êkâ kâ-tapasîcik.

(6) So those who were on horses fled. Two other men also did not flee. Thus they were four who did not flee.

(7) "kiwî-wîcêtinâwâw, oskinîkîtik," itwêw awa kisêyiniw pêyak, "mâskôc otinâyêko misatim, ê-itêyimitakok."

(7) “I shall go with you, youths,” said one, an old man, “for I think you may perhaps succeed in getting a horse or so.”

(8) êkosi êkwa ôki êkâ kâ-tapasîcik nîso oskinîkiwak itohtêwak, ayahciyiniwa ita ê-wîkiyit. kêyâpic nipâyiwa. otinêwak misatimwa ê-miyosiyit nîsitanaw pêyakosâp. êkwa owîcêwâkaniwâwa, nîso ita ê-pêhikocik ôhi kisêyiniwa otihtêwak. miyêw misatimwa ôho kisêyiniwa êwako. awa oskinîkiw ômisi isiyîhkâsôw: kiyâhkakiyôwêw, kâ-miyât kisêyiniwa ê-miyosiyit misatimwa.

(8) Then the two youths who had not fled went to where the Blackfoot were camping. They were still asleep. They took twenty-one handsome horses. Then they went back to where their two companions, one of them the old man, were awaiting them. The one gave a horse to the old man. The name of the youth was Kiyahkakiyowew, he who gave the old man a fine horse.

(9) êkosi ômisi itwêw awa kisêyiniw: "kitatamihin, wêskinîkiyin." "êwako ohci kâ-ôh-kisâtitân."

(9) Then the old man spoke thus: “I thank thee, youth. It was for this I stayed with thee.”

(10) êkosi êwako awa kisêyiniw ômisi isiyîhkâsôw: tawipîsim isiyîhkâsôw.

(10) The name of this old man was Tawipisin.

(11) "êkwa tapasîtân," itwêw awa kisêyiniw.

(11) “Now let us flee,” said the old man.

(12) tâpwê têhtapiwak, ê-tapasîcik, ê-wî-kîwêcik.

(12) Accordingly they mounted and made for home.

(13) ômisi itwêw awa kisêyiniw: "oskinîkîtik, êkâ wiya pimitisahwâtânik kiwîcêwâkaninawak." "ohpimê itohtêtân." "wiyawâw mihcêt ayâwêwak misatimwa." "wâpahki ta-pimitisahokwak ayahciyiniwa." "âsay wiyawâw wâhyaw ayâtokênik." "kiyânaw kika-atimikonawak." "pimitisahokoyahkwâwi, ohpimê itohtêtân." "namôya ka-wâpamikonawak ayahciyiniwak."

(13) Thus spoke the old man: “Young men, let us not go in pursuit of our companions. Let us go in a different direction. They have many horses. Tomorrow the Blackfoot will pursue them. No doubt they are far on their way by now. It is us whom the Blackfoot will overtake. If they pursue us, let us go in a different direction. The Blackfoot will not see us.”

(14) "ahaq," itwêwak oskinîkiwak.

(14) “Very well,” said the young men.

(15) êkosi tapasîwak. êkwa ohpimê itâmôwak.

(15) So they fled. They fled in a different direction.

(16) tâpwê ê-wâpahk kiskêyihtamwak ayahciyiniwak ê-kimotamâhcik otêmiwâwa. wawêyîwak, ê-âh-awihitocik otêmiwâwa, ê-pimitisahwâcik nêhiyawa, êkwa kapê-kîsik ê-pimipayicik, nêhiyawa ê-wî-kakwê-atimâcik. piyisk tipiskâw. namôya wâpamêwak nêhiyawa. âhci piko pimohtêwak, ê-wî-kakwê-wâpamâcik nêhiyawa.

(16) As they had foreseen, in the morning the Blackfoot saw that their horses had been stolen from them. They made ready, lending one another horses, and went in pursuit of the Cree, riding all day to overtake them. At last night came. They had no sight of the Cree. Still they went on, seeking to get sight of the Cree.

(17) ê-wâpahk êkwa mîna ê-sipwêhtêcik, ê-pimitisahwâcik nêhiyawa, kîtahtawê kâ-wâpamâcik; ita ê-wî-mîcisocik nêhiyawak, pêyak mostoswa ê-nipahâcik, êkota kâ-wâpamâcik ayahciyiniwak ôhi nêhiyawa. mêkwâc ê-mîcisoyit môskîstawêwak. êkwa ôki nêhiyawak pasikôwak, ê-otinâcik misatimwa, ê-têhtapicik, ê-tapasîcik. êkwa âtiht nôtinikêwak; pâh-pâskiswêwak ayahciyiniwa. wiyawâw mîna pâh-paskisokwak ayahciyiniwa. piyisk kinwês nôtinitôwak, ê-pimohtêcik. pêyak nipahâw nêhiyaw. êkosi poyowak ayahciyiniwak, nêhiyawa pêyak ê-nipahâcik. kâ-pôyocik êkosi kîwêwak ôki ayahciyiniwak.

(17) In the morning, when again they set out in pursuit of the Cree, suddenly they saw them; where the Cree were about to eat, having slain a buffalo, there the Blackfoot caught sight of the Cree. They attacked them while they were eating. The Cree jumped to their feet, seized the horses, mounted, and fled. Some of them fought; they shot at the Blackfoot. The Blackfoot, too, kept shooting at them. For a long time they fought each other as they went along. One Cree was killed. Then the Blackfoot ceased, when they had killed one Cree. The Blackfoot ceased fighting and went home.

