[Told by Abraham of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsgo]
They were encamped in G̣a′ogîts [879] to gather fish eggs.
Those-born-at-Qā′gials and Those-born-at-Skedans lived on opposite
sides.
Once Koa′gians [880] won from Kusʟxa′s a large knife that his dead
father had owned. And he refused to give it to him. They wrangled then
with each other. Then Koa′gians went out and announced the day that
they had agreed upon for fighting. On the appointed day they put on
their armor. They used helmets, war coats, and gorgets.
Then Koa′gians asked: “Whom shall I use for my fighting skirt?” [881]
And Sounding-property said: “You shall use me for your fighting skirt.”
He was a youth. They even broke up their canoes to use the pieces as
gorgets.
Presently, when they were ready, they approached each other in lines.
Koa′gians acted as leader of Those-born-at-Skedans. Sounding-property
protected him below his breast. And Qagi′t acted as leader of
Those-born-at-Qā′gials. He, too, was a brave man, and he determined to
fight with Koa′gians. As soon as they were all engaged in battle,
Qagi′t speared Koa′gians, so that he fell. Then Qagi′t pulled him
toward himself and stabbed him with a knife. Sounding-property also lay
dead in front of him.
And, after they had fought for a while, Those-born-at-Skedans and the
Town-of-Djī′gua [882] people were driven back. And they did not go near
the place where they used to live. They went instead toward the woods.
And Those-born-at-Qā′gials pursued them.
Then the great chief South-east [883] rested on two strong youths, and
they helped him up the mountain. And he heard the Skedans people
calling from behind: “They are taking your beaver.” But still he went
away. South-east owned a beaver dish. That was what they meant when
they called to him. [884]
While they carried him along he repeated: “My beaver.” And when they
reached the top of the mountain all the men and women sat with him, and
he began to weep for his beaver:
“𝄆 𝄆 Hī-ī-ī-ī-ī-ī⁺ 𝄇 𝄆 Wadīkâ′lᴀm tcâlī′-ī-ī-ī-ī 𝄇 [885] hī-ī-ī-ī⁺ 𝄇
hī-ī-ī-ī⁺, hī hī hī.” They then started away from there. And they came
to Dju-î′tga. [886] And, when he saw the inlet open out, he sang
another song:
“𝄆 Wâ yī′a hē ē ī ē 𝄇 I look upon it, xē ē ē ē
“𝄆 Wīya hī yē hē yē 𝄇 There is now daylight (i.e., the trouble is
partly over). [887]
“𝄆 Wayī′a hē′ē ē ē 𝄇”
And after that they occupied Mountain-fort. [888] Then the women of
Those-born-at-Skedans gathered a supernatural medicine. And, after they
had collected it, they gave it to One-going-to-be-the-elder-Sqaa′n.
[889] They put it then upon a charmed necklace, and they also put some
upon a looking-glass. One-going-to-be-the-elder Sqaa′n then sent the
charm over to Wā′nᴀg̣ᴀn. [890] And she sent over to Tcinxā′da[890] the
mirror on which she had put the medicine.
As soon as they reached Skedans Wā′nᴀg̣ᴀn wore the charm and Tcinxā′da
looked at himself in the mirror. They felt [the effects of] the
medicine at once. Tcinxā′da’s face, which had been touched by a war
spear’s point, had not healed. They went from Skedans at once to get
wives. And a large number went along.
When they got near Mountain-fort they stood up. And they began to sing:
“One will not even feel where he fell, ā′hiya.” [891] Then someone in
the canoe repeated: “That is the way it will happen.”[891]
At that time Qꜝayū′s got ready for them. He said that they might get
off the canoe, but perhaps he would not let them in. When they had gone
ashore they entered the house. When [Those-born-at-Skedans] acted in an
unfriendly manner, as if they were ready to do something, all escaped
to their canoe.
And, after they had gone up the inlet some distance, they came to their
brother-in-law. And he asked: “Say! brothers-in-law, why did you come
up here?” And they said to him: “They almost destroyed us. We escaped
by sea.” Then he said: “Come back then. I think they did it to you
because I was away.” Then they returned with him.
When they fought at G̣a′ogîts they had killed his nephew. He called upon
his brothers-in-law to go back because his mind was sick on account of
it. So, after they landed at the fort, they killed them. They afterward
made peace with each other. After that they ceased to treat each other
badly.
The first of these families was the principal family at Skedans; the
second, the ruling family at Kloo. The one was Raven; the other, Eagle.
They were so closely connected by intermarriages that quarrels seldom
arose between them, and the one narrated here seems to have been
thought remarkable for that reason.