"My brother, I did wrong. When I think of it now, I see that I did
wrong. I understand all to-day. I see that if I had not danced with
Tede Wiu, if I had not gone home with him, there would have been no
fighting, no trouble in this world. If I had gone with Norbis at the
dance, there would have been no battles, there would have been no
killing; but I did not want to go with Norbis. I do not know why; but
in some way I did not like him. I was dancing with Tede Wiu, and
sitting with him, and going away with him before I knew what I was
doing."
Sehinom Chabatu, after the close of the first great battle, went home
and lived on Wini Mem five years before any trouble came to him. While
helping Tede Wiu in his fight with Norbis, Sehinom killed Saias Saias
and Chuchu, two of the best men among Norbis's forces.
All the southern people talked of these two, and told how they had
died. A great man, far off in the southeast, heard of this. He was
chief of the two when they were living, and his name was Chulup Win
Herit. He was a slender, strong person. When he had heard the whole
story, he said,--
"I have never liked fighting, I do not like fighting now. I have never
gone to war, but I am going to war now. Norbis attacked Tede Wiu, he
fought with him. Norbis has shown me what fighting is, and I am going
to fight now."
Chulup inquired everywhere to discover who had killed these two men;
he wished to be sure. All people said everywhere, "Sehinom Chabatu did
it."
It was really Chir Chuma who had killed them. But Chir Chuma was under
Sehinom Chabatu, and the blame was put on Sehinom.
They talked it all over, talked a whole night, and Chulup sent this
message to Sehinom,--
"I should like to see you, I want you to come to Miol Tapa, near
Puidal Pom. I will meet you there. If you want to fight, I will fight
with you at that place."
The messenger was Tsotso Tokos Herit. While Chulup was instructing his
messenger, Sehinom's grandmother was talking to him. This grandmother
was a very old woman, Chir Pokaila; she was called also Kahi Buli
Pokaila. She knew what was happening far away in the east, and what
was going to happen soon, though nobody had told her: she knew with
her own mind.
"My grandson," said she, "you have been fighting, you have been at
war, and people will talk much of you. My grandson, you will hear
something very soon. You must do what is best, take care of yourself.
I will tell you what to do: when you go hunting or fishing, never go
toward the east. Go north, west, and south, but never go east; the
people in the east are talking of you. My grandson, I did not know
that you were going to do the things that you have done. When I was
rearing you and you were a baby yet, I told you how to hunt and fish;
no more. I did not think that you would fight and strike down strong
people. But there is a woman at Norwan Buli who brought all this
trouble into the world; this fighting began for her, and now it will
continue always and everywhere; there will never be an end to fighting
in this world now. This place where we are living would have been good
but for that woman. Now, from this time on, all these trees,
mountains, rocks, all people in this world, will be bad and will hurt
others. (This means that people will use stones, sticks, and
everything to fight with when they are angry.)
"Now, my grandson, you must do as I tell you. My brother lives near
by, he lives at Kahi Buli, his name is Kahit. Go and see him every
morning early. And there is a man who lives a little farther away, up
at Waitami. He is your brother. Go and see him every evening. He is a
great man, he can do everything. His name is Katsi Herit. My two
sisters live at Waiti Nomken. They have been in the war and have seen
all the fighting. They are the Kawas Loimis sisters.
"My grandson, we cannot live as we used to live. We must live
differently. I am getting very angry. We cannot eat, we cannot sleep
as in the old time. When you went to war you killed two great men,
two of the best men. Long, long ago Chulup, a great chief, went far
away east, and has lived there since that time. He is going to come
soon to see you. Take care of yourself; be on your guard. When he
started east Chulup went to the edge of the great water and went under
the ground to it, he went through the ground, and he lives in the east
now on the bed of the great water.
"I will tell you what is going to happen soon. I am getting angry, and
when I am angry you will feel a cold wind coming from the north. That
wind comes because I am angry."
When Sehinom Chabatu went south, he was young yet, not grown; and now,
when his grandmother knew what was happening in the east, she was
instructing him. The place where they lived was Dau Paki Olel, a mile
higher up than the mouth of Wini Mem.