(18) êkwa ôki ohpimê kâ-pimohtêcik nêhiyawak, êwako kisêyiniw awa ita kâ-wîcihiwêt, kâwi êkota itohtêwak, owîcêwâkaniwâwa mêskanaw ê-wî-kakwê-wâpahtahkik, ita ê-kî-pimohtêyit. tâpwê wâpahtamwak ita ê-kî-pimipayiyit.

(18) As for those Cree who had gone off in another direction, the party of that old man, they went back to look for the tracks of their comrades. They saw the place where the others had gone by.

(19) "â, oskinîkîtik," itwêw awa kisêyiniw, "namôya êko-tahto ohci ihtasiwak;" "osâm mistahi ôki misatimwak kâ-pimiskanawêcik," itwêw awa kisêyiniw.

(19) “Now, young men,” said the old man, “there were not so many of them as this; too many tracks have the horses made by here,” said the old man.

(20) oskinîkiwak ôki ômisi itêwak: "êko-tahto ôma kâ-kî-otinâcik misatimwa," itêwak ôho kisêyiniwa.

(20) The young men answered him, “This is the number of the horses they have taken,” said they to the old man.

(21) êkosi itwêwak. âhci piko ati-sipwêhtêwak. namôya wâhyaw ê-ihtâcik, kâ-pê-sâkêwêyit, ê-nakiskawâcik, ê-kîwêyit awa ayahciyiniwa. wâpamikwak êkosi. tapasîwak ôki nêhiyawak. môskîstâkwak. ê-sakâyik êkota sêskisiwak otêmiwâwa kiki. sakâhk ayâwak. wîhkwêskâkwak ayahciyiniwa. wâtihkêwak êkota sakâhk, êkota awa kisêyiniw ê-wî-apit wâtihkânihk, êkwa pêyak oskinîkiw. êkwa nîso ôki oskinîkiwak namôya wî-apiwak wâtihkânihk, êkwa ê-pâskisokocik ayahciyiniwa. pêyak ômisi isiyîhkâsôw: kiyâhkakiyôwêw isiyîhkâsôw; êkwa pêyak pâhpâscês isiyîhkâsôw. êwakonik nêhiyawak ê-nôtinikêcik ê-nîsicik. nîso wâtihkânihk apiwak; êwakonik ê-pîhtâsocik pâskisikana, ôki kâ-nôtinikêcik ê-âpacihtâcik, kâ-tasinahkwâwi kâ-isiwêpinamawâcik ôhi kisêyiniwa, kotak ê-otinahk pâskisikan. êwakonik ôki oskinîkiwak, kîspin êkâ ê-kostikocik ayahciyiniwa, êwakoni ê-nipahâcik. ôho wiya otêmiwâwa kahkiyaw nipahêyiwa. piyisk mihcêt nipahêyiwa ayahciyiniwa. piyisk kostikwak. kêkâc ê-tipiskâyik, êkoyikohk pôyoyiwa ôhi ayahciyiniwa, ê-tapasîyit, ê-sêkihâcik. pêyak piko nipahikwak êwakonik ôki. êkwa ê-kî-tapasîyit, êkwa ê-wâ-wâpamâcik otêmiwâwa. awa kisêyiniw kâ-kî-miyiht misatimwa, êwako piko pimâtisiyiwa, êsa ê-kawipitisoyit, oskâtiyihk ê-tâpakwâtahk pîsâkanâpiy ohci awa misatim.¹

êkosi isi otinêw awa kisêyiniw. êkosi sipwêhtêwak, ê-kîwêcik ôki nêhiyawak. pêyak piko nipahâw nêhiyaw, ê-nêwicik. cikêmâ wiyawâw mihcêt nipahêwak ayahciyiniwa. êwako ôhi kâ-ôh-pôyocik, ê-sêkihâcik. êkosi isi pimâtisiwak. êkosi ê-wâpahk, kapê-tipisk ê-pimohtêcik, ê-wâpahk, ê-otâkosihk, takosinwak wîkiwâhk ôki nêhiyawak. wiya piko awa kisêyiniw pêyak pêsiwêw ôhi misatimwa. ôki wiya oskinîkiwak kahkiyaw nipahêyiwa otêmiwâwa ayahciyiniwa.

(21) So they spoke. Again they set out. They were not far on their way, when they encountered those Blackfoot coming out from behind a hill on their way home. Thus they were seen by the others. The Cree fled. The others attacked them. They took refuge with their horses in a wooded place. They stayed in the brush. The Blackfoot surrounded them. They dug a pit there in the woods, for the old man to stay in, and the one young man. The other two young men decided not to stay in the pit when the Blackfoot fired on them. The one's name was Kiyahkakiyowew, the other's Pahpastches. Those were the two Cree who fought. Two sat in the pit; they loaded the guns for those who were fighting, the latter tossing the guns, when they had fired them, to the old man, and taking another. These young men, whenever a Blackfoot failed to keep at a cautious distance, him they killed. But the others killed all their horses. At last they had killed many Blackfoot. The others came to fear them. Almost at nightfall the Blackfoot quit and ran away; they had frightened them. Only one of these men had been slain. Then when the others had run away and they looked at their horses, only the horse which had been given to the old man was alive; it had apparently thrown itself down on the ground by getting its foot snagged in the tether. Thus the old man took it. So the Cree set out for home. Only one of the four Cree was slain. But certainly they had slain many of the Blackfoot. They ceased fighting when they had frightened them off. So they saved their lives. On the next day, after marching all night, in the evening these Cree reached their camp. Only the old man brought home his horse. The young men's horses had all been killed by the Blackfoot.

(22) êkosi êkoyikohk âcimowin êwako.

(22) That is the end of this story.

Footnotes

¹LB on êh-tapakwâtahk: This word is probably wrongly recorded; the translation is a guess.