"I saw a great many people. They are the same who killed our friends.
They will kill us unless we kill them. We will move to-morrow at
daybreak and fight. My brother, Tede Wiu, you must find Sutunut. When
he came to my place he boasted greatly. He said that I could fight
nobody. I want to see Sutunut. We must find him. Never mind others.
Let us find Sutunut and Koip Herit, who boasted that they had killed
so many of our people."
"I will go and look at that camp before dark," said Hau Herit.
He went, and just below the hilltop he found a piece of a hollow
oak-tree as long as the height of a man; he walked slowly in this dry
trunk, his head just sticking above it, and of the same color. He
reached the top of the ridge and went down the south side a short
distance; there were no trees or brush there. As he stood looking
around, his eyes above the stump, some people called out below,--
"What is that on the hill? I have never seen that thing there before."
"I see nothing but a stump," answered others.
Hau was looking around everywhere, taking notice of everything.
"There is some one there," said another man.
"Oh, that's a stump. I've seen that there all the time."
"Well, let's sling a stone at it."
Notudui took his sling and hurled a stone. Hau lowered his head a
little. The stone hit the stump and made a loud noise.
"Oh, that's nothing. Don't you hear the noise? That's just a stump.
We'll throw again and be sure."
Hau was just putting his head out when he saw another stone coming.
The stone hit the stump, and made a great noise.
"There, do you think that is a person? Do you think the stone would
make a noise like that if it hit some one?"
They threw no more stones. Hau waited till dark, when he went back and
told Sehinom everything.
"Now, my brothers," said Sehinom Chabatu to the two Tsudi boys, "you
must go to that camp. Go straight to the centre house, go into it
together. Then let one go west and the other east. Look carefully, and
when you see a bow, cut the string to it. Cut the strings in the first
house before you part, and then cut alone. Go into each house and cut
every bow-string. As you go around the houses inside, some one may see
you and say, 'Look at those Tsudis,' but pay no heed, go on cutting."
The two Tsudi brothers went to the middle house together; then one
went east, and the other west. They went through each house. In some
they found a few bows, in others a great many. They cut till daylight
was coming. They went home then, and said,--
"We cut bow-strings all night, and had to stop because daylight was
coming, but we left only a few strings uncut. The people slept, except
one man in the sweat-house. We don't think he ever sleeps. He talks
always."
"I know him," said Sehinom. "He talks, but he is asleep while he talks
[whistles]. Daylight is coming, we must go. Do the best you can, do
your best, all of you."
The army was so large, and there were so many Tidoks that they spread
over the country like a flood; they rushed across the hill and ran
down into the valley; when the people sleeping in the houses heard
them coming, they sprang up and ran for their bows.
"Oh, my bow-string is broken!" cried one.
"Oh, my bow-string is broken!" cried another.
"Give me a bow! Give me a bow!" cried a third.
This was heard all over the camp; every one was crying: "My bow-string
is broken! Give me a bow!"
Sehinom's army poured in on them like great waves of water. Sehinom
rushed to the chief house, and shouted,--
"Where are you, Sutunut? I want to see you. You boasted so much in Dau
Paki Olel, I want to see you. Where are you, Sutunut?"
Sutunut said nothing, kept still. He was in a house a short distance
away, and some one else killed him.
The southern people could not fight well without bows and arrows; they
did what they could to defend themselves, but at noon they were killed
to the last person, not one escaped.
Sehinom Chabatu with his chief men and all their forces started for
home, leaving Kot and Ho Herit behind, with some Tidoks to fire all
the houses. Just as they had set fire to everything, a new force of
southern people came up, surprised them, and killed a great many.
"Sehinom Chabatu has gone," said Ho Herit, when he saw them. "New
forces are coming against us. Now, Tidok people, you must fight well."
The new forces chased Ho Herit and his men. The Tidoks fought bravely.
Many were killed on both sides. Ho Herit himself was killed. Fresh
people from the south were coming continually, while the Tidoks had no
reinforcements. At last Kot Herit was killed, and most of the Tidoks
who fought under him. Then the southern people turned and went home.
The few Tidoks who escaped with their lives went north to their own
place.
Sehinom Chabatu went back to Dau Paki Olel and lived there. He and
those who came home with him did not know for a long time of the
second battle and the death of Kot and Ho Herit.
This is the end of that war. All the people who returned with Sehinom
Chabatu came home in safety. The first people fought no more after
that, for soon Olelbis turned them into birds, beasts, and other
things.