One morning Sehinom Chabatu called all his people together. The old
woman knew that some one was coming, and that day Tsotso Tokos came.
He was sent by Chulup. When the old woman knew that he was near, she
went into the house, brought out a quiver full of arrows, and hung it
on a tree. Then she got a tuichu kilis, which is a net faced with
white down, put it on her head, took the quiver, and ran some distance
from the house, and rushed about in great fury. She acted like some
one who is going to fight. People watched her.
"What is the matter with that old woman?" asked one person of another.
After a time she came back and sat down. A few minutes later a man
was seen running in from the east, and soon Tsotso Tokos was at the
house.
"Sehinom Chabatu," said he, "I am here to tell you what Chulup says.
He says that he is growing angry; that he wants you to go to Miol Tapa
to-morrow; that he will meet you there; that he has his men with him.
He has gathered many people. He will wait for you at Miol Tapa."
When Tsotso Tokos had said these words, he went away. The old woman
rose and said,--
"My grandson, do not sit long. Rise up. That of which I told you, a
while ago has happened. I told you that trouble was coming. Send word
now to the two Tede Wiu brothers. Send word to all your friends. Tell
them to come quickly to help you."
Sehinom Chabatu sent a message to the Tede Wiu brothers, and a second
one to the northwest, a third to the north, and a fourth to the
southwest. In the north he sent to Sau Herit and to Kichuna Herit, to
Hokohas Herit of Puidal Pom. Hokohas's people wore elkskin armor at
all times; to Koyumas Herit, and to Puike Tsumu, a great chief, though
lame. He sent to all who had been with the Tede Wiu brothers in the
first war.
All came, and still others joined them. Among these was Cho Herit, who
had a great many people. Sehinom's grandmother was terribly excited.
She danced madly and ran around everywhere; she danced that night and
the next day. The second morning all came very early to join
Sehinom's forces. The first came at daybreak, and one people followed
another the whole day and the next night.
Chir Chuma, carried by two Siriwit brothers, came. Wai Karili, who
lived on the south bank of Wini Mem, came. All his people had nets.
Bulibok came from Bulibok Puyuk, and when the people on the road sat
down to rest, he went ahead and called out,--
"Shoot at me, all you people! I want to see what kind of person I am
going to be."
All shot at him. He sat still, but no one could hit him. And Kaisus
Herit from Puidal Pom went ahead too, and asked all to shoot at him. A
great many tried, but no one could hit Kaisus Herit.
Tichelis from Penehl Kente came, bringing his people.
"You are my brother," said he to Kaisus; "we will go together."
One Sedit came from Buli Puiwakat, and another from Sonomyai.
When all the people had assembled at Sehinom's, Wik Herit picked up
dead coals and blackened his face. "I want to see fighting," said he.
"I am a brave warrior. I want to fight;" then he puffed and strutted
tremendously.
Nomel Hiwili, who lived at Waiel Nomeltos, came, bringing his people.
"My brother," said he to Sehinom, "I am not very strong, I cannot do
much, but I will go with you and do what I can."
When they went to the place where the battle was to be fought, a
messenger came and said,--
"Saiai Not Herit is coming to see you. He has no heart, and all his
people are without hearts. Saiai Not wants to fight with you. Kichuna
from Kinwinis Pom and Hamam Herit from the east wish to fight with
you. All these people are at Memnom Kalai now, not far from here."
At this time they saw some one coming toward them from the east. This
was a second Chir Pokaila. She was from Pokaitin Mem. When she came up
she said to Sehinom's grandmother,--
"My sister, we will help our grandson, and if he is killed we will
mourn over him together."
"It is time to move now," said Sehinom.
"We will be in the centre of the army," said the Tede Wiu brothers,
and they took their places. Wai Karili went to the south wing of the
northern army, and all his people with him. They went up on a level
mound, and from there saw people coming on both sides, from the north
and the south, as far as the eye could see. They came on like a great
water, rolling forward. The people were in number as the grains in two
clouds of sand. The two armies approached each other gradually.
Sehinom's grandmother, with her sister, was in front of the northern
forces. She engaged the enemy first, and fought fiercely. She had
arrows of kopus wood, pointed with Chirdokos, all made by herself. The
northern army faced the east, and the southern the west.
Chir Chuma, carried by the Siriwits, came to help his two sisters.
All three had the same kind of arrows. They killed fifty and sixty at
a shot, and these three gave victory to the left wing of the northern
army.
On the right flank of the northern and left flank of the southern army
were good men, and there was hard fighting. On the northern side was
Wai Karili with his people, having nets to catch the enemy. Then
Hokohas and his forces, all dressed in elkskin armor; next Kaisus and
Tichelis, with many people. Between Tichelis and the centre was
Kichuna. On the other side, opposite Kichuna, was Hamam, who had sent
word to Kichuna that he would meet him on the field. Opposite Sedit of
Sonomyai was an unknown chief, but a very great fighter.
Wai Karili, Hokohas, Kaisus, and Tichelis with their forces were met
by Hawt and Tsuini, whose people outnumbered those of the four chiefs
opposed to them. The Hawts used solid blue rocks as weapons. They
hurled them with great force, breaking the armor of Hokohas's people
and tearing the nets of Karili's men. The Tsuini people threw smaller
stones from slings in great showers at the people of Tichelis and
Kaisus.
The battle raged with fury on that flank till evening. Many were
killed on both sides, and of the chiefs Hamam and Sedit of Sonomyai
fell. Neither side had the victory when night came, though Hawt and
Tsuini were gaining a little.
In the centre were the great chiefs of both armies. There Chulup,
supported by Saiai Not, Tenek Not, and Tubuk, met Sehinom Chabatu and
the Tede Wiu brothers.
In the morning Chulup began the fighting, and cut into the centre. In
the middle of the forenoon he had gone half-way through Sehinom's
people. But Sehinom forced him back, and at midday Chulup was where he
had begun in the morning. Sehinom advanced now, and tried to cut
through Chulup's people. He had gone more than half-way when Chulup
rallied, pressed around him, pushed him back, and at sundown had
rushed forward among Sehinom's warriors.
Just at that time Sehinom saw in the field behind Chulup a tall and
very beautiful woman. She was Chulup's wife. Her name was Sanihas.
Sehinom Chabatu ran quickly to this woman, and led her to his own
camp, while Chulup was struggling with the Tede Wiu brothers. The sun
was down now. Night had come.
Chulup dropped back to his own place. He had lost his wife and gained
nothing. Both sides went from the battlefield and made camp-fires. You
could see the two lines of fire running north and south, but could not
see either end of them.
Chulup rose at daybreak next morning, rushed to Sehinom's camp, and
after a sharp and short fight took his wife back before sunrise. Both
sides were very angry and fought hard. At midday the southern forces
had the advantage in the centre and the southern flank, and would have
beaten Sehinom Chabatu but for his grandmother, his uncle, and his
aunt. The two women and Chir Chuma, carried on two sticks by the
Siriwit brothers, had beaten everything in front of them.
At this time the centre and flank of the northern forces had suffered
much. Wai Karili left the fight; he was angry.
"I will do something better than this," said he.
Taking his net, he went off to the southeast, and never stopped till
he was at the edge of the earth, and had found the opening through
which Chulup passed when he came out on land or went back to his home
on the bed of the great eastern water. He laid the net across the
hole, thrust the middle of it in deeply, covered what was left
outside, and waited in hiding.
At noon, when Sehinom Chabatu was hard pressed and the enemy were
pushing his people from the field, his grandmother, aunt, and uncle,
with the whole army behind them, fell upon the rear of Chulup's
forces. The struggle began anew, and from then till sunset was fought
the hardest battle of the world up to that day. At sunset they had to
stop, for there were few people left on either side, and those were so
tired that they could fight no longer.
Each side left the field without saying a word to the other.
Chulup sent his wife Sanihas home by another way, and went himself to
the passage where Wai Karili was hiding. He went into the opening.
Karili drew the net, closed it around Chulup, and tied it firmly. He
put it on his back then, and carried Chulup to Tehi Buli, some
distance east of Bohem Puyuk. There he taunted him, saying:
"Now, Chulup, you did not take me, but I have taken you. You are not
going to kill me, but I am going to kill you. Who is better, you or
I?" Then he killed him, and pounded his body fine